AP classes are hard enough as it is. With more homework, the curriculum is more difficult and the teachers are going to expect more of you. The pressure of an AP class is often a lot for a high school student to bear, but there is an added bonus, and that’s the option of the college credit.

No matter if you are taking an AP class or not, most can connect to the struggle of keeping up a GPA. This is a matter that every student in Monroe High School has to worry about. Taking an AP class as of current isn’t necessarily going to help that GPA.

AP classes at Monroe High are graded on the 4.0 scale, meaning the grade you get in that class will be the same as any other class you take. This also helps so students can’t go over a 4.0, which can happen if the AP class is graded on a five-point scale. This grading system is what college classes use to grade their students and is something that should be used for all AP classes.

This five-point scale is also going to help if your AP grade doesn’t turn out the way you wanted. So if you end up with a C in a class that grades on a five-point scale, it won’t affect your GPA the way a normally-graded class would. For many students not taking an AP class is the only choice they have; rather than getting a more informative class that would be more beneficial, they prefer keeping their GPA up.

Administration has noticed this trend in the lack of interest in AP classes from a student that is considered a good student. There are hopes to get the five-point scale in place for future students. This could take effect for the graduating class of 2020. There has been rumor of this happening but not confirmation quite yet. The administration should take student’s effort and GPA into consideration and adopt the five-point scale.