By Razeile Joyce P. Aban
As a student taking two AP classes, here are some tips and tricks for taking AP classes. What exactly is an AP class? According to the College Board, “The AP Program offers college-level courses and exams that you can take in high school.” It also means Advanced Placement and potential college credit! Benicia high school has many classes and AP classes. AP Classes are worth it if you are willing to take a challenge. Here are the classes below and information about the class:
AP Art History – Ms. Burmark
“AP Art History explores 250 artworks from different cultures around the world from the Stone Age to contemporary artists. Classwork consists of learning the context (what is going on in the time and place that the artwork was made), describing the artwork and learning about the content (symbols and images within the artwork that reflect its context). Students record their learning in worksheets, graphic charts, art projects, and essays. A good way to prepare for this class is to visit an art museum and read the labels about the works. If you enjoy the experience and are interested in what the labels and signs in the museum explain, this is a good class for you! This class is mostly history and analysis centered supplemented with practical art examples from each of the 10 different units. Short essays are assigned at least once a unit depending on unit length. Each unit is a different place in the world. There are two units for European and American art. No art experience is required. This is a junior and senior level class based on the level of writing expected on essays.” – Ms. Burmark.
AP Studio Art Drawing/2D/3D – Ms. Seilonen
According to the College Board, AP Studio Art “Develop your skills in drawing as you experiment with different materials and processes. You’ll create artwork that reflects your own ideas and skills and what you’ve learned.”
AP Bio – Mr. Phillips
“Study the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern living organisms and biological systems. You’ll do hands-on laboratory work to investigate natural phenomena.” From the College Board.
AP Chem – Mr. Sinats
“Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry including structure and states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. You’ll do hands-on lab investigations and use chemical calculations to solve problems.
Note: Save your lab notebooks and reports; colleges may ask to see them before granting you credit.” From the College Board.
AP Environmental Science – Ms. Hudson
“Explore and investigate the interrelationships of the natural world and analyze environmental problems, both natural and human-made. You’ll take part in laboratory investigations and field work.
Note: Save your lab notebooks and reports; colleges may ask to see them before granting you credit.” From the College Board.
“I will say students are able to succeed in AP Environmental Science if they keep up with the workload. I really expect them to do about 30-40 minutes a night of homework. This includes watching video lectures for homework and working on their unit study cards. This class is a very informative class and very interesting. I do think students get a lot out of the class.”
– Ms. Hudson
AP Computer Science – Mr. Kaiser
“AP CS is a great class for students interested in learning more about computers and how they work- from binary to machine learning. In addition, students develop collaborative problem solving skills as they work in teams to create custom apps. The class is articulated with Diablo Valley College. Therefore, even students who do not end up taking the AP exam can still earn free college credits. No prior computer science experience is needed for AP CS. There is only one prerequisite for the class: you have to have passed Math Integrated 2. However, students who have taken the Intro to Programming & Robotics class do not have to do the required summer homework.” – Mr. Kaiser.
AP Psych – Mr. Starkweather
AP Psych according to the college board, “Explore the ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. You’ll examine the concepts of psychology through reading and discussion and you’ll analyze data from psychological research studies.”
“The only thing to know about this class is that it is an AP Class everyone can (and will be) successful- no summer work! No homework (unless you waste your class work time). Be prepared to explore the mental processes and behaviors of yourself as you learn about how humans think, know, remember, learn, sense and perceive, and so much more.”
– Mr. Starkweather
AP Spanish – Mr. Martinez
“Develop your Spanish language skills and learn about the cultures in Spanish-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in Spanish and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books.” From the College Board.
AP French – Ms Osmer
“Develop your French language skills and learn about the cultures in French-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in French and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books.” From the College Board.
AP Lang – Ms. Morgado and Ms. Derobertis
“AP Lang is a college-level course focused on non-fiction. We’ll read and analyze articles, speeches, memoirs, letters, and other forms of non-fiction, including images. The two main types of writing you’ll do in AP Lang are analytical and argumentative writing. AP Lang is only for juniors and seniors… According to the College Board, students should be able to read and comprehend college-level texts and write grammatically correct, complete sentences before taking AP Lang. If you like to write, want to strengthen your analytical and critical thinking skills, and enjoy debating, AP Lang would be a great class for you!” – Ms. Derobertis
“My advice for AP Lang is for students to show up with an open mind and an earnest desire to become better writers. It’s a different type of writing than what they may be used to, mainly argumentation and non-fiction analysis, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and creative too! There are many opportunities to find your voice in this class and the skills you develop will translate into any career. If students like arguing and understanding why people communicate the way they do, and don’t mind a lot of writing, then AP Lang will be a good fit for them.”
– Ms. Morgan
AP Lit – Mr. Baker
“Learn how to understand and evaluate works of fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods and cultures. You’ll read literary works and write essays to explain and support your analysis of them.” According to the College Board.
AP Seminar – Ms. Thompson and Ms. Martin
AP Seminar helps students demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student’s choosing according to the college board. This year, I am attending this class and I must say that it has a minimum amount of homework but the work takes many hours in and outside of class. I think students should take AP Seminar if they love to collaborate and research topics.
AP Research – Ms. Thompson
AP Research is a part of AP Seminar and according to the College Board, “Build on what you learned in AP Seminar to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, you will design, plan, and conduct a year-long research based investigation to address a research question.”
