Junior year is stress induced with taking standardized tests, looking into colleges, and enduring the pressure to get your best grades yet. But is the school system making it hard to achieve that? In Wantagh High School, most classes have a class that is “regular” that could also be called a “Regents” class. But the alternative is the Advanced Placement class. So what happened to in-between honors classes?

A wide belief that it is unfair that students are forced to go down to a level that they will be bored in or be forced up into a class that is too complex where the student is struggling immensely. That is the reason for honors classes. They give a more complex curriculum without getting to a point of complete confusion for those who are not fully ready for content given in the Advanced Placement classes. Honors classes are a way for students that want to achieve highly and can succeed at, while working at a fair pace.

As far as honors classes go there are none for the Physics curriculum, English, History, or Math. It is either a “regular” class or an Advanced Placement class. I spoke with some Wantagh High School juniors and asked them how they felt about this. One claims, “I tend to struggle in some AP classes, but find Regents level classes easy. Many times I feel pressured into taking an AP class since there is no Honors level option.” Another student says “I have been on the regular regents track for History since 9th grade. I’m a high honor roll student and I am normally in honors level classes along with that. However I’m stuck on the regular track and I feel as if the class is too slow for me and I could be more successful in a higher level class”.

As said by two different students with two different situations,it is evident that there is a common problem. Wantagh High School should take more consideration into a student’s abilities by implementing more honors classes for Junior year.