How important on senior classes?

<p>Well, I'm in a quandary right now. I'm currently a senior and I'm taking AP Chemistry without any prior chemistry class or experience. The thing is,... it's much more work than I expected it to be, so I have a C+ right now; my friends are telling me that it will become harder and my grade will probably drop to a D. I'm also taking my SATs (reasoning and two subject tests) in October and November, and this class it taking up waaay too much (all) of my study time. </p>

<p>I can drop to normal chemistry right now, it won't appear on my transcript and I'll have a lot more free time, or I can go on with it and it'll probably diminish my SAT scores and GPA. My question is, how significant is your senior schedule to colleges, specifically the top UCs (berkeley, ucla)? Would it look bad if I just take normal chemistry instead of AP?</p>

<p>And from what I've heard, UCs only calculate sophomore and junior grades and they don't look at senior grades unless it's below a C.</p>

<p>My current senior schedule is as follows:
english, economics, calculus CD (honors class), ap statistics, ap chemistry</p>

<p>I'm just wondering if taking AP Chemistry is really worth it. Is senior year schedule even that important?</p>

<p>Your senior year schedule is very important to colleges. The one thing that colleges want to see, even more than your GPA and rank, is for you to challenge yourself. So, having a rigorous senior year schedule can only be a plus. In addition, if you apply regular decision to a college, then they will also use your half-year grades in the admissions process. They won't use them if you apply early decision or early action because you and they won't have them! </p>

<p>What's your GPA? What's your rank? Why did you even start with AP Chemistry if you hadn't take an introductory level course? Do they have an honors course that you can take?</p>

<p>It depends on the colleges you believe you can realistically get into.
If you have a good shot at UCLA or UC Berkeley (which wants harder senior schedules), then take the risk and power through AP Chem with some outside tutoring.</p>

<p>If you're aiming at UCSD/SB/I (which doesn't require as hard of a senior schedule), then drop it.</p>

<p>My GPA is 3.90 unweighted; my school doesn't do ranks; I started with AP Chemistry because I did well just starting AP Physics C (which is supposedly harder than ap chemistry). Well, I'm more of a math/logic type than a mass-memorization type of person. And I think I have a reasonable shot at UCLA and Berkeley as long as I score 2100+ on the October test.</p>

<p>Chemistry is not just memorization. Yes, one of the techniques you will need to use to do well in chemistry is memorization, however, there are many more calculations and logical problems in chemistry. You can't really compare physics to chemistry. They are both natural sciences, but you can generally think of physics as applied math, more or less. It's a simplistic view, but you can get by in physics without being introduced to the introductory concepts. In chemistry you can't, and there is just way too much to cover before the AP test for the course to include the introductory topics. I'd recommend that you keep AP Chemistry. I got an A in the class last year, and chemistry was and is my favorite subject. If you'd like, I can help you over through instant message or e-mails. I can also give you some resources to learn the introductory topics from. There aren't a lot, but once you get the hang of them, you should do fine in AP Chemistry.</p>

<p>if you are sure that you are going to get lower than a B in ap chem, i would drop down to regular chem.</p>

<p>I didn't mean chemistry is just rote memorization. However, it does involve a bit too much cramming; we had to memorize most of the periodic table and lots of polyatomic ions (complete with charges) by the end of the first week--the same week when I thought Na was 'nadium'. But of course, I know there is logic applied to it.</p>

<p>And I appreciate your offer, but I know several friends who've completed ap chemistry last year, so I can ask them for help (one has already helped me a ton with nomenclature).</p>

<p>Memorizing most of the periodic table is absolutely useless for the course and for the AP test. So, I think your teacher is at fault. In all honesty, you will only see about 20 to 25 elements repeatedly used in questions throughout the course. Polyatomic ions, on the other hand, require that you remember the pattern. There are only one or two that deviate from it. So, if you know just those and the pattern, then you'll be fine. You'll need to know polyatomic ions as you can do a lot with them. Nomenclature is quite easy. How much did you learn?</p>

<p>Anyway, if this is taking up too much time, then I'd say drop down to general chemistry. Chemistry and physics are different beasts.</p>