Students in advanced and AP classes have one last chance to drop their classes before the second semester when the last drop window opens Friday and closes Dec. 12 at 4:30 p.m.

If choosing to drop, students will be given early release, late arrival, or an alternative course if there are no on-level equivalent classes. Updated schedules will be finalized by Jan. 6 and students are expected to attend all classes the following day. 

“The AP/advanced drop window for students is a time to reflect upon their journey in their classes up to this point,” AP Psychology teacher Tim Johannes said. “Some students have difficulty—and that difficulty is good; it’s why we make students stay in the classes for six weeks or a semester—but sometimes it can be overwhelming if you’re taking a lot of [advanced/AP classes] or you didn’t know what to expect and weren’t prepared for it.”

Some students such as junior Aiden Chan worry about what a changed schedule might mean for the rest of their school year. 

“One of the biggest reasons I wouldn’t drop AP classes is my parents,” Chan said. “They might have issues with that [decision]. Second is probably schedule changes, and third are college-related issues. It might not look good on your resume and your GPA might drop a lot. For some of the AP students, they might think that AP classes are too hard but on-level classes are too easy, so they think it’s not worth it to drop.”

Ultimately, the decision to drop AP/advanced classes depends on each students’ unique situation. 

“It is good to challenge yourself and to try to do [the classes] and that could be your grit story, maybe: that you overcame it and worked hard at it,” Johannes said. “But some kids aren’t ready for that level of rigor, at that point in their life.”