hi, currently I am a freshmen in high school and I do not know what to chose for next year.
This year my grades have been pretty good, I’m in all regular classes and I manage to get B’s and A’s.
I really would like to pursue taking honors and maybe an AP class.
So far freshmen year has been really easy; my classes bore me due to how easy some of them are.
I did post something months previous where my grades were all over the place, since then I got my act together and I did really well second quarter.
Here is what my hopeful schedule looks like for next year:
English II Advanced Honors (I’m not sure if I should take AH, many of my friends say that I could handle it)
Geometry Honors (1st MP in Algebra my grade was a B+ and 2nd was a C)
Chemistry Honors or AP Biology (AP Biology is offered Soph year now and I am interested in Bio)
US I Honors
Spanish II Accel (Regular level)
Idk if midterms play a huge role in course selection, but here are my scores:
English: 98%
Biology: 72% (huge curve due to most people failing)
World History: 82%
Algebra I: 87%
For my electives I am planning to take Accounting Honors and AP Comp Sci (no programming experience)
Am I pushing myself too far?
I really want to challenge myself next year because I know I can do it.
I was in a pretty similar situation as you last year, the only honors class I took was English. This year as as sophomore, I’m taking three honors and one AP class, and while the workload is definitely heavier, I actually have been getting around the same or even better grades in my subjects due to the challenge making me apply myself. That being said:
If you're getting a B/C in Algebra I, Honors Geometry may not be the best idea.
I would take Honors Chemistry over AP Bio. I know kids who took Honors Earth Science freshman year who struggle a lot taking AP Bio this year. I took standard Earth Science and now am in Honors Bio, and I still find it work-heavy. The 72 on the midterm for regular Bio doesn't bode well for you either.
I'm not entirely certain about AP Comp Sci, but at my school at least I'm pretty sure you need to have some experience before taking it. If there are any intro courses offered at your school, I'd definitely take them first.
Everything else looks fine as far as I can tell. Its good to challenge yourself, but striking a balance is just as important.
AP bio is one of the most difficult science classes. I’d keep it for junior or senior year and I wouldn’t take it as a sophomore.
=English II Advanced Honors - rather than your friends, ask your English teacher whether s/he thinks you can handle it, ie., get a B or higher
=Geometry Honors - depends on your results; if your first month isn’t too good, are you allowed to “drop down” to Geometry regular?
=Chemistry Honors
=US I Honors
=Spanish II Accel
=AP Computer Science Principles (NOT Comp Sci A, which is hardcore and levl 2, after “Principles”.)
Why Accounting Honors? Since you want to take an AP class, rather than taking Accounting, I’d suggest taking one of the easier APs, which would be a gateway to the harder APs (like AP Bio, AP Lang, etc.). So…
= AP Human Geography or AP Psychology. They’re interesting and while they’d be a big shock compared to regular classes, they’d still be doable without AP experience.
@MYOS1634 Next year our school is coming out with a new schedule where we have our base curriculum (Eng, Math, History, and Science) and 3 Electives (one has to be a language)
As a Sophomore, the only AP’s I am offered are AP Euro, APUSH, AP Music Theory, AP Comp Sci, and AP Bio.
Biology really interests me, and I’d like to learn more about it. Will the 72 on the midterm affect me a lot in getting into AP Bio? 1st quarter I got an 86 and 2nd a 91.
I thought AP Comp Sci is a class specifically for people who have no knowledge with programming?
Which one of the AP 's I listed above are the easier ones?
There are two AP cs: cs principles, which is new and is for students with no Cs experience, and cs A for students who took Cs principles or have programming experience. You want to take Cs principles.
AP bio is a very hard science class. You should only take it if you have an A in regular bio, B+ in honors bio, and/or are allowed to drop down one level or switch out (check the conditions with your gc.)
Also ask if you could be allowed to take AP human geography as a sophomore.
The others are really tough to jump into. You could try AP Euro but do you have an A in regular history this year ?
Your school’s new schedule basically guarantees everyone has met the basic requirements for college.
your grade in honors biology signifies that you are not ready for ap biology. take chemistry honors.
your science pathway should be:
honors biology
honors chemistry
ap biology
ap chemistry/physics/environmental science
taking ap biology sophomore year would actually be a detriment. take it during junior year when you have the chemistry knowledge to aid you in biochemistry topics and when you are generally more prepared with an extra year of preparing. as biology is your passion, it is in your best interest that you do well in ap biology to prepare you for the biological sciences in college. in addition, as you haven’t taken a chemistry course, try something new. chemistry is a great science, and it may even be more interesting than biology.
in addition, ap computer science is a math course, and the prerequisite at my school is advanced algebra 2. looking at your less than satisfactory algebra grade, i wouldn’t recommend ap comp sci a. ap comp sci principles is a much better option, or you could take another class.
for english, do you have the writing capabilities to succeed in an advanced english class? don’t automatically assume that you can take the most rigorous classes and succeed; therefore, reflect on your english skills and ask a teacher if they think you are ready. if you are, by all means sign up for the course.
finally, a c in algebra means that you may not be ready for geometry honors. algebra 1 is the foundation for higher math, and although geometry isn’t difficult, you need mastery of algebra skills before you advance in math courses. i wouldn’t discourage you from taking geometry honors, but are you confident in your math skills? geometry is a very different course from algebra, but it does use algebraic concepts.
