With all the underclassmen recently completing their course selection and seniors feeling relief at not having to go through the same process for another year, there is a lot going on. As a senior, I already know how to make decisions about the courses I want to take, but have noticed that many underclassmen all fall into the same trap: racking up on as many AP classes as the school has to offer.
During my sophomore year, I fell into the same trap as any other overachieving underclassmen would. I signed up for seven classes and took the most difficult science and math class that I could, just so it would look good for college. Despite the fact that science and math are my weakest subjects, I took those classes anyway. When you’re signing up for a class, you may not be taking into close consideration the realistic amount of time and effort you have to dedicate to that class. You may be only thinking about how good it looks to take that many APs or honors.
I thought I could coast along because all my friends were taking these classes too and we could all help each other out, but barely a month into the school year, my plans fell apart. I could not keep up with my work and was scrambling to catch up with my peers. My mental health deteriorated and I constantly felt like giving up.
Sophomore year was a valuable lesson for me because by the time junior year rolled around, I knew my limits. I only took the difficult classes I knew I could handle and stopped worrying about the number of APs I was taking in comparison to my friends. In the end, I ended up doing much better in my classes my junior year and felt a lot better mentally. I learned that life is not a competition and that we should all do what we can to the best of our abilities.
So now as a senior, I advise all of you to do the same. Stop worrying about what others are doing and just focus on working to the best of your own abilities. You know your limits more than anyone else, so it is your responsibility to take care of that.
If you’re interested or excel in English classes, then take the AP course that the school has to offer. If you don’t like math or science, then simply don’t take those AP classes, as there’s no need to add additional pressure on yourself. You can still challenge yourself in healthy amounts but in the long run, the difference between taking one or two less difficult classes really won’t matter. What matters in the end is your sanity, and taking five APs is not going to help.