AP Psychology is one of the many advanced placement courses offered at Oakdale High School. It is available to both Juniors and Seniors; it covers some intense concepts which  require parental permission.

Some of those concepts include the history of psychology, the various perspectives of psychology, learning, developmental, sensation and perception, motivation, emotion, and personality.  

This course contains all kinds of work, including projects, videos, quizzes/tests, and even a field trip to the Baltimore Zoo. Lea Martinez, a Junior at Oakdale High School, took the class last semester. Her favorite activity took place during a unit on mental illnesses; she describes it as, “a project where students diagnose a fictional character.” She enjoyed it because she was able to explore a character that she liked while still learning and connecting psychological principles to real life circumstances. 

As it is AP, the manner in which the class is taught is similar to that of the college level. Further, the AP label means that it is possible to receive college credit for the class. In order to help students become familiar with the layout of the AP test,  the tests are similarly structured to the AP exam. 

The homework mainly consists of textbook readings that correspond to the next day’s lesson. This allows students to build on and improve their note-taking skills, which is essential for college. 

Ms. Kate Ehrlich, Oakdale’s AP Psychology teacher, recommends that students who are interested in the class take it as, “it’s really helpful.” 

She explained the benefits of the class for every type of student:  “For those students who are pursuing other fields, they can get a possible requirement knocked out.” 

She continued, “If you are pursuing psychology, it gives you a one up on the other kids in the program, who, maybe, haven’t been exposed to it yet.”

Martinez stated she would recommend the class for, “hardworking students as it requires a good work ethic. Psychology is a very interesting but complex topic.” 

The concepts covered in the class have real world applications. Oftentimes, students will start to notice psychological principles in their own life which is an interesting part about taking the course. 

Overall, AP Psychology provides upperclassmen with a fun and educational course. Consequently, for those focused on academic opportunities, it offers an attainable college credit. Students who are going to be juniors or seniors in the 2021 school year should consider this course. For more information, visit Ms. Ehrlich in B205.