AP World History – Mr. Fritz
AP World History according to the College Board is that students “Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.” Mr. Fritz encourages students to take his and other AP classes if they are passionate about the subject and have exceptional English skills, for students in the class are always writing under a time limit. He also stated that students should be on time in class and with assignments, and should also have time to enjoy life. “Life is not always about school and work, but it is also about having fun.” – Mr. Fritz.
AP US History – Mr. Coyne
According to the College Board about AP US History, students “Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.” Mr. Coyne expresses that taking AP classes are great for colleges and for taking challenges. In his class, they do projects, learn how to write and analyze history. Not a lot of work but more on thinking critically. According to his class, there are less assignments and about 98% of them pass successfully. A textbook he recommends is the Princeton-AP.
AP Gov – Mr. Higginbotham
“A student’s experience with one class or one teacher does not guarantee that the same experience will take place with another teacher. BHS students should be encouraged to challenge themselves and the AP courses are just that………a challenge.
So that brings up the question: what does it take to be successful in AP Government? Attendance, punctuality (on time), organization, engagement, work ethic, and a willingness to prepare for success.” – Mr. Higginbotham
AP Calc A/B and B/C Mr. Tuiolosega and Mr. Knight
According to the College Board, “AP Calculus AB is an introductory college-level course in calculus that explores the concepts and applications of differential and integral calculus. This AP course culminates in an AP Exam that’s designed to test your understanding of the theoretical basis of course content and your ability to solve problems by applying your knowledge and skills. AP Calculus BC is similar to AP Calculus AB. It explores the same concepts and applications, only it adds a few new topics. In other words, AP Calculus BC covers more content than AP Calculus AB, though both courses require you to apply the same skills.”
“Reflect on your current understanding of Math 3, Pre-calculus, and Calculus AB topics as you answer these questions:
Do you find math intriguing and want to study mathematical concepts deeper?
Are you willing and able to buy out the time for additional study for topics with which you struggle?
Do you want to follow a career in science, technology, engineering, or other fields which require calculus?
Supplies needed: AP approved graphing calculator, recommended TI-84 Plus CE” – Mr. Knight
AP Stats – Ms. Talbot
College Board stated that AP Stats help students “Learn about the major concepts and tools used for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. You’ll explore statistics through discussion and activities, and you’ll design surveys and experiments.”
“AP Statistics is a challenging course that is definitely part math, but is also an English class, a science and even an art! Statistics is emerging as the preferred math requirement for many college majors.
Strong Math 3 (or above) skills are required along with willingness to complete summer homework. A graphing calculator is required. TI-84 CE model is strongly encouraged.”
– Ms. Talbot
Supplies for classes and AP classes:
Some supplies I would recommend are
- Pens, pencils.
- A notebook.
- Highlighters.
- Scientific calculator.
- Organizer/binder/planner.
- And, talk to your teacher about what they recommend.
Here are some study tips for classes and AP classes:
The Pomodoro Technique – There are many ways people use the Pomodoro Technique. For example, some people do 25 minutes of work and take a 5 or 10 minute break and some people do 30 minutes of work and take a 10 or 15 minute break. But, what I do that helps me is I work for 30 minutes and rest for 10 minutes. During my resting time, I do something easy like for example, drawing or stretching/walking around because when I overstimulate my brain with too much information, I can not comprehend the information better. It’s better to rest and let the information sink in.
Engage with the class –
Engaging with the class will help you pay attention to the subject and help you focus more. It is better to ask questions too and talk to your teacher if you want to learn more about a subject.
Get enough sleep –
Getting enough sleep is essential. Being sleep deprived is the worst, you can’t focus and you feel very tired during the day. Getting enough sleep will help you concentrate and consolidate information.
Study with other people –
Studying with other people will help you keep in track of work and help you comprehend more information. Studying with the right people will be helpful than studying with a group of people who don’t take work seriously.
Do your work right away –
When I get my work, I start doing it at school until I finish it, but if I can’t, I’ll finish it at home. I do this because starting work at school helps me reduce work time after school. Doing work at school will also help if you need help on it or if you want to ask questions.
Stay in top of your class –
What I mean by staying on top of your class is being able to maintain good grades but most importantly knowing what you are doing in class. Being organized and knowing what to do will help you stay on track and help you prepare.
From Mr. Knight, his study tips are:
“1. Form a study group of 2-5 members to collaborate 1-2 times per week.
2. Allocate time to practice individually 3-7 times per week.
3. Seek to understand (not merely memorize) both the concepts and the procedures.
4. Supplement in-class instruction with outside resources (e.g. Khan academy).
5. Expect and embrace challenges.”
Each experience with the class and teachers are different to each student. If you want to learn more about a class, reach out to students who use and are taking the class and teachers too to see their point of view of the class. Of course, some AP classes may be harder than others and some are manageable but whether you want to take it or not, taking AP classes helps students develop better study habits and help learn more about the subject. Also, many AP teachers advise you to consider if you are taking one or more AP classes, make sure you can balance your personal life and school life. For example, think about your job, sports, clubs, free time, your responsibility outside of school, etc.
Counselor Keppel stated that “I think yes AP classes are worth it if you’re passionate about that subject and if you’re a student with a strong work ethic. AP classes are rigorous so students want to be sure they can handle the workload along with their other classes they may be taking while maintaining good grades. It’s no good to take several AP classes because it looks good, but then get burned out then all of your grades suffer. Take what’s manageable and then the AP class can still be enjoyable.”
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