Knowing how to code feels like having superpowers these days—with just a few keystrokes and the proper syntax, one could conjure up an app that delivers food straight to your door or answer any question you might have. I’ve always been curious to learn how to harness these skills; however, while my school does offer AP Computer Science A, students are prohibited from taking it until their junior year. Undeterred, I consulted my counselor, who suggested I take the class through an online course provider called UC Scout instead. Not knowing what awaited me, I enrolled in the class anyway.
What is it?
UC Scout, run by the University of California, Santa Cruz, is an accredited online course provider that teaches almost everything. They offer AP classes, standard high school classes, and many classes that most high schools don’t offer, like German 4 and Oceanography. These online courses comprise a series of Canvas modules, including videos, handwritten assignments, quizzes, and tests.
Review of UC Scout’s AP CSA Course
Pros:
- Flexible Scheduling: With the exception of the midterm, the course allowed for a great deal of flexibility, making it easier to manage time and stay ahead of deadlines.
- Interactive Learning Tools: The online textbook and slides were standout resources. The textbook’s interactivity, embedded videos, and practice quizzes helped break down complex concepts effectively.
- Solid Academic Foundation: The course covered key topics like algorithms, recursion, and object-oriented design, providing a strong groundwork for future computer science learning.
- Low-Stress Environment: The pacing guide offered a general structure that supported a mostly stress-free learning experience.
Cons:
- Unrealistic Pacing Guide: Some assignments took significantly longer than anticipated. Falling behind the guide made it difficult to regain momentum.
- Lecture Video Lacked Depth: Although informative, the video felt rushed and lacked sufficient examples, which made understanding more difficult.
- Repetitive Assessments: The final and midterm exams reused questions from earlier quizzes and tests, limiting opportunities for critical thinking.
- Inconsistent Proctoring: Varying levels of strictness between proctors affected grading consistency. For instance, some penalized minor oversights like omitting a name, while others did not.
Overall, the UC Scout AP CSA course was both rewarding and challenging. It offered a strong introduction to computer science concepts through flexible learning and interactive materials. However, the course could benefit from more engaging video instruction, realistic time estimates in the pacing guide, and consistency in assessment practices. Despite these drawbacks, it served as a valuable stepping stone in computer science education.
Other opinions:
One of my peers who also took this course was Scott Lee, a sophomore from University High School in Irvine. In a discussion with him, he revealed that this course allowed him to “continue his part-time job” because he could work on the course at any time. Conversely, one of the downsides for him was that he sometimes “lacked the motivation to keep [himself] accountable” and push himself to fully grasp the concept, leading him to fall significantly behind the pacing guide.
Another peer, Doyoon Lee, a sophomore from Portola High School in Irvine, who is deeply interested in STEM and unable to fit AP CSA into his schedule, also looked to the online course provided by UC Scout. He said that his experience with the course was fairly positive, with one key drawback being that he had to “rewrite numerous lines of code due to the textbook’s inability to save the code when revisited in the future.” Despite this, Doyoon evaluated this course positively overall, as he had learned many topics that initially interested him.
Would I take this opportunity again?
Reflecting on this incredible opportunity, I would wholeheartedly recommend this to any student looking for extra courses they can take. While I was introduced to it as the only choice, I think anyone interested in computer science or its study should take this course.
The only caveat, however, is the price. To earn credit for this course and get feedback on assignments, you must pay $798 for the whole year as of 2025. Despite this hefty price tag, many community colleges offer free online, accredited computer science courses as an alternative. In those courses, you have the added benefit of connecting with professors and making new friends.
Overall, I would recommend this course to self-driven and responsible students who can push through challenges and are capable of completing the course within the given time. On the other hand, I believe that students who lack motivation should not take AP CSA online, as it can be demanding and end up being a waste of their money.
