Melbourne High

9th graders Autumn Rose and Ashton Keck had very different experiences in their history classes, but both had learned a lot. Autumn Rose, who had been placed in AP World History with Mr. Woodbury, had expected a challenge and was not disappointed. “I knew AP World would be tough, but I wasn’t worried because I’d heard great things about Mr. Woodbury,” Rose said. She mentioned her good test scores for her placement in the class and knows the good that could come from the potential AP credits for the IB program.

Ashton Keck, who had taken regular 9th-grade history with Ms. Wiles, thought this class was chosen for him because of his reflected past struggles with remembering historical eras. “I think I was in regular history because I sometimes forget the eras on tests,” Keck explained.

The amount of work clearly showed the contrast between the two classes. Rose faced harder projects, including a midterm vocab assignment that required months of prep and making sure to be organized. “I studied several days in ahead and, went over the textbook chapters, and took detailed notes to make sure I was ready,” Rose recalled. Keck found assignments, like one-pagers, time-consuming but manageable. Then he was asked about preparing and balancing work and the end of year exams. "It will probably be sort of stressful, but I know I need to manage my time and take good enough notes and I should be fine.”

Both students shared ways that helped them do better. Rose relied on organization and note-taking to handle Woodbury's challenges and demands. “Keeping my notes organized is a lifesaver,” she said. Looking ahead, Rose planned to continue tackling AP courses, while Ashton focused on understanding the current curriculum. “I really enjoyed learning about the Renaissance—it was my favorite part of history,” Keck said.