Sankeertana Malakapalli
New schedule changes are now in effect for some students with the closing of the advanced/AP drop window. But students dropping classes aren’t the only ones being impacted.
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.”