So at my high school, we signed up for next year’s classes in around early March. These are the classes I have chosen so far:
-AP Lang
-AP Calc AB
-AP Bio (double period)
-Honors Modern world
-Honors Chem
-Honors anatomy
I am pretty worried about next year, since I know I am taking really hard classes. I just want to hear some opinions of what next year will be like for me. Currently, I am taking pre calc, honors english, honors bio, honors government, honors spanish 4, honors health, and psychology. So far I have pulled off straight A’s for the 1st sem, and hopefully for the 2nd sem also. I am really debating if I should keep AP Lang or just drop it and take it in 12th grade. I’ve heard it’s a great class and I really enjoy formal writing, but I don’t know much about the level of difficulty in AP bio or AP calc, so I can’t really tell if I will be able to keep up my grades and try and get straight A’s next year. I really just want to hear opinions on what I should do, or if I should just keep my schedule as it is. Thanks.
I think this schedule is well-suited for you (it seems like you are earning As in your current courses) and 3 APs is manageable if you are willing to put in the work (AKA have enough time in your daily life for 1 hour of homework/studying per hour of AP class time – this will fluctuate depending on tests/study halls, but this is the general rule of thumb).
Likewise, save some time in your junior year to work on ACT/SAT, maintain your GPA, and take SAT Subject Tests (if necessary). I have found that many people struggled with balancing sports/art/service/personal commitments, leading to late sleep times, which leads to grogginess, which leads to later sleep times, which leads to breakdowns. So above all, sleep! And if you have more pressing concerns (e.g. a job, childcare, etc.) don’t be afraid to choose the schedule that best fits you.
Good luck, and PM me if you need advice for junior year! 
Thank you very much for the advice! I really want to save as much time as I can to prep for my SAT’s. I think I’m ready for 3 AP’s, except when spring time comes along with sports. I’ll be sure to message you whenever I need more advice! 
Why are you taking two sciences? Do you have to?
No, it’s not required but I really want to take AP bio. Juniors at my school have to take a physical science so either chem or physics.
AP bio +honors chemistry is doubling up. Don’t add Anatomy to that. Take a class that shows you’re an intellectually curious person - perhaps Theater, Photography, Current Events…
Other than that, you’re good!
I plan on taking photography in 12th grade actually lol. I really wanna take Anatomy because they get to do so many dissections and stuff. Tbh I have like no interest in art classes and stuff but I have to take one because it’s required.
That’s extremely similar to my schedule this year, and I’m a junior, except I’m taking AP Enviro Sci instead of Bio and AP Lit instead of Lang (I took it my sophomore year). Honestly, you’ll be fine. The key to having multiple AP classes is a good work ethic. DON’T procrastinate. I was able to balance 3 AP’s with swimming and marching band, so you’re alright. Do take AP Lang, it’s one of the easier AP classes and it’s worth it if you want to improve your formal essay writing. For AP Calc, get a review book early in the year and use it to study throughout the course of the year. You’ll be set.
I am a sophomore right now, and I took 2 AP courses (world and psychology) along with all honors courses. I think it is definitely manageable, even if you have a lot of extracurriculars. if you’re already in precalc I assume you’re good at math, so AP calc should not be much harder. I know a lot of people at my school say that AP calculus is easier than precalculus because precalculus overloads you with work to prepare you, and then AP calc kind of reviews some of that and slowly introduces you to some new concepts, so I think you should be fine there.
AP bio is very comprehensive; there is a lot to read, remember, and understand. however, if you loved bio honors and did well, you should be able to pull A’s and B’s in AP bio.
I suggest taking AP Lang as well. it’s very nice to have an English AP so that you can take AP lit senior year and get comp 1&2 out of the way (depending on the college anyways). it’s not as much work as it may seem, either.
Thanks for the advice!! And this year I believe my work ethic has gotten a lot better! That’s how I managed to pull of straight A’s and that’s the reason I signed up for 3 AP classes for next year. This year taught me how to manage my time with work, sports, and volunteering. Like you said if I can stay up with my work and not procrastinate then that will work for me!
I actually had the choice to take AP government this year (10th grade) but I switched out instantly to honors because I just hated learning it LOL. The reason why I’m even taking 3 AP’s next year is because I can finally take AP classes I want and have a good interest in. So far this year, math, English, and bio have been my best subjects, and I’m really excited for next year! Even though my friends call me crazy for signing up for 3 AP’s lol. :))
You should be perfectly fine. As long as you do your homework and don’t slack off, 3 APs should be very manageable. Of course, it depends on how rigorous the classes at your school are and how competitive your classmates are. At my school, kids take 4-5 APs as a junior and take AP Calc BC as sophomores/juniors. Not being at the same level as peers can serve to lower morale and make school into a nightmare.
When I talked to many of the juniors in my pre calc class, they said that AP bio is really fun and the teacher is great, and that AP Lang is pretty hard but manageable. For AP calc (ab), I heard the teacher is really good (she taught me for algebra 2), and it’s not hard. Also, most juniors take an average of 2-3 AP’s per year at my school. Of course, there are those kids who take like 4+ a year as well lol. :))
I jumped from zero to three AP’s my senior year, and took both Calc AB and Lang. The thing about Lang is that I don’t quite consider it to be as difficult of an AP, simply because you don’t typically have to study for it. You just write. Bio is quite the opposite, however, and your success in AP Calc will probably have a lot to do with your math skills. I don’t think it’s more than you can handle though. It looks like you’re on the right track.
Any clue what you want to study? You should definitely be taking courses that correlate with that. Otherwise, looks like you’re well-rounded.
I have an eye out for medicine right now, and that’s the main reason I’m takin AP bio actually. For AP Calc, that’s just the next class I take for math so I can’t really change that unless I go to stat. And for Lang I’m just big on formal writing. I hope you’re right about AP Lang, however it’s just always been one of the harder AP’s in my school. Thanks for the advice!