As we transition into the end of the year, picking and choosing the classes you will take next year, you might be faced with a particular dilemma: AP classes. Should you take them or not? Is it worth it?

The answer is no. No it’s not. But then you may ask, “Why do people take them?” I asked a couple fellow students, and their responses made it pretty clear.

Jacob’s theory is that students take them because they “probably look good on college resumes.” Then, Nye said something within a similar vein: “Students think colleges like to see them, and they think it gives you college credit.”

Students only seem to do AP classes because of college, but does it actually improve your chances of getting into college and look better? According to Collegevine, “Some more selective schools won’t accept AP scores as college credit. More still accept certain subjects but not others.” So, it’s not even a given that it will help or improve your chances of getting into universities, and some colleges don’t take the credit an AP exam gives you. Even if by some miracle AP classes and test scores did help your chances of getting into universities and they did accept the credits, AP classes give extra work and that comes with a lot of extra stress. If normal classes stress you out, then AP classes will amplify that stress. In an article from appliy, they say “AP courses and exams can be demanding, and taking on too many at once can increase stress.” So, it’s not always worth it because it seems there are too many cons that outweigh the uncertain pros.

Another huge downside is that AP exams and classes are expensive. An average AP exam can cost around $100. And if you don’t take the test, what’s the point of doing all that work and taking on all the pressure if you don’t get the college credit? If you’re on the fence and not sure if you want to deal with all the work, stress, cost, and the uncertainty of earning actual college credits, then don’t take an AP class.