Clarion’s guide to AP classes
Morgan Anderson, Staff Reporter
One of the advantages of taking a college level course in high school is that students are able to get college credit by passing the AP exam at the end of the year. However, these courses are much harder than the average class as well as honors classes. At Riverside Brookfield High School, one of the biggest challenges for students is deciding which AP classes to take every year. The below container seeks to provide RB students with some guidance in picking AP classes. Each article was written by a Clarion staff member who has taken or is currently taking the associated class unless otherwise noted.
AP Biology
For students interested in a future career in the sciences, the medical field, and most importantly Biology, AP Biology may offer an important look into what one should expect when taking college-level biology courses. Students will be exposed to 4 big ideas: Evolution, Information storage/transmission, energy and matter flow, and system interactions. Many students take some form of biology class in t...
AP Calculus AB/BC
AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC are very similar when it comes to workload and how the class is run. Calculus BC is primarily all seniors who took honors geometry freshman year. If you are planning on taking BC, it is important to pay close attention during AB because BC builds off of past material. Taking these classes in high school can help you exponentially in waiving out of numerous math cl...
AP Chemistry
*No Clarion staff members have taken this course. RB Senior and AP Chem student Remy Hilpp was interviewed to attain information on the class. What are some of the main concepts that are covered in AP Chem? Many of the concepts you learn in honors chemistry are gone into more depth and complexity in AP Chem. You cover topics like thermodynamics, equilibrium, kinetics, acids and bas...
AP Computer Science A
Students that are interested in the future of coding and the programming language Java should take AP Computer Science A. This course walks through the many tools and techniques that are involved with the Java programming language as well as getting well acquainted with the general flow of coding. Expect to be working hands-on to design, write, and test programs that can solve real-world problems a...
AP Computer Science Principles
If you are planning on majoring in something that involves computer science, I highly recommend taking AP Computer Science Principles. This course doesn’t have an insane workload, so it is a great way to get introduced to what taking an AP class is like. In addition, this class is a great introduction to the world of coding. You will learn how to code in Python which is much easier than some other ...
AP Environmental Science
AP Environmental Science is a college-level course available for students who are interested in environmental health and sciences. Throughout the course students focus on: ecology, ecosystems, populations, biodiversity, and many other natural sciences. During the class, students research many case studies, as well as performing many labs that all focus on certain environmental concepts. The class is about ma...
AP European History
AP European History is good for students who want to pursue history classes in college or who are very interested in how history affected Europe. This class is available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and is categorized as an elective course. The course covers the history from around 1450 to the present day. Typically, the unit starts with contextualization and connections to the previous cha...
AP French
AP French is a class for students that are passionate about the French language and culture. This AP class is very small, this year boasting only six students, so it is combined with French IV for the majority of the year with AP students branching off to do more difficult projects every few weeks. The workload is similar to that of French IV, but with added assignments here and there to prepare stude...
AP English Language and Composition
If writing essays and interpreting dozens of texts is your thing, AP English Language and Composition is going to be right up your alley. AP Lang is a fast moving and intensive class that requires a lot of dedication and attention to detail. The 55 minutes you spend in class seem to fly by each day as you are fully focused on the task at hand. Throughout the year, students will have the chance to read an...
AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition is an advanced literary analysis course which is predominantly taken by seniors here at RB. Lit involves a large amount of reading and writing, I would argue far more than in any other English class offered. If you wish to take this class, know to expect lots of reading assignments with a quick turnaround. Students will often be given a week to read and comple...
AP Micro/Macroeconomics
AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics are two courses that are taken together over the course of one year, and are usually the first AP courses that a student is encouraged to take at RB. As a result, it’s also one of the first courses that students truly struggle with. For some students, the economic concepts in class come naturally and make sense without needing to complete extra assignments and ...
AP Psychology
AP Psychology is taught by Angela Ziola, and is offered to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In AP Psych, students will explore the ideas, theories, and methods of psychology. If you choose to take this course, you will study the behavior of the mind and mental processes through taking notes, watching videos, reading, and discussion. The workload in this class is not a lot. We are assigned to read ...
AP Physics
*No Clarion staff members have taken this course. RB Senior and AP Physics student John Paul Hanley was interviewed to attain information on the class. What is your workload like? The Workload isn’t too bad, there's homework every couple nights, the assignments aren’t too tough. How is this class in comparison to honors physics? It was a big step up, it was a lot harder than hon...
AP Spanish Language/Literature
If you have taken all of the prerequisites and are considering advancing to AP Spanish Language, I would urge you to go for it: it is an amazing experience to grow your language skills and become significantly closer to fluency. As described by College Board, students taking AP Spanish Language can “cultivate their understanding of Spanish language and culture by applying interpersonal, interpretive, an...
AP Statistics
AP Statistics is exactly what it sounds like, a math class revolving around the study of statistics. This is a fairly fast-paced course, with units normally lasting no more than 3 weeks, typically containing at least one quiz and ending with a test. A week in stats normally starts with notes on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a partner assignment on wednesday, a work day on Thursday and a quiz on F...
AP Studio Art
If you are someone who enjoys art, whether as a hobby or a class, AP Studio Art is a class you should consider. In this class you will be able to explore and improve upon many different mediums while putting together your portfolio. The class is supervised by Mr. Blair Jensen, who is also the photography teacher here at Riverside Brookfield High School. Mr. Jensen is always there to help you with y...
AP United States History
AP US History is a very popular class that most people take their Junior year. This course takes you through American history starting from the very beginning all the way through current events happening in America. This course has a very heavy workload with a multitude of writing assignments and multiple choice tests. In addition to these assignments you will also have writing assignments that are me...
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