Opinion

  • AP Pressure
  • Getting Involved
  • ES too old fashioned?
  • Celebrities
  • 09 Collage

AP Classes: Feeling the Pressure

By Emma Smith

It has been about two months since the beginning of school, signifying a final settling down of schedules, weekly routines and getting used to our courses. The six week grading period has also drawn to a close; students across El Segundo High will view grades this week via mailed hardcopies as opposed to the usual PowerSchool page. Upon seeing such stark and definitive letters, individuals will have reactions varying from relieved sighs to blank stares to explosive gesturing. For those students taking AP classes, another layer of pressure is added to the intense level that normally surrounds grades. After all, advanced placement classes are given at a college level and can count for college credit. A year-long course ends up being condensed into one AP test during the month of May. As so many AP teachers are fond of pointing out, the rest of the country starts a few weeks earlier than ESHS; in other words, ESHS classes start out the school year behind schedule. Talk about turning up the heat. Ways of dealing with this added stress vary from student to student. In most cases, a significant decrease in sleep is involved. Hours of peaceful repose fall prey to vocabulary flashcards, chapter notes, complex equations and in-depth essays. This strategy seems to work, at least until someone passes out during study. Another key to staying on top of AP classes can be found in a beloved Career Explorations mantra. Stay organized. The true value of well executed notes can only be realized when studying the night before a major unit test. Oftentimes, it can be the difference in a letter grade. Of course, this concept of organization extends beyond the school's double doors and into the foreboding realm of homework. Time has to be scheduled for projects, intense take-home questions and the endless task of studying. Penciling in an hour to unwind is also found to be helpful; it offers an exhausted, overworked student something specific to look forward to. As previously mentioned, all of this perpetual work leads up to AP testing, possibly the most stressful time of the year for upperclassmen. In ESHS, taking an AP class involves entering into a compact which promises that the student will take the test. In some other schools, teenagers having difficulty in their AP classes can just refuse to take the related test. For El Segundo High students, the only way out of an AP test is to drop the actual AP class. Incidentally, the inverse is not true. It is possible to drop an AP class and still take the AP test when May rolls around. In a subject like AP Physics, however, lab credit would not be given. Since the beginning of the school year, almost all AP classes have seen students drop out. These numbers tend to be especially high in the sciences, such as AP Physics and AP Environmental Science which have a reputation for being extremely demanding. One student who experienced this is junior Celeste Davis: "I dropped AP Physics on the second day of school and became a TA…I would rather focus on everything else than be forced to use all my energy on one class." In the end, ESHS students taking AP classes buckle down and try to ride out the waves of stress and adrenaline. No matter how much it feels like the work load carries the weight of the world, it is only a temporary evil. In times of chaos and confusion, leaning on a kindred AP spirit can be quite comforting. In speaking of her own AP experience, senior Kaitlyn Krolak comments: "As Ms. Byrd would say, AP Bio is like climbing a mountain; at one point, when you reach the top of the mountain, you think you will die and vultures will eat your insides. But stick with it; you will feel good about what you have accomplished when you're done."

Getting Involved

By Laura Lindsey

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much money we have, what car we drive, or even how many people we are associated with. It's how we impact our societies and our community. The selfless acts we do make us memorable for impacting the lives of others in our community in positive ways. Every citizen holds the power to make a change. If we choose to inflict a positive atmosphere on others, it will be returned. By being charitable towards others, they in turn will be charitable toward you, when you are in need. However, many students don't think about getting involved in charitable activities. Those who have thought about it usually think, because of their age, they won't make a difference. We NEED to stop these thoughts and revise our society to think "yes we can."
Senior Ryan Ward stated, "We all can make a difference. If people take a couple minutes to give money to the homeless or give their old clothes away, then we could create a more peaceful society." Every positive action influences someone's life. Even the most simple action like donating money, toys, or old clothes, can put a smile on a less fortunate person's face and bring them happiness. There are so many organizations out there in which we are available to, like Good Will and The Boys and Girls Club. Being charitable doesn't only affect the lives of a person in need in a positive way, but yours as well. By joining a club, like the key club, you become educated on issues that less fortunate people face throughout their daily lives; and you learn ways to make a difference in their lives and in society. You begin to realize how fortunate we are to live in a nice community, have enough money to eat, and have the opportunity to go to El Segundo High School. All that is needed is the donation of your time. The rewards of doing the right thing and making someone's life a little bit easier, creates a sense of warmth and happiness that is irreplaceable.
Charitable work doesn't only involve donating money to the homeless, however. Helping out at a daycare, or helping your grandparents clean their house is also charitable. That's what's so great about charity. It's not a restricted subject. Anytime you help anyone that needs assistance, in a positive manner, you are being charitable. Being kind and helping someone DOES affect our society. When you help out your friends or family, you give them a feeling of warmth which makes them more apt to return the favor or pass it along. Junior Carolina Paredes says, "It's important to get involved. I think that if more people were helping each other out, then we would have less conflict."
We are one community, El Segundo; one society; one people; and one student body. Let's put our heads together and create a positive and inspirational atmosphere that will influence our future high school attendees to get involved in our community. Let us pass along the charitable atmosphere that our time has worked hard to restore. We can make a difference so let's not disregard the problem any longer. The next chapter of our lives is not too far away. Let's start it right. We are the future and we hold the power to make a change.

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