Hamilton vs. Brookfield Central: A Look at the Realities of One Semester AP’s
Photo from Hamilton High School and Brookfield Central High School.
There has been recent news of Hamilton High School shifting towards a more single-semester AP oriented schedule starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Some of my close friends attend Brookfield Central High School, where their schedules resemble what Hamilton’s might look like in the future. These past two weeks, I polled and collected data from a couple students from Brookfield Central to give Hamilton students a sneak-peek into a different model of AP classes. Keep reading to find out their academic lives, tips and tricks they’ve learned to navigate building a schedule, and more.
These are summarized versions of the questions the students were asked:
For context for HHS readers, explain Brookfield Central’s scheduling style to the best of your ability.
Describe your current workload as it relates to your classes. How do you handle AP review and normal homework assignments?
How has your personal life/emotional well-being been affected by your AP experience? What are some strategies you use to ease your stress?
What are some of the benefits/repercussions to having your classes spread out as they are currently? How has it affected what classes you chose in later years?
Scroll down below to read the answers of a sophomore and a senior at BCHS:
Anonymous Student, Sophomore at Brookfield Central High School
Explain Brookfield Central’s scheduling style.
“Schedules change on a term by term basis for electives, but they change on a semester basis for APs and PLTW courses.” (More information on PLTW classes, or Project Lead The Way classes, can be found here: https://www.pltw.org/)
Describe your current workload as it relates to your classes.
“Studying for an AP exam for a class that was taken first semester is definitely a challenge, especially when you factor in the regular semester's workload. In our school, teachers will have Lancer Blocks for first semester APs to help the students review prior to the exams. However most of the studying has to be done by yourself or with a study group. It is much easier if you plan out when you are studying and keep the studying in mind while taking notes and saving assignments from the first semester AP class.”
How has your personal life/emotional well-being been affected by your AP experience?
“My AP experience hasn't been terrible; it's just a matter of having realistic expectations, being prepared, and pushing through honestly. Obviously it does get rough sometimes, finding something I enjoy about the class, like a particular part of the material, usually helps with that.”
What are some of the benefits/repercussions to having your classes spread out as they are currently?
“I think especially for a freshman having to study for an AP exam for a class you haven't taken in a while is definitely stressful, but it's great for personal responsibility. Also the schedule being as it is allows you to take more AP classes. Having a second semester AP does have its own drawbacks as you have less time to ingest the material before the exam in May.”
Haiqa Bajwa, Senior at Brookfield Central High School
Explain Brookfield Central’s scheduling style.
“BC's schedule is based on a 'block' schedule system. Essentially think of it as having 4 terms in a year [2 semesters] and 4 blocks [periods] in a day. A semester's worth of classes is a 'year’s' worth of content. Every year, I write down the classes I want in a 4x4 grid to see how things could balance out. But generally: math and science is first semester [in terms of APs] and gym electives are usually 1st or 2nd block. Electives are typically 1 term long, or half a semester. After schedules come out, a master doc is released with all offered classes by term and section. Keeping a grid of your classes is helpful both for planning, progression, and for convincing your counselor to make switches if needed.”
Describe your current workload as it relates to your classes.
“Current workload is light, but that is relative. I'm an exec for one or two clubs that I love and no sports, so I can focus on academics. Some people find having four AP classes in a day difficult, and I agree, it is. It all comes down to prioritization. With four classes, you need to ensure that you can manage your time effectively, and you really have to know how things will fit in your schedule. A block schedule allows you to specialize in what you want to do, such as, if you are really interested in math you can double up in a year and take two years of math in one year. It's a good deal, two for one. But it's a bit like gambling. You have to really know if you are up to it, and also, if it's something you are really passionate about.”
“AP review usually works out fine because math and science APs are scheduled first semester, which leaves winter/spring open for self-review. Teachers also run review sessions later in the year, but you need to stay on top of planning. Keep track of upcoming other test dates (SAT/ACT/PSAT) so you know how much time you can allot. An AP class on a block schedule usually takes up at the most (for me) two hours to study for and do homework every night (math and history have the most). It’s manageable if you’re structured about it.”
