Students on campus should take heart in the fact that we attend one of the most academically competitive schools in the area because that assures that we receive a higher caliber of education than most other Americans our age.

Liberty students consistently perform higher in standardized tests and AP exams than the district and state average, and thus we’ve established a school culture that values education and scholarship above all else. However, the one biggest regret that I personally have is putting too much emphasis on my GPA and not enough emphasis on my education.

If you didn’t already know, students Liberty and FISD, in general, use a weighted system (visit page 8 of the academic guide for a detailed description of grading policies) to determine GPA and ranks. Therefore, “higher level” AP and PreAP classes have a higher weight than “on-level” classes. Students that take many AP classes tend to have higher GPAs than those who take on-level classes, which assures that those students rank higher in the class.

This system was likely instituted to reward the “higher-achieving” students who found themselves drawn to the more challenging AP classes, so they wouldn’t have to compete on the same level as a student taking lower level classes.

However, this system has spawned a stressful, often obsessive “GPA game” within the minds of students, myself included. From my sophomore year onwards, I’ve been taking six AP classes every year, and I probably would’ve taken more if I didn’t have to double block band.

To be completely honest, I didn’t need to take all those AP classes; in fact, I wish I hadn’t taken some of them because they wrecked my self confidence and caused me a great deal of stress. The only reason I took these AP classes was for the GPA–because I wanted to rank in the top tier of my class

Now that I’ve gained some perspective through writing numerous essays and five-sentence summaries about myself for college, I’ve realized that my AP classes haven’t really given me experiences that I can draw on. I’ve forgotten most of what I learned in AP Physics or AP Biology, so I’ll probably have to retake those courses in college anyways.

Had I take the path through the CTE Center, with Practicum classes and workforce ready courses like Pharmacology, I feel like I would’ve learned a lot more. Sure, my GPA would’ve suffered, but that’s a small price to pay for true education, right?

These are just my humble opinions and your high school career should be about what you want and need. So if you would rather have challenging AP classes and a GPA boost, then by all means, take advantage of the fantastic AP classes the school offers. But if you’re someone who appreciates a new take on learning, with outside-the-classroom experiences, don’t be afraid to take CTE classes and other “on-level classes” like Teen Leadership or even ISM. Just make sure you aren’t doing anything for the sake of the “game”; do it for you and your future.