AP classes, while needing to learn the information and prepare students for the exam, should also teach students how to handle future college classes while learning as the high school students they are. 

Instead of emphasizing critical thinking and learning subjects in depth, these classes turn into a competition to cover a wide expanse of shallow information. Meanwhile, they are not exploring ways to help students be successful in a multitude of college-level classes.

Classes nowadays, especially with the school stressing AP classes, are starting to veer into cramming information without actual time for learning. They are becoming a trivia, memory game. 

The difference between learning and memorizing is that one teaches students and expands your knowledge, while the other tests short-term memory. What about teaching skills and strategies along with content and facts?

When students address this issue saying, “We feel like we’re being crammed with information and not actually being taught,” They are met with the argument of “It’s an AP college class so you need to be more prepared.” As important as this is, teachers should focus on educating and teaching students on not just the current AP class, but all the future college-level classes as well.

Teachers need to educate students while integrating the basics of how to learn in college level classes. Discuss the foundations of AP classes and how to attack the difficulty of them. Demonstrate how to take notes, how to study, and how to work with and use the information being delivered.

While it is a college-level class, Starr’s Mill students are still high school students who only know high school classes. They are learning, not learned.

AP classes focus on cramming way too much surface-level information without actually integrating it into students’ lives. 

If high schools merged their curriculum while also teaching students how to study, explore, and understand these AP classes, students would be much more prepared when going into other AP classes and will feel more prepared for college. 

Even though these are college level classes, high school students are still students and rely on adults to help guide them and prepare them for future college classes.    

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