The end of the school year is approaching, but we are still in the time period when we’re seriously thinking about the courses we want to take next year. Some students at Allen opt to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and some choose to work toward an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. And as the class options are laid out, it raises the question of what is more important to a student: their well-being or a high GPA?

While some complaints about both these options have merit, the actual philosophies behind these classes have been corrupted by something a little sinister. AP and IB classes are there to challenge oneself, but while they are self-described as “rigorous,” they shouldn’t be something that you constantly stress over.

When you take a class that’s college-level, it should be because you genuinely enjoy it or want to go more in-depth about the subject, not because of external factors such as peer pressure and societal norms, especially when it’s something that only you will have to deal with.

When you take rigorous courses when you aren’t genuinely interested in that course — or genuinely interested in school as a whole — the stress that’s already put on you is amplified with your distaste for the subject at hand. Frankly, what type of classes you take should be based on what you’re really interested in or excel in. It should be up to you and not peers who have a false sense of superiority or parents that, as helpful as they are, don’t know you and your capabilities as well as you do.

It’s widely known that college-level classes are necessary to be accepted into highly competitive classes, gain college credit which can help save money on higher education or even to make sure that you transition smoothly to harder classes, but in the end, you need to think for yourself and decide whether what you’ll be doing is good for you not just later on, but even right now (because right now is just as important).

Your options for challenging classes at Allen aren’t just limited to AP and IB; dual credit gives you college credit with only a pass/fail exam at the end. Students enrolled in that program are also students at Collin College, and they take classes along with college students who are taught by professors. It’s a program that is underrated and isn’t often a viable option in students’ minds. Not to mention that you can still get college credit in a variety of subjects and gain experience in a real college class.

And so as course selections become the most urgent topic in your mind, think about how taking loads of AP or IB classes impacts your life in all its aspects. While these classes are some of the best resources to help us for the next big endeavor in our lives, a growing hatred for school along with the repercussions that affect our bodies directly doesn’t seem that worth it. Take challenging classes, make choices that help you in the long run, but don’t give yourself up for an acceptance letter.