At West Ranch, many Advanced Placement courses challenge students daily to push beyond their academic comfort zones. Whether it be labs, essays or analysis, these college-level courses are designed to test not just a student’s ability to think, but also their patience, time management, teamwork and determination. Due to the rigor of these classes, many students find themselves stuck and begin to seek tips to help improve their understanding of difficult content throughout their learning journey.
West Ranch Sophomore Annie Bui found herself in one of these situations while taking AP Chemistry. She described the class as “pretty challenging.” She explained, “the fast-paced curriculum and the rigorous coursework [are] what make it hard for me, as well as the amount of math you need to learn and the formulas you need to memorize in a really short amount of time.”
For Bui, the rigor and demand of AP Chemistry sank in after her second unit test. “The first unit test had a bunch of conceptualization questions, and I was really good at that, so I did well. But unit two came, and that was when they introduced stoichiometry, and I found it really hard,” she shared.
Despite the difficult demands, Bui shared that the challenge is what drove her to take the advanced course in the first place. “I really like to challenge myself and persevere through hard problems,” she explained. “I’d recommend this class to anyone like me looking for a challenge.” She also emphasized numerous resources available to students for help. “I use Barron’s books, Princeton books, and the materials on AP Classroom to prepare and know what to expect on the unit tests.”
Bui’s chemistry teacher, Mrs. Shawn Zeringue, who teaches both regular and AP chemistry, agreed that the advanced placement course can feel intimidating to students. “AP Chemistry, yes. The content is abstract, and it requires a lot of critical thinking and some math skills to really understand what’s inside an atom and how it works.”
However, Mrs. Zeringue explained that students can succeed if they are willing to put in enough consistent effort. “How you get better at chemistry is practice,” she assured. “If you don’t practice, you can’t get better at something. And it’s okay for something to be difficult. When you have “productive struggle” in learning, the challenges make new brain growth and enhance neuroplasticity. This will make your brain more resilient and efficient to help navigate those situations, so you learn how to handle hard situations better.”
Mrs. Zeringue encourages her students not to give up when things become challenging. “If you’re willing to challenge yourself, then it’s doable. You don’t have to be an expert at anything. You just have to not quit. Struggling is okay, it means you have grit.” She also provides various opportunities for her students to ask questions. Whether it be in the middle of a lecture or during a lab, she noted that she will always encourage students to ask for help if they need it.
Many of the strategies Mrs. Zeringue shared can be applied to a multitude of other courses here at West Ranch. AP United States History and Modern Civilizations teacher Ms. Kathleen Barr reaffirmed Mrs. Zeringue’s advice. “The goal of education is to learn. It’s not about getting an A + or an F. It’s about investing in your intellectual growth. And in the end, whatever you put into the class is what you’ll get out of it.”
Ms. Barr helps her students by motivating them to participate in group discussions, engage in deep analysis of classwork and reflect on both themselves and the material they learn. “I don’t want them to memorize facts,” she clarified. “I want them to learn how to think—how to think about their thinking, really.”
Both teachers articulated that true academic and real-life success begins with students taking responsibility for their education. Asking questions, participating regularly and finding ways to apply the right skills to tackle problems all contribute to a student’s learning experience and growth. Ms. Barr added, “Don’t be afraid to ask. Your questions are probably questions that someone else has, too. Asking them helps everyone grow.”
Robert Burns, a senior who took Physics AB last year, also found himself struggling in his class, just like Bui. In retrospect, he explained, “I would tell myself that it’s a hard class, but it does get easier as time progresses because you start understanding the teachers and the concepts start building on top of each other.” Rather than getting upset and frustrated at his mistakes, “When I got questions wrong on them, I would go over them and see why I got them wrong and understand it for the future.”
“It’s important to try to understand bigger concepts instead of just completing the coursework,” Burns explained. He urges students to find connections between their prior knowledge and what they already know to better understand topics. “Education is a really important tool to have; it helps you grow as a person. Never stop learning.”
Across the board in all advanced courses, teachers and students at West Ranch can agree that true success comes from facing difficulty head-on and not avoiding it. Teachers and fellow students are always here to help. Make sure to keep pushing strong through your studies, Wildcats.
