<p>You know, I was once a happy go lucky kid. I took a few APs here and there and did well... but then one day I happened upon a little site called College Confidential... </p>
<p>I then learned that, if I want to be competitive, I had better go ahead and take those 5 AP classes... </p>
<p>long story short... I have no more life anymore</p>
<p>... PLEASE TELL ME....</p>
<p>WILL IT PAY OFF AT SOME POINT!!!!!!</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>What a dumb question to ask. If you’re willing to do better than the next guy it will somehow pay off later. That’s how things work here. Unless you’re really unlucky.</p>
<p>Pfft, no. Silly person.</p>
<p>If you can find a way to be happy-go-lucky again despite a rigorous course load, you have found the path to success.</p>
<p>Nice to meet you. Been here since I was a freshmen. Now going to be a soph in college (first year). Still a happy go lucky kid who took the most rigorous courses she could (until senior year, but that was a wee bit beyond my control). </p>
<p>Don’t pay very much attention to the kids on here. Most of them post their schedules and stats to stroke their own ego. </p>
<p>DO NOT take 5 APs if you can’t handle them. Better to do very well in 3 APs, keep your health and friends, then it is to do mediocre in 5 and lose your friends and get sick. </p>
<p>Find YOUR happy balance! ** YOUR ** balance is not the same as anyone else’s on here. </p>
<p>PS: Getting into a top school does not make or break you. But this is coming from someone who turned down U of Michigan to go to a LOWER <em>gasp</em> ranked school :D.</p>
<p>Actually no. It will not pay off. When you are going to grad school they won’t care about high school. Sure a 4.0 at Yale will be better than a 4.0 at Florida. However, a 4.0 at Florida is better than a 3.0 at Yale. Undergrad is where you make your mark.</p>
<p>It’s what you do at college, not where you go, that determines you next steps… and in that case, I’d say its far better to challenge yourself enough and remain happy go lucky then to completely overwhelm yourself and have no life anymore. </p>
<p>Life’s short dude, and the whole “Sacrifice now to get more later” won’t ever really end-there will always be grad school, promotions, and new jobs to sacrifice for… don’t ever completely sacrifice your well being for an extended period of time.</p>