Starting freshman year, students are bombarded with class options. Chemistry or Biology? Spanish II or Latin I? Regular, Honors, or AP English Literature?  For many students, deciding what level to take for each class is the most difficult part of choosing.

Balancing homework and projects with everyday life can be quite the challenge. Jenn Choate ‘17 said that weighted classes add extra pressure and leave no time for anything else. Whether this may mean a half hour break after school, a movie after work, or down time before going to sleep, many students just can’t seem to find time to relax.

Many upperclassmen also have jobs, making time even more limited.

“Trying to balance school, work, sports and home life is hard as a student,” said Marilyn Sedlacek ‘17. “I don’t think some teachers realize that I don’t go straight home to do homework.” It can be especially difficult to coordinate group projects, such as the ongoing, two-month-long Trebuchet challenge for Physics I. This is often a point of consideration for individuals who eventually decide to partially, or sometimes altogether, opt out of accelerated courses.

Despite this, there are of course many, many benefits to accelerated courses. Hayden Kubishta ‘17 said that although they can add a fair amount of stress and extra work, higher level courses tend to “offer smaller classes and more interesting and in-depth material.” Kubishta continued: “I want to double major, so having AP credit is great. It also helps me make merit scholarship.” In association with good grades, weighted classes are a huge positive for both college acceptance and financial aid.

Though stress is a part of the deal, weighted and accelerated classes can be a great way to take part in enjoyable classes that support college applications.