“How many AP classes are you taking next year?”

“Well, I think I’ll only take 3.”

This discussion is quite common for students who are planning their schedule for junior or senior year but, the truth is, while AP classes can be engaging and enlightening, they can also be quite difficult and overwhelming if you are not fully invested.

For today’s high school students, the pressure to take multiple AP classes is stronger than ever. It is easy to give in to the pressure from friends, parents, teachers and counselors, who encourage you to take a challenging — perhaps more challenging than necessary — course load, but it is important to consider the motivation for taking the course before you commit.

It is no secret that AP courses involve significant work and, when your schedule is packed full of them, it becomes difficult to put forth your best effort in all of your classes. AP courses require large amounts of time spent outside the classroom, reading the textbook, writing essays or studying for tests and quizzes; all activities that are necessary for success but also very time-consuming. When you take the hours that should be spent on one AP course and multiply it by the 3, 4, or even 5 that many students at PB take, it becomes impossible to do it all in a day. This is especially true when you add in the time that after-school activities and sports take away from study time. These time commitments also make it nearly impossible to perform to the best of your ability in all of your AP courses.

One of the reasons that students take AP courses is the prospect of earning college credit and opting out of lower-level, general-education courses in college. While this does occur, it is important to consider that most colleges require a 4 or 5 on the AP exam to place out of these courses. For example, University of Maryland grants students who earned a score of 4 or higher on the AP World History exam 3 credits and the opportunity to opt out of an introductory history course. This might sound appealing but the truth is, according to the College Board only 22.6% of students who took the AP World exam in 2014 scored a 4 or higher.

High school students face pressure from friends who want them to be in the same class, teachers who want students to try the next level, parents who want their children to take advantage of the opportunity and keep up with the other students, and counselors who want to see students challenge themselves in order to better prepare themselves for college. These are all legitimate reasons for considering taking an AP course, but in the end you should register for an AP class because YOU want to take it. Interest in the course and material is crucial to feed the motivation needed to be successful in the class.

PB offers over 15 AP courses every year, and it is important to take advantage of these opportunities to challenge yourself and explore your interests. However, make sure you are taking the course for the right reasons because, in the end, you are the one doing all the work.