It’s 4:00 a.m. and there’s an endless amount of homework that still needs to be completed. With two tests on the next day and a presentation to follow, it’s easy to wonder whether or not it was worth it to try out for all six advanced placement classes last March.
If your schedule looks excessive, you may want to take a step back and reevaluate the reasons to why you joined in the first place.
Instead of treating classes and clubs like squares you can just fill in on a bingo sheet, create a plan with a designated path where you can hit all the classes needed for your future. Take becoming an English major for example, don’t force yourself to take classes like AP Calculus AB or AP Chemistry because the courses won’t help you reach your goal. Instead, taking classes like AP Literature and joining related clubs will be more beneficial.
Ultimately, what is the point of joining something that you don’t care about? You just end up wasting your own time as well as everyone else’s who is involved.
You shouldn’t force yourself to participate in something you don’t want, especially if it holds no level of importance to you in your life and agenda.
From my experience, the way to deal with stress from AP classes and extracurriculars is to walk into them with the right mindset. Not because you see your peers taking it, not because you think it will look good to college admissions officers. But because you genuinely hold an interest in it. Know where your limits are in order to keep a healthy balance between challenging and overwhelming. That way, AP classes with be worth it and the stress will be worth it.
Instead of treating classes and clubs like squares you can just fill in on a bingo sheet, create a plan with a designated path where you can hit all the classes needed for your future. Take becoming an English major for example, don’t force yourself to take classes like AP Calculus AB or AP Chemistry because the courses won’t help you reach your goal. Instead, taking classes like AP Literature and joining related clubs will be more beneficial.
Ultimately, what is the point of joining something that you don’t care about? You just end up wasting your own time as well as everyone else’s who is involved.
You shouldn’t force yourself to participate in something you don’t want, especially if it holds no level of importance to you in your life and agenda.
From my experience, the way to deal with stress from AP classes and extracurriculars is to walk into them with the right mindset. Not because you see your peers taking it, not because you think it will look good to college admissions officers. But because you genuinely hold an interest in it. Know where your limits are in order to keep a healthy balance between challenging and overwhelming. That way, AP classes with be worth it and the stress will be worth it.
Of course, taking six AP classes and a couple of extracurriculars on the side seem like the ideal route to embark
on in order to succeed during high school. With the two components being the only factors strongly considered by admissions officers during the college application process, it is understandable why many students push themselves to be a part of as many categories as possible.
on in order to succeed during high school. With the two components being the only factors strongly considered by admissions officers during the college application process, it is understandable why many students push themselves to be a part of as many categories as possible.
But aside from all the expectations, the main focus should be understanding how to balance all aspects of high school life without burning out and crashing. After finishing my college applications, I’ve realized that there isn’t a magic number for AP classes to take, nor a guarantee of admissions into colleges by doing so. Just keep your head up and stick to taking classes and joining clubs that hold a strong level of importance and relevance to you.