Why are AP classes harder than College classses?

[Anonymous]

So when I was in high school I took a bunch of AP and advanced classes and they were so so much. So much was expected and I remember always being so stressed out with the work from them.

Then I went to a very good college and I couldn’t believe how much easier the classes were than High school. It was honestly night and day. Now that my kid is in high school it seems to be going the same way-The AP classes are honestly ridiculous in what they assign and expect of these kids. And again I really think the whole “preparing for college classes” argument they give is total crap since that wasn’t my experience or that or any other person I know who took AP classes.

Why do you think this is? Like what is the point?

For what it’s worth, my sister who attended an Ivy also says her high school AP classes were harder than her college ones.

[Anonymous]

Ivies have grade inflation

[Anonymous]

For one thing, the kids taking AP classes are better than the average kids taking those classes in college...

[Anonymous]

Not sure AP classes were harder than my college classes. I went to a T20. My DD at a SLAC says classes are way harder but she never took any 100 level classes. So maybe it depends on the college. Ivies are just grade inflation factories, so hard to know with them.

[Anonymous]

Yes, geometry in junior high was so much more difficult than MV in college. Come on OP.

[Anonymous]

What sort of classes? I was a science major at MIT - AP classes were not nearly as hard as my science and math classes.

Humanities classes were a lot less day to day work, but the quality of work wasn't easier.

I can see college classes having less busy work, for sure.

[Anonymous]

Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

[Anonymous]

Adding on to my previous post, my daughter will not be majoring in anything STEM related so the high level math and science classes aren't really needed for her

[Anonymous]

AP classes are more difficult because of the volume of material, accelerated schedule to absorb it, and the depth/breadth of the AP exam itself. Also, they are used as a weed out mechanism for both admissions and college credit. Remember, every AP class means less tuition $$$$ for the university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Because retaining information that you still know at the end of the course is a problem? Sometimes performing under pressure is good for people, as is the idea that performance is normed across the country. But your DE class at MC isn't.

[Anonymous]

Ap classes have something unheard of at the hugh school and even college level: standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Have her pick a real major, not legal studies. History, English, Philosphy, etc. Majors where there is real critical thinking and reading and writing. Don’t pick a watered down major that is just a survey of classes from different areas and no depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Have her pick a real major, not legal studies. History, English, Philosphy, etc. Majors where there is real critical thinking and reading and writing. Don’t pick a watered down major that is just a survey of classes from different areas and no depth.

We are good. You do you. We will do us. She has a 4.0 with all honors and AP halfway through sophomore year and got a 1280 on the PSAT even though we didn’t know she was taking it until the day before. She wants to be a paralegal and eventually work as an entertainment lawyer/agent