Talk to me about your HS students experience with different AP courses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. All AP classes were easy for my kid. Got all 5s. Well balanced course load.

Easy because you forced your kid to prep for hours over the summer. Sure, my kid could get 5 and have an “easier” year if he started studying over the summer and bought a study guide too. But I’m not a tiger mom so my kid is doing just fine doing what is expected in class but I would not describe all APs as universally “easy.” OP, we are still in the middle of it (junior year) and my kid finds psych more work than expected but interesting. The core classes (calc, physics, Lang) are about what he expected.

Nope, no need for me to force my kid to prep. He likes to do well in school and in ECs and is super organized. I am not a Tiger mom but my kid is surely a Tiger kid. Sour grapes?

Nope. My kid is on track to have 13 APs and has a 4.0 so we are all good over here, but thanks. But I can still be honest and say to OP that all APs are not easy and my DS is definitely working harder this year than prior years to get good grades. And he is actually finding several of the classes interesting and engaging, not just rote teaching to the test as other PPs have suggested. As with everything, it very much depends on your kid and the individual teachers, but we have had a good experience so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. All AP classes were easy for my kid. Got all 5s. Well balanced course load.

Easy because you forced your kid to prep for hours over the summer. Sure, my kid could get 5 and have an “easier” year if he started studying over the summer and bought a study guide too. But I’m not a tiger mom so my kid is doing just fine doing what is expected in class but I would not describe all APs as universally “easy.” OP, we are still in the middle of it (junior year) and my kid finds psych more work than expected but interesting. The core classes (calc, physics, Lang) are about what he expected.

Nope, no need for me to force my kid to prep. He likes to do well in school and in ECs and is super organized. I am not a Tiger mom but my kid is surely a Tiger kid. Sour grapes?

Nope. My kid is on track to have 13 APs and has a 4.0 so we are all good over here, but thanks. But I can still be honest and say to OP that all APs are not easy and my DS is definitely working harder this year than prior years to get good grades. And he is actually finding several of the classes interesting and engaging, not just rote teaching to the test as other PPs have suggested. As with everything, it very much depends on your kid and the individual teachers, but we have had a good experience so far.

Wow! So why did you make that b*itchy comment? Every thing good at home? Or you are just a nasty person in general?

[Anonymous]

I don't think the comment was b*itchy at all. The poster correctly called you out for saying all the classes were easy, yet your kid studied every day in the summer to prep for the test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the comment was b*itchy at all. The poster correctly called you out for saying all the classes were easy, yet your kid studied every day in the summer to prep for the test.

+1 it’s great that your kid is self motivated but they started studying in the summer which facilitated an easy experience with AP classes. That’s a significant qualifier to your statement!

[Anonymous]

My "average" 10th grade kid is taking regular English, regular Algebra 2, Honors Chemistry, Honors World History, and Spanish 3 and has all As and 1 B+. His goal is to have about 4 AP courses by the end of high school so that he can be accepted into JMU. He will take AP Calc and AP Govt during his senior year. Any recommendations on which AP classes he should take as a junior? He would love to take AP Human Geography, and he hopes that there is enough interest for his FCPS HS to offer that class. He was also thinking about AP Psych or AP Biology or AP Enviro. He is worried that AP Physics might be too hard and is planning to take Honors Physics next year. He has no idea what he wants to major in at college.

[Anonymous]

Two of mine took every AP class they could. Why? Because they figured our early on those classes end weeks before regular classes. LOL.

In all seriousness my kids felt the courses were better organized. The one class that was a joke was AP Psychology. That in our case was a teacher issue. AP NSL All of mine found fascinating. And mine are math oriented so AP Calculus courses very helpful for college. Same with the AP English classes

[Anonymous]

What is NSL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. All AP classes were easy for my kid. Got all 5s. Well balanced course load.

Easy because you forced your kid to prep for hours over the summer. Sure, my kid could get 5 and have an “easier” year if he started studying over the summer and bought a study guide too. But I’m not a tiger mom so my kid is doing just fine doing what is expected in class but I would not describe all APs as universally “easy.” OP, we are still in the middle of it (junior year) and my kid finds psych more work than expected but interesting. The core classes (calc, physics, Lang) are about what he expected.

Nope, no need for me to force my kid to prep. He likes to do well in school and in ECs and is super organized. I am not a Tiger mom but my kid is surely a Tiger kid. Sour grapes?

