Dropping AP Physics this late into Senior year...

Applying to College
1

<p>Ok, so I was never a great science student and yet I was coerced into taking a second year of physics, E&M. I had taken a year of honors physics (bascially AP Phys C topic..but we didnt get credit for AP, teacher was not qualified, but this year it is an AP class...we got screwed) Junior year, so technically I am done with my science requirement. </p>

<p>Now, I am not sure if my school will even allow this, unless I was truly failing. I think the lowest grade I would get in that class is an C...but that is pretty bad for the schools I am applying to. Honestly, I would be really happy with an 85. </p>

<p>My main beef is with the teacher. She doesn't teach, which I was used to from last year, but our book was in English and the subject matter was easier so you could realistically teach it to yourself and do ok. All she does is assign homework problems that she admits are nasty and then we explain them to the glass, which besides the one kid in the class who took BC Calc already, we all just pull crap out of our arses and she berates most of us up there.
Sometimes she lectures, but she says we are so far behind we have to rush and she can't take very many questions. </p>

<p>Oh, my grade right now is fine, a 94, BUT we have not had a real test or quiz yet and those are weighted for 40% of our grade....oh boy!!!!!</p>

<p>I guess I am just wondering how big of a difference taking 4 APs vs. 5 APs is gonna look on my transcript (1 Junior year, the rest Senior year).
If I drop it, I plan on trying to take a world history or Euro history course at a local CC, because my school does not offer those as APs. Heck, I'd even consider taking another physics class. But this would have to be starting in like January, so I don't know how to show that to the colleges. </p>

<p>I guess deep down, I could probably get by this year with a B, but I really can't stand this class (the only positive is that I have a lot of friends in it...they talked me into it!). And I can foresee a ton of problems and headaches later on in the year and in my other classes I have work, but it is not that bad or I actually like some of it.<br>
Its my senior year, I won't be a huge slacker by going from 4 APs to 3 APs for my senior courseload, especially if I take a course or two at a CC. </p>

<p>Not sure what to do....probably going to talk to my guidance counselor soon about it and will probably see how the test goes. </p>

<p>Oh and I don't care at all about the AP credit, I'd be amazed if I got a two. Last year, for this class, everyone got a 1 or 2 except for one kid that pulled off a 3. Haha, my class is expecting similar results. And I am not going to major in a science or pursue a career in it, so it's not like I kind of need to take the class. </p>

<p>Not sure, main schools that I'm applying to RD that might care or might be impacted in are:</p>

<p>Georgetown
Notre Dame
UVa
Penn
Cornell
Northwestern</p>

<p>high matches(maybe)/mostly low reaches</p>

<p>dang...don't know what to do.</p>

2

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I’m thinking the exact same thing you are. I have AP Physics as a senior, but I have no prior physics experiences, nor have I had a year of Calculus yet (in Honors Calc). I dread this class everyday and going to it confuses me day after day.</p>

<p>One day, after feeling mentally worn out, I talked to my teacher about dropping and that I was considering it. He told me that he would have no hard feelings about, but also that he believed that I could do his class and pass with a B or C. His comments really motivated me to continue in that class.</p>

<p>I understand your standpoint completely. UPENN is my first choice and I don’t want to take any chances regarding GPA and AP exams. I only barely passed my first quiz and failed the subsequent test and quiz. But I feel that the more I’m exposed to the concepts, the better I’ll become at picking it. I wouldn’t drop the class yet, but I do realize that the window is closing. Talk to your teacher about it and see what she has to say before you talk to your counselor. Your teacher will have a better input because she sees on a daily basis how you perform in her class. But like you said, if the teacher is no good, dropping may be a good option. I happen to have an excellent teacher, so I lucked out!</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>Thanks. </p>

<p>I think I may try to stick it out, but like I said in my OP, things are gonna get interesting…they already kind of did. My teacher does not know how to do integration, so she went to my calc teacher before class. This E&M physics and apparently integration is pretty important. And I’m in AB calc, so I won’t learn it in calc until like dec/jan.</p>

<p>I guess my biggest factor is will colleges see that I dropped phys at the begining of October? Or will it not show at all on my transcript. Quarter ends in 2 weeks.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

4

<p>S, now a college sophomore, struggled for the first time in high school taking AP Physics. It was a two semester class and he considered dropping it 2nd semester. He was already admitted ED to his #1 school. He decided to stick with it because he felt it might be unethical based on his ED admittance. Coming out on the other side of such a challenging academic experience has served him very well as he’s faced more similarly tough classes in college.</p>

5

<p>An update.</p>

<p>I am doing ok in the class, struggling, but so is everyone else. But I am towards the bottom of the class…out of 9 of us haha.</p>

<p>However, everyone else is getting fed up. And there are only 9 of us in that class, and some kids are trying to coordinate a mass drop. Like we all drop the class second semester.
I have no idea if we are allowed to do this. I was allowed to drop out after first semester after raising a ton of hell, but I think if we really wanted to, we could get it done.
We have a lot of “star power” in the class, the NHS president, Senior class VP, Student class president, NHS treasurer, and a couple other prominent roles in the school. Everyone is on board except two kids (well, just because we haven’t asked them yet). But we are pretty sure the SC president is going to want to stay, even though he can’t stand the teacher. He is obsessed with getting into Dartmouth and doesn’t want to jeopardize that. The other one cannot stand the teacher, but he wants to major in physics in college, so he does not really get a choice.</p>

<p>I am not the driving force behind this. The kid that is NHS president, class officer, star lax player and going to graduate ~3-4 in our class, came up with this idea a couple of days ago, and he was pretty serious and most of us said we would support him. Guidance and the administration would listen to him, especially if we have 2/3s of the class behind him.
I’m not sure how I’d feel about this. I cannot stand the class and the teacher is by far the most incompetent teacher I have ever had. But, I do not really want to hurt my college chances. I mean, I should finish with a B/B- in the class (as long as I don’t get a C…) but I wonder what colleges will think about me(us) dropping it halfway through senior year. </p>

<p>But there is no way in hell I am going to be one of three kids left in that class. My friends are the only way I get through that class and it just flat out ruin second semester senior year. </p>

<p>So, I guess I’m wondering how the colleges will be viewing this? They really wouldn’t know until I’ve been accepted, right? They wouldn’t rescind admission, would they? 1 semester of AP E&M is better than no semesters!</p>

<p>This probably won’t work out, but I just want to know what I may be walking into. </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

6

<p>Don’t sweat it bro, I have an 81 in Calc BC, because we have three tests per quarter (no other grades!). I think an adcom would see the disparity between the one class and your others and assume: 1) the class is really hard or 2) the teacher is really bunz 3) you’re just challenging yourself. Better for them to see that you stuck with a tough class than you just dropped when it got hard.</p>

7

<p>So much drama regarding this one class. I’m not sure what lesson you’re learning – but certainly not one that you can write up on your applications or discuss openly with anyone. There is a way for such attempts to belittle your teacher to become public. Take a step back. What you’re planning only harms you.</p>

<p>Try another approach – you and the other 6/7 students work together – set up a study session or such – and despite the “poor” teaching you all succeed.</p>