Carrying the Weight of Honors Courses

Entering high school can be stressful. Being surrounded by different places and new people can be hard; adding extracurricular activities and honors classes do not make it easier. 

What is it like for freshmen and sophomores as they navigate their way through high school, taking harder classes? 

“I moved to Idaho from Washington, and when I attended their schools, they didn’t offer honors classes. When I saw that opportunity here, I figured I would try it out,” Joshua Brower said. 

It was not easy for him; moving into a new school and trying harder classes took a lot out of him. 

Brower believes part of the reason he did not do well was that he did not have a proper place to do it. 

Most of the class is based on homework, so getting behind or not having a good study place caused many problems. 

“The classes are not hard; it is difficult because of the way it focuses on homework,” Gabriel Wee said. 

It is nice having a class that gives you something to do and think about. Doing it since middle school has helped prepare the way too. 

Wee said, “There is not much of a difference between the classes besides knowing your material and extra hard work.” 

The extra focus during class helps you learn the material better. 

“I like that it is focused; going to STEM gave an advance in the knowledge of the material. The opportunity to continue exceeding is nice,” Madelyn Andres said. 

Being surrounded by people who are engaged and want to learn is also a plus. 

Taking honors classes has pros and cons. They are extremely helpful for learning more at a faster pace, but that can be stressful for some students. 

If given the opportunity to take honors classes, it is a nice thing to try before shutting down. 

Maverick Gerrior said, “I have taken honors classes since seventh grade, and I do not think that they are very effective until eighth grade. That is when it became harder.” 

The challenge is what attracts many students to the class. Other classes can be slower and not as focused/geared toward what they are trying to do. 

Being in an honors class is not much different from other classes. More is expected of you ,such as getting good and complete work turned in on time. 

“I do not turn in assignments if they are not complete or of good quality. I want to turn in the best work I can,” Gerrior said. 

Having more difficult work along with general classes, can in a way be a balance. 

“I don’t have much of a struggle, I rarely have homework from other classes, so it kind of balances it out,” Andres said. 

Even though difficulty is emphasized, the classes are not as bad as people may say. 

Brower said, “I am definitely thinking about taking more difficult classes, mainly for next year,. After getting a feel of what it would be like, I think I could do it.”