The benefits of AP classes at Lind-Ritzville High Schoo

Many people have preached before that if something is hard, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try; it just means you should try harder.

This determined mentality is a valuable characteristic in all aspects of life, especially academics. Advanced Placement Program (AP) classes have embodied the spirit of perseverance since the mid-1940s by providing high school students with opportunities to prepare themselves for college.

With several different advanced curriculums available at LRHS, AP programs encourage bright students to shine even brighter. AP courses were developed to challenge students and increase the possibilities of the future.

An article on collegeboard.com states, “In the early part of the twentieth century, the gap between secondary and higher education widened. Following World War II, many Americans realized this trend had to be reversed.”

After research was conducted, it was advised that high schools and colleges should collaborate “to avoid repetition in course work at the high school and college levels and to allow motivated students to work at the height of their capabilities and advance as quickly as possible.”

AP classes are developed by College Board, the same company that distributes the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Based on the College Board’s archived data from 2013, over 2.2 million students were enrolled in an AP class last year; the top three most popular classes were English language and composition, U.S. history, and English literature and composition.

There are currently 34 different AP curriculums, varying from core classes to diverse foreign languages to specific classes like art history, macroeconomics, and psychology.

Five AP courses are offered to LRHS students: AP English Literature and Composition, Biology, Calculus AB, Computer Science-A, and U.S. History.

In the spring, students enrolled in AP classes have the option of taking the AP Exam, which is a cumulative and rigorous test of knowledge in their respective subject. A proficient score on the Exam can provide credit for classes at the college level.

According to apstudent.collegeboard.org, “Currently, more than 90 percent of colleges and universities across the country offer college credit, advanced placement, or both, for qualifying AP Exam scores.”

The website continues to say that “AP is college in a high school setting.” The goal of the program is to smooth the transition from high school to higher education.

Allison Nichols, AP English teacher at LRHS, believes AP classes make students “better prepared for college classes, not just in the English setting, but for the rigor of any class where they will need to write something from what they read in class.”

Students currently enrolled in AP classes recognize the challenges and benefits.

Kate Schell, a senior at LRHS, said, “It is challenging the work load <and> a higher level of material.”

Sara Aldrich, also a senior, enjoys AP for “the fact that everybody in it tries hard… When everyone wants to be there, it makes [the class] more enjoyable.”

Hawk Busayok, a sophomore, is in AP computer science “for the future. I want to get into jobs that have to do with computer programming.”

AP classes are more rigorous and more challenging for the students, but many students rise to the occasion.

Difficult courses establish determination in students, which is one of the numerous benefits of the AP classes!