How to Choose AP Classes?

AP課程如何選：五個步驟 5 Factors to Consider

第一步：課程資源 Learn What’s Available for You.
AP考試一共有39個科目，不管是私立或公立高中都不會提供超過半數的課程，所以不管你是在校學生，又或著是自學生，你首先要考慮的是知識的來源。
The AP Program offers 39 AP courses. Regardless of whether you attend a public or private high school, less than half of these courses will be available on campus. So, whether you’re enrolled in school or studying on your own, your primary concern should be accessing the necessary resources for learning.

第二步：自身能力 Your Academic Strengths and Interests.
AP 課程是由美國大學理事會（The College Board）提供的在高中授課的大學級別的課程，所以如果沒有足夠的能力或興趣，不只會花加倍的時間學習，也會學習的很痛苦喔! 雖然AP課程可以加分， 但是如果會佔用學生超出正常的學習時間及心力，那就不值得了。
AP courses are college-level classes provided in high schools by The College Board. If you don’t have the ability or interest, not only will you spend twice the time learning, but you might also end up confused. While AP courses can earn you extra credit, if they demand more time and effort than regular learning, they might not be worth it.

第三步：未來目標 Consider Your Future Goals.
不管你是請私人的顧問或著是使用學校免費的CTE服務都好，9年級的時候應該就會隱約的知道自己哪個方面的能力比較好了，比如說：同學們很痛苦的在做數學的時候，你可能很輕易的就可以得到正確的答案….等等，只要知道大概的走向，就可以做為選擇AP課程的一個基礎標準了。
Whether you opt for a private consultant or utilize the free CTE services provided by the school, by 9th grade, you should have a rough idea of your strengths. For instance, while others may find math challenging, you might breeze through it effortlessly… and vice versa. Just having a basic sense of your strengths can be a fundamental factor in selecting AP courses.

第四步：四年計畫 Map Out Your Full Journey with AP.
許多孩子跟家長可能習慣隨遇而安，但是因為高中時期很多課程跟活動是有時間性的，所以稍微做一些計畫，自己也可以比較安心呢!
我建議可以製作一份簡單的四年計畫表格，將資訊和已完成/未完成的計畫都列入其中，這樣才能有效的全盤考量，以做出適合自己的選擇。
Many students and parents might be used to taking things as they come, but since numerous high school courses and activities have deadlines, it’s helpful to have some plans in place for peace of mind. I recommend crafting a basic four-year planning sheet, noting information and any completed or pending plans. This approach allows you to thoroughly assess all aspects and make choices that align best with your goals.

第五步：檢視課程 Reviewing AP courses.
(A) 用這個清單為範例 Popular AP Courses by Grade ，選出考試單位認為適合該年級的AP課程，除非你有特殊強項，要不然我會強烈建議不要輕易超標。
You can use the “Popular AP Courses by Grade” list as a guide to choose AP courses recommended for your grade level by the testing unit. Unless you have a unique talent in a specific subject, I highly recommend not pushing yourself too far beyond the standard.
– 我有學生在本身沒有跳級的情況下，高一就考過了AP Calculus AB，但是前提是他在入學時就考過了代數一跟二還有precalculus。
– I’ve had several students who, without skipping any grades, took the AP Calculus AB exam in their first year of high school. However, the prerequisite was that they had to test out of Algebra I, Algebra II, and Precalculus before enrolling.

(B) 檢視要拿的AP課程範圍，AP課程是由美國大學理事會（The College Board）提供的，在網頁上都有公開的課程範圍跟考試方式可以查。
Before committing to any AP courses, make sure to thoroughly examine their scope. The College Board provides AP courses, and their website offers publicly available course outlines and exam formats for reference. Take the time to review these materials to ensure you understand the content and format of the courses you plan to take.

(C) 選修AP課程之前，建議先向學長姐打聽老師的教學情況，比如說 老師出功課的方式? 給分嚴格嗎? 會不會提供評分標準? 評分公開嗎?….這類比較具體的問題。 (不要問那種見仁見智的問題，比如說老師教的好不好呀? 之類的)
Before signing up for AP courses, it’s a good idea to ask senior students about the instructor. For instance, you can inquire about how assignments are distributed, the level of strictness in grading, whether grading criteria are provided, and the transparency of the grading process. These are more specific questions that can help you gauge what to expect from the course. Avoid asking subjective questions like whether the teacher is good at teaching or not.

(D) 打聽一下歷屆該堂AP課程的學生AP考試成績如何，有些老師會教不完 (有些老師會教太多)，導致學生考試成績不理想；AP考試是標準考試，打分標準也是一致的，如果一個學生在AP課程中拿到A，但是考試成績出來是不及格的，這樣不只拿不到大學學分，可能還會讓大學入學許可員懷疑你的GPA灌水喔!
When gathering information, inquire about the performance of previous students in AP exams for the respective courses. Some teachers may not cover all the material thoroughly, while others might cover too much, leading to less-than-ideal exam scores. Remember, AP exams follow standardized testing, and grading criteria are consistent. It’s essential to understand that earning an A in an AP course doesn’t guarantee success on the exam. Failing the exam means missing out on college credit and could raise concerns about GPA inflation for college admissions officers.

(E) 如果你選了Project Based AP Courses，一定要計算好功課時間，我很常聽學生說不是做不來也不是不會，而是單純的時間不夠用。不管是功課時間又或著是休息時間，在排自己日行程的時候都應該要算進去呢!
If you opt for Project Based AP Courses, make sure to allocate your homework time wisely. I often hear students express that it’s not that they can’t do the work or don’t understand how, but rather that they lack sufficient time. Whether it’s for homework or relaxation, it’s crucial to factor it into your daily schedule.
– AP Computer Science Principles
– AP Art and Design Courses
– AP Seminar
– AP Research

(F) 請務必記得AP課程是大學級別的課程 ，一旦落後的要馬上尋求幫助，落後太多追趕非常困難，時間上可能無法完成。 如果學生還不夠自律，需要家長追著做功課，或著是需要家長幫忙安排學習時間跟準備Project ，那請不要選擇AP課程呢!
It’s important to remember that AP courses are at the college level. If you start falling behind, don’t hesitate to seek help right away. It can be incredibly challenging to catch up if you fall too far behind, and you may run out of time. If you find that you’re not disciplined enough and need constant reminders from your parents to do homework or can’t schedule study time and prepare projects on you own, then it might be best to reconsider choosing AP courses.

題外話，拿課是一門技巧，高中不學大學還是需要學，高中學仔細了，大學就很省事省錢；我最喜歡跨學科(Cross-Curricular)的拿課方式，因為我覺得花一份時間得到兩份或三份功課。
Choosing courses wisely is a valuable skill that can benefit you regardless of your post-high school plans. By studying diligently in high school, you can save both time and money in college. Keeping the “cross-curricular” approach in mind is a smart strategy as it enables you to make the most of your time and effort by accomplishing multiple assignments simultaneously. It’s a great mindset to have for optimizing your educational journey.

Cross-Curricular Companion Courses

• AP Biology with AP Environmental Science
• AP Biology with AP Psychology
• AP Art History with AP World History: Modern
• AP U.S. Government and Politics with AP Macroeconomics
• AP English Language and Composition with AP United States History
• AP Human Geography with AP Environmental Science
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based with AP Precalculus
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based with AP Calculus AB
• AP Research with AP Statistics
• AP Statistics with AP Precalculus
• AP Computer Science Principles with AP Computer Science A 
• AP Computer Science Principles with AP Precalculus
• AP Computer Science A  with AP Calculus AB

(上面這個 Cross-Curricular Companion Courses 美國大學理事會提供的。)