Lake Forest Academy offers students a variety of classes ranging in difficulty, dynamics and content. Each course provides students with nuanced skills and perspectives that they will harness in their future. Classes are divided into three categories: core, electives and AP (Advanced Placement). Although AP classes are taken by mostly upperclassmen, so are special elective classes. It is a common theme across LFA and high schools nationwide that students choose AP classes over electives simply because they look better for college applications and students are eligible to receive college credit for them. Preparing for these tests is valuable for students, but teenagers miss the opportunity to learn real-life skills and explore non-core topics through elective classes they chose not to take. Taking only AP classes can be strenuous for students, causing burnout and dispassion for learning, while also offering them an academically rigorous experience. It is necessary to explore the pros and cons of both types of courses and reveal their effects on students’ learning.
Advanced Placement courses are often more rigorous than normal classes and electives. They have a significantly larger workload with classes and homework. They often have pop quizzes and more arduous unit tests that contain more content. Tests for AP classes are also classified by the difficulty and complexity of their administration, though this varies depending on the AP course. Most notably, the actual AP Exam in May is portrayed as a monster that requires at least a month of preparation and carries high stakes for the future. Scoring well on AP exams is difficult; however, doing so is a great accomplishment and very beneficial to the college application process, as it shows you took a college-level class and succeeded. The most popular AP courses at LFA include AP Language & Composition, AP Calculus AB, AP World History and AP Economics. Despite the anxiety and time commitment, AP courses prepare students well for college classes, teaching them to work above and beyond and to allocate their time wisely between academics and their personal lives.
On the other hand, elective classes offer a completely different experience from learning in high school. Elective classes are often taken as “grade boosters” or for a more relaxing environment. Even though electives require less rigorous studying and fewer hours of homework, they provide students with valuable skills that other classes or APs do not. Since electives are very specific classes that depart from the regular curriculum, students gain an advanced understanding of these subjects. Furthermore, since the nature of electives is more relaxed, students – most of the time – actually enjoy learning these subjects and apply the skills learned in their lives and out-of-school interests. The most popular electives offered at LFA include Entrepreneurship, Debate, Human Rights, Discrete Math and Murder Mystery English. These courses teach skills such as argumentative writing and speaking, advocacy, data analysis and business marketing. Another benefit of electives is that they seem to pique students’ interest significantly more than regular and AP classes, making learning more interesting and enjoyable.
In sum, both AP classes and elective classes offer various gains to students in their academic careers. However, an overwhelming pressure to take AP classes has been apparent among the LFA student body, stemming from concerns about how they will appear to college admission officers. Taking challenging courses is not a problem, but becoming overburdened with too much work can be detrimental and diminish a love for learning. To decrease this fatuity, students must choose their courses more candidly and ask themselves, “Am I taking this class because it will look good on my transcript, or because I am honestly interested in learning more about this subject?”