<p>I am a junior and in August I will be going senior year.
I have these subjects right now:
AP Physics 1
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Microeconomics
AP English Language and Composition
Algebra 2
For the first semester since I switched between systems, I had a GPA of 2.7. I pulled my grades up this semester but I am really confused about what I should do. AP Physics does take up a lot of my time and I have heard I need to spare time for college applications during my senior year. I am performing fairly fine in all the subjects now but I don't want to take up a AP English course senior year and maybe not take up Macroeconomics and instead take up AP Pol & Gov. I'm really confused and any help would be appreciated.
P.S. I want to pursue a career in Computer Science or Graphic/Product Design. I'm just not sure about what I want to get into so that is the reason why I want to keep sciences to keep my research options open.</p>
<p>You should take AP Computer Science for one of your classes.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering why’s your GPA so low?</p>
<p>Don’t count on AP Physics 1. Take AP Comp Sci instead, because the AP Physics exams are the hardest AP exams from CollegeBoard. There is a reason the passing percentage is a 37%, and most high school students (I mean an overwhelming majority) don’t pass. Comp sci is more applicable to the really techy stuff too, so you can use it for future engineering majors even if you didn’t take AP Physics.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend AP physics if you are only in Algebra 2, as it is pretty math heavy and is hard to grasp if you aren’t at least in precalc. I would definitely take AP comp sci, as mentioned above instead.</p>
<p>@guineagirl96
Very true. I’m in BC Calc and AP Physics C right now, and if you don’t know derivatives and some integrals than AP Physics is sure to be quite a struggle.
@glibhuman
I would take Algebra 2 over the summer if I were you, and start pre-calc senior year. Comp sci also requires quite a bit of math, so the more you know the better.</p>
<p>I second that @OboeWhizzy. If you want to take AP physics, take Algebra 2 over the summer. I’d say you’d probably do fine in AP comp sci without it though. Also, I assume this would be AP physics B? If so it would still be hard, but physics C would be nearly impossible. Last year I took BC and physics 1 (which at my school is the same curric as AP physics B but we don’t have to take the exam), and there were some things that many in the class didn’t understand because they were only in precalc (my school has an accelerated math curric). There were also some things that we were told to take on faith, but now that I’ve taken multivar make more sense. </p>
<p>@guineagirl96 I am done with Algebra 2 and I am planning to do Pre-Calculus over the summer. My school doesn’t offer AP Computer Science. Yeah, my junior year I have taken Physics B and my senior year I am planning to take Physics 2, that is what my teacher had recommended. I would probably do Calculus AB my senior year since I’ll be done with Pre-Calculus over the summer. </p>
<p>@Kawaiiii I think my GPA was low last semester because I had just changed schools and the system was new for me.</p>
<p>@glibhuman oh i see i misunderstood your post. Those are your current classes, correct? If AP CS isn’t offered, I’d look into taking it online or self studying because it’ll be important later (it’s not really necessary to take the exam, but it might get you out of a semester in college). I would recommend taking AP Gov because the exam is pretty easy and it transfers at most colleges (you’d have to check where you go to), so you can get out of a gen ed. </p>
<p>
If it helps, I heard that the content was easy even for people without a background in programming.</p>
<p>@awakeningvenus
Very true. You can jump right into AP Comp Sci without any prior knowledge of programming and do great.
Now another problem with AP Physics is that you can’t really do it without having a physics background, in addition to calculus, and most high schools (like my own) put you right in AP Physics after a year of bio and a year of chem. That’s one of the reasons high schoolers do so badly on the AP exams, because most of them have no prior knowledge of physics, even if they are in AB or BC Calc.</p>
<p>@OboeWhizzy
My sister was able to take AP Physics without a prior physics class, and I think she got a 4. At the same time she’s also pretty good at math in general and she was taking Calc AB at the same time. I would say that there definitely are people that would be able to take AP Physics without honors, but they’d probably have to be confident about math. Also Glibhuman is taking Physics B right now, right?</p>
<p>@awakeningvenus
At our school, they only offer AP Physics C, and the Mechanics is the second most difficult AP exam, only to Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. This really should be taken with at least a normal physics class as background, if not AP Physics B. In the past 10 years, only two people from our school have gotten 5’s, one person a 4, and everyone else 3’s and below.</p>
<p>@OboeWhizzy
Oh, I didn’t realize that your school only had Physics C. That’s pretty strange though.</p>
<p>@awakeningvenus I think I have decided on my subjects please suggest if it is a nice idea?
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Physics 2
English 12 (No AP)
AP Calc AB
AP Psychology (Not Sure)
I feel like I am really confused. I really don’t know what to do. </p>
<p>@glibhuman
You seem a bit confused with your sciences. Is there a reason that you want to take AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 2 senior year? I know that you said you want to keep your research options open, but maybe since it sounds like you already took a year of Physics, you could replace that with AP Computer Science or some Graphic/Digital Design class so you could also spend some time to make sure that it’s what you want to go into (while giving you time for applications with a slightly better course load, since that was a concern for you).</p>
<p>@awakeningvenus
I agree. Three AP lab sciences in the same year is quite difficult, and the physics is a bit extra. Comp sci is a lot more applicable, and across a broader range of fields too. Most colleges require students to take a comp sci course anyway, so by taking it in high school you’re looking at potentially exempting yourself from a year of mandatory college computer science.</p>
<p>@OboeWhizzy Yes I will would have taken up Computer Science if I had the choice but my school doesn’t offer that course. All I can do is prepare myself and take the AP but then again I am not sure that would help. Since I am in a boarding school taking a course outside school is not a possibility either. @awakeningvenus I think I am just going to stick to the sciences because I am not entirely sure if I wanna make designing my profession. I have taken up 2D design as a minor. I think that should help me figure out wether that is the field for me and I am also planning to intern over the summer for a graphic design brand. I think by the start of the fall semester I will have some idea about my future in graphic design. Thanks a lot though. 
You all really helped. </p>
<p>@glibhuman Okay. By the way, have you been able to get any certifications in any graphic designing programs? </p>