AP Computer Science Principles: Why AP Computer Science Principles is Worth Taking in High School
In this vastly evolving world we live in, a place of tech, innovation, and vision, creative thinking is in demand more than ever. As high schoolers, we are in our prime time to get our creative juices flowing, either through conducive extracurriculars, clubs, or school courses–like AP Computer Science Principles.
Not only does AP Computer Science empower kids to think outside the box through algorithms, programs, and app development, but additionally, to learn how to solve real world issues through their computer screen.
What is AP Computer Science?
AP Computer Science is one of the two computer science courses currently offered by CollegeBoard’s AP program and is an introductory college level computing class that immerses students into the breadth of the field of computer science. This course equips highschoolers to further proficiency in a programming language, code testing, and understanding cybersecurity principles, preparing them for a competitive edge in future careers.
According to Collegeboard.org, “Students learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs. They incorporate abstraction into programs and use data to discover new knowledge. Students also explain how computing innovations and computing systems—including the internet—work, explore their potential impacts, and contribute to a computing culture that is collaborative and ethical.”
At the end of the course, students can opt to take the AP Computer Science exam held in May; if having scored a 3 or higher in the exam, you could be qualifiable of earning college credit at the college of your choosing!
Diving Deeper into AP CSP–skills, units, overview
You may think that AP Computer Science is just an ordinary highschool class that you took take just to get that highschool credit and check off on your highschool transcript, but AP CSP is much more than it lets on to be; this course builds and strengthens valuable skill sets within each student who has the will to achieve and excel in the realm of Computer Science.
Soft Skills
Time Management is a crucial skill to have in your backpocket when starting a project, college, or planting your name in the workforce. Learning programming can be akin to learning a new language; you need to dedicate time, patience, and willpower into absorbing all the new and exciting knowledge you will be receiving in this course.
Learning how and when to allot specific study time to CSP is all part of this course–key tip, stick to your schedule! It will be a lifesaver, especially if you are taking the exam in May.
Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. In this class you will be given projects that assign you to work with a partner. Whether or not you prefer working alone, challenging yourself to be open to different viewpoints, ideas, and solutions is part of the structure of AP CSP. Not only will this skill carry you through High School, but it will prepare you to cooperate with a fellow colleague on a future project that a future boss may assign to you.
Creative problem solving could arguably be referred to as the essence of AP Computer Science Principles. Throughout this course you will be tackling complex algorithms and programming problems and using your creative thinking paired with your coding abilities to solve them.
Hard Skills
Coding languages is a must have skill if applying to any computer science roles in the workforce. Even if your job doesn’t involve writing code, understanding it can empower you to troubleshoot problems or identify aspects of a computer system that can be improved. Depending on your teacher, you will become familiar with at least one coding language, using it day to day in the classroom, building, solving, and creating algorithms and programs.
Testing your newly developing code is half the battle; you need to ensure it performs the way it’s intended without bugs or glitches. Testing is an important skill to develop because these mistakes can sometimes result in costly and time-consuming fixes.
Cybersecurity Principles include keeping information confidential and ensuring that the information being handled is accurate. The AP Computer Science curriculum covers the ethics and principles behind cybersecurity since coding often gives you access to a great deal of someone else’s private information.
AP Computer Science Principles Units
In its entirety, AP Computer Science Principles comprises of 10 units, ranging from “Digital Information” to “Cybersecurity and Global Impacts”
The list below is meant to give you a brief rundown of what you should hope to learn in your AP CSP course.
Unit 1. Digital Information
Kicking it off with your first unit, you will explore how computers store complex information like numbers, text, images and sound and debate the impacts of digitizing information.
Unit 2. The Internet
As common as this unit sounds, you will dive deeper about how the Internet works and discuss its impacts on politics, culture, and the economy.
Unit 3. Intro to App Design
Finally, the exciting part. In this unit you will design your first app while learning both fundamental programming concepts and collaborative software development processes.
Unit 4. Variables, Conditions, and Functions
These next few units will build on your newfounded knowledge on app development and design. Here, you will expand the types of apps you can create by adding the ability to store information, make decisions, and better organize code.
Unit 5. Lists, Loops, and Traversals
As mentioned above, these new tools will aid you in building apps that use large amounts of information and pull in data from the web to create a wider variety of apps.
Unit 6. Algorithms
In this unit, you will design and analyze algorithms to understand how they work and why some are considered better than others.
Unit 7. Parameters, Returns, and Libraries
This unit will teach you to design clean and reusable code that you can share with a single classmate or the entire world.
Unit 8. Create PT Prep
Throughout this unit, students practice and complete the Create Performance Task (PT). The Create performance task focuses on the creation of a computer program and students will develop a Personalized Project Reference that contains their computer code. Subsequently, students are given at least 12 class hours in which to complete the Create PT.
* Important note: the Creative Performance Task counts as a step towards the AP CSP Exam, if you choose to take it in May.
Unit 9. Data
Students will explore and visualize datasets from a wide variety of topics as they hunt for patterns and try to learn more about the world around them. Additionally, students will learn how different types of visualizations can be used to better understand the patterns contained in data sets and investigate hypotheses.
Unit 10. Cybersecurity and Global Impact
Your final unit Research and debate current events at the intersection of data, public policy, law, ethics, and societal impact. Throughout this unit, students learn about the privacy and security risks of many computing innovations, and learn about the ways some of these risks can be mitigated.
Overview of AP Computer Science Principles
Computer science is an ever expanding and evolving field, primarily when dealing with Artificial Intelligence, software engineering, bioinformatics, and cybersecurity. Companies closely working with computer science are in high demand for brilliant young minds with fresh, innovative ideas to solve, create, and actively design software and programs.
What better way to pave the way to your future career than in high school? AP Computer Science Principles will cover creative development, data, algorithms, programming, computing systems, and networks, so you can be assured that you are preparing well for your potential future in the field.
Again, this course is a college-level class, so there are no promises that it will be without its difficulties; however, if you discover computer science is your passion, you will be determined to persist and excel in AP CSP.
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