How did you handle (and ace!) your high school course load?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>So I'm currently a freshman, and our of sheer boredom I decided to plan out my course list for the next three years. How did you handle your (AP) classes and do well in them? </p>

<p>Also, are my classes challenging or not strong enough? Any (constructive, haha) criticism is appreciated. </p>

<p>[I calculated my total GPA if I get straight As for the next three years (which I hope is a feasible goal); I'll have an approximate GPA of 4.39, that is, if I decide not to drop AP Euro next year (4.34 if I do). Should I drop it? I'm not really interested in history, but I hate being stuck in classes where the kids are like,'Wait.. whaaaa?'. The GPA drop also scares me. Plus I really like writing, and I feel that the knowledge I'll gain from taking it will give me more topics to write about. I have the second highest grade in all of my teacher's freshman history classes, to my surprise, since I never study for that class and basically use that class to try to get a head start on my other homework, haha. But I feel like sophomore year, I should really find my passion and work on extracurriculars instead of overloading myself with APs. Sorry this is really long, but I'm not sure what to do. Help?]</p>

<p>Note that besides H Spanish 7-8, my school doesn't give credit for AS (advanced standing classes). Do other schools give e.c.? </p>

<p>FRESHMAN:
AS English 1-2
Spanish 3-4
P.E.
AS Pre-calculus
Drama
Contemporary World Studies
Biology 1-2</p>

<p>Summer '10
(I decided to take some college classes over the summer, so I can take more interesting courses next year.)
-AP Calc AB (Yes, I'm taking this twice to get a better foundation for BC and be able to ace it, haha.)
-Chemistry (My school's Chem teacher is supposed to be really hard, plus it's a prerequisite for AP Bio.)</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE:
AS English 3-4
Spanish 5-6
P.E.
AP Calculus AB
Journalism 1-2
AP European History
AP Biology</p>

<p>JUNIOR:
AP English 5-6 (I forgot the actual name lol.)
H Spanish 7-8
Biotechnology 1-2
AP Calculus BC
Advanced Journalism
CP U.S. History
AP Chemistry</p>

<p>SENIOR:
AP English 7-8 (Again, I don't know the actual name for this.)
AP Spanish 9-10
Biotechnology 3-4
AP Statistics
Advanced Journalism
CP Government
AP Environmental Science</p>

<p>--> My friends freak out about taking two AP classes sophomore year, which makes me nervous because I'm taking three. Help me with my AP Euro problem please? I'm on the verge of a breakdown, haha. </p>

<p>Thanks for your help guys! And sorry for writing so much... haha.</p>

2

<p>Taking Calculus AB twice is a waste of time and a class; in my opinion, Calculus AB and BC are two of the easiest math classes offered in high school.</p>

3

<p>Really?! …lol thanks. Do colleges count it for credit though if it’s so easy?</p>

4

<p>Obviously, the difficulty depends on the person, but if you can do even moderately well in Precalc, it shouldn’t be too hard. Most colleges do count it for credit if you score well enough on the AP exam, depending on their standards.</p>

5

<p>Thanks! I was just looking forward to having a ‘free’ class that I can ace next year since I’ll know most of the information.</p>

6

<p>I agree with purplepotato about the AP calc thing. I’m not a math person but I’m getting 100s on all my tests in that class, and plan to get a 5 on the exam. You should be fine if you do your homework/study. Don’t worry about taking it twice, just take it once.</p>

7

<p>Thanks guys. Do you guys know if the summer AP grade will get factored into my GPA if I take it though?</p>

8

<p>bumpppppp =)</p>

9

<p>21 minutes is not enough of a lag to warrant a bump. </p>

<p>And yes, summer classes factor into your GPA.</p>

10

<p>Bump… anyone?</p>

11

<p>AP Calculus is easy?.. Explain please.</p>

<p>Is it easier than Algebra 2? AP Chemistry?</p>

12

<p>@Saugus</p>

<p>AP Calculus is only difficult if you are not a mathematically inclined person. If you’re doing really well in Algebra II and especially Precalculusm then you’re set.</p>

<p>But all in all, AP Chemistry = a *****; AP Chemistry 2x > AP Calculus ABC</p>

13

<p>Hahahaha AP Chem is that hard?! Wow I should really reconsider taking it then.</p>

14

<p>Bio + Euro is a lot of note-taking (well, for me it was). I don’t really understand why you’re taking both Calc AB and Calc BC - doesn’t Calc BC cover the same material + more than AB? Also, taking Calc AB twice is def. unnecessary. Also, I actually thought AP Chem was really easy…but that may be because I’m more of a math/science person. :)</p>

15

<p>The reason why AP Chem is so hard at my school is because the teachers make the tests so hard and put in problems from the AP exams themselves, which often makes them too long for a 1 hour class.</p>

<p>Anyways, the key to managing even a moderately difficult course load is to plan everything out. You’ll be productive if you can make a plan for doing homework and for studying. Leaving everything to the last minute will hurt your GPA and make you feel miserable.</p>

16

<p>Why don’t you plan on taking physics?</p>

17

<p>to comment on taking AB twice. that’s silly. i’m taking BC right out of precalc. and i find it quite easy (and my teacher isn’t a pushover; no one’s ever failed the AB or the BC exam under his instruction). so just don’t, BC’s wicked easy anyway</p>

18

<p>Instead of taking AB over the summer, take a physics course and take AP physics sometime in your 3 years. Only if you’re interested in science though. Your schedule’s quite impressive, how come you got to take Pre-calc freshman year? The highest I was allowed to take was Geometry.</p>

19

<p>Thanks for all the advice guys!
@tb0mb & schoolisfun, the physics teacher at my school is kind of strange… I got a lot of feedback from upperclassmen at my school and I guess the physics program isn’t great. I considered taking AP Physics, but the teacher teaches ‘nothing’, so it’s basically a free period… until the AP exams come and you’re screwed. </p>

<p>More on physics- I want to major in business in college, can it wait to be learned then or should I reorganize my schedule to accomodate it?</p>

<p>Also, in my district, you take a math test when you entered sixth grade- if you pass it, you’re automatically moved up to Algebra I, which is what I did.</p>

20

<p>

Actually, not really. If you perform well enough in biology, your guidance department, biology teacher, and/or AP Biology teacher would be able to allow you to go right into AP Bio after regular biology.</p>

<p>It’s exactly what I did, and I took both AP Biology and chemistry honors at the same time this year.</p>