<p>Hey.. am currently a high school junior and needed some help selecting courses for my senior year. I currently have chosen:</p>
<p>AP Literature
AP Calculus AB
Spanish III Honors
Economics
International Relations
Chemistry/Chemistry Honors ( ???? ) </p>
<p>I am not sure whether I should pick Chemistry Honors or Regular Chemistry. My intended major in college in Mechanical Engineering ( have taken AP Physics B this year so am done with my physics requirement). Chemistry Honors seems like a lot of extra homework ( according to the course description, it involves a lot of labs/lab reports and a test almost every week ) for a subject im not really very interested in. However, I have been told that a rigorous courseload must be pursued in junior/senior years. </p>
<p>I'd appreciate some advice on this matter. Am I better of letting go of my history electives so as to accomodate for Chem honors or would Regular Chem ( which I am sure will be a breeze) look just fine on my transcript?</p>
<p>With the rest of your schedule and intended major you should take Honors Chemistry, even if it is more work-otherwise some slacking can be seen, because of your three H and two AP courses. And junior year (nor semester I of senior year), as you correctly stated, is not the time to slack. Why not make your schedule as tough as possible?</p>
<p>Well, certainly you must be used to having extra work, seeing as you've already taken AP Physics B, and are planning on taking more AP classes next year.</p>
<p>Doing well in an honors class will look better on a transcript than doing well in a regular class. Remember, colleges like to see you taking the more rigorous course work: but only if you can keep up with it and do well in the class. If you don't think you can, then just take the regular course. I guess your decision also depends on how important these history electives are to you... But Chemistry is certainly more important for your intended major (Mechanical Engineering).</p>
<p>Also remember that the course descriptions are OFTEN BS. Some of them say stuff we never learn. They all say about how AP/Honors gets lots of work, which isn't true of every class.</p>
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Also remember that the course descriptions are OFTEN BS. Some of them say stuff we never learn. They all say about how AP/Honors gets lots of work, which isn't true of every class.
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<p>The reason I know its gonna be as the course description states is because a friend of mine took the class last year and told me about the numerous lab reports and the amount of homework they got in class ( and that the average grade was B ) . It kinda resembles my AP physics B class this year which has just been a pain in the neck ( because it requires constant practicing and rereading for weekly tests which take up a siginifcant amount of time ). If I add college apps, Physical therapy and flying lessons to the equation, then it could be a little challenging to balance my workload out..</p>
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With the rest of your schedule and intended major you should take Honors Chemistry, even if it is more work-otherwise some slacking can be seen, because of your three H and two AP courses.
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<p>1) 2 Ap courses and 2 honors courses ( spanish + chem ) is seen as slacking eh?! damn... </p>
<p>I guess the history electives are not necessarily needed since they probably wont help me even if make a drastic switch of majors in college. </p>
<p>2) Any other courses you guys recommend I should take for my major / to make my courseload look challenging? The courses I took this year ( junior ) were:</p>
<p>Ap Physics B
Ap Computer Science A
Calculus Honors
English III Honors
Spanish II
US History </p>
<p>3) Spanish II Honors and US History Honors was not offered this year and hence could take them. However, they are going to be introduced for the coming academic year. Will the colleges know this in some way or will they think I slacked off?</p>
<p>4) I moved to the US in the 10th grade and not knowing what to expect, I took all regular classes for my sophomore year ( no honors ) which were very very easy. Will this hurt my resume or is there some way to justify this on my application?</p>
<p>go with chem honors... i have a sat in on chemistry classes around local high schools to fill surveys and there is not that much difference between the regular and the honor course other than obviously the work load.</p>
<p>if you are looking into an engineering field i HIGHLY recommend the honors course.</p>
<p>i am sure that you will make the right decision.</p>