Dear Occi,

I’ve been hearing a lot of my friends talking recently about the light schedules that they have planned for their senior years, which is making me worry because I’ve decided to take multiple APs my senior year. Should I stick with my decision to take more challenging classes, or should I enjoy my last year of high school?

Sincerely,

Jittery Junior

Dear Jittery Junior,

Planning for senior year can make even the most prepared students wonder if they’re doing the right thing. Between writing essays for the Common App, endless forms and applications, and school activities, the demanding course load of multiple AP classes is bound to add some stress to your senior year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should drop them. There are pros and cons to both a lighter and a heavier senior year schedule and ultimately, what’s right for you depends on what your goals are. If you’ve been taking AP courses throughout high school, continuing your last year may show academic rigor and dedication to colleges, even if you won’t have those scores until long after applications are submitted. On the other hand, senior year is your last opportunity to truly be a kid and enjoy life before the stress of college and adulthood, and you may gain a new appreciation for the time you have left.

Start by asking more questions: do you know any seniors who had heavy schedules this year? You may want to talk to them to get a first hand account of how it affected their senior year to help you make your decision. Have you discussed your concerns with your counselor? They are there to support you and may give you an inside perspective that you hadn’t previously considered. You will likely gain good insight by talking directly to AP students and teachers who can help give you an understanding of how your prospective course load may affect your senior year. 

 At the end of the day, you don’t have to make an all or nothing decision. Maybe you take only a couple AP classes next year, or you switch to a non-AP course at the semester mark if it gets to be too overwhelming. But don’t let other people convince you that you aren’t capable of taking classes you really want to take. You are an individual and what is too much for another person may be perfect for you, and vice versa. No matter what your choice is, your senior year will be what you make of it; so, once you make your decision, remain confident that you are making the right choice for yourself.

Sincerely,

Occi