AP Government, Economics and Calculus
AP Government is a senior course that meets every other day, usually rotated with AP Economics. It is currently taught by Mrs. Segal and Mr. Donlon and teaches about politics in America. It involves topics such as the foundations of the Constitution, the civil liberties guaranteed to all Americans, and the role of the media in politics. An advantage of taking this class is that colleges like to see students are still taking rigorous classes senior year. You can also earn college credit if you receive a 4 or 5 on the AP exam, depending on the college. The class does not have a huge workload, with homework being primarily textbook reading. For every textbook chapter, students read and take notes to use on a quiz the next day. Chapter tests are generally given every few weeks and consist of multiple choice questions and one extended short answer response. Overall, the class is a good continuation of APUSH and prepares students to make political decisions in their own lives. I would recommend it for students who are good at memorizing facts because the curriculum is mainly based on definitions and important court cases and events. However, it may not be an ideal course for people who hate reading, as the textbook chapters are generally around 30 pages and reviewing them is the best way to study.
AP Macroeconomics is an every other day course, typically rotated with AP Government. The course is taught by Dr. Corcoran and explores how the U.S. national economy works. The textbook is split up into Modules and the daily homework is to answer questions on one module. The modules are very short and readable and the textbook is a great source to study. Unlike other drier or more conceptual textbooks, the one for AP Macro has many graphs and gives everyday examples to teach complex concepts in an easier way. There are daily open-notes 5 question quizzes on the homework from the night before. Additionally, tests are given after every few modules. I would recommend this class for people who are interested in business, who want to maintain a competitive schedule, or who are interested in possibly earning college credit. Some students find the concepts difficult, but by putting in effort on your homework and attending test corrections, it is easy to boost your grade.
AP Calculus is a senior year class that follow Precalculus Honors. There are two different courses: AB and BC. Although they are both challenging, BC covers more material than AB. Both are equivalent to the calculus courses taken in college and by earning a 4 or 5 on the AP exam in May, you can generally place out of future college courses. People who want to go into the Medical Field or Engineering might find this class useful because it is a requirement in college for their major. If they are able to place out of it in college, they will have less required classes to take when they arrive at college. The class is taught by Ms. Colapinto and includes a difficult but manageable workload. There are homework questions every night, usually out of topic packets given out in class. The questions are modelled after ones done in class, but often take the material a step further to provide a challenge like the questions on the AP exam. Each unit ends with a chapter test and usually has quizzes dispersed throughout. Ms. Colapinto is easily reached and offers extra help multiple times a week to go over questions and help students out so that they can do their best on the test. I would recommend these classes for people who are good at math and are willing to put in the effort needed to succeed. This is a class where the effort you put in directly affects the grades you get. Do not expect to do well if you do not try your hardest on the homework or study.