Advanced placement classes are familiar to the Wilsonville High School community, and while they are known to bring an extra challenge and workload, offer a more in depth understanding of the course material. Many students take part in AP classes to prepare themselves for college, challenge themselves, or because they enjoy the subject. But regardless of the reason for taking a course, students will undoubtedly find a more strenuous workload than they would in a standard class. Typically, classes run year long and AP tests– for an opportunity to gain college credit– occur in mid to early May. However, this year WHS has adopted a quarter system, with only three classes per quarter that change halfway through the semester. This new format brings new challenges to already strenuous classes, as it would seem they must squeeze a year’s worth of material into two quarters. Additionally, students will have a break of about nine weeks while their classes change, making students worry that their hard work learning will be forgotten.

Sara Stewart, a senior well versed in AP classes, is taking four APs this year: biology, calculus BC, statistics, and psychology. In her schedule, only one class takes place during the first and third quarters while the other three are second and fourth. She has expressed that while it is disappointing to not get to do labs in biology, she is still enjoying the class and feels like she is learning a lot. However, she worries about the second quarter and says, “Right now my workload is just fine, however, next quarter will be a different story. I will be starting three new AP classes along with keeping up with the class I had this quarter so I don’t forget anything.” Moreover, she is concerned that since AP tests occur in the middle of fourth quarter, her classes that meet second and fourth quarter, which are already cut short this year, will get even less time before that deadline.

However, senior Clarissa Klein who is taking three AP classes–biology, literature, and statistics– feels that they are going well. “It has definitely been a new challenge with having classes online, however I find that my classes have assimilated quickly into the new style,” she says. Additionally, although she admits the second quarter will be more of a challenge, she adds that, “Teachers have been pretty reasonable with the workloads, so as long as students do the work I would not say that it is overwhelming.” Even with this unusual school year’s ups and downs, hopefully students’ and teachers’ hard work will allow these courses to be successful throughout the rest of the year!