As students plan for their future, four or more years of college may seem a very long and stressful process. However, there are a few ways to get college credit in high school in order to graduate earlier from college. One way is taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which can start as early as freshman year.
These classes are taken at a college level, and at the end of the year the AP Exam is taken to determine whether or not the student is eligible to receive college credit. The test is graded on a 1-5 scale, and in order to pass the student must get at least a three.
There are a few factors to take into consideration. There are costs when it comes to taking the exam, and the classes are not easy. Typically, a 3-5 subject college ruled notebook is required to contain the amount of note taking that will come with some of the classes. There are AP classes for language, literature, mathematics, science and more. These credits may help many graduate sooner from college and use their time in high school wisely.
One suggestion from senior Jennifer Lara is to take KP classes before AP classes.
“KP classes are way harder than AP ones, in my opinion, so you’ll be fully prepared,” Lara said.
Lara has taken several AP and KP/Honors classes while living in both Texas and Washington, and has passed all her AP exams.
There are ways in which one can prepare for the extensive work that will be needed in order to be successful in AP classes. Time management must also be taken into consideration. Having an after-school job may affect one’s ability to study effectively. Studying constantly is vital for this process, as one must remember everything taught from August all the way through May.
Another vital skill for taking AP classes is one’s ability to take tests. One can know the topic well, but if they are not good test takers it may be easy for them to fail. Of course, the AP teachers are there to help, not only for deeper understanding of the material, but also for teaching the class effective test-taking techniques. If you are willing to put in the work and try your best, you can be successful in AP classes and get college credit to help secure your future.