In history, I have received B’s both marking periods, along with an 82 on my midterm.
My counselor is very restrictive towards what I do, I don’t even know if she will let me move up in any of my classes, even though I exceed the grade limit to move up a level in a class.
I have a strong interest in science, and I would love to move up to AP Bio.
Earlier this week I spoke to someone who took the class, and they said that if you enjoy science and have a decent grade: A/B+, you should consider taking that class.
If I get an A this marking period, will it help me get into the class?
I do plan on taking AP Bio later in high school, would it make a difference now (when I know some of the material & it is fresh in my head) versus to later (Junior year)?
it lets you experience the rigor of college level courses
it can help you advance in biology competitions earlier than other sophomores (e.g. bio olympiad, science olympiad)
ap bio is a fun class esp with a good teacher
it can help you in later biology classes (human anatomy and physiology, organism structure and diversity, biotechnology)
detriments of taking ap bio sophomore year:
you are not as prepared as the juniors who are taking ap bio and may not get a satisfactory ap exam score or grade.
you may struggle in the biochemistry aspects of the class
you still need chemistry and physics somewhere on your transcript
exploring all of the areas of science is important
you actually don’t need to take biology and ap biology in consecutive years. as long as you are familiar with biological concepts, you should be fine, so having biology fresh in your head isn’t a requirement to do well in the class.
getting your prereqs done sophomore year can lead to more course options junior and senior year! for example, if chemistry honors is a prereq for ap environmental science or ap chemistry, then it would allow you to double up on sciences junior year with ap bio and apes/chem.
however, it is your choice! if you meet all the requirements for ap biology, then follow your heart. personally, i am a chemistry nerd and chemistry is my life so i would totally recommend taking chemistry honors asap; have you taken a chemistry course before? it can really change your viewpoint on the sciences and can open up new doors in your academic journey.
At my school I can double up academics. If I am eligible for AP Bio, what are your thoughts on me taking AP Bio and Honors Chemistry and drop AP Com Sci?
i would think that doubling up on ap biology and honors chemistry would be a good idea. ap computer science is a math elective class, and since you’re already taking geometry, your math credits are fulfilled. however, i would recommend taking apcs sometime later on, as computer science is a very useful area of study.
ap biology will be a very rigorous course (and your C in biology is very alarming); however, you seem dedicated and willing to take up the challenge.
Right now your grades make a success in AP bio unlikely. The indication of A in regular or B+ in honors isn’t met at all, which means you’re setting yourself up for a very hard time if not failure. In addition, many high schools require/recommend chemistry before AP Bio due to the biochemistry elements in the class. I laud your desire to take a hard class in bio but you need to go in prepared. Take honors chemistry next year, and plan to take AP bio junior year, with physics senior year. (selective colleges like to see all three of bio, Chen, phys.)
Check to see if your school offers AP cs principles, it’d be a good AP to take next year. (not ap cs a ).
Neither. But it wouldn’t be wise. Strive to get an A in biology this semester. Take honors chemistry next year, try to get an A too, then AP bio. After that, senior year, if you want to double up with, say, AP physics 1 and apes or something like that, why not? Don’t be like the glutton who makes himself sick from eating too much.
What is the big picture here? Why is is so important to take AP bio as a sophomore? Colleges want to see good grades and taking an AP class you aren’t prepared for as a sophomore isn’t going to wow them if you are getting Bs and Cs. Focus on your grades and a realistic assessment of what you can handle.
@mathyone
I understand where you are coming from, but Biology is something I am very interested in.
In Junior year I plan on taking mostly AP classes, and taking one sophomore year would not only prepare me for what an AP is like, but I will possibly have a chance to pass the exam and earn credit.
Are my grades the only thing that is holding you back from saying that i should take it?
I want to know where I can improve from here.
The midterm was notoriously hard for all levels in Biology this year, and as a result I got a 72.
No, your midterm grade is only one indication. The other, key element is that many high schools require honors chemistry first for a reason.
It’s good you’re interested in biology but first make sure you have sufficient background so that you can actually benefit from taking it.
Remember that even elite schools do not expect more than 6-8 AP 's, total.
Pretty much no one starts with AP bio. It’s a really hard one, and it’s better to start with something else, even for good students. In any case, ask your current bio teacher.
Dont assume. If it’s really the first year they’ve offered it for sophomores: maybe they haven’t tested it out without honors chemistry and all the sophmores will get 1s &2s… The apartment syllabusvisnt school specific, it’s national. If other schools require a specific preparation that you don’t have, you’ll be in trouble. Or could it be sophomores will only be allowed in if they take chemistry over the summer?
In any case, ask your biology teacher. Or are you qfraid s/he’ll say the same things as all the adults here?
