DISCLAIMER: This list is purely subjective and intended for entertainment only.
AP English Language and Composition
You will learn how to construct a rhetorical precis, type at light speed (weekly 40 minute timed writes are fun) and build strong arguments: perfect for convincing friends to go to the Irvine Spectrum on a weeknight. Full of poster-making, collaborative, actually fun projects and even tower-building, this class is filled with whimsical learning that encourages creativity and independence. Case in point: people have written essays on Wembanyama!
AP Calculus BC
From polar coordinates to Taylor series, the content of this class is intellectually stimulating. Fitting in an entire college-level math course into three classes a week is understandably no easy task, making the majority of classes lecture-based. The arduous note-taking and long hours of homework will not be the most fun, but as they say, no pain, no gain!
AP World History
As its name suggests, AP World History teaches students to be worldly. As you transition from the Crusades to Mao’s Cultural Revolution, you will explore the intricacies of our world’s dark yet fruitful past. Whether reading the news or engaging in political debate, this class is bound to provide important contextual information. Like AP Calculus BC, this course is content-packed. Class is often composed of either lecture, student-discussion and analysis of source documents. Wait, no, not the DBQs too!
AP Psychology
Look — we all have brains. That should be enough to make psychology immediately applicable to ourselves. While also lecture heavy, AP Psychology differentiates itself from the prototypical lecture with loads of student engagement. You will take personality profilers, memory tests and more amidst lectures. Per my Big Five Personality Test results, people hate to be around me!
AP Economics
Perhaps a better name for this course might be AP Graphing, but all that graphing really teaches you how money moves our world. As you draw the supply and demand ‘X’ curve for the umpteenth time, you will truly burn into your memory those pesky shift factors. Also, you compete in this class. You win to compete. You learn to compete. You play to win. Something like that.
AP English Literature and Composition:
In this class, you will travel back to the Georgian Era and relax with some tea before plunging into the gruesome Vietnam War and the horrors of slavery. AP Literature helps students develop a wide array of practical skills regarding perception and analysis. The class is also all about teamwork and discussion, so you can make new friends and strengthen existing friendships! And of course, the “Pride and Prejudice” movie clips are the cherry on top.
AP US History
APUSH is perfect for people who strive to sound intellectual. You will find yourself making historical references in the most unnecessary circumstances. Did you know that the 17th Amendment was ratified on the date of this article’s publication? However, to succeed in this class, you must read the textbook. Despite the class being lecture-heavy already, there is a reading quiz almost every week and a multiple-choice exam every other.
AP Art History
AP Art History may count as an art credit, but you learn more about the history of paintings and sculptures than how to create them. You will also become that one annoying tourist who incessantly pesters every visitor at The Louvre about who the Mona Lisa actually is. But honestly, I will never regret learning about Michelangelo’s homoerotic desires or Marcel Duchamp starting an entire art movement by signing a urinal and calling it art. Surely, that will prompt you to take the class.
AP US Government and Politics
In all seriousness, this might be one of the APs most worth taking. Government and politics have been and still are constants in our society, and this class unpacks the nooks and crannies of every governmental facet. Objectively, this class is heavy with lectures and textbook readings. However, the constant sprinkle of debates, mock trials and creative projects make up for its college-esque curriculum structure.
AP Physics 1
If I am approaching a red light in my car, I will NOT be pulling out a whiteboard to calculate how much acceleration I need to brake. AP Physics 1 is a rigorous and educational course where the person next to you is probably just as confused as you are, so feel free to strike up a casual conversation. AP Physics 1 truly fosters a cooperative environment where students are not afraid of attempting to answer a question.
