With college on the immediate horizon, many students seek some form of academic advancement beyond the basic general and honors courses to get a head start on their university careers. For most, this involves taking multiple AP or IB courses. For those who enjoy pain, this may mean taking almost entirely AP courses or working towards the infamous IB diploma. The AP program offers rigorous “college level” courses to a diverse body of students within the high school. Course difficulties range from “Genuinely terrifying” (AP Chemistry) to “easy but interesting” (Human Geography). Cramming, obsessive note-taking, and early morning review sessions are central issues in the AP life. IB assignments have a heavy emphasis on writing and abstract thinking. Problems involve less memorization than AP but more holistic descriptions and analysis that force students to address issues less directly, and arguably less rigidly than in many other programs offered. Procrastination, writer’s block, late nights, and persistent group messaging are fundamental characteristics of the IB life. But, either way, AP/IB students will be walking throughout the halls with a classic load of books, maybe a snack on top of the load, and bags underneath their eyes. Get ready for college everyone!