Nope. My kid is on track to have 13 APs and has a 4.0 so we are all good over here, but thanks. But I can still be honest and say to OP that all APs are not easy and my DS is definitely working harder this year than prior years to get good grades. And he is actually finding several of the classes interesting and engaging, not just rote teaching to the test as other PPs have suggested. As with everything, it very much depends on your kid and the individual teachers, but we have had a good experience so far.

My kid is also on track to graduate with 13 APs, including at least one in each of the 5 core subjects. I agree the classes are not universally easy (in particular ap psychology has been a lot harder for my kid than anticipated- he finds it tougher than bc calculus). I also agree, though, that some classes are rote and many “teach to the test” rather than being engaging, college level classes. On the whole we are still glad he has taken so many because one constant is that the peer mix in the classes is more focused and motivated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS has done 7 AP classes, including 4 now during his senior year. We're not big fans of the classes. The teaching is geared entirely to helping the kids do well on the AP test itself, which are multiple choice and short answer essays. It blows my mind that my kid will graduate HS without ever having written a real research paper despite taking multiple AP history and government classes, that he read only one book in AP Lang, that AP Stats tests are all multiple choice (so no partial credit for work.)

We have a younger kid and may send him to private - since most of the higher tier DC privates don't do AP tests because of the test-focused curriculum. Or we'll have him do the IB curriculum at his public HS.

I think it might be your school, PP. DC has taken an AP history class every year since freshman year and has always had to write an in-depth term paper every semester. The two AP English had summer reading as well as several books read as part of the classes.

I don’t know about stats.

But I agree that AP’s are getting crazy. There are just too many! And schools have different rules regarding who can take the AP class.

A lot of the private schools are switching to less AP courses. There was only one available Sophomore year which my son is currently taking. He has all Honors classes otherwise. Looking ahead--I see 5-6 total most likely for him.

Admissions offices know the differences between many of the high school systems and privates and take that into account.

[Anonymous]

Worst for DD was World History, taken in 9th grade. She was taking several other honors courses that year too and a time-intensive EC in 1st semester. It was way too much and she should have taken the honors class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the comment was b*itchy at all. The poster correctly called you out for saying all the classes were easy, yet your kid studied every day in the summer to prep for the test.

+1 it’s great that your kid is self motivated but they started studying in the summer which facilitated an easy experience with AP classes. That’s a significant qualifier to your statement!

Is that a state secret? Don't people know that they have to be organized and plan ahead? I find it ridiculous that no one commented on the fact that the AP exams happen in May and it is one month before school ends. So essentially your kid does not have a school year worth of time in AP course. Most teachers do not manage to finish the curriculum.

I have to say that the parents of low/medium/average achievers continue to surprise me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My kid is also on track to graduate with 13 APs, including at least one in each of the 5 core subjects. I agree the classes are not universally easy (in particular ap psychology has been a lot harder for my kid than anticipated- he finds it tougher than bc calculus). I also agree, though, that some classes are rote and many “teach to the test” rather than being engaging, college level classes. On the whole we are still glad he has taken so many because one constant is that the peer mix in the classes is more focused and motivated.

+1 Even the normies are motivated.

[Anonymous]

Humanities courses require more note taking. Calc BC is curved so you don't need to get 100% correct to get a 5. AP Physics C are harder and Calc based. Psyche, Human Geography and Enviro - can be self studied and are considered filler APs.

I have never understood why would people take both Calc AB and Calc BC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My "average" 10th grade kid is taking regular English, regular Algebra 2, Honors Chemistry, Honors World History, and Spanish 3 and has all As and 1 B+. His goal is to have about 4 AP courses by the end of high school so that he can be accepted into JMU. He will take AP Calc and AP Govt during his senior year. Any recommendations on which AP classes he should take as a junior? He would love to take AP Human Geography, and he hopes that there is enough interest for his FCPS HS to offer that class. He was also thinking about AP Psych or AP Biology or AP Enviro. He is worried that AP Physics might be too hard and is planning to take Honors Physics next year. He has no idea what he wants to major in at college.

My son was planning to take AP Psych next year as well. But will it be too hard? He'll take AP Calc and AP Govt his senior year for a total of 3 APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All classes were easy. Some required more note taking. 4s and 5s. Made an attempt to cover the 5 core subject area before 12th grade. Good mix of Humanities too for a solid STEM student.

Did not take easy filler courses like Psych, Enviro, Human Geography. Took 1 in 9th, 3 in 10th, 4 in 11th and 4 in 12th. Started on the courses during summer break. Utilized Barrons as well as the online class in CollegeBoard.

Sounds like a kid with no fun I’m their life. Condolences.