As I wrap up my senior year, I think it’s essential to reflect on all that I have accomplished. Most notably, I survived 4 years of 12 AP classes. For context, I was also a varsity basketball player for 4 years, a member of The Wrangler for 3 years, and involved with numerous clubs throughout all 4 years. While my high school experience is likely different from that of many others, some of my insights can help others with their course selections.
AP stands for “advanced placement,” which allows high school students to earn college credit. The content of each course is equivalent to a typical college course, and students will be tested on it come May; their score (out of 5) will determine if they receive credit or not, which varies by each college. For me, certain courses were easier than others, which could be attributed to several factors.
Thus, I will be rating every AP I’ve taken based on its difficulty and content–Human Geography, European History, US History, Spanish Language & Culture, Biology, Calculus AB, Language and Composition, US Government & Politics, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Literature & Composition, and Calculus BC. Please remember this is all opinion-based, and this is in no specific order.
AP Human Geography (8/10): I took this course as a freshman and was the first and only AP I had taken that year. For me, the content was pretty interesting and covered the human population and geographical evolution in the world. The test consisted of an MCQ and FRQ section, and I received a four on this test. I did not do any intensive studying besides going through the Princeton Review book 2 days prior to my exam date.
AP European History (4/10): This was the one and only course I took my sophomore year. This AP class and AP World History often are reputed for being more difficult due to the large amount of content. I definitely struggled in this class because I struggled memorizing important people, so I was unable to form connections or parallels between events at times. This exam is longer as it consists of MCQ, SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ. Ky Savalia (12) gave credit to Mr Buchan and noted that “he matched [the students’] energy and put in the care for those that genuinely tried.” Ultimately, I received a 3 on this exam, which is what I had expected. I started studying for the exam about 2 weeks prior but the content was a lot for me to digest. I still know plenty of people that did well and the history of it all is still really interesting!
AP United States History (8.5/10): I took this course junior year, which is typical for msot high school students. I believe this class was a lot easier than AP Euro because I had already experience taking an AP history class. Additionally, I had grown up learning little bits of this content already and the history did not date as far back. It was also a big plus that I was a fan of the musical, Hamilton. The exam was formatted the same as European History, and I got a 5 on this test. I studied about 5 days prior to this exam; I already felt confident because I felt well prepared throughout the whole year.
AP Spanish Language and Culture (7/10): I took this class junior year, which most students take either junior or senior year. I took Spanish 2 and 3 honors at my school, which I did fairly well in and had a decent foundation in the language. The entirety of the class is studying a spanish-speaking region and practicing for the AP test. I received a 4 on the exam and found the most challenging part to be the listening activity on MCQ. The exam tests on skills in the language– speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Madison Chou (12) advised that “It is most helpful to just pay attention in class and do the work.” There is no way to cram before this exam and definitely needs careful attention and practice throughout the year. This class was definitely really useful because there can be so many benefits to learning another a language and fun to learn about the different cultures.
AP Biology (4.5/10): I took this class my junior year and had taken honors biology my freshman year. I am not the best at science, but I wanted to fill the recommended 3 years of science for UC schools. The class required a lot of application of knowledge and was fairly difficult. I recieved a 3 on this exam and studied about a week and a half prior to taking. I would definitely recommend purchasing an AP study book for those who struggled throughout this class.
AP Calculus AB (5/10): I took this course my junior year. Despite taking algebra 2 and precalculus honors my freshman and sophomore year, I was not confident in my own math skills. The content of this course is equivalent to one semester of a college course calculus class. This class introduces students to the fundamentals of calculus with new concepts and formulas. I definitely found this class challenging, but my math skills improved a lot from it. I received a 3 on the exam and studied by taking a practice test prior.
AP Language and Composition (9/10): I took this class my junior year as well. This course was really interesting because it covered nonfictional material. This course is very useful and is typically helps students meet entry level requirements in college for writing. I received a 5 on this test, despite not feeling confident whilst taking it. I studied the night before my watching videos on tips to write the essays. Its important to just prepare throughout the year through practice and becoming comfortable with the essay types.
AP Government and Politics (7/10): I took this class the first semester of my senior year and really enjoyed it. Since I took APUSH previously, I had some knowledge on the content. This class has a big emphasis on memorizing facts and applying it to real scenarios, most notably in court cases. The class can be challenging but it is definitely doable with the help of online resources like Youtube and available study guides online! I prepared for the test by completing the Princeton Review book for it. This course is really useful for seniors to understand how our government works.
AP Macroeconomics (6.5/10): I took this class second semester of my senior year. It was pretty difficult and relied on a lot of application of topics and skills. Thus, it is important to do as much practice and reviewing as possible. I reviewed for this test about two weeks prior and still found it pretty challenging.
AP Statistics (9/10): This class is not like a typical math class and does not deal with any algebra. For me, the work was pretty repetitive and could be mastered with practice as long as you can memorize calculator functions. I did not study for the AP test but still found it fairly easy. AP math exams are also typically curved more than others. This class is definitely useful for a lot of majors and can cover some prerequisites for colleges!
AP Literature and Composition (7/10): This class is pretty important to students reading comprehension and writing skills. I definitely struggled in this class because of my lack of knowledge on books with literary-merit. I studied by doing practice MCQs and reviewing important parts of literary novels.
AP Calculus BC (8.5/10): I took this class my senior year and was probably the best I had ever done in a math class besides AP Stats. This course covers both semesters of a college calculus class, including AB content. Thus, the first half of this course was very easy for me and was mostly just practice. The second half was a struggle for me since all of the topics were new, but I still felt good about what I was learning. I prepared for this test by doing practice mcq and old frqs.
After 4 years, I can confidently say that I do not regret taking all of these AP classes! It is possible to balance a social, academic, and athletic life between all of these, even if it is not always easy, it is definitely worth it. I am now coming into college with at least 48 credits! It is important to challenge yourself in a way that isn’t do mentally exhausting. I recommend finding your balance and pushing yourself because it really will become worth it!
