Psychology Courses Lead Dive Into the Self

Advanced Placement Psychology is, as one would expect, a course that leads students into a thorough study of the mind and its interactions with its surroundings.

However this course on the mind ironically does not strain the brain to the degree of other Advanced Placement classes. Despite its near-daily allotment of homework, it is widely regarded as an easier, tamer course compared to its AP companions.

“It’s a relatively easy class, but there is some work you have to put into it in order to do well,” said Adam Good (12).

The majority of the heavy workload comes from homework, which mostly consists of worksheets and/or reading outlines.

But most students who are enrolled in AP Psychology attest to the claim that it is quite laid-back and even fun. This makes it a popular class for upperclassmen to take, especially considering the fact that college credit may be received. It is the equivalent of a college-level introductory course in psychology, and students who enroll in this course do not need to have taken the regular psychology course.

Of course, although this Psych class may seem like a cakewalk for many aspiring students, it is still an advanced course, so this will not be the case for all.

So what does it take to succeed in the class? Teacher Kathy Boggio says that it requires “the kind [of students] that are interested in learning about themselves and other people, and also the kind that don’t mind doing homework and studying for tests…and that wanna have fun, too!”

And many students do, in fact, have fun taking this class.

“Ms. Boggio makes the class entertaining by the way she teaches…and what you learn and discuss is very entertaining about how you learn and react with the environment and with other people,” said Kolton McCluskey (12).

Taught by Kathy Boggio and Josh Hunnicutt, AP Psych takes students on a journey in which they go into many fields of psychological study regarding the mental processes of human beings–from learning and memory to motivation and drives to personality types to the brain’s anatomy to language development to mental disorders and the treatments thereof and beyond.

Put more simply–again by Ms. Boggio–“It’s a course designed for college credit, and it’s to help you learn about yourself, and about other people, and to understand why we behave the way we behave.”

“I liked the personality unit because I could apply it to my life, and I liked the personality disorders unit because it was disturbing but it was very interesting to learn about,” said Sam Dayton (12).

There are also a series of short projects assigned throughout the year–some during class time–that involve creativity and can become enjoyable for students.

For those who want the subject material but are scared off by the big bold “AP” in the title, there is an alternative.

Psychology 1A and Sociology are semester-long classes, with each one taken for one half of the same school year. The first semester deals with the scientific study of human behavior, while the second immerses students in the understanding of human groups and different aspects of various societies.

Psychology has a reputation of being flexible–ever-changing with new findings that are pioneered by different scientists and philosophers. Given the various options SJHHS has to offer, there are plenty of reasons for students to join in on the dive into the self.