If you want your student to be better prepared for college,
I highly recommend that they enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. You may
be asking why. Students who enroll in AP
courses are better prepared for the challenges and rigor that a college level
course can bring. Preparing students for
college takes a lot of preparation and planning. Too many students go to college with great
enthusiasm and with little preparation. During the first few weeks of college some
students realize that they are not prepare them. They start to realize that
college requires long hours of studying, reading, solving problems and managing
a schedule that is full of reading assignments.
If you are sending your first student to college an AP course can give
your student confidence that they can handle college level courses.
Completing an AP course in high school can help your student
to get over the anxiety that is common during the first six weeks of college classes. Some students receive their first C grade or
less while in their first semester of college and it is a tremendous shock. This is especially true when the student has
not received a grade of less than a B during their entire K12 experience. It’s
sad to say that some students want to drop out after their first unusual grade. Some students realize that they were not
taught how to learn independently or to research knowledge on their own.
Students who are the first person in their family to attend
college face unique obstacles. They do not know what to expect or how difficult
it will be. There are many who have no counselor to turn to when it is time to
apply to college. The counselor to student ratio is five hundred to one in some
high schools. A student may not be steered toward an advance placement course
if the parent is not communicating with their counselor. It is important for each parent to be
actively involved in their student’s high school education. Always seek out the best courses for your
student and get them tutoring when necessary.
I recommend community college courses for students who want
to get a taste of college before attending undergraduate school. Community
college classes can give your student a similar challenge that an AP course can
provide. Also, a community college course can be a way for a student to catch
up if they are behind in a certain course. For example, if you want to study engineering
in college you will need to take calculus while in high school. If you are
behind you can take a pre-calculus course during the summer and calculus during
your senior year. It is far better to
take calculus during your junior year and AP calculus during your senior year
if possible.
Some student’s classmates scare other students away from AP
classes. They tell them how long they
study and the difficulty of the course content.
If you are their parent encourage your student and support them with
resources and tutoring. It is worth it.
You are cutting down on the chances that your student will struggle
while they are in college. In fact,
there is a prize at the end of every AP course. If your student scores a 4 or a
5 on the standardized AP course during May they are able to reduce the number
of courses they take during college.
To succeed a college student must develop good study habits while
enrolled in an AP course. It is a great way to prepare for college. Your student
must devote their energy to earning the best grades in each class by meeting
the expectation of the course. Students who are successful know that they must manage
their time. Here are ten additional ways that a student benefit from AP courses:
1. A reduction in the
number of courses required during college
2. Get in the habit
of good time management for tests
3. You will have some
of the best teachers in your school
4. You will have an early
experience regarding the expectations of a college professor
5. You learn how to do advanced research
6. You will share
knowledge with some of the best students in your high school
7. Get tutoring from
some of the best teachers and students.
8. Get preparation
for a community college course.
One of the best
skills that a high school student can learn is how to focus on their goal. There are always plenty of distractions in
high school. Focus on your goal to be
excellent in all AP classes. Identify your distractions such as social
activities, day dreaming, peers and sports. Students who are willing to eliminate
distractions while they are in high school have a great habit of doing the same
while in college. One of the biggest
distractions in college is the freedom in your schedule when there are no
classes. I encourage all students to
write down their goals in each AP class and to work hard to achieve them.
The decision to enroll in an AP course is a serious
choice. It can be life changing and have
a positive effect on the rest of a student’s courses. Acceptance into a college is just the
beginning of a student’s career journey.
All the studying that a student is doing in high school lays the foundation
for how successful his/her college experience will turn out. Now is the time to
enroll your student in an AP class that helps with the transition from high
school to college.
Dr Stephen Jones is a college preparation expert and author.
Purchase copies of Dr. Jones’ books “Seven Secrets of How to Study, Ultimate
Scholarship Guide or Parents ultimate Education Guide at http://www.DrStephenJones.net or email
your school workshop/consulting questions too Learn@DrStephenJones.net
