If you have no idea what AP classes are like and you don't want to be lost, please read this[: Otherwise, go to the next chapter please~!

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This is just a quick run down of what an AP class is~

I don't really know if you guys have AP courses or anything of the like. If you do, PLEASE educate me~ I know a lot of my readers are scattered all over the world[:

As far as my knowledge extends (which is not very far), AP programs are very similar to IB programs. But hey, I could be very, very wrong.

AP stands for Advance Placement. It's a type of class that is offered to high school students. Although the word 'placement' is in the name, you usually do not have to take a test to be in the class. Honestly, you don't have to be "super smart" to take on the course. I've know people who take AP English and took a basic science class their senior year. 

AP classes ARE NOT Honors classes. Yes, they advance much faster than regular classes, but trust me when I say they are SO much harder and stress inducing. 

AP courses are like honors and IB courses, where you get a boosted GPA point of you have a passing grade. (If you'd like a little more info on that, just ask~)

To me, AP classes are college courses. 😅. Teachers tend to be less strict because you should be mature enough to take the class seriously. The tests are bat crazy. There's A LOT of reading, even for math courses. There's a lot of essays and projects. It's not simple grammar or stating facts or plug-and-chug math. It's analyzing. What was Maya Angelou portraying in this passage? Find the volume of this concave disc. Was it a good idea for the US to annex the Philippines? Why or why not?

At the end of the year, most of the students take the terrible AP test(s). It's a lot of money (~$90 per test), but some people can get a fee waiver, due to every child having an equal opportunity with public school (as if :P). Some kids, like me, didn't take all the AP tests because it wouldn't be worth the money or the time. Maybe they wasted a semester or years worth of education. Maybe they're trying to save money. Maybe both. 

The summer after, the tests will be graded according to a 5-point scale. 5=exceptionally above average. 4= Above average. 3=average. 2=below average. 1=way below average. Now don't be too scared! Dont mean to bash, but we're America here! National averages are... Pretty low. Sometimes, all you need is a 55-60% to get a passing grade of a 3.

With a passing score (3+), you could possibly get college credit, depending on your major and school. People take the test for different reasons, but college credit is usually the main reason.

Not many people take AP courses and the ones that they do take, they feel they excel in. After taking the crazy AP course they hope to pass the test. 

I can go into detail about how grading is done (cuz to me it's kinda cruel..) but I'll probably do it on a blog post, here.

Let me just say, getting a 2 is the worst. It's like getting 68% on a super hard test and all your friends got by with a 75% or higher. You don't care if the test was hard. It's the fact your ALMOST passed, but you didn't. Guys, this is ONE test. You up, oh well. Bad day, oh well. 

I mean, most kids should be happy if they go to university, but still, it stings. 

I'm not trying to scare anyone from taking AP classes! Although I didn't pass most my classes, I'm still glad I took them! I was lucky to have the nicest teacher and I was taught valuable life lessons. Yeah. Life! Also, im not some Anti-AP person. I probably sound bitter about the whole process, but if you cried over er not passing classes that made you not sleep or eat, you would be mad too. Anyways, onward with the story!