Late in junior year, every art student is faced with one daunting question, AP or Art 4? For many, it’s a decision that can come to define their senior year art experience due to the drastically different work loads and class curriculum. AP studio art is a class that requires a minimum of 24 works to be submitted to the College Board at the end of the year, while Art 4 is a class with curriculum designed by the art department at HHS. The classes are combined, so the decision comes down only to the workload. While it can be a hard choice, for senior Jenna Altaii it was a matter of furthering her love for art.

“I always knew that I wanted to take an [AP] art class… to challenge myself and really develop as an artist. I’ve always loved art, and I really want to keep those skills in the arts,” Altaii said.

Altaii is one of the seven seniors taking AP art this year. She enjoys the class a lot, claiming that she always finds joy when she is in class. However, she does admit that the class can be stressful.

“Taking AP Studio Art means that you have to focus more and manage your time better due to the amount of assignments. You learn a lot about yourself as an artist and develop a lot though quantity work,” Altaii said.

On the other side of the initial decision is senior Carrie Yoder, who is one of five people taking Art 4.

“I decided to take regular Art 4 instead of AP because I have a lot on my plate with other AP’s and work,” Yoder said. “And Art 4 was just the next option after 3.”

For her art class is fun, if not a bit confusing with the amount of assignments split between the two classes. She would advise anyone taking art in their senior year to think heavily about the choice.

“Really consider if you want to take AP or Art 4, because the amount of work is very different. However, it’s a fun class and you get to explore more varieties of media because of the free time during the class,” Yoder said.

Altaii has a similar opinion to Yoder, and would give these words to any rising seniors.

“I would warn them that it is a lot of work, but say that it’s worth it if they truly want to devote themselves to art and improve in both technical and creative skills,” Altaii said.