2008-2009 Classes Discussion

<p>@paki: I'd say drop physics, add AP psych (still AP but very easy) and leave english alone. I think that would be the perfect balance.</p>

<p>AP Physics integrates calculus into its curriculum, if I'm not mistaken. You probably don't want to take it, unless you're taking AP Calculus along with Physics (unless you're talking about AP Physics B, which in that case, wouldn't matter).</p>

<p>Arrgh... my schedule changed again so I guess I'll repost:</p>

<p>AP English Language
AP Spanish Language
AP Chemistry
AP United States History
AP European History
AP Psychology
AP Statistics
Honors Professional Internship OR Advanced Studies</p>

<p>Possibly a AP Bio self-study too, as I'm taking the first semester of college bio this summer...</p>

<p>I'm still mad that my schedule conflicted and I can't take AP HuGeo - at least I got AP Euro instead.</p>

<p>Senior schedule</p>

<ol>
<li>AP Calculus</li>
<li>Religion IV (yuk!)</li>
<li>AP Civics/ Free Enterprise</li>
<li>Unstructured (lunch)</li>
<li>1st half -unstructured
2nd half - AP Physics Lab</li>
<li>AP Physics</li>
<li>English V Honors</li>
<li>Varsity Athletics</li>
</ol>

<p>Unfortunately, the schedule is the same every day, so I get to wake up to Calculus every day. Oh well, when the wrestling season is over, I get to leave school early.</p>

<p>heretosucceed92: will it make my schedule "difficult enough" to be competitive at the BS/MD programs if i drop honors physics and take a one semester AP Psych.?</p>

<p>videogames9: my senior schedule (09-10) is predicted as follows</p>

<p>-AP Calc AB
-AP Bio
-Reg Eng or AP Eng
-AP Physics (probly C)
-AP Stats
-COOP intern</p>

<p>paki786: I do agree with heretosucceed92 in that you should take AP Psych somehow. It generally is a really easy "A" and GPA boost. However, AP English Lang. is probably the most useful AP course available. Depending on the competence of your teacher, your writing and literature interpretation should dramatically improve. Just by doing the work in AP English, I've found that I'm able to apply my writing skills in many other subjects as well. Plus, when it comes time to writing scholarship essays or college essays, you will be a master at developing a strong thesis and employing sophisticated rhetorical devices to make your writing top quality. <strong>My advice, take AP Psych and AP English—both are great courses!</strong></p>

<p>heretosucceed92: will it make my schedule "difficult enough" to be competitive at the BS/MD programs if i drop honors physics and take a one semester AP Psych.?</p>

<p>I think that since you plan to take AP Physics senior year that you should be fine if you take AP Psych and, as abitiousmind07 suggested, AP English this year. Whoever mentioned that having calc while taking physics is easier was right (at least from what my friends have told me). So you can save that for senior year and still have a challenging courseload that will impress admissions officers for junior year. </p>

<p>Hope this is helpful! But in the end you know what you can handle and what is right for you...so stick to your gut. And remember that you'd probably regret not taking a certain class more than you would if you did take and it and find that you didn't do well or didn't enjoy it. And don't forget, sometimes it's better to take what YOU want to take and not what you think COLLEGES want you to take.</p>

<p>my school doesn't offer many AP courses, this is basically it :/</p>

<p>next year:
-AP Chem
-AP Stats
-AP Lit
-AP US
-Psych/Trig
-You and the Law/gym </p>

<p>and then Principles of Geography and Intro to Arabic at the comm college</p>

<p>& every Wednesday AP Bio exam prep (we don't have the class)</p>

<p>here2succeed: you are quite right with the AP psych part. But, i think that if i take honors physics i will be better prepped for AP physics. And as for AP english, i think the workload is too much for me to handle with the 3 hour intership afterschool and stuff. I would rather not stress over that one class and mess up learning stuff in other classes that im actually interested in. I dont know if they will let me take AP Eng lang in senior year, but if they dont, i still have college to improve my writing skills although i do plan to work on it over the summer.</p>

