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The Student News Site of Lafayette High School

The Lafayette Times

The Student News Site of Lafayette High School

The Lafayette Times

Why You Should Take AP and Advanced Classes

Students in Mr. Gravitt’s Advanced Physics class completing the assignment of the day. Taken on 2/6/24.

Lafayette offers many classes that students can take, from core classes to electives, and usually have multiple levels. These levels include General classes, Advanced classes, and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The higher the level, the more challenging the work tends to be. Some students take General classes because they don’t know the benefits of Advanced and AP classes. Advanced and AP classes can be very helpful for students who want to challenge themselves. They also offer many benefits and can be very helpful for a college or career pathway. A 90% or higher in an Advanced or AP class can strengthen a student’s GPA. A 90% or higher grade in an AP or Advanced class is worth more toward a student’s GPA than a General class. Taking higher-level classes can also be very helpful in the college admissions process. If students are interested in attending college after high school, AP classes can show admissions officers they are ready for college-level work. AP classes can also help show off a student’s academic strengths. Passing the AP test will also allow students to be eligible to receive college credit, which can save them time and money at some colleges.
Taking more challenging classes, such as AP classes, can help students prepare for college material. AP classes also help students transition from high school to college. Studies from the College Board show that students who participate in AP or Advanced classes are more likely to graduate than those who only participated in on-level classes. AP and Advanced classes have long-term effects that benefit students who decide to enroll in them compared to other students. Lafayette also has a wide variety of AP classes, such as AP World History, AP Psychology, AP Computer Science, and more. This variety helps students looking to work in a pathway to have exciting and valuable classes. Some AP classes can also help to prepare students for college even if they haven’t decided on a major. For example, a class like AP Seminar can prepare students for any college major, no matter their path. The curriculum of the AP Seminar mainly involves research and completing presentations, which students will also do in college.

Some AP classes are easier than others, but they help prepare students for college work. These classes give students multiple options to explore the classes, see what they like most, and take it in college. “AP classes are better than General classes because depending on the college [a student] attend[s], it will get [students] out of taking that class in college and will help them prepare for the material,” claimed Patrick Clore, a sophomore at Lafayette.

Taking Advanced and AP classes can be very helpful for students who want to challenge themselves. They offer many benefits and can benefit a college or career pathway. Taking AP and advanced classes helps students become better and faster learners. These skills will help them later in life in the workforce.

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About the Contributors
Jackson Cox
Jackson Cox, Staff Writer
Jackson Cox is a freshman at Lafayette High School. He is 6’1 and plays baseball and basketball. During his free time, he likes watching the Seattle Seahawks and college football/basketball, cooking and eating food. Jackson's Family includes a little brother named Bennett, a dog named Louie, and two cats. Jackson joined Journalism because he thought that it would be fun.
Frank Frimpong
Frank Frimpong, Staff Writer
Frank Frimpong is a Freshman at Lafayette. He enjoys sports like basketball and soccer and likes to write about sports and opinions. He likes to watch sports in his free time or play video games. He enjoys writing sports articles for the Lafayette Times and informational articles.