Did you know that 2024 was the world’s warmest year since we started keeping track in 1850? It’s become evident in recent years that the state of our Earth is slowly worsening over time. Nonetheless, the most important thing we can do as a collective is stay informed. I’ve realized that one of the best ways to inform yourself of what is happening to our planet and what we can do to help is by taking AP Environmental Science (APES for short).
First, the entire course of this class is extremely detailed and instructive on the way the Earth’s systems work. Tectonic plates, the different levels of the atmosphere, global wind patterns, etc. The class offers nine different units that allow students to learn environmental concepts and processes that we see daily. Essentially, understanding first how the environment functions is foundational knowledge that everyone should have. How would we stop the earth from facing irreparable damage if we don’t even know how those systems vulnerable to that damage work?
In addition to learning about the factors that damage our earth, the APES course also provides us with ways to help stop and mitigate the harm that humans cause. In fact, human activity is the leading cause of environmental destruction, which is taught during the APES course as well. Nonetheless, conservation methods are available throughout different units that anyone could utilize in their day-to-day lifestyle. For example, we all know the saying, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” APES teaches us that the most important and effective part of that is reducing. Simply reducing the amount of products and items we have or buy makes the biggest difference. It is, in itself, the first step to reducing pollution on our earth.
Junior AP Environmental Science student Avani Samineni says, “I would say the most important thing APES has taught me this year is the harmful potential of greenhouse gases.”
Other than the important knowledge AP Environmental Science gives students, taking an AP in general is a smart and helpful decision. AP classes are very beneficial all around to students who are ready to take on the challenge. Taking such rigorous classes teaches students academic skills they need for college. Like discipline, effective study habits, and attendance. AP students are required to have discipline in their work due to the extensive coursework and hard deadlines they must meet. Additionally, to do well, students in AP classes must develop productive study habits that work for them. On top of that, attendance in classes like these are almost mandatory. From personal experience, missing even one singular day will have you feeling very behind. You can miss very important information, so it’s best to not miss any days. As a result, AP students typically start to have better attendance.
Another benefit to taking an AP class is the GPA boost. The AP scale actually counts your grade as one point higher than what you actually end up getting in the class. For example, if you end with a B+ in AP Environmental Science, your grade will actually end up acting like an A+. On a number scale, it would be a 3.0 turning into a 4.0 grade. So, maybe you end up falling a little behind the grade you truly wanted, it won’t hurt your transcript as much as you think.
Finally, AP Environmental Science is one of the easiest AP classes that anyone can take. Of course, it may seem like a lot. But, the concepts are very interesting and easy to understand. Alongside that, the exam itself is a lot less demanding than other AP exams. As of 2025, 69.2% of students who took the exam got a 3 and higher. Essentially, over half the students who take the exam pass it.
In all, students should give AP Environmental Science a try next time they pick classes for next year! It can only bring awareness to our Earth, and benefits to our students.
