5 AP Classes

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I know that the workload of AP classes depends upon the school and teacher. This is my junior year, and I am having several problems with my schedule since most AP classes at my school are only offered once a day. I have never taken an AP class, but I have taken all honors classes for all of high school. I originally planned on just taking four AP classes but the electives that I wanted to take interfered with my AP classes. I talked the teachers and some students who took the class. If I take the 5 AP classes my schedule would look like this: </p>

<p>AP Language and Composition
AP Calculus AB
AP Statistics
AP US History
Honors Physics
AP US Government and Politics
Elective (I am thinking about becoming an office aid) </p>

<p>My teacher for AP US History told me that most of my work in the class would be to outline the textbook since the textbook has almost the same number of chapters as the number of weeks in school. She also said that AP US Government and Politics is less intense and that there is not daily homework. She told me that most of my work would come from AP Language and Composition, AP Calculus AB, AP US History, and Honors Physics. I was told that AP Language and Composition is a lot of writing essays but to prepare us for the AP tests that about all of the essays would be done in class. There is a lot of outside reading but to lessen the workload my English teacher and AP US History teacher would work together and use the same books. I talked to my math teacher about AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics and a student and they said that it takes about 1 hour to complete the homework for both. I have not talked to my Physics teacher yet about the homework load. The main reason that I'm taking 5 APs is because the availability of classes, and I am genuinely interested in AP US Government and Politics. Do you think that 5 AP classes would be too much? </p>

2

<p>AP Gov is cake, let me tell you that. Especially if it is offered to you as a yearlong class. It was designed to be a semester, so a year is well-enough time to learn it and learn it well. US history is a lot of memorization. I can’t vouch for ap stats or physics, but calculus isn’t that bad as long as you have a teacher and AP Language is very easy if you have any solid English background. I think this schedule will be okay. </p>

3

<p>I went from all honors classes sophomore year to 4 APs and 2 honors the following year and I struggled. From nearly all A’s to a couple of much lower grades. Personally, I don’t consider myself to be unambitious, just the opposite, but you may find with ECs and other stuff going on, you may need to a while to adjust for time management purposes. If anything, I would drop the office aid elective and just use it as free time where you can catch up on work and not feel so stressed. At one point, my two labs conflicted and I was forced to miss a lunch every 4 days a week, which looking back on it, was not very fun. It was manageable, but looking back I probably would have scheduled differently.</p>

4

<p>I think it depends on you. Some people need to be acclimatized to a heavier workload. Others drag their feet through it, complaining the whole time and negatively impacting their performance, and still others just soldier through it, acting like it’s know big deal.</p>

<p>If you know yourself, then you can tell which of these groups you fall into. If it’s the first group, then start with 5 APs and gauge whether you may need to drop one. Second group = immediately drop to 3-4 APs. Third group = you have my respect, keep all 5 APs and crush the tests. </p>

<p>Part of measuring yourself will be gauging your passion. If you are genuinely interested in these subjects, and are taking them for education rather than credit, then you’ll have a much easier time in them, and they may not even feel like anything difficult. If you’re just in it to impress colleges, well, it’s going to be rough</p>

5

<p>I’m taking 4 AP classes (would be 5 but my school won’t let me take calc as a junior :frowning: ). I think your schedule is doable. From what i’ve heard, AP stats tends to be one of the easier AP classes, especially if you’re good at math. AP lang and AP gov are about average. APUSH and calc are a lot of work, but that’s pretty much it. APUSH is reading. Math is lots of homework. If you’re good at math it shouldn’t be too big of a problem. I took honors physics at my school and it was easy for me, schools vary though. Physics is all math (mostly basic algebra) so if that’s your thing it should be a breeze. </p>