It’s that time of year again. As students head into the bottom half of the second semester, AP courses are on a downward slope toward one ominous phrase: AP testing. It is not uncommon to find students camped out in the library near the brightest window, hunched over an AP study book so yellow with highlighter fluid that it looks more like an art project than study material.

It doesn’t help that preparing for these tests often coincides with studying for other important exams–the SAT, the ACT, finals, and even college admissions essays. Among the stress of preparing for these AP tests, one question weighs heavy on every burdened student: are these classes even worth it?

Ultimately, according to Stanford education expert Denise Pope, it depends on what you expect out of the class.

“If you are truly interested in the subject, there’s a good teacher, and you’re surrounded by other motivated students, then you’re probably going to have a good experience,” she said. “But if you’re pushed into it without good preparation and without a safety net in place at the school to help you if you get in over your head, then it may be more harmful than helpful.”

AP classes are historically harder and more information-intensive than traditional advanced courses, and this is thought to be part of their appeal. But is the rigor really all that it’s cracked up to be?

More and more top tier colleges (like the Ivy Leagues) are ceasing to accept AP credit, and those that do put a limit on how many can be used. Elite colleges now see AP classes as a prerequisite for just consideration, and no longer as a glaring competitive edge.

However, this disparity in AP course acceptance is not due to the supposed “waning” rigor of the classes.

“Undoubtedly competitive universities expect that their potential students have engaged in demanding and enriching classes,” said New York school-placement specialist Delores Thatcher. “AP classes are designed to meet those expectations.”

The lessening competitive impact of these classes is actually a result of the attitude that has been cultivated around them. Students are continually pushed into AP classes because they think it’s what colleges want to see, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

According to NYU admissions officer Tara Hall, students are more often curating their college admissions applications around what colleges “expect” an accomplished student to be. However, the quality of applications far outsells the quantity.

“We don’t care so much about you doing what you think we want to see,” Hall said. “It’s more important that we see you have focus, drive, and ambition.”

This means that it is no longer to simply take AP classes; to appeal to colleges, you have to ace them.

With this in mind, it may seem that AP classes are too institutionalized and difficult for the “limited” outcome you will most likely get, but to judge a program’s worth on its immediate results is short-sighted. AP classes, when viewed as something separate from an admissions requirement, teach valuable skills to those who are able to truly immerse themselves in the course work.

AP classes are, quite literally, a wealth of opportunities for learning that is not limited to the material. These classes, for one, teach note-taking and study skills, as well as self-discipline.

AP classes force you to stretch beyond your academic comfort zone. Your first AP class is intimidating, there is no doubt about that. Most students who take AP classes are the ones who got easy A’s in their freshman (or sophomore) higher-level classes, usually flying by without studying or even cracking open a textbook. This method, however, doesn’t transfer over when you switch from World Geography K to AP World History, and you’ll be forced to actually study after school or you’ll see your grades suffer.

The higher level of difficulty isn’t actually all bad, though. Taking AP classes teaches you more than the material–for one, it teaches you how to study.

Knowing how to read a textbook and take notes is a skill that will be used non-stop in college, and figuring out what works for you now will save you loads of stress down the road.

The skills learned in AP classes don’t expire once you graduate college. These classes teach problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and in some classes, you stop focusing on your grade and rather the information you’re learning.

“When I started taking AP classes, I learned that the knowledge you accumulate is so much more important than the grades that result,” said Mason High School senior Paige Sheffield. “I stopped thinking ‘how will I get an A?’ and started thinking ‘how will I learn as much as I can? How will I understand this better? How will I improve?’ These questions are super important, because grades don’t mean much when it comes to your actual career.”

So, are AP classes worth it?

It’s hard to say. The answer is different for everyone, and where AP classes fit into long-term goals varies with each individual. Ultimately, you have to step back and decided where you want your high school education to take you.