The class of 2018 has an opportunity that we, the classes of ‘16 and ‘17, never had: The opportunity to bog down three years of their high school career with hours of homework, nervous breakdowns, and expensive tests.

Starting this year, sophomores have been allowed to take AP/IB classes that are offered at Dexter High School. AP/ IB classes that before required pre-requisites earned through freshman- and sophomore-year classes.

But why?

“They have really given me a challenge,” sophomore Ryan Schoch said, “and also a way to show my strengths in school by getting a better GPA.”

Traditionally, AP/IB classes were offered exclusively to juniors and seniors to get some college credits out of the way. Now, sophomores by the dozens are jumping into these class for the same reason.

Although this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, (I mean, everyone wants to save money on credit hours in college), why would you want to start creating more work for yourselves so early on?

Although we as a society like to applaud laziness (“You work too hard,” “Why don’t you just take a break?,” “Living is easy with eyes closed”), there are certain cases where laziness should be considered.

When I was a sophomore, I looked at my class options and saw AP/IB options and most had pre-reqs listed under the title and I said: ‘okay, I’ll plan my sophomore year out so that I’ll be able to take these classes.’ I did, and it worked out perfectly. I didn’t even think of testing out of classes because that meant extra work that wasn’t necessarily necessary.

Now, sophomores are similar to Snoop Dogg in the sense that both drop things like they’re hot. For Snoop, it’s the pimps in the crib, for sophomores it’s classes they’ve tested out of.

And that’s huge now. Sophomores and freshmen are testing out of classes in order to cram their schedule full of more upper-level classes.

I was doing some work in a classroom while a prospective student had an interview with a class coordinator. This person was an eighth grader and the first words out of their mouth, post-pleasantries, were, “I’d like to graduate by my junior year.” Then they talked about testing out of this class, that class, and the other class.

What?

Sophomores more and more want to barrel their way through high school and then flop smack dab in the middle of the quad where they can “study” to their hearts content, get a degree that, in hindsight, was not a good idea, and then be 80K in debt faster than the generation before them.

Ah, the American dream.

But I can’t be entirely cynical. There are some advantages to underclassmen being able to take AP classes.

Believe it or not, some people in previous graduating classes didn’t get into colleges because they didn’t take enough AP classes. So, any sophomores who are afraid of this happening, worry no more; you have the opportunity to avoid this tragedy.

But, I digress. If wanting to overload your schedule for three years of high school with advanced placement and international baccalaureate classes in order to pursue your American dream, that’s your own choice.

So, shine on you crazy sophomore. Maybe someday you’ll fulfill your ambitious academic dreams.