Fine Arts Requirements are ridiculous

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>So most of you do orchestra and don't deal with this, but here is my issue:</p>

<p>To graduate from my high school I need 1 credit in 'Humanities' (from music-arts-computer sciences-home ed-etc.)
So I took 1 semester of Foods, and 1 semester of a business class.
Yay, I completed the requirements, and assumed I was done.....</p>

<p>However, the a-g requirements say I need 1 credit in 'Fine Arts' (music-art-dance)
I don't have this....... </p>

<p>If I had only taken ceramics as a freshman, I would have covered both requirements!!!! Grrrr.</p>

<p>Another thing: I want to continue to take 3 languages, because I want to go into the linguistics field.</p>

<p>My solution: Drop Latin (which is utterly boring) take Ceramics instead, and then take French online.</p>

<p>Any flaws in the master plan?</p>

2

<p>Well I guess you have to go with that plan to satisfy the requirement. Unless there are other options…Are there any other options you can think of?</p>

<p>At my school the Fine Arts requirement can be satisfied with a foreign language so its no big deal. The reason most people take an art at my school is to satisfy the VAPA requirement for the University of California. So remember its not only about your high school’s requirements, it’s also about what colleges want.</p>

3

<p>@dsi411‌ I know this now, I just really wish I had known picking classes as an 8th grader…!</p>

4

<p>Yeah, that’s too bad. Just like no one ever told me I should join band in 5th grade. I wish I had joined…Oh well.</p>

5

<p>We have to have 3 Humanities classes, Computer Essentials, Intro to Economics and any other Fine Arts class.</p>

<p>They are the most terrible classes and drop your GPA so much.</p>

6

<p>At my school you actually have to declare a “major” in the fine arts and take multiple arts classes for four years to graduate. Freshman year I took 4 arts classes and that was considered the norm.</p>

7

<p>Senior year you can technically drop your arts classes, but just about every faculty in the school looks down upon it strongly so people rarely do it.</p>

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<p>Ours can be fulfilled by a foreign language, but you need a year in order to get into UC schools, so I’m taking one (Engineering). I’m actually not sure if Marching Band counts, but whatever. You could try joining your Marching Band if it’s an after school class? You could be part of the Percussion or Colorguard sections, since they don’t require musical experience (especially Colorguard; Percussion might at your school). </p>

9

<p>@topaz1116‌ My school has no marching band :(</p>

<p>I don’t think engineering would count as a fine art for the UC requirements… I think it has to be music, dance, or actual ART. </p>

<p>Does marching band appear on your transcript? If so, that would count.</p>

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<p>AP Art History counts for the VAPA requirement. Do you have that at your school?</p>

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<p>@dsi411‌ No. There is AP Studio Art, but the prerequisite is:
A minimum B average in 2 credits of Art and teacher recommendation. </p>

<p>And I have no credits in Art. That’s why I am even having this conversation. I’ll just take ceramics…</p>

12

<p>Can you take art at community college locally?</p>

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<p>@kandcsmom The thing is… I’m not actually interested in art at ALL. It’s pretty and everything (well, some of it is…) but I don’t want to travel across town for an ART class. (no offense to those who are artsy!! I’m sure you wouldn’t want to take 3 languages, to each his own!) </p>

<p>I also have NO time to travel across town for that, not to mention no ride. </p>

<p>My solution will be to drop Latin, take ceramics, and then take an online french course.</p>

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<p>Can you take Latin and French on line then?</p>

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<p>@kandcsmom‌ Yes. I will take French online.</p>

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<p>@Spiral7 it actually does, because it’s “Intro to Engineering Design.” Emphasis on the “design” parts. We have a list of courses that fulfill UC requirements on our school website… Marching Band (which is a one-semester, optional seventh period class that is repeatable for credit) does count, however.</p>

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<p>@topaz1116‌ LUCKY!! Do you live in Cali by any chance? 80% of kids in my grade wouldn’t know what the UCs are if you asked them right now!!! ;(</p>

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<p>@Spiral7 Yeah, I live in Cali. </p>

19

<p>How’s the theatre arts class? When I was choosing classes earlier in high school, I kinda wish I took theatre arts since they did nothing in that class and I basically could have a free period </p>

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<p>@gallory at my school theatre class is a huge commitment, they have to spend LOTS of time after school working on their material, and have a bunch of dress-up days where they go about their school day acting in character the whole time. Teachers get really annoyed with it… it’s mostly standard kids anyway. I really don’t have the extra time for it. </p>