Take the Leap, Take AP Gov

AP Government is one of the most popular Advanced Placement classes at Blake. Everyone can find something they enjoy about the course. It prepares you for similar courses in college, it is challenging but manageable, and you learn many new things. 

If you know you are ready to begin your AP journey, but can not decide which classes to pick, here are a few reasons why AP US Government should be your first.

Overall, this class is not difficult to pass. Every student is different when it comes to learning and studying; however, paying attention, completing the weekly notes and asking questions will guarantee you a passing grade. AP US Government teacher Robert Danis says, “face time with the teacher is fantastic because it’s just one on one, and the student controls the conversation. The more face time a student has with the teacher, the better they can understand the material. It’s very important I think, particularly for a first time AP student.”

And if you are concerned about the course work, do not worry! The workload is not overwhelming. Calling this an ‘easy’ class would be an understatement, but with proper time management, you should not be too stressed out. When the High School Assessment rolls around, you and your other class buddies will be more than prepared for the exam. Who does not want to have that advantage?

At the end of the course, students have a couple of opportunities to earn SSL hours through class projects. This is really convenient because you do not have to make take time outside of school to volunteer; instead, you get a package of completing a college-level class and earning student service learning hours needed to graduate.

The teachers in this course are some of the most passionate people I have met. They offer more than just superficial, textbook answers to your questions. Mary Wagner has taught AP US Government for a decade and enjoys her job because the examples she uses in class are constantly changing, adding nuanced perspectives to her lessons. She explains, “with different presidents, different administration, there are different focuses on how they choose to do things and trying to help the students make sense of that is an interesting challenge to me.” While the other US Government classes are running around trying to gather all their notes for finals in June, you will already have wiped your hands clean from testing in May. Most AP Government classes watch movies or are assigned a few small projects to help anyone who needs a grade boost.

The class makes you feel socially conscious, especially when elections are coming up. You will already be having intellectual conversations with adults about politics and how things work in government before you know it. It is important to have knowledge up your sleeve, especially in topics that could eventually impact your life. In fact, Mr. Danis’ goal is for his students to leave the class knowing more about the way the country works. He points out, “I just want them to be voters. I want my students to be informed voters. That’s what I want for them out of the class, they keep in touch with what’s happening, you know, and make decisions that affect them by voting.” 

Figuring out what AP classes to take can be daunting. The last thing you want is your first AP class to be extremely time consuming and very difficult. If you take this advice into consideration, you will be on the right path to launching your AP journey.