The division at UC High is evident. The same people year after year are in the same classes: either AP/Honors/Advanced or not. AP classes are a commitment that involve hours of homework and studying for big tests. They can often seem daunting and can cause some students with interest in a subject to be wary of taking the class. It’s very difficult to ease into the world of AP classes. You either take them or you don’t. And if they don’t come easily to you, it’s difficult to find other ways to truly challenge yourself and find the encouragement to work hard. The two schools at UC High are extremely apparent, in a negative way.

   For many, the divide in our school began in the second grade (if you went to a school that included Seminar classes). All students took the Raven or GATE test. Those who did well were moved into Seminar classes and stayed in Seminar until the ninth grade. They were given faster-paced lessons, and were often times made to feel special or smarter. “I definitely felt that because I had tested Seminar that I was more inclined to take APs, because it kind of sticks a label on you that you’re ‘intelligent’ and so you should take harder classes,” said Senior Sophia Cook. By labeling and categorizing students when they were eight years old, the school system managed to define a significant part of the rest of students’ education.

   Students who are on the AP/Honors or “regular” tracks can often feel stuck. If you’ve been in regular classes your whole life, it can be a really big jump to go to an AP class. This feeling exists among AP students too, especially with the weight of colleges and their futures. There definitely is pressure to take more Advanced classes than the previous year just to show that you are challenging yourself. Students are taking AP and Honors classes in subjects they have no interest in just to get the weighted or college credit. “I took Honors History just to get the weighted grade,” said Junior Anthony Nelson. It has become an expected move for students who have taken Advanced classes in the past to continue taking them, even if they don’t necessarily like the subject. “Time wasting, stress, depression, and low grades for nothing. I got a lower GPA than I would’ve gotten taking regular classes,” said Senior Daniel Kovalanko. Instead of teaching students to value the educational experience, the division pressures them to stick to predetermined paths.

   If the same students are taking the same classes every year, a real divide between the two can begin to appear. Students in regular classes hang out with the people in those classes, and AP students hang out with students from theirs. This is completely understandable, because we make friends based on proximity. The real problem is that no matter what subject it is, you find the same

people in the same classes with no chance of an overlapping schedule.

   This can cause students in AP classes to be surrounded by people who put a lot of effort into school, and students in regular classes to be surrounded by a lot of students who are just trying to graduate. The people around you impact your views and choices. It is more motivational to be in a class where everyone is doing everything in their power not only to pass, but to understand the material. You can ask almost any student for help and they will most often either know what they’re doing or be attempting to figure it out. In regular classes, there are often a lot of students who are not as motivated or aware of what’s going on, so no one else can really help if you’re lost. If everyone who’s ever been in your classes has the same approach to school as you, it is very hard for you to change your path.

   Overall, the divide in our school, and in the school system as a whole, is causing students to fall into paths where they feel like that is where they belong, without exploring all other educational options. It is affecting which colleges students eventually attend, and even whether they decide to go to college at all. The classes that students take in high school are seriously going to affect their life choices in the long term, and the division of students isn’t helping anyone.