I was 15 years old going onto 16. In sophomore year I took my first honors classes. I had taken honors geometry and honor chemistry; the previous years I had taken all regular classes and I did great in them. I had gotten A’s in both Algebra 1 and Biology; I was very good at them. Both of my teachers said, “We recommend you take honors classes next year, they aren’t as hard as they seem.” In Math sophomore year I struggled because it was geometry it was new and confusing, but in chemistry, it was so easy that I thought They should have this class be a regular class, because how easy it is.

It turns out, ex-co-founder of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs took mostly regular classes throughout high school but wound up being a genius for Apple Inc. years later. When jobs was taking an electronics class in high school, “he didn’t seem serious about the class and he would clown around a lot” Says Job’s friends from high school. Steve was like any other high school student who took regular classes they do the work but wasn’t very serious about it.

Honors or Regular Classes?

It’s true that the way to get into big colleges or universities is to take AP or honors classes because they look better for colleges and the college representatives love to see you challenging yourself. Like taking harder classes. But, when you challenge yourself, it tends to get way harder, and some students can’t keep up with the amount of work. Are some students not ready for higher level classes?

For people to succeed in life they have to try their very best, but some people just go along with life and hope they get it right. Famous comic writer Stan Lee has said before that “Life doesn't come with without challenges.” It's fully up to you if you want to take it slow and take regular classes or to take it to the next level and take AP or honors classes. It is up to you to control how you end up in life.

Quality or Quantity

Both honors and regular classes are not easy. But if you had to choose; which one would you pick, having a B- or C in honors classes or having an A- to an A+ in regular classes. Most would say the A’s in regular classes because they are the better grade. Author Malcolm Gladwell explains in his novel David and Goliath that “A big fish in a little pond, is a good thing for your confidence and your comfort.” the quote means that if you are smart and doing great in regular classes is good and maybe you don’t have to be in honors classes to succeed. Maybe you are just fine where you are at.

A’s in regular classes look better then C’s or lower in honors classes, but if you want to challenge yourself you could because colleges look for a student who challenges their self and they are successful when doing so. In the Article ‘What Looks Better – an A in Regular College Prep Classes or a Lower Grade in Honors/AP Course?’ the SAT prep site states: “If you enroll in college prep level courses and get all A’s, it may look as though you’re capable enough to take a few Honors or AP courses but are playing it safe.”

But by paying safe, they mean that you are probably capable of taking one or two honors or AP classes but you would have to work really hard to get a B+ or even an A-. A’s in regular classes means that you really get the material you are being taught also you are doing more to improve your grade. But C’s in honors classes says you are kinds confused with the subject and you should study or get help from your teacher. Like me don’t underestimate an honors class. I underestimated honors geometry, I thought it would be just like Algebra 1 and I would get an easy A, but I didn’t try my best and end up with a C at the end of the first semester. if you do take one try your very best and when something gets hard to get help, study. Do whatever you can or need to do to get the best grade you can get.

Although you might not be the best at what you are doing, you're the best at your level. A big fish in a little pond is just fine to be. For you to succeed in life, you need to trust your instincts; because it is up to you to shape your own future.

Works Cited

Berlinsky-Schine, Laura. "Getting a B in an Honors Class Vs. an A in a Regular Class." CollegeVine.

Gladwell, Malcolm. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. Little, Brown, 2013.

Stone, Madeline. "Someone Paid More Than $12,000 for a High School Yearbook with Steve Jobs' Photo in It." Business Insider, 24 Mar. 2015.

"What Looks Better ? an A in Regular College Prep Classes or a Lower Grade in Honors/AP Course?" Kaplan Test Prep, 19 Oct. 2016.