Impossible junior year schedule?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>I've finally figured out all I am going to do this coming year as a junior. Problem is, it is wayyy to much and I can't possibly get it all done. Any advice on what to let go of?</p>

<p>High School Classes:
Spanish 3
CP Physics
AP Physics B
AP Art History
AP Language and Composition
AP US History</p>

<p>Dual Enrollment Classes:
Multivariable Calculus
Differential Equations</p>

<p>Online Classes
AP Biology (FLVS)
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)
Introduction to Pharmacology (Coursera)
History of the World since 1300 (Coursera)
Introduction to Computer Science (Udacity)
Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics (Udacity)</p>

<p>Self-Study
AP World History
AP Environmental Science</p>

<p>Extracurriculars
Science Olympiad
Academic Decathlon
California Scholarship Federation (going to run for president or vice president)
American Red Cross Club (founding and running for president)
Key club?
Varsity boys volleyball (probably will be captain)</p>

<p>Work/Volunteering
Research team leader for a division of the American Cancer Society (already doing)
My job in retail
maybe volunteering at a hospital?</p>

<p>The summer after junior year I plan to try to get a lab research internship and I want to study abroad in Paris for four weeks (I'll have to raise the money myself, though).</p>

<p>Obviously this is not all possible for one person to get done, any advice on what to change?</p>

2

<p>That’s crazy. You definitely don’t need to take that many classes to impress college peeps. If anything, they’ll think you’re a tryhard with no social life (even if you do have one), and I’m pretty sure that’s a turn-off. :P</p>

<p>You’re already taking two AP histories, AND self-studying APWH? Get rid of History of the World since 1300, and Greek+ Roman Mythology unless you’re completely interested in them. Multivariable Calculus, Diffeq, Discrete Math/Combinatorics in one year? I’d cut that down to one or two math classes, depending on how much you like math I guess. I’d take just one Physics class if I were you, not sure what CP Physics is. I don’t think you need to take a Intro to Comp Sci class. You can probably teach yourself to program as a hobby if you’re really interested in it, but totally up to you.</p>

<p>All just my opinion, good luck next year, and remember to stay organized xD!</p>

3

<p>This thread makes me smile that I’m just ending my most painful year (junior). </p>

<p>Anyway, drop these:
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)
Introduction to Pharmacology (Coursera)
History of the World since 1300 (Coursera)
Introduction to Computer Science (Udacity)
Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics (Udacity)</p>

<p>By the way, online classes hold virtually no weight unless your taking an AP exam with them (why I think you should keep AP Bio). So, if your really interested in greek and roman mythology or pharmacology, browsing through Wikipedia for a few hours should suffice.</p>

<p>Unless your actually interested in AP World (I don’t think anybody is), don’t self study it. It will waste your time memorizing useless info that you’ll forget within a week of taking the exam.</p>

<p>You didn’t mention any standardized tests (SAT’s/ACT’s or SATII’s). If you are taking these, you should also factor in any study time needed for these exams.</p>

4

<p>holy @%#$ and I thought mine would kill me…</p>

<p>btw…</p>

<p>keep all your “in-school” classes, drop diff eq. and all those other online classes except for AP bio. And you have an extremely hard schedule that “might” be manageable.</p>

5

<p>I’d cut most of the online courses…they’d be much more time consuming than they would be worth.</p>

6

<p>No comment. You need to reevaluate why you’re taking all those classes because it looks like you’re just trying to impress colleges. Have a fun life while having CHALLENGING schedule not impossible.</p>

7

<p>OK, realistically, how invested are you into all those subjects? You’re all over the place with mythology, pharmacology, calc 3 and 4, and environmental science, computer science, etc. What are you really working for? Narrow down your classes to a list that fits what you want to do in college. </p>

<p>If you’re mainly interested in science, take Physics (take AP Physics C instead if you can, but that’s just my suggestion), and those calc classes, along with AP English, Spanish 3, and AP History to have a well rounded schedule. To go along with that I would suggest taking only ONE of the online classes you listed, such as computer science unless you have your heart set on another of those courses you chose. With that, I see no problem self studying for an extra AP as well. My senior year, for example, I took 2 dual enrollment (chem 1 & 2, and chem lab), AP calc BC, AP English lit, AP psych, AP computer science, and self studied physics C mechanics. However, I had absolutely no social life since I was also in cross country, theater, and academic decathlon. Getting 7 hours a sleep every night was also a challenge. </p>

<p>Are you really ready for calc 3? I would suggest that you have already taken calc BC before doing that. </p>