How has your personal life/emotional well-being been affected by your AP experience?
“I prefer not to answer this question in detail. Let’s just say, yes [it was affected], especially junior year…I suppose if you have a lot of family responsibilities, or play sports and such, it is not realistic to keep a brutal schedule. As for managing stress, just make sure you go out and touch grass a bit. Or in any case, pick up a hobby, like crocheting. Or write angsty poetry. Or, I suppose watching Insta reels or TV shows works too. You do you. But do it strategically, please, don't let it take up most of your day. Allot a certain time of the day to push aside your studies and do something else. Life is more than letters.”
“Also, don’t be afraid to 'bother' your counselor to balance out semesters. Fight for your schedule. If you let yourself get stuck with four hard classes back-to-back, remember that it is ~90 minutes each (For BC), every day. I always try to schedule one fun elective per semester [woodworking, fashion analysis, PLTW] just to have a mental break. Just one is enough for me.”
What are some of the benefits/repercussions to having your classes spread out as they are currently?
“Block schedule gives you less overall time to complete a class in the year, but each block is 90 minutes long. Teachers usually break it up into lectures that are ~25 minutes, then the rest is questions or work time. Homework tends to be lighter because so much gets done in class. You can do homework in class, or even in another class. Take advantage of that. I do prefer having 4 classes to focus on in a term, as, in the end, it allows you to target what you really want to do in the future.”
“Personally, I like having only 4 classes to focus on. It keeps me focused on what I want for my future. Unfortunately, I have a dangerous tendency to get bored. If you have attention issues, long blocks can be tough. But hey, most teachers understand and try to do different activities during class.”
“Block scheduling is intense, but it does allow for free time. As for choosing classes, the schedule hasn’t really limited me. If I end up with a stacked semester [BC calc, chem, and APUSH all in one] I take it as a challenge. I prefer doing something rather than being bored in a 90 minute class where we do nothing. But not everyone wants that, and that’s okay. Don’t force yourself into a miserable lineup. Dropping a class because your schedule is unbalanced is completely fine. I've had to drop classes that I wanted to take though, because another class ran during that period. Be prepared to prioritize what you want. And always have a backup schedule created just in case.”
Based on the testimonials of these Brookfield Central students, I made some personal conclusions I’d like to share. Because of the one-semester APs present in Brookfield Central, it seems that kids with second semester APs do not have the chance to become fully proficient in their content before the actual exam date. As seen in part of the first student’s response “Having a second semester AP does have its own drawbacks as you have less time to ingest the material before the exam in May,” it seems that Brookfield Central begins new AP classes in the same semester they are supposed to be taking them. Depending on the fact that AP exams are usually set on the first and second weeks of May, students miss out on 7-8 weeks of class time prior to their exams. Let me stress, this is college-level content these students are learning and being tested on, and 7-8 weeks is quite a significant amount of time that could be spent learning more in depth. With an answer from the second student, I’d like to emphasize some of the opportunities students might have to give up in lieu of increased AP commitment: “I'm an exec for one or two clubs that I love and no sports, so I can focus on academics.” Hamilton is championed for our sports, often outperforming in athletics for multiple consecutive years at a time. Is it really beneficial to place AP class concentration on a higher level than our student’s social lives? While some may be capable, most students need the two semester system to properly succeed. And this doesn’t just stop at sports. Any AP student in other extracurriculars will have to prioritize (and possibly cut) their other activities to free up time for review and study. Band, Choir, and various clubs will have to struggle with dwindling affiliation.
My conclusions are made in consideration of the many years teachers have devoted to perfecting their two-semester curriculum, plus the numerous +90% success rates their AP classes produce.
In summary, Hamilton is a school dependent on its students. Having a whole curriculum and schedule rewrite in the middle of some individuals’ high school careers might prove detrimental. This is the kind of choice to be made before a high school is built, not after a decades-long system is already in place. Although the one-semester AP system might work in other districts, that does not prove it will in ours. Although some students might do well in this system, that does not prove the majority of students will.
Thank you to the Brook Central students who contributed their time to the creation of this article.
