AHHH! Junior Year....

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Sorry for the long post, but.......</p>

<p>I've really thought hard about taking AP Physics B my junior year, as well as some other classes. I'm by no means planning to take as many AP's as some of the other students in my class. I don't go by the logic, "most AP's wins!" My prospective schedule looks something like this:</p>

<p>-AP Calc AB
-AP Statistics (I heard it was easy from other students, and easy is fine with me)
-AP English Lang. (.......?)
-AP Physics B (dunno)
-Drawing & Painting 2 (cuz art is teh best)
-Then some stupid, but easy CC course...like Painting 1</p>

<p>And then MAYBE, just MAYBE I might take AP Micro second semester if my workload of 4 AP's isn't bad, but I doubt I'll take it.</p>

<p>This year (10th gr.) I'm taking two AP's: US Hist. and US Govt., both of which aren't interesting at all, and boring as hell. In fact, I don't know why I decided to take them.</p>

<p>So having experience with those two very work-intense AP's, I think I can handle 3 math/science AP's and an english AP. Math is something I'm good at; however my concern lies in AP Physics.</p>

<p>You must understand:</p>

<p>I have not taken a physics course before. I have a small self-help physics book, and the material looks interesting but I haven't gotten much into it. </p>

<p>Supposedly physics comes easy to people who have high spatial intelligence, and I have an extremely high spatial IQ (took the WISC in 7th grade and scored very high on object assembly and block design).</p>

<p>Also, I'm a very "visual" learner. Geometry came naturally to me....I never studied once and got a 98 in the class. I even enjoyed the proofs! I recently saw a website that stated that students good in geometry will likely be good in physics too, but can anyone clarify that?</p>

<p>And has anyone here taken AP Physics B without prior physics? If so, how difficult was AP level physics like, and what was your experience? And if you did take honors before AP, did you think honors was very helpful, and that you could have done AP Physics without honors?</p>

<p>I'm worried that I may have trouble with physics. After all, I don't consider Chem all that easy. I am NOT an outstanding chem student; I really hope one's chemistry ability doesn't relate to one's physics ability, else I'm screwed. Stoichiometry was so hard for me to grasp; everything else isn't TOO bad. No AP Chem for me.....</p>

<p>Also, if anyone wants to give me a synopsis of the like AP Eng. Lang., AP Stats, and AP Calc AB, I'd appreciate it. :D</p>

2

<p>I was told that Physics can be summed up as being given formulas and then applying these formulas to different situations. I took a semester of basic physics and found this to be true for the most part. So, I would say it's kind of like Algebra 2. But AP is probably just going to be more in depth (it's not necessarily harder, just more topics are covered faster) and fast-paced. I think you should take it, just to balance out your schedule, and because it seems as if you can handle it as long as you can handle the heavy homework load. From what I've heard, sucess in Chem is not related to sucess in Physics. </p>

<p>Disclaimer: I'm not in AP Physics B, but I am taking it next year, and have asked numerous juniors at my school about the course.</p>

3

<p>Question: Are you applying to Harvard or something that makes you think you'll need these AP's? Even if so, I'd think they be more impressed with good SAT, with all those AP study hours "wasted" on community service instead. Save your brain:D</p>

4

<p>^Good question. There is no way I'm applying to Ivies....I don't want to go any, at least not with the opportunities I have as a Florida student. I figure that physics will be the only course to really challenge me. I have yet to experience a course in which I cannot conquer with ease. :D</p>

<p>My school requires 20 hours of community service per year. I already have 54 hours.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I was told that Physics can be summed up as being given formulas and then applying these formulas to different situations. I took a semester of basic physics and found this to be true for the most part. So, I would say it's kind of like Algebra 2. But AP is probably just going to be more in depth (it's not necessarily harder, just more topics are covered faster) and fast-paced. I think you should take it, just to balance out your schedule, and because it seems as if you can handle it as long as you can handle the heavy homework load. From what I've heard, sucess in Chem is not related to sucess in Physics.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yea, I heard that alot of it was equations and formulas, which is not a problem for me. I loved Algebra 2....it was so easy. Precalc-not so much but still easy enough that I don't have to bother studying to make an A. I ended up taking Algebra 2 at the same time as precalc, which was quite interesting, but it all turned out okay.</p>

5

<p>at my school some kids take it as sophmores (only time we can take it) and our precalc and physics honors teacher (freshmen classes for the program where you take AP physics sophmore) say its the hardest AP there is.</p>

