APUSHing it too much? Students report struggle in US History
By AJ Ballard and Lizbeth Cuellar | Tests, quizzes, assignments and homework are all ready stressful for a student. Lately, one class has been pushing the buttons of many students. Even if you don’t have this class, you have obviously heard about it, and that class is AP US History: the dear subject that has made our friends cry, have sleepless nights and basically hate their class.
Teacher Shannyn Romero says the AP U.S. History course is structured like that of a college class. Photo by Lizbeth Cuellar
“I don’t think it’s the material or the teacher, it’s probably the fast pace,” junior Itzel Valenzuela said “It’s a quiz a week on each chapter, followed by a unit test after every few chapters. You have to keep up with reading or you’re lost in class.”
One AP class is already enough for a handful of students, but imagine having your whole schedule filled up with advanced placement classes.
“A lot of it is independent learning and I think students struggle with that, doing it on your own without being told by somebody sitting over you and that’s what they do in college,” AP U.S. History teacher Shannyn Romero said. “So I really think that’s where the students struggle in AP. My teaching philosophy is that I am the facilitator. I’m supposed to help guide the students through the learning process. Just read and take active notes, writing questions, if you don’t understand something ask questions. Because if one person doesn’t understand, somebody else doesn’t understand it.”
Just over three months and the stress will be lifted students’ shoulders…for now. Students who pass the test could be rewarded with six hours of college credit.