“When my son signed up for a full load of Advanced Placement classes his junior year of high school, I was thrilled. I was so proud that he would take the initiative to sign up for so many challenging classes. In the end, everything worked out, but if we had it to do over again, I’d think much more carefully about allowing him to carry such a heavy load of AP courses,” says Mrs. Lois Hunter.

“Each year, dozens of parents come to our centers worried about their high school students’ performance,” Mr. David Kim, co-founder of C2 Education, says. “All too often, the root cause of the students’ problems is the fact that they took too many challenging classes at one time. Parents and students should think long and hard when deciding which classes to sign up for.”

What Are the Risks of AP Courses?

“AP courses are ‘advanced placement’ for a reason,” Mr. Kim says. “They are designed to challenge advanced students. Even stellar students who have consistently earned high marks in all previous coursework often struggle with the workload of AP classes.”

Most schools weight AP grades in order to help make up for the difference in difficulty between AP classes and non-AP classes, but this should not be treated as a safety net. “Students should carefully consider the choice to take AP classes,” Mr. Kim says. “If a student is struggling at all with regular classes, then AP is a bad idea. If the student has the slightest doubt about passing an AP class, then it probably isn’t worth the risk.”

Mr. Kim reminds students to carefully consider whether or not they are prepared for the extra work load of an AP class. “Oftentimes, a student can expect to receive roughly two to three hours of homework per night per AP course, so a student taking four AP classes should be prepared to spend vast amounts of time studying,” he says. “Before registering for a full AP course load, students need to think about how much time they are willing to commit to their studies. Overloading on AP classes can easily overwhelm even the most gifted students.”

Parents and students should consider non-school related activities as well when determining how many, if any, AP classes to register for. “These days, children have a lot on their plates,” says Mr. Kim. “Between school, homework, after school jobs, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work, it is important to have realistic expectations for time management. If a student’s schedule is already overloaded, adding AP classes is a bad idea. Students need to be careful not to burn themselves out – if they burn out now, how will they manage to succeed in college?”

When Is It Time to Seek Outside Help?

Because schools are often judged based on how well their students perform on AP exams, they generally work very hard to ensure that students are well-prepared for the exams. However, many students still need additional help in order to complete the required coursework or to prepare for the exam.

“One common issue for AP students arises when they take a single semester course during the fall, and then have to wait several months before taking the AP exam in the spring,” Mr. Kim says. “In the intervening months, students often forget much of what they learned and they become very concerned about preparing for the exam.” Most AP courses are full-year courses in which students prepare for the final exam over the course of a full school year. “But even students who enjoy the benefit of a year-long AP course can sometimes run into problems when preparing for AP exams,” Mr. Kim says. “A single test that covers an entire year of material is an incredibly daunting prospect for many students.”

Mr. Kim recommends that any AP student who is concerned about their performance on the AP exam take a diagnostic test mid-way through spring semester. “If students are scoring significantly lower than they hope to, then we suggest that they consider outside tutoring. Oftentimes tutoring is the most efficient way to review the course material before the exam, because it provides a structured refresher course rather than simply a few scattered hours of self-study,” he says.

Alison Kelly, another former C2 student, says, “I took Microeconomics during my senior year of high school, but it was only a semester-long class and my school only offered it in the fall. It was a really tough class to begin with, and I was really worried that I would fail the AP exam. When I took a diagnostic test and only scored a 2 out of 5, I thought about not even taking the exam. Instead, my parents offered to take me for tutoring. After a month or two of weekly sessions, I felt a lot more confident about the test and I ended up scoring a 4, which my college accepted. I never would have been able to improve that much on my own.”

In addition, AP students often need help handling the coursework they receive. “We see many students who are, at least initially, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material covered in a typical AP course,” Mr. Kim says. “These students often benefit from additional help in the form of after-school tutoring. A program for struggling AP students provides the individual attention that their school teachers simply cannot give, which means that students can receive a more intensive review of the material they are learning.” If a student begins to feel as if he is in over his head in an AP course, or if a student’s grades are falling significantly because of AP classes, then additional help may be necessary.

“In the end,” Mr. Kim says, “students must decide what is right for them. If they feel confident that they can handle the challenges of AP classes, then it is more than likely worth any risks. After all, a great learning experience is never a waste of time.”

For more information about C2 Education and its services, or for information about the AP program, please call (800) 777 – 7000 or visit them on the web at www.c2educate.com.