It’s hard to pinpoint what makes a class difficult. It might be the impossible tests or the seemingly endless amounts of homework. Maybe it’s the complex concepts the class teaches. Whatever the case, most students have at least one class that is more challenging than the rest.
For freshman Claire Magsamen, that class is Spanish I, taught by Alicia Gomez.
“Spanish is my hardest class because I had only taken for a year before coming to Sion,” Magsamen said. “I’m not very good at it either and everything is new to me so I have to really study and make sure I understand everything.”
Sophomore Aralina Solis agrees that foreign language is a difficult subject. Solis said her most difficult class is French II Honors, taught by Pam Dykes.
“It’s probably the most difficult because I have the attention span of a child and I always zone out,” Solis said.
Although Spanish teacher April Schendel doesn’t personally consider her classes hard, she recognizes that they may be difficult for the students, requiring a lot of work. Schendel believes hard courses should be chosen according to what each student is passionate about.
“Difficult classes should correspond with passions,” Schendel said. “If you’re passionate about something, you should take your hard classes in those subjects.”
While not a foreign language class, Biology ACCP, taught by Kathleen Teel, is the most challenging class for junior Julia Balmaceda. She said it is the most difficult because it challenges her to actually use the content learned in the class.
“On tests it’s not just regurgitating facts,” Balmaceda said. “It’s using your knowledge of the subject and applying it to the situation or question.”
Although the class is hard, Balmaceda enjoys it.
“I like it because it forces you to apply and really understand the depth of things you learn,” Balmaceda said.
Senior Kathryn Surmeier isn’t just taking one difficult class. She has three that she considers especially challenging, English IV AP, Spanish IV AP, and Honors Precalculus. The classes are taught by Melissa Wilcox, April Schendel, and Reynold Middleton, respectively.
“Spanish and English are college level courses in high school, so the level of work needed for them is intense with 8 hour school days,” Surmeier said. “Math is difficult in part because math isn’t my strongest subject, but also because the grade is based almost entirely upon test scores.”
Despite the challenges, Surmeier believes taking difficult classes is good for every student.
“Taking hard courses is beneficial because they better prepare us for college,” Surmeier said. “We learn study habits, as well as more material.”
Counselor Erika Ellwanger also believes challenging yourself with hard classes is a good thing. But she cautions students to schedule their classes carefully.
“I ask students if they know what their limits are,” Ellwanger said. “My feeling is that everybody has different thresholds of what they can handle.”
Ellwanger said she wants students to put real thought into what they think they can handle. She said not taking the absolute hardest classes doesn’t mean a student is not smart.
“Sometimes it’s about time rather than intelligence,” Ellwanger said. “If you have a lot of extracurriculars, you may just not have time.”
While students, teachers, and counselors alike think taking difficult classes is beneficial for students, all agree that such classes should be chosen with care, with both time and passion for the subject taken into account.