<p>I'm a freshman currently, and I'm doing pretty well in school (4.16, mainly honors). Everyone talks about how much harder junior year is, and I was wondering, based on your experiences, how much harder is sophomore, junior, and senior year compared to freshman. I plan to take around 3-4 AP's junior and senior year, but I'm not sure if I'm in over my head. I realize that it differs from school to school, but I would love to hear your insights. Please don't tell me that I'm too young to be worrying about this, because I'm not worried, I'm just wondering. Thanks! :)</p>
<p>My freshman and sophomore years were alright. My junior year was a killer, though. 7 APs and college classes does not a healthy sleep schedule make. But senior year has been nothing. Really, I rarely have homework that can’t be done in 15 minutes and I’m in what my school calls the “most rigorous” classes.</p>
<p>Freshman year was the hardest for me</p>
<p>Even though Junior year will likely have the most workload, it’s gradual enough that you’ll be able to go with the flow without realizing that you are staying up later and working longer.</p>
<p>You can only make high school difficult. If you decide to take challenging classes, prepare for the work. Challenging yourself isn’t bad, it’s great but don’t over do it.</p>
<p>Freshman year was difficult just because my middle school did not prepare us at all. Everything was basically one big party in eighth grade and I thought high school would be a breeze. Sophomore year has been the easiest year thus far mainly because the material in all of my classes was easy even though they were honors. This year I’m taking a full schedule of honors classes and one before school honors class, with two APs mixed in there. I have found that the amount of work I have had this year is what has made it so difficult. The first half of the year was basically one big screw up. I, as well as my classmates who are in all of the same classes as I am, were burnt out. In my school AP classes are not offered to us until Junior year, so we take as many honors and AP courses as possible Junior year to basically pad our gpas and look good for colleges (I know this is bad…but whatever). This year has been busier for me because now I have a job. I’m also involved in eight clubs and activities and hold leadership positions in all but one. So yeah, the extra stuff has weighed me down, but I do feel as if I know more because of the classes I’m taking.
Personally, Junior year has freaked me out just because I know that this is my last year of real high school. I have SATs and ACTs and Subject Tests and AP Exams to do well on, as well as keep my grades up, and make good relationships with a couple of teachers for letters of recommendation, all the while doing everything in my power not to totally break down.
Next year I’m not taking as academically rigorous classes-I need a break and I’m going to be taking a couple extra elective courses but I’m still taking three APs and three honors courses, which is almost a full schedule.
High school will become more difficult because the academic level you’re supposed to be at come Junior year will be expected to be much higher, thus the level of difficult will increase in your classes.</p>
<p>At my school, Junior year is considered the hardest because that’s when people who take APs, whether a full schedule or just a couple, take the hardest ones like US History and Chemistry while also preparing for the SAT and ACT. Senior year is generally easier, but senioritis will cripple even the brightest student.</p>
<p>I wish they offered AP’s to sophomores at my school so that we could get used to an AP class before jumping into 3 or 4 right at once. Unfortunately that’s what we all have to do at my school…</p>
<p>Junior year is hard as hell with AP Chemistry or AP Physics C.</p>
<p>Freshman easy, Sophomore easy, Junior hard, Senior you choose.</p>
<p>Sophomore year was very easy. Same as freshman year for me, but for some people its even easier because they don’t have to transition to high school. Junior year was only stressful second semester. First semester senior year was my worst, what with college apps, sat/act, subject tests etc. But besides those two semesters its not too bad.</p>
<p>freshman/sophomore year = easy
junior = hardest year
senior = you choose how much work and how hard it is, but let me tell you know, it will be the most stressful</p>
<p>slap anyone in the face who tells you senior year is easy. it might be easier than junior year, buts it’s a hell of a lot more stressful…just warning you now…</p>
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<p>My school offers AP World History, Environmental, and Bio to freshmen (it’s great for transitioning to high school because juniors and seniors may be in those classes as well) and Chemistry to sophomores. Also anyone can take AP Psych, Chinese, or Japanese.</p>
<p>My only tip is try not to procrastinate.</p>
<p>Freshman year was probably my hardest. Had really hard global and english classes-- like welcome to honors, write these essays and we’ll tell you why you suck at writing. Big eye opener. But then sophomore year was pretty tough too, with AP Euro, honors chem, and honors algebra 2/trig. From there, it all got easier. Junior year was pretty easy, but I chose pretty easy science and math courses (honors physics instead of AP, honors precalc instead of AP prep). Senior year is now super easy, 5 AP’s plus gym means I only go to school from 10-1:30, and I find I barely have much work anymore. But, I planned my senior schedule to be easy, and I know others who planned their schedule to be hell with double AP sciences and maths.</p>
<p>Honestly, it’s all dependent on the courses you choose to take, and with what other courses. Sciences tended to require a ton of work with labs, and with math you can count on daily homework. If I were you, I’d balance the “tough” AP’s between your junior and senior year- Stats is typically easier than Calc, Bio is easier than Physics and Chem (though, this is just my school- your school could make it different). I have friends who took stats and bio as juniors, and now have calc, physics, and chem, and really regret not planning that out better.</p>
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Around here all 3 are very difficult. Environmental is the one to take if you want an easier AP science.</p>
<p>Ah that would make sense; we don’t have environmental. Bio is definitely still not easy though… it seems that the AP sciences are the most time-consuming classes overall, with labs and all (hence why I avoided them completely haha).</p>
<p>Freshman year? Slept through it. Sophomore year so far has been pretty challenging…but it’s mostly isolated to me because we just went to the A/B schedule and I leave every Tuesday for a dual enrollment program (well it’s not for credit yet, but next year). The fact that my school makes the same classes fall on the same day every week only exacerbates the problem because I have my hardest classes on the day I miss, causing me to miss 40% (!) of the class time. But anyway, I’ve made it through mostly unscathed and feel pretty confident in my ability to tackle the last two years. :)</p>