AP Chem Lab is 2 Quarters?!? More Scheduling Advice Needed!!

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>So oh no. First off, I finish typing this elaborate masterpiece of a post that takes 3 hours, then press preview for one last check: </p>

<p>Error 106 (net::ERR<em>INTERNET</em>DISCONNECTED): The Internet connection has been lost.</p>

<p>This is so great. Yay! Best day ever!! Now onto the real thing. I'll rewrite everything again. It's still memorized in my mind like Granger and Montag. Ehh, not really. Actually, I forgot everything written. </p>

<p>Okay. So I found out that the lab for AP Chemistry is two quarters, one block each quarter. The schedule goes like this in my school, 4 blocks per day, alternating every second day (A and B Days). Contrary to the previous belief and the format of the other AP Sciences in the school, AP Chem is special like that. </p>

<p>Conflict. Conflict. Conflict. That kills my perfectly hatched plans. Back to the drawing board. Here is my originally planned schedule for junior year:</p>

<p>1A - AP Literature
1B - AP Calculus AB
2A - AP US History
2B - AP Biology
3A - AP Physics B
3B - AP Chemistry
4A - UHS Spanish V - UHS is a college level program that our high school does with SUNY Albany, I believe, in which students get college credits by taking the class. Not AP. I have no idea if it is weighted. Better figure that out. But that's besides the point.
4B - Gym/AP Bio Lab/AP Phys Lab/AP Chem Lab</p>

<p>My school requires eight gym credits. One credit per quarter. Usually, it's two per year. But luckily, I have an extra block during fourth quarter of absolute, complete unnecessary and unwanted bull*meadow muffin*. Bull*ordure*. Bull*egesta<a href="thesaurus.com%20by%20the%20way,%20I%20ain't%20about%20that%20life">/i</a> SAT Prep - Reading & Writing? No, thanks. Please no, none. Blue Book please. So one open block substituted with one gym. Okay, only one next year then. That schedule works!?! WRONG!!!!! </p>

<p>So here are my options: </p>

<p>Option 2:</p>

<p>1A - AP Literature
1B - AP Calculus AB
2A - AP US History
2B - AP Statistics
3A - AP Physics B
3B - AP Biology
4A - UHS Spanish V
4B - Gym/Gym/AP Phys Lab/AP Bio Lab</p>

<p>Option 2:</p>

<p>1A - AP Literature
1B - AP Calculus AB
2A - AP US History
2B - AP Statistics
3A - AP Physics B or AP Biology
3B - AP Chemistry
4A - UHS Spanish V
4B - Gym/AP Phys or Bio Lab/AP Chem Lab/AP Chem Lab</p>

<p>Option 3:</p>

<p>1A - AP Literature
1B - AP Calculus AB
2A - AP US History
2B - AP Biology
3A - AP Physics B
3B - AP Chemistry
4A - UHS Spanish V
4B - AP Physics Lab/AP Bio Lab/AP Chem Lab/AP Chem Lab</p>

<p>Here's the lowdown: </p>

<p>Option 1: Just take the two AP Sciences with only one quarter of labs. Plug in AP Stats Instead. Key Problem Risen: No AP Chemistry.
Option 2: Take AP Chem then one more AP Science. Plus AP Stats. One gym, three labs. Key Problem Risen: No Other AP Science.
Option 3: Take All 3 AP Sciences. That would mean no time for gym. Key Problem Risen: No Gym Anytime. </p>

<p>Let's tackle Option 3: Take Gym fourth quarter this year. None next (junior) year. Three senior year. I think (think, think) that I'd only be taking AP Physics C Lab for a quarter classes (I hope there's no lame senior quarter class like freshman year "Life Prep"). So that should be working. </p>

<p>Well, that news put a dagger in my plans. The newly made options are the most formidable (as in terrifically formidable, not awful formidable). I want to take the Med School Path and major in either Biology or Biochem in college. </p>

<p>Tripling up in sciences in like a death pill. It's like cyanide. Yum yum yummy. I think I could handle it (except for the 3 a.m. bedtime with procrastination nation). Still I don't think that it's too unrealistic of a Schedule. </p>

<p>Which plan would be best for me? I want to take the more rigorous classes in high school next year as I've basically mess up twice in hindsight with schedule planning this year. Could be taking AP Chem right now, ugh. And I stuck in this engineering class right now. No more, no m</p>

2

<p>Let me just say you are insane. Too many APs! What is your sophomore year schedual like? Are you taking any AP?</p>

<p>About AP chem - in my school Chem and Bio are two periods. Altogether there are 7 periods in a day. So, like your option 3 would be completely out of the question, even when considering you bundle all the labs together. Is that how your school does labs - so your bio lab and chem lab count one period? that’s completely beyond me. </p>

<p>I’m sorry but I think if one can take 6 APs in junior year and can do them all well, there would be something wrong with APs.</p>

3

<p>@shmluza Bu, bu, bu… “One person’s craziness is another person’s reality.” - Timmy Burton. </p>

<p>Well, your schedule was somewhat similar to my middle school schedule. 9 periods a day. Every other day, two periods of sciences - as in Regents Biology. The block scheduling is a little weird. But yes, that is how my school does labs. The labs are one quarter long (except for AP Chemistry) and one block each. Weird, I concur. </p>

<p>It’s okay. I’m not saying I will do insanely well, nor even somewhat well, and not completely necessarily well at all. but I want this challenge. Even if it means not all 5’s. Yes, I got this.</p>

4

<p>I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be condescending or anything. I hope your plan is realistic enough so you can handle. It’s impressive how you challenge yourself. </p>

<p>AP chem is hard - I’m taking it (sophomore, like you). AP bio is okay - at least from what I’ve heard. AP physics B is in between. US history is super fun (taking it now) I’ll take AP calc next year.
I can’t comment on which one of your plans is the best. I’m just saying chem is really hard. But it’s fun. Are you taking baby chemistry now? (aka honors chem.) If you are, at least you know some chem. I am taking AP chem without any prior chem and it’s a real challenge let me tell you!</p>

5

<p>@shmluza Don’t be, that wasn’t condescending at all. I probably came off as too much conceited myself. </p>

<p>I think I can handle it. That is what I’ve heard about difficulties, too. It’s most likely the reason the school gave AP Chem an extra block for Labs. </p>

<p>I’m taking New York State Regents Chemistry. Our school is weird - Regents or AP. No honors. Nothing in between at all. Regents is a prereq for the AP class though.</p>

6

<p>Are you taking any APs now?</p>

7

<p>@shmluza Just one. There’s only one available sophomore year (except for AP Chem, but long story short, I didn’t know that qualified student were allowed to skip NYS Regents Earth Science [Worst Class Ever] - In fact, my biology teacher thought that I had skipped ES, really wish I knew beforehand). I guess therefore there are technically two available. </p>

<p>So only one right now. It’s AP Euro. Absolutely love it.</p>

8

<p>Yeah I know I wish they’d let sophomores take more APs. AND I WISH MY SCHOOL HAD AP EURO!! YOU LUCKY PERSON!</p>

9

<p>@shmluza Still, I hate the format at our school and in New York State overall. And I just wish that the AP selection would just be limited to juniors and seniors. It’s not as if we’re not mature enough or something. People who want to take it can take it, and people who don’t, don’t. Every school’s different, but I guess no luck in your or my school. </p>

<p>Anyways, that’s my mini-rant. </p>

<p>Back to original question, though. Still trying to figure out which schedule is best, any thoughts whatsoever?</p>