There are many factors that play into whether a student chooses to enroll in APs, and without a doubt, the thought at the forefront of every student mind is: “is it worth it?” 

The answer to this question varies from student to student, as APs are notorious for being both academically rigorous and time consuming.  

AP classes have benefits, hence the multitude of students who take them. Puyallup School District’s AP/Pre-AP TOSA Matthew White shared that AP classes are great preparation for college. 

“AP is taught at the level of a four-year college. [Taking APs results in] higher acceptance rates to universities of student choice,” White said. 

AP Research teacher Sarah Sherry thinks that taking AP classes can set students up for future success at the university level. 

Sherry also thinks that the strategies students learn in AP classes contribute to their eventual success in college. Sherry says that there are strategies taught in AP courses that will get students better prepared for college. 

“That could be a skill like time-management, better notetaking, or even how to make a study group,” Sherry said. “In AP Research, one of the most important skills that I hope my students learn is how to read an academic research article. Very few students get a chance to really learn how to read that type of writing before college. It is complicated and hard to do, but I hope that my students walk out of classroom with some strategies they can use when they are given that same material at a university.”  

Puyallup High School sophomore Mia Nguyen has taken six AP classes so far.   

Nguyen feels that APs have enhanced both her academic and personal skill sets, which also aligns with what Sherry predicted the benefits of taking AP classes were. 

“Something that I’ve gained is a lot of discipline for me personally,” Nguyen said. “I’ve had to better manage my time overall, and I’ve also had to organize things and figure out things way in advance.”  

Nguyen puts the skills learned from taking APs to use on a daily basis to manage the workload. 

“I manage those classes by heavily time blocking my life so I just kind of have a section or category for each time I do it, and I make sure to time and make sure I have a set limit of how much I need to study each day,” Nguyen said. 

However, this is not to say there is not a large amount of work that accompanies an AP class. Sherry thinks that it is very important for a student to consider why they are taking an AP class before they commit to this workload. 

“I think this is where establishing a purpose for taking each AP class is really important.  Not all students walk into every single class hoping for the same thing.  That’s not bad or good.  It’s more an issue of priorities, goals, and timing (in my opinion),” Sherry said.  “So, I think it’s important that all students ask themselves why they are taking an AP class, if they don’t have an answer to that question, or if that answer is entirely extrinsic, then they might want to really think if the commitment they are making is realistic for where they are as a student.”  

Speaking of the “why” of APs, White advises students to only participate in AP classes if it will be relevant to their future education-wise. White says that if a student is intending to attend a four-year university then AP might be advantageous to try in high school, especially since the cost of attending a university is more than AP test costs.  

“If a student wants to do four-year, give it a try,” White said. “Here, the consequences are inexpensive.” 

Nguyen also supported White’s sentiment, with a new take on whether students should take AP classes. 

“I think it’d be a pretty good idea if you’re planning on going to some Ivy League or some big college, but otherwise I don’t think it’s a great idea,” Nguyen said.  

However, for Nguyen, the challenge that AP classes present was appealing, proving that more work and harder content is not always a bad thing. 

“I think personally, I love a challenge. I think it’s so fun to keep pushing and learning and growing, and when it comes to AP classes, what I’ve been trying to do is sign up for classes and say if I get in, I get in,” Nguyen said. “Last year, I signed up for six  AP classes, but I was like, you know what, let’s just make this an alternate class, so if I don’t get into this other class I want, then maybe I’ll just get into an AP class. I ended up in only five out of six AP classes.”  

Sherry thinks that while establishing a purpose is very important, students still must weigh whether the accompanying workload is going to work for their schedule.  

“AP classes will take more time. Do you have time in your daily schedule to study and work outside of school?  Probably planning a minimum of a half hour every single night per AP class,” Sherry said. “So, if you are planning to take five AP classes in a semester, do you have two and a half hours every single night to do homework?” 

Sherry’s description of the time commitment, homework-wise, is very accurate and backed up by Nguyen’s current reality. 

“On average, I study three hours per day, but sometimes I stretch it up to about 24 hours a week,” Nguyen said. 

This is not to say that homework is all AP students do all day, every day. Nguyen has found a way to balance schoolwork and a social life. 

“I still have time to do things, I go out with my friends at least once a week, I have a lot of clubs, I think I’m in like seven clubs right now,” Nguyen said. 

Additionally, Nguyen says that maintaining an active social life helped to combat burnout and stay positive. 

“I feel like, because I keep a well-balanced life, I have a lot of time to do things that I want,” Nguyen said. “I have a lot of time to hang out with friends, a lot of time to do things in school, and outside of school, I feel like I’m doing well.”  

Taking AP classes is a great way for students looking to pursue a four-year university education to get a feel for the experience. However, many students district-wide choose to pursue another form of college preparation: running start. White thinks that whether a student chooses running start or AP classes is circumstantial and individual. 

“The cheapest, easiest way to get credits is to do running start. There is a difference between cheap and easy and what is best,” White said. “If the goal to get into a degree program that has a job at the end, or go to a university outside of Washington state, I recommend advanced placement.” 

The information is yet another consideration for students wondering if the AP route is the way to go. Nguyen, after choosing the AP route, says she hopes her work will pay off in the end, and lead to her eventually getting into a university of her choice. 

“I guess it is. I can’t really say because I don’t know what the results will be like, whether or not I’ll be going into a good university or anything, because of this, so I can’t know for now, but I hope,” Nguyen said. 

The homework load is not the only drawback of APs to account for. Sherry urges students to know themselves in terms of how much they want to work. 

“I think there are ideas in every AP course which are helpful to most students.  However, a student has to be willing to stretch,” Sherry said. “If a student prefers a class with a packet, with quick results, or if they are looking for a class that begins and ends at the classroom door and rarely has homework, that is unlikely to happen in an AP class. So, I don’t think it’s a drawback, I do think that not all AP classes are a good fit for all students, NOT because they can’t fit, but not all students are looking for the same thing in every class.” 

Similarly, White noted that the biggest challenge presented by AP classes is quite simple: 

“They’re harder,” White said.  

However, despite the hardships presented by AP classes, Nguyen doesn’t regret pushing herself.  

“I feel like most of them are like kind of easy. The only worst part I think, is the amount of work teachers give you on top of it,” Nguyen said. 

Given all the above opinions, facts, and personal experiences, students considering taking APs should have a greater understanding of what the choice entails. White thinks that there is one big thing for students to consider before committing themselves to the workload. 

“If your goal is four-year, we strongly encourage AP. The number one determiner of student success at getting into college and staying enrolled is APs,” White said.