6

<p>If you're up to doing a bunch of math, go for it. I have AP Stats, and its easy, which is saying something considering I'm terrible at math.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the replies!</p>

<p>EDIT: I switched AP Stats for AP Biology because I love Biology, and unless someone can convince me that Statistics is fun, I'll keep it off my mind.</p>

<p>Then again I kind of wonder if I really should take two AP science classes in one year. My mom is trying to convince me to take AP Psychology.</p>

8

<p>i think that's a very good switch!!!! AP bio is a very intresting subject</p>

9

<p>I think so too! It was alot of fun when I took honors in 9th grade. </p>

<p>AP Statistics - though it may be useful, it doesn't sound interesting at ALL.</p>

10

<p>Any more insight on physics B?</p>

<p>I'm also curious about the workload in AP English Lang. How much writing is involved?</p>

11

<p>The amount of work that you receive in AP English Lang depends on your teacher. In my class, we do TONS of writing, while my friends at a neighboring high school barely do anything at all.</p>

12

<p>Yea come to my school</p>

<p>AP Physics=nothing
AP Lang=nothing
AP Economics=nothing
AP Psychology=nothing
AP Comparative Politics=nothing</p>

<p>My schedule looks so hard but is so easy!</p>

13

<p>For me this year, it's like: (per week)</p>

<p>Chem Hon. = 3 hours
Precalc Hon. = 4 hours
English 2 Hon. = 6 hours
Drawing 1 = 1 hour
APUSH = 12 hours
AP US Govt. = 10 hours</p>

<p>So I spend around 35 hours on homework each week. I try to do about 15 hours worth of work during the weekends, and the rest during the weekdays, but it gets tiring. Mainly, I get so much work because I got the absolute worst teacher combination in history, precalc, and chem.</p>

<p>I know the teachers I may have next year and I like them; just hoping they don't give out alot of work. I picked math/science AP's for a reason. :D</p>

14

<p>"I have yet to experience a course in which I cannot conquer with ease." haha.. that's cool.</p>

<p>AP STAT is really fun/easy. </p>

<p>Wow. They only offer
AP Human Geo Freshman Year
AP World/ Psych Sophomore
and this year im taking the most in my grade along with a few other ones (people in my grade are really dumb. i should be about 10 ranks lower)
AP BIO
AP Stat/PreCalc
AP Eng
Ap Us History</p>

<p>My AP English teacher is a joke.. bad experience this year.. our other teacher had to be replaced, lmao.</p>

<p>I hate AP Bio. Also because I hate science + My Teacher (Everything is common knowledge). Your schedule sounds intense. Are you going to UF? ( I live in FL too, you must be referring to Bright Futures)</p>

15

<p>Yea, I was referring to Bright Futures. Imight go to UF, but I'm not completely sure yet.</p>

<p>I'm not worried about Bio....it's just alot of memorization and I really like it.</p>

<p>The only thing I'm really unsure about is AP Physics B because I know my guidance counselor is going to try to get me to take Honors instead (oh and my school doesn't offer regular courses) and my dad will probably yell at me about not taking hard classes blah blah blah. But I WANT a challenge for once; it's just that some people at my school are scaring me by saying that it's really hard and that I should take honors first.</p>

<p>I only want to take physics ONE year, not two. It doesn't make much sense to me to take it for two years when I have the option of getting it over with in one year by taking AP.</p>

16

<p>I think AP Psych is a bs class at a lot of schools. This may not be the case at yours, but at mine, it's also know as That Class For Seniors Who Want To Look Good and Be Lazy At the Same Time :). Also, most people don't take AP Physics B and C because most colleges only accept one credit or the other.</p>

17

<p>Well, AP Psych is a fun class, I'm guessing. That's why my mom wants me to take it. :D</p>

<p>UPDATE: My guidance counselor is seemingly doing everything in her power to keep me from jumping straight into AP Physics B next year, and I don't think arguing with her is getting me anywhere, so the new schedule looks like this:</p>

<p>Summer:
-Physics Honors (online)
-Chem Hon. (online-replacing for bad grade first semester)
-Life Management Skills (online)</p>

<p>Then for the school year:
-AP Calc AB
-AP Biology
-AP Statistics
-AP English Lang.
-Art 2D-3D
-Drawing & Painting 2
-CC dual enrollment (Painting 1)</p>

<p>AND MAYBE if I do good in honors physics over the summer, I can add AP Physics B to my schedule junior year before registration.</p>

<p>I'm praying this schedule won't be too hard.</p>