I think we can all at times forget that sometimes it's just as important to understand early what we are NOT capable of as it is to discover what we're capable of.
If a student takes and AP course and discovers that they're incapable at this time of keeping up with the class it's going to show them one of two things, either it's going to be a wake up call and that student is going to know they'd best step up their game, or they're going to find out that perhaps the subject isn't a wise calling for them. Those are every bit as important as a student succeeding in the course and moving forward.
My eldest did an internship when he was a Soph. in HS at a large firm in engineering. He learned quite quickly he didn't want to be an engineer. It was time well spent and saved a lot of wasted time and effort in the pursuit of becoming an engineer.
