Every student has a class that stands out as the most challenging. Some classes are hard because of the workload for projects, tests, or homework assignments, while other courses are hard because of the subject matter itself.
Cypress High School has several challenging classes involving AP Calculus, AP U.S. History, AP Physics, AP Biology, and AP Literature, pushing students to their limits. Senior Emily Hong said, “I think the hardest class is one of the math classes like Calculus B.C. From what I heard through my friends, they struggle with it a lot.” Junior Vinuthna Kuchibhotla says, “For me, I think it is Physics because it takes one equation and goes into another one and you have to memorize all the information.”
But what makes a class hard? A class can be hard for many reasons, but is it the subject itself that’s hard to understand or the number of tests or homework that comes with it? Freshman Yashika Patel shared, “I think the material makes a class hard. If the subject matter is hard, then the class will be hard. If the topic is easy, then the class will be easy.”
Depending on the AP class, the difficulty level can differ for students who take them. However, to encourage students to succeed in these classes, teachers motivate students while preparing them for the AP test. AP Government teacher, Mr. Scott Eastridge explained that for a student to be motivated they have to change their perspective about school, “I think it’s fair for a student to say ‘Why am I learning all this stuff?’ And then if a student can come to their own understanding, like ‘This is why I come to school and this is why I’m here,’ I think it’s so much easier for them to be motivated. They’re not doing this for their parents. They’re not doing it because their teacher made them. I think the ‘why’ is helpful for some students that may not be motivated about their education.”
AP World History teacher, Mr. Ryan Rueter says, “I’m super lucky that the students I teach already have a lot of internal motivation, so I think on top of that making sure they understand they can do it that when it’s challenging and even when we’re grinding our way through DBQ’s and writing. It’s just a matter of being able to produce those skills when the time comes and that way they can do well in the class and do well in the exam so I think it’s just making sure everyone kind of believes in themselves.”
AP Language and English II Honors teacher Mrs. Hiba Taylor says, “I think it’s in my passion for the subject and my enthusiasm for certain texts that get students curious about what we are reading. I do a lot of “cheerleading” and try to offer feedback to push students to improve in writing and analysis. Also…I have a generous grading curve.”
Teaching students in an AP class is challenging. But to make sure students master the advanced course, teachers have to enjoy teaching them. Mr. Eastridge said he decided to teach AP because he thinks, “It’s a privilege because you work with students who are more committed to really trying and more genuinely interested in trying to learn.” Mr. Rueter added, “It’s students who have chosen to take the class, rather than being forced into it. It challenges me, the idea of getting a group of students ready every single year to take an AP exam and hopefully pass an AP exam.” Mrs. Taylor says, “I earned my Master’s Degree in Rhetoric and Composition, which is essentially what the class covers, so it seemed like a natural fit and I loved the content of the course.”
In the end, is it the bigger impact on student’s time management or the amount of work teachers assign? 10th-grade counselor Ms. Amanda Lu, says, “I think that time management is a skill many students are very much still learning. With regard to what teachers are assigning and the amount of work that teachers are assigning, ultimately all of that is intended to help students prepare for exams whether it’s an AP exam or even a quiz that they might be having.” Of course, all students have a challenging course, but with the guidance of a good teacher and hard work, they can succeed in it.
