I might be getting into Honors English for 8th grade, should I be afraid?

Enjoy it. It will be more interesting and challenging than regular English!

Go for it. It looks good on the college applications.

I loved Honors English and AP English. If you maintained an A in English this year, then I’m sure you’ll be fine. Yes, it is more of a challenge and I remember doing a lot more reading and writing, but I enjoyed those classes and as @WestRiverrat points out, it will look great on your college application. Go for it and good luck!

It will probably be more fun than regular English class. My honors and AP classes in high school often involved less homework because were expected to participate in thorough discussions and debates in class. Typically the teacher for an honors class is more interested in the subject, more passionate about it (although not always), which also makes it a better class.

Unless maintaining an A up to this point has been extremely challenging for you, I’m sure you’ll do fine.

I think it will be better and more interesting than regular English. Don’t be afraid.

Definitely don’t be afraid! Even if it’s a bit challenging, an intellectual challenge is something to be enjoyed, not feared. And if you’re worried about your grades, remember that colleges prefer a student who tried a harder class and got a B over a student who played it safe and got an A. Is English a subject you enjoy?

My sister was a high school English teacher, and nothing made her happier in her career than teaching AP (advanced placement) classes. After she passed away a few years ago, I posted on two websites where the original question was about about their favorite teacher. (Both questions were specifically related to her high school)

The responses were fascinating. Every single one of them said that it was a valuable experience. A few said that they were initially resentful for the grades that they received, but it didn’t prevent them from getting into the college of their choice. Most said that it helped them prepare for college classes more than others did. A couple said that they opted not to attend college for various reasons, but they still use what they learned from her class in their lives. There was also the occasional mention of the lingering fear of red ink corrections, and I don’t blame them. I’ve not only witnessed her grading papers, but took one of her Creative Writing courses. She was liberal with the pen.

Maybe some of them were sugar-coating their responses, but considering the turnout of current and previous students at her memorial service, I doubt it.

I recommend checking on the reputation of teacher from previous students that have graduated. Not all teachers assigned to facilitate an AP class are good in that role.

Aside from what was already said above about it being a lot more fun and in depth to study with people who actually like the subject than with people who have to take it as a requirement, one thing that stands out in memory from my Honors classes is that a small group of well behaved students gets privileges that others don’t.
We often met outside for class when the weather was nice and got to take a lot of field trips that the regular classes did not.

You’ll get a much better selection of reading materials in Honors, books and poems that are much more interesting to read.

What’s the problem?

You should go for it! They wouldn’t choose you if they didn’t think that you could handle it.

Have fun. I loved honours english but eventually dropped it thinking, erroneously, that I could find friends easier if I dropped all my honours classes. It was the biggest mistake of my school life.

@Mariah English is probably my favorite subject because to me it’s an easier subject to understand and I like it alot. (Just not my creepy teacher.)

@josie The problem is should I be worried about anything? Like should I actually take the class or take normal classes. And im asking advice on honors classes.

@astrix24
Always take the opportunity to legitimately advance yourself. Always

Okay so here is what I found out. I can only get into Honors English if I get into all of the other Honors classes. So I would have to get into Honors History (got it covered) , Honors Science(Not so much) ,and Honors Math (Not so much) just so I can get into Honors English (got it covered). You have to maintain an A in each class all year in order to get into honors. I only had English and History with a maintained A all year. I was disapointed but I’ll try again in 8th grade to get into 9th grade Honors classes. We cant take AP clasess until 10th grade. Thanks for all of your advice anyway! :D

@astrix24 That’s a silly policy! They should let students take harder classes just in the subjects they’re good at and comfortable with. Sorry it worked out that way, but good luck for next year!

@astrix24 That policy is insane! So if you are excellent in one area, you must excel in other, unrelated fields?
That’s like saying If you want to take Driver’s Education, you have to get an A in Computer Science.
Ridiculous.

Please take no offense by this…are you 100% sure that this information is correct? It just seems like if this is true, those classes would have such low enrollment that it would be a waste of not only valuable teaching talent, but an unnecessary restriction to those deserving of a better education.

Is this what you have observed in the students in the grade above you? Are they all enrolled in the same honors classes? If so, have you talked to your guardians about this? If not, I suggest that you do so. This smells like a potential case of discrimination.

It is ridiculous especially given the fact that not many people are generalists in what they excel at.

To further what @Pied_Pfeffer has stated you may want to talk to your school’s guidance counsellor to find out if that really is the school’s policy.

^ And ask why.

@Pied_Pfeffer and @tranquilsea I have talked to my mom and my guidance counsellor and it is true. Although today was the last day, I did talk about it. I had to excel in each of those subjects. Its not fair at all, but I cannot do anything about it. But I did not ask why, but I will surely try.

Thank you for the update. Please do ask why. It might help to do a bit of research first. Find out what the rules are at the other schools in the area, especially if you are attending a public school.

Are you planning on attending college? If so, do you have one in mind? It might be worthwhile reaching out to their admissions department to find out what they look for in applicants. Some put more weight on the school attended and grades achieved than if one took an honors class.

I do plan on goin to college actually. Either Michigan, Vanderbilt, or Princeton. Im trying my hardest to get into honors. I promise.

Does the school ever bend the rules on this policy? Can one of your parents or a favorite teacher speak to the guidance counselor or other school administrators about your predicament?

I’ve tried! They won’t budge. Sadly.

Too bad. Then the next best thing is just to do the best work that you can in the regular level classes. If you feel like the work is too easy for you or you would like extra enrichment, you can ask your teachers for ideas for additional books that you can read, etc. Will this rule still be in effect for ninth grade and the rest of high school?

Umm, Im honestly not sure about that. I know that there is ninth grade honors, but from then on is A.P. classes. Which is also what I really want to take. But no. My school has very strict rules academically.

No. However, I strongly suggest working on reading clasic novels so you cand get the feel for older-fashioned names and language. Practice remembering the characters’ names.