<p>Well then there you go! You've made your decision. I told you only you knew what was best for you :)</p>

<p>this year:
APUSH
AP Psych</p>

<p>senior (!!!) year:
AP Gov't
AP Chem
AP Lit
AP Stats
Pre-Cal
Photo I
French IV</p>

<p>here2succeed: true, but what i know that is best for myself is not always best in the eyes of the admissions officers. I just really wanna get into like those bs/md programs which will have a big impact on my future.</p>

<p>^ Paki,</p>

<p>BS/MD programs are not the only option.</p>

<p>As long as you are committed (and of course you are, you're on CC), you can make it through to med school by the traditional route.</p>

<p>Sure, I'd love to do BS/MD, but it's not worth killing yourself over.</p>

<p>diamondbacker: id love to have it a little more chill and less competitive tho. I mean bs/md does mean a lot to me since i just dont want to go crazy and be socially inept in college. I guess i need to manage my time effectively which i havent learned how to yet.
Hopefully next years courseload will prepare me quite a bit for college especailly with school and a job.</p>

<p><em>sigh</em> My goal is going to med school yet none of my classes reflect that ... what a great science magnet school I'm in <em>eyeroll</em>.</p>

<p>AP Psych
AP Eng Lang
AP US History
AP Calc AB
AP Enviro Sci</p>

<p>So, I /guess/ APES and AP Calc are somewhat med-schooly. The AP Bio teacher retired this VERY year, and AP Chem is being taught on and off by teachers who hate teaching it.</p>

<p>Anyways, I'm taking around 1-3 classes at my local community colleges, even though I am not sure which. </p>

<p>If anybody can help me:</p>

<p>1.) With 5 APs, how many college classes should I take? I'm thinking 2, since it seems the happy medium. My school normally offers 7 classes, so I will have 2 study halls (and the possibility of leaving early if my 7th period is a study hall, hopefully). So, how many college courses?</p>

<p>2.) Which college courses should I take? My goal is med school, and I think getting a head start is important. Should I take the Bio/Chem classes my community college offers? Or should I start with my Humanities (etc) instead, in order to take the science courses after graduating? </p>

<p>So many questions.. =/</p>

<p>I'd say that five AP classes and 2 college courses is the perfect balance. I'd say that you might want to take an intro bio or chem class (unless you've taken AP Bio/Chem and did well on the AP exam in which case you may be excused from those intro classes in college anyway). Along with this class I might recommend doing a humanities class. Maybe a language you're interested in or get really deep and take a philosophy class. I'd say take this oppurtunity to enjoy yourself. Branch out.</p>

<p>My senior year schedule:
AP Lit
AP Statistics
AP Psychology
AP Spanish
AP Physics B (Maybe/probably will self-study Physics C since school does not offer it)
AP Calc BC (Self-study, school does not offer -- I took AB this year)
Band</p>

<p>Tentative: AP Bio self study..... I don't know if 8 APs is something that I can do, but if I am comfortable with all the above by, say, February or March... I'll start readin some Bio ^.^</p>

<p>Why self study Bio/Phys C? It won't help in admissions, just in college credits if you do well.</p>

<p>AP English Literature and Composition
AP Government and Politics: United States
AP Calculus AB
AP United States History
AP Computer Science A
AP Chemistry (Self-Study)
AP Spanish Language (Self-Study)</p>

<p>Despite taking the Calc AB and CompSci A class, I plan on taking the Calc BC and CompSci AB exam, especially since it is the last time they are offering the latter. I also want to self-study Physics B or Physics C since I have the necessary materials and would like to minor in Physics. Euro Hist would be ideal too since I want to major in history (in addition to other fields). Then, since the CompGov exam is free if taken along with the USGP exam, then I might as well take it.</p>

<p>Thank you, Heretosucceed. I'm fluent in Spanish, and I'm incredibly interested in philosophy, actually! Your advice was great.</p>