In my four years at PV High, I’ve taken a lot of classes, some of which were terrible and others of which were great. Save yourself the trouble of taking terrible classes and enroll in these ones I recommend instead!

Latin:

Underrated and definitely underappreciated, this class teaches you the basics of Latin, a language that may be dead but will never go out of style, Enjoy the occasional rant about linguistics or European politics from Mr. Miller while you work your way towards a higher SAT score and, more importantly, a better understanding of language and all of its various components. You will also get to learn about the life and culture of ancient Rome, which will make your view of movies like recent romance Pompeii all the more enjoyable. Bonus points: how cool and pretentious is it to know Latin?

AP United States History:

Don’t let the intimidating reputation of this class stop you from enrolling in it. Nothing could be more central or important to modern-day politics, culture, and society than United States history, and this class will ensure that you know everything there is to know about our country’s past. The workload may seem daunting, but the subject matter of this course will keep you interested, and with two of the best teachers in the school, Ms. Barton and Ms. Varela, teaching this class, you really can’t go wrong. Colleges will be glad to see you challenging yourself, and by the end of the year, you’ll be happy you challenged yourself as well.

AP Spanish Literature and Culture:

Too many Spanish students avoid this class for fear of reading long books every night or not being able to keep up with a curriculum that’s entirely in Spanish. But don’t fear: most of this class’s readings are simple short stories or poems, and if you ever feel lost or confused, you have Señora Remeta, a mother herself, there to hold your hand every step of the way. This course will push your Spanish-speaking abilities, teach you better writing skills, and get you caught up on the best and most interesting of Spanish literature and society. Art history and world history also feature strongly in the curriculum, so for anyone interested in the social science, this class is the complete package. For everyone else: just take it anyway — you won’t regret it.