<p>So it's time to decide schedule for next year. I'm looking at taking zero period (an extra class) to squeeze in honors anatomy, or just actually sleeping past six for once. Anatomy would be one more science, and I think i might or might not enjoy it (the class is supposed to be ok to fun, depending on who you ask), but it will hurt my gpa more to take the 4.5 from an A in it, than to just not get any gpa (from not having a course there). Thoughts? And yes, I'm aware that I should chillax and just enjoy it, yada yada.</p>
<p>I'm guessing/hoping that having the class is better than not?</p>
<p>Lets see... Taking the extra class would definitely show that your work ethic is very good, which is important if you would like to succeed at Caltech (my work ethic isn't particularly spectacular, and I don't go to Caltech, so please take that into consideration when reading this)</p>
<p>Basically, taking the class would be a positive thing, but not taking the class would not hurt you.</p>
<p>My advice? Don't worry about what Caltech will think.I'm sure you've heard this before, but do what you would like to do. Challenge yourself if you're up to it, or take a break if you'd like to. Ultimately, taking or not taking the class is extremely unlikely to actually change your Caltech admissions decision.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>if you're honestly concerned about how the class will affect your gpa and you really would like to sleep in longer, it seems easier to not take the class, especially if you already a packed schedule. then again, if you want to take the class, by all means do so. if you dont like it though, id just drop it.</p>
<p>Schedule's already pretty packed, so let me add that and see what it does to your thoughts:
Calc BC
Phys BC (mech)
AP Chem
APUSH
honors lit
AP spanish 5
(anatomy or sleep in)
(orchestra or lunch)</p>
<p>I'm leaning towards taking it, just because it would feel...weird not to have done the most challenging thing. Not even mainly in a "what'll caltech think" way, it's just that that's what I do; I take the hardest stuff for the challenge. Hm...</p>
<p>Unless you want to be a doctor, anatomy is pretty unlikely to really impress anyone here. (If it were taking Calc BC early in the morning, that would be a different story.) And packing your schedule to the brim is not something generally seen as very positive at Caltech in general. So I don't think taking the class would be a big plus for you.</p>
<p>"And packing your schedule to the brim is not something generally seen as very positive at Caltech in general."</p>
<p>Eh, it worked for me.</p>
<p>Well, the fact that I said both "generally" and "in general" was a typo, but given the criticism, I should point out that I was speaking generally, and there will be exceptions. As general advice, though, even if schedule-packing works for a little while, it rarely works over the long term.</p>
<p>(Isn't it funny how in math "in general" means "always" but in life it means "most of the time"?)</p>
<p><a href="Isn't%20it%20funny%20how%20in%20math%20%22in%20general%22%20means%20%22always%22%20but%20in%20life%20it%20means%20%22most%20of%20the%20time%22?">quote</a>
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, I've thought about this. I believe it's because in real life, with the exception of this sentence, nothing is <em>always</em> true. Thus, a word meaning "always" is generally less useful than a word meaning "most of the time."</p>
<p>Five APs and an honors English course sounds plenty demanding to me. I'd be inclined to do the orchestra, but skip the anatomy.</p>
<p>Phys BC? dont you mean....phys B...or C?
Im guessing you meant C.
Dude, the decision probably wont change.
Youve got more years in your life, so take anatomy in college. It'll probably be more fun, or just plain better.</p>
<p>or never take anatomy at all /grin</p>
<p>Does Caltech even offer anatomy? I suppose they must if they have premeds.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and I vote with the person who said to do orchestra instead of another academic class.</p>
<p>As far as I know, Bi 145 - Tissue and Organ Physiology is the closest thing to general human anatomy/physiology that's offered.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input. So as it turns out, I'll be continuing orchestra (instead of lunch). I was thinking about a day of six straight academic classes, and it just seemed...empty without it. I mean I've been playing for eight years now. So yeah. Anatomy gave way to AP Enviro. I didn't especially want to take it, but like I said, I had the slot open. So my chem teacher goes to submit my schedule and sees this. She decides that it's just too easy. I agree, but (again) ask her what else I can take. Famous last words. Long story short, I'm taking Physics C emag in addition to Mech and Chem. So it'll be intense, but I'm betting that I love it. I'm dropping Spanish just to maintain the sanity level. So next year schedule is: Calc BC, Emag, Mech, Chem, APUSH, honors lit (no ap offered), orchestra audit. Thanks to y'all and finally having the schedule down, I'm so much calmer, finally.</p>