Surviving AP and Honors Overload
It’s a brand new school year at Leonia High School, and students are taking all brand new classes. However, many are experiencing difficulties maintaining a balance between academic and their personal lives. Many students specifically look forward to taking the rigorous classes in order to strengthen their high-school resumes. Whether it is AP or Honors courses, students sometimes find them stressful, especially if they have several extracurricular activities.
Senior Marcel Astrakhan has taken multiple AP and Honors Courses since his freshman year of high school, and he describes his experiences with balancing personal life and his academics. “I make sure to give myself time to rest and recharge after school,” Marcel explained, “When I get home, depending on the time I have available, I’ll usually take a break, replenish my energy, and immediately begin my homework and studying everything I covered at school.” Marcel’s plan of taking time to rest after school before beginning his homework and studies has helped him effectively keep up with his various AP and Honors classes by promoting consistent studying and homework routines. In doing so, Marcel creates ample time for himself to focus on other activities when he wants or needs to. In addition, Marcel explained the benefits of taking harder classes despite the heavier workloads, noting, “The classes will expose students to college-level work, meaning that it will help and prepare them for college.” While AP and Honors classes can be tough for students, especially if it’s your first time taking them, you’re helping your high school resume tell colleges you’re willing to challenge yourself academically.
Not only does taking AP or Honors courses demonstrate to colleges that you’re willing to challenge yourselves academically, it expresses a genuine interest for learning. Senior at LHS, Eric Kim, who hopes to major in a humanities-based field in college, points out, “In the classes that I was more passionate about, for instance, AP Euro and APUSH, I learned a lot.” He went on to say, “My ability to approach schoolwork continues to improve, preparing me for what I want to do in college and my future.” Whatever aspirations you plan to pursue in college, taking AP or Honors courses effectively prepares yourself by providing you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the pursuit of accomplishing your goals.
Another senior at Leonia High School, Beckett Chun, cautions, “As long as you manage your time wisely, it’s definitely worth it to take the harder classes.” While AP and Honors classes are important in preparing you for college, Beckett emphasizes the importance of managing time wisely in order to complete assignments, efficiently study for tests/quizzes, and ultimately, to keep up with the quick learning pace of the classes. On top of managing schoolwork, Beckett currently plays for the Boys varsity soccer team on a fixed schedule. “I manage my time by planning ahead,” Becket explained, “If I have free time in school, I’ll use it to get my work done, which allows me to stay organized and leaves me less overwhelmed with work after my practices and matches are finished.”
Millions of students take AP and Honors classes annually with the goal of strengthening their college applications and demonstrating a genuine interest to learn. While these are essential steps to take, the importance of staying organized and on track is instrumental in succeeding in high school, your life outside of academics, and accomplishing your future goals.
