AP Classes can be both mentally stimulating and draining simultaneously. As with all things, it’s necessary to find a balance. Here are a few easier or more interesting AP Electives to take to get the GPA boost without the mental breakdowns.

Nobody ever talks about AP Computer Science Principles. It is by far the most overlooked and unappreciated of all AP’s. This class was one of my personal favorites I’ve ever taken. It fosters critical thinking, creativity, and individuality. I learned how to code in Python- a skill that can go on resumes. And each coding project you work on has opportunities to individualize it, or make it your own. It can be difficult, but if you’re ever struggling to find an error in your code; ask a friend!

AP Psychology is a popular course- and for good reason. The human brain is fascinating, and learning about how it works never gets dull. Junior Hannah Kehoe referred to it as “the only class I’m interested in”. From human and animal behavior & mental processes to psychological facts, principles, and phenomena, you learn a lot in this class. However, this course is heavy on the vocab, so get your flashcards ready!

Next is AP Studio Art 2-D Design. This is a digital photography course that allows you to hone your skills through practice and experimentation. There is no big AP “test”, but rather a portfolio submission of your works. This class gives you more freedom to foster your individual style of photography. It is recommended to take at least one photography course before this one, so keep this in mind. To succeed in this class you’ll need patience and a creative eye, but the end results can be beautiful.

Finally, there’s AP Environmental Science. With all the debate on climate change and methods of bettering our society’s environmental impact, this class should be a no-brainer. You learn about the possible ramifications of the continued ignorance of environmental problems and different solutions that could be imposed. It’s important to understand the social, political, and economic aspects of environmental policies in order to be a well informed citizen and future-voter. Oh and get used to the term “anthropogenic”, because practically everything wrong with the environment was due to humans.

There are so many electives to choose from, but why settle? These AP classes will intrigue the avid learner as well as give your weighted GPA a boost.