SLAS Times 2015/2016 Fall 2015 PDF | Page 17

LIFE OF AN AP STUDENT AT SLAS BY PATRICK NAM “You must study and study for the future!” is something often said by strict parents of AP (Advancement Placement) students. It is true that many studentsare stressed by such demands, but there are benefits that they may overlook. Taking AP subjects during your high school timecan improve your analytical skills and knowledge in diverse aspects. There are many students who are taking AP courses. Some take themfor creditsat a university and some take themto improve college applications. At Shanghai Livingston American School (SLAS), there are many students who take these challenges. choice. Most of the AP students also take additional tutoring which takes place after school. On average, they attend tutoring one time a week per subject. However, some students attend more than one time per weekif they need extra help. During tutoring session, students ask questions about what they are unfamiliar with and review what they studied in their classes. Through this program, many students have improved their learning skills and have followed up with improvements in classes. “In a regular class, teachers help too much and do not cover certain topics deeply”,said ToshikaYuto, one of “I usually sleep 4 hours a day to study and to catch the AP students. He also added “However,AP classes on my AP subjects”, Jennie Tseng, a senior. She also requiredeep understanding of many topics and added,“I usually spenda whole weekend to finish my theindependence to catch up individually” AP Chemistry homework and reviewclass work by watching lectureson the Internet.” It is clear to many students that taking AP subjects is a challenge in their school life. However, it is also true At SLAS, there are 10 AP subjects such as AP Biology, that they will gain many skills and knowledge in AP US History, and AP Calculus. Among these exchange for their efforts. subjects, AP US history class is the most popular 17