At the beginning of the school year, each student has the decision whether or not to take an honors class or more than one, or just stick to a regular schedule. The choice can seem overwhelming, as shifting from one experience to another can be intimidating. So, are honor classes really worth the trouble?
To be straightforward, I, Zong Chen, am confident that honors classes are worth the trouble in taking harder curriculums. Although I am going to have biases as I am currently attending some honor subjects, I stand with this claim.
When deciding my classes before the school year started, I immediately knew I wanted to do honors.. I did it because–sure, it does look good on your record and it might impress your parents, but I knew I had my strengths and weaknesses that needed to be fixed. I wanted to improve and challenge myself to take a course that would benefit me, but not in an easy way.
For instance, in Honors English, I am challenged to write thought-provoking essays and think outside of the box. In Honors Biology, the course goes at a fast pace and allows me to process and adapt to more information that can prepare me in further high school years and even college.
Not only to mention, next year, these honor classes are a push to harder courses that I want to take, such as AP Language or Anatomy. The decision to join an honors class may be tough and seem tedious, especially in your freshman year, but that is the entire purpose of it, to challenge and teach you how to improve tremendously in the future.
While I myself, Isla, may not be in any honors classes, I have asked a few friends that either take a number of honor classes or do all honors their opinion on this matter.
I first asked Leslie Garcia, who is taking Honors English, if she thinks it is worth the effort. She told me that she believes taking Honors English was a good decision. She mentioned that while it is harder than a standard English class, it improves her overall knowledge of the subject.
When asking my close friend Audrey Black if all the honors classes she takes are actually helping her education, she responded with, “Honors classes are worth it because [they help] you learn subjects at a faster pace and take you one step ahead in life.” Audrey and other students agree that even though honors classes are tougher than your regular courses, they boost your education and overall understanding at an exceptional rate.
Moreover, I asked other students if they believed honors classes were worth the time, the majority of them answered the same: yes. Even when answers varied, the overall meaning stayed the same. In the end, the majority of students believe honors classes are worth the extra time and work.
As many students will struggle throughout the year taking a challenging course, it can be evident that it challenges and benefits your future immensely. Overall, taking honors is the right decision for any student in high school.
