StudentStuff.com Article

This is an article I wrote for StudentStuff.com about the advantages of taking Advanced Placement classes while still in high school.

But I Want to go to the Beach. . .
By: Geoff Gibson
StudentStuff.com

Or the Block, or the Brea Mall, or the Mountains. Let’s face it, living in Orange County you have a lot of access to a lot of different places. There is almost always something to do, or something going on somewhere in this county. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are a high school student who is also burdened with a seemingly endless amount of homework. So does that mean you should skip on those Advanced Placement classes in order to catch a few more hours of freedom? No way!

Take it from me, a full-time college student who is also running a full-time business, AP classes are no waste of time. In today’s college world, competition is tough. Chapman University, UC Irvine, and Cal State Fullerton are all brimming with students from Orange County, California State, and the U.S. Not to mention, in addition to competing with other high school seniors for valuable spots within these universities you will also be battling with transfer students from some of Orange County’s best community colleges such as Fullerton College, Cypress College, Santiago College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast, amongst others. These transfer students have a greater chance of getting into any one of these three universities than your average high school student with a 3.5 GPA. Getting into college today is no simple task.

So why AP classes? Advanced Placement classes are high school classes that allow you to get ahead of your average high school student. Sometimes they will even count towards college credits. That means when you do finally start college you won’t be burdened with all of the college classes that is usually expected of you. Think of it this way; right now you are a high school student. You don’t have much freedom, and your parents probably pay for most of your expenses. When you goto college you are going to have much more freedom, but also many more responsibilities. School will be taking up the majority of your time and you won’t be able to get a job, or goto parties or your favorite O.C. hangout locale. Taking AP classes now will help lighten your college load so you can get a job and earn some extra money during a time when extra money is tight.

Don’t hesitate! In order to get into some AP classes you are going to have to start right away. Make an appointment with your high school counselor to see if you are eligible. Start preparing for the AP tests, and make sure you are ready for a bunch of work. It may not seem like it is worth it now, but when college rolls around in a few years you’ll be thankful that you can start enjoying life much faster than the rest of the college students around you.