<p>Only taking 3 AP classes, but feel overwhelmed.</p>
<p>Chemistry teacher said homework should take around 3 hours a day to complete if we're doing it properly. I once timed myself and it was around 2 hours and 15 minutes, but that was just a simple assignment (not including studying for chem test, or working on major lab writeups, etc).</p>
<p>Even though classes are even other day, Chemistry requires we turn homework in daily.</p>
<p>So I'll round down and say 2 hours a day for Chemistry. Plus 1 hour for Calc, that's already 3 hours total and doesn't even include the other 4 academic classes I am taking.</p>
<p>I have extra curricular activities: arrive home at around 7-ish and have dinner. Then I practice my instrument. So I'm ready to do homework at around 7:45, but it's the end of the day and I can't concentrate too well. If I studied non-stop I'd be done at 11:00, but I'd be too tired to even make it there.</p>
<p>First…3h a day is a LOT. What does your teacher have you do??</p>
<p>Now…general stuff I try to do:</p>
<p>** Finding time **
[<em>] Do homework at any time I can: during lunch, breaks, free time in class, etc.
[</em>] Get ahead, and don’t fall behind: I use weekends and holidays to get as far ahead as I can. For me, robotics takes ~10h a week offseason and ~30-40h a week during build season, so I have absolutely no fall back
** Using time efficiently **
[ul]
[<em>] Figure out what is important: if homework isn’t graded, I’ll do it later, or do less of it.
[</em>] Work efficiently: spending more time isn’t always more productive. Things like finding everything I need before I start and having a large space to work on make me work faster.
[<em>] Have a goal before I start: if I say I’ll spend 1h on math, I’ll spend the entire hour on math unless there is an emergency. If 1h is too long for you, try breaking up time into 30min increments.
[</em>] Break up time: I can only spend 3h straight on a few subjects; for most of the rest, I do 45min - 1h increments. Alternate subjects if you need to, or:
[<em>] Take a break: stretching, walking around a bit, getting a snack, etc. really helps me focus.
[</em>] Don’t get distracted: I use LeechBlock on Firefox to stay on track. When I’m doing homework, I try my best to not get distracted on my phone/tablet/computer.
[<em>] Track time: something I’ve been trying to do…I create a spreadsheet/table with ~10min increments, and every 10min I record what I did/accomplished. It’s a way to force me not to go do some random thing, but can also help me like I accomplished something.
[</em>] Track assignments: I use Sticky Notes (on Windows). I can copy a table from Word into it, and I have a column for the assignment, due date, approx time to complete, and status.
[/ul]</p>
<p>I hope something in there helped! If you have any other questions, I’ll be happy to try and answer them. </p>
<p>What extra curricular activities are you taking that gets you back at home by 7 pm? Time to reconsider that. </p>
<p>What instrument do you play? How long do you practice? What’s your level of accomplishment? All these are things to consider.</p>
<p>A demanding academic load is not easy, and no, 3 AP courses is not demading. In college you will be taking the equivalent of 6-8 AP courses and won’t have much time for ECs and music.</p>
<p>My daughter gave up her most time consuming extracurricular activity when she started taking three or more AP classes. It was a huge sacrifice because it was her favorite activity – rock climbing team. She’s met other students who did the same thing, such as giving up competitive horse riding. She also skips assignments that do not count much toward the final grade or turns things in late with points off if there is just too much due. Her AP Chemistry work takes much longer than the teacher thinks it should. At least one of her friends only gets five hours of sleep a night (that’s the valedictorian). I guess what I am saying is that I don’t think it is easy for anyone. Hang in there and just do what you can.</p>
<p>How much of the grade does the AP Chemistry homework count for? It’s definitely possible to understand AP Chem without pouring in massive hours of time, especially if you’re good at math.</p>
<p>But lab writeups are a major pain no matter what; however, other stuff could likely be ignored to an extent.</p>
