<p>I have so much to do this weekend, I never have any free time.
-Lots of math homework that I wasn’t able to do on the weekdays because I had too much homework
-Studying for PSAT
-Lab for AP Chemistry
-2 essays for AP World History
-Read next chapter in AP World History book</p>
<p>Now that I list it out it doesn’t seem like that much homework but I’m pretty slow at homework and I keep getting distracted so this is going to take me all of Saturday and Sunday.</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I’m new to the thread.
Everyone here seems to be enrolled in such advanced classes! I slacked my Freshmen year so I have a 3.8 from last year…
Classes this year are:
English 2
Asian History
Wind Ensemble
Chinese 3H
AP Chem
Alge 2/Trig H</p>
<p>My school only offers Honors/AP for the three I’m taking. I’m thinking of taking APUSH next year (I have a 98% right now in Asian since I’m a good writer) but does anyone know more about it? I’ve talked to a couple of juniors who have taken it but all of them just complain about the reading. I’m getting a A in everything except I have a high A- in math.</p>
<p>Also, what EC do you all do?
I’m currently doing:
Band (2nd chair clarinetist and will be concertmaster after current 1st chair graduates)
Vars Golf
Yearbook Editor
Part time job at school’s cafeteria
Volunteer 4 hours/week at a care home
Girl Scouts (working on gold award)
Music Peer Mentoring Club (founder/president)
Mock Trial
Medical Science Club</p>
<p>I’m going to try for leadership positions in Mock Trial and Medical Science Club for next year. My grades are course load are a bit lacking so do you think if I can raise my GPA to 3.9 my EC will be able to carry me?
Hope to gain insight from all of you.</p>
<p>@khamasaki What are your dream schools? Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 15, 20 years? Dream Big. </p>
<p>@Spiral7 I want to do something STEM, but not sure what yet. I really like working with people but but becoming a doctor scares me because even if I go into it with good values, I’m scared I’m just going to care about the money. I’ve seen it with my dad. I’m trying to find something that’ll make me happy, and right now I’m questioning whether a high salary job is going to do it.
What about you?</p>
<p>@khamasaki APUSH is kicking my butt.</p>
<p>That being said, I love the class because all we do is talk about history.</p>
<p>Welcome @khamasaki! </p>
<p>Im very curious about your school’s Medical Science Club, Mock Trial, and the club you started. Could you tell me about the clubs? </p>
<p>@khamasaki Hallo! Most colleges don’t even look at your freshman year GPA (otherwise I’d be screwed–my GPA was a 3.75, albeit with advanced classes), so I’m sure you’ll be fine xD You do a lot of ECs… I just do Colorguard (which pretty much eats up 90% of my time), MUN, NHD, Science Bowl (if I get in; right now I just go to club meetings), some tutoring for little kids, and a few campus clubs that don’t actually do much. </p>
<p>At least you have an A in everything… I’ve got a B in Honors Precalc (although I definitely plan on bringing that up after the next few tests and quizzes; I need at least an A- to get into Calc BC next year) and a B+ in Honors Chem (stupid formal lab writeups). </p>
<p>@livelaugh7 Our school won the football game Friday night… It was such a big deal that the principal sent a schoolwide email about it. I think this is the first time we’ve won a game in, like, 4 years. </p>
<p>Our school has a lot of athletes, but mainly for the “Asian sports”, which we excel at: swimming, tennis, badminton, etc. I think our varsity team has been undefeated for ~9 years in swimming. </p>
<p>@khamasaki Wow, those are some nice classes! These are my classes for next term (which I am starting tomorrow):
Biology (Most people take this as freshmen, but I had to take Earth Science during freshman year because I didn’t take it in middle school as I attended a private school)
Animation I
Honors English 10
Mythology
AP World History (This is my only AP this year, most students are also taking AP Chemistry but I can’t take it since I still have to do Biology. Do you guys suggest that I self-study an AP this year? Or should I just take AP World?)</p>
<p>My GPA last year was 4.5, but that’s because I don’t take much ECs as you. Currently I’m in Key Club, Academic Decathlon, and MESA. I also plan on working backstage for a theatre company, but I’m not sure yet.</p>
<p>You’re thinking of taking APUSH next year? I’m taking it next year! If we both take it next year we can work together to get a 5. 
</p>
<p>I’m in <em>sort of</em> the opposite situation from you, I’m part of my school’s STEM program but I don’t even know what I want to do with my life yet. Plus, there are STEM-related classes we have to take to graduate from the program and have it appear on our transcript, but I’ve barely taken any yet since I signed up for it as a freshman (most people signed up in middle school). In addition, the STEM classes have less credits than AP classes, and since they’ll take up my schedule I will have a lower GPA than if I wasn’t in the program, so I’m thinking of talking to my counselor to drop out of the program if I can’t do the STEM classes over summer.</p>
<p>@topax1116 Our school is pretty athletic, but we don’t have a good variety of sports. I wish I had badminton in my school, it’s probably the only sport I’m decent at… :-S</p>
<p>Also, did anyone here take AP World History last year? I have it this term and I want to buy one of the review books this weekend to help me during the term. Do you guys suggest Barron’s or Princeton Review? I tried Princeton Review last year for APHG and I got a 4, so I’m thinking of trying Barron’s this time around to see if I get a 5. I understand, however, that the books all have different authors, so some Barron’s books may be good while others may be bad. Thanks! 
