Staff Vote

Yes: 21    No: 3

LHS students are fortunate to go to a school with an endless number of opportunities available, however, those opportunities come with their own set of pressures.

Some of the school’s most prized options are Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit classes, which are becoming a controversial topic because of everyone’s different opinions on their value. This leaves many students feeling confused, afraid and and anxious, fueling internal battles on whether or not they should enroll.

When The Bell staff asked what teachers thought, their responses were pretty repetitive. Overall, each teacher mentioned that the main benefits of taking AP and Dual credit classes are mentioned in the graphs below.

Bell staff members that are in AP or Dual Credit classes agreed with most of the teachers responses, but they acknowledged the negatives. For example, even with the negatives of AP and Dual credit, students are aware the classes are helping them because they’re gaining experiences and benefits that they wouldn’t otherwise.

AP and Dual Credit classes can be difficult and they may lower your GPA, however, a student is depriving themself of a chance to grow.

For this reason, the majority of the bell staff concluded that students should take AP and Dual Credit classes because they will be very useful to student’s futures within reason. Therefore, students should take AP or Dual Credit classes that they’re interested in, but be balanced about it – don’t over do it.

Positives of College-Level Classes

• Improve organization and note-taking methods Experience college in high school
• Earn college credit ahead of time
• Take a college course for less money
• Improve academic resume
• Helps ability to handle stress

Negatives of  College-Level Classes

• Results in more stress
• Credits differ by college
• Tests are more challenging
• Paying for a class in high school