</p>
<p>Hah, I have no ideas about AP classes. My school doesn’t allow us to take them until this year, and even now, there are only two possible (AP Chinese if you’re a native speaker, or AP Stats if you’re in Precalc; but I chose not to take the latter so I could fulfill my Arts requirement). </p>
<p>Our school offers a LOT of sports, but it’s probably because we’re really big for our area (for things like Marching Band, we’re always the last people in the last division, which means we’re the biggest). It means everyone is satiated, however. </p>
<p>I’m taking:</p>
<p>Honors English 10
Honors Precalculus
Honors Chemistry
Introduction to Engineering Design
World History
Spanish 3
Marching Band (only for first semester as an after-school seventh period; I have to take it for Colorguard)</p>
<p>It’s pretty much the most rigorous I can go for sophomore year (besides the fact that I’m not taking Stats).</p>
<p>@Greninja You’re not taking a math course?</p>
<p>I’m not taking APUSH next year. Never. I like history, and I don’t want it ruined for me (my school’s course is absurdly, incredibly hard, and I’m taking some other extremely difficult courses next year, so I’d like a BS class like CPUSH).</p>
<p>@Greninja Good luck in APUSH. I can help you guys out next year since I’ll be taking the exam this year. Definitely go with Barrons, my teachers speak highly of it and there are all the videos online that help cement the information … And nice schedule, except you aren’t taking a math…</p>
<p>We have a lot of sports. Fall: Soccer (my school is boss at soccer), Volleyball, Football, Cross Country, Rugby and Field Hockey… Winter: Basketball, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Indoor Track and Field, Swimming… Spring: Tennis, Track and Field, Rugby, Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball… There is a badminton club.</p>
<p>My current classes:
AP US History
Honors Pre Calculus
Honors Spanish 3
Honors Physics
Honors Chemistry
Honors Sophomore English
Honors Engineering in Graphics 1 — required to complete art and tech requirement
Health & Fitness — required</p>
<p>This is the most rigorous course load in my grade; one other Asian girl has the same schedule, except she may drop APUSH and she has a study where I have Engineering (except for this one kid thats taking Spanish 4, AP Calc BC, APUSH and AP Bio)</p>
<p>@topaz1116 I think we won. I have no idea, I didn’t go.</p>
<p>Anyone taking the PSATs on Wednesday? Saturday?</p>
<p>I’m taking the psat Saturday. Just took a practice test and got 153…</p>
<p>@livelaugh7 I’m taking it on Wednesday</p>
<p>@livelaugh7 I’m taking the PSAT Saturday.</p>
<p>I’m taking it Saturday, although I’m not going to prep much–probably just study some vocab for the CR section.</p>
<p>@topaz1116</p>
<p>How are you liking the Engineering class? It’s with PLTW, right? I took it last year, and we just did the projects in packets using Inventor and mostly figured things out on our own and by helping each other. Teacher was hateful. >.<</p>
<p>@livelaugh7 </p>
<p>I’m taking it Wednesday. I have a feeling I’ll get the worst score in this thread. XD</p>
<p>@ThatOneWeirdGuy Yep, PLTW. The course itself is fun, but I really, really, really hate the teacher. Last year’s teacher was much better, but I didn’t take last year’s course (POE; but the teacher knew me nevertheless), so I’m out of luck. </p>
<p>But it counts as an “arts” course, so I might as well take it.</p>
<p>O.o It’s so not an artsy course haha</p>
<p>POE is not a requirement whatsoever for IED. In fact, the I took it before (I’m taking POE this year) and a lot of kids in the class didn’t even take IED. The teacher I have for it is also our robotics coach, was my algebra 2 teacher, and teaches trig and stats. Thankfully, she’s great; IED teacher not so much. We started off doing the programming unit just because a lot of people in the class are in robotics club, and now we’re doing six simple machines. Levers are more complicated than I thought.</p>
<p>@ThatOneWeirdGuy That’s why I was able to take IED this year (thankfully). They’re only offering one sequence at my school, however; once they get through with ours, it’s done. It’s more well-established at one of the other schools in my district.</p>
<p>The IED teacher is absurdly rude at my school, and it’s really annoying me. He even insulted the POE teacher (who everybody loved a lot).</p>
<p>@livelaugh7 @topaz1116 Oh! I’m actually taking a math class. I forgot to mention this but my school uses a block schedule, so I have fewer classes than you guys, but they change each term and are 90 minutes instead of 45. I had Honors Algebra 2 last term, and I will have it yet again next term.</p>
<p>I was initially not going to study for the PSAT this year (I have it this Wednesday by the way) and just take the practice test because I’m not a junior yet so the test doesn’t necessarily matter me for me yet (this post is making me sound so lazy… X_X) and I had prior knowledge because I took it last year as a freshman and got a 162. But what @topaz1116 said about studying vocabulary is very helpful, because from what I remember, vocabulary was the hardest part of the test. There were words on the test that I never heard about. Also, I feel like studying now because it would be so embarrassing if I got a lower score this year than I did last year… :-< </p>