<p>You seem either extremely bright, or WAY over your head. Where are you fitting sleep into this schedule?</p>

8

<p>Narrow it down to your interests.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for all the replies. </p>

<p>@DAIMYO - OK, I think I won’t self-study AP World History and I’ll lose History of the World since 1300. Mythology is something I’m really interested in though. Also, I think I will take Discrete Math and Comb. this summer so I only have to take two maths during the school year. CP Physics is the prerequisite to AP Physics B at our school. Basically, it’s just regular physics.</p>

<p>@cc123sb So I think I will narrow down my online classes to AP Biology, Mythology, and Discrete Math and Comb. I can take Discrete this summer, which will save some time. Also, I won’t do AP World. As for standardized tests, I will definitely have to set aside time to study for them (I will study a lot this summer). I think I’ll be able to do pretty well since I got a 220 on the PSAT sophomore year without studying.</p>

<p>@iborpastan Unfortunately, we don’t have AP Physics C at our school, but I am taking it at our local community college senior year. I already took AP Calc BC sophomore year, and am signed up for Mult. Calc for the fall and diff. eq. for the spring at my local community college. Thanks for the suggestions!</p>

<p>@all A lot of you may think I am just doing this to impress colleges, but I have this issue in that I have a very wide variety of interests. I really like science and it is something I want to pursue and major in. History, though, is my favorite subject and I am actually really interested in it, hence the large amount of history classes in my schedule. I don’t like math as much, but I am really good at it and I figured I might as well go further to see if I might have a future with it. I am taking most of those classes because I am interested in them, especially the history ones. I think I will revise my schedule to look like this, is it better?</p>

<p>High School Classes:
Spanish 3
CP Physics
AP Physics B
AP Art History
AP Language and Composition
AP US History</p>

<p>Dual Enrollment Classes (at local cc):
Multivariable Calculus
Differential Equations</p>

<p>Online Classes
AP Biology (FLVS)
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)
Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics (Udacity)</p>

<p>Self-Study
AP Environmental Science</p>

10

<p>You may be interested in all these subjects, but you have to weigh your gains and losses. Can’t do it all unfortunately.</p>

11

<p>Hey, well, I’ve read about someone graduating Yale while still in high school and going into a graduate program at Princeton at the age of 18 and since then I’ve never doubted my ability to take on difficult schedules. We have no idea how you’ve done in previous years, so it makes it hard to judge if you can handle that schedule. It’s certainly possible to do a lot with yourself in a given day. It’s good to read that you’re not doing this just to impress colleges. </p>

<p>Next year’s theme for Aca dec, is Russia. Unfortunately there’s little overlap between that and your classes, so even though it probably doesn’t hurt you regardless of how you perform in that, I think you should use this summer to prepare for it. </p>

<p>Now here’s another important question. Is it within your capacity to get all A’s in that schedule? Or at least mostly A’s with one or two B’s? Seeing that you’re already ready for multivariable calc and that you have the confidence to take up such a schedule indicates that you might be. If not, cut down that schedule even more. But, I think you may be fine with your final choices. Best of luck!</p>

12

<p>Your new schedule looks slightly better, but I would suggest you also drop AP Environmental Science, because it’s somewhat of a time-waster unless you’re genuinely interested in science, and it doesn’t look like you’ll have any extra time on your hands.</p>

13

<p>@Niquii77 Any suggestions?</p>

<p>@iborpastan I think I can get all A’s with the schedule, but I will of course have to work harder than last year. If it gives you any indication, last year I took four AP classes - got A’s in AP Calc AB, BC, and AP Chem, and got A+'s in honors English and AP European History. I’m pretty sure I got 5’s on the AP Euro and AP Calc BC exams, but I’m not so sure about the AP Chem exams. Maybe a 4? I honestly had plenty of free time last year, but I procrastinated horribly, so I’m going to have to plan out my time management better. Also, for the academic decathlon, I assume you mean Russian history? That would be great since I love Russian history and actually have already studied it extensively. Incidentally, I have a tab up on Firefox right now about the Amber Room, lol.</p>

<p>@xanthosis112 Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely have to think about AP Environmental Science. Luckily, I have until March to decide. This coming year is the first year our school is offering that class, but I’ve heard it was the easiest AP test so I wanted to prove to my friends taking the class that it was a waste of of a class space. I don’t think that I have a particular interest in that exact subject area, but I really want to get the National AP Scholar Award by the end of junior year so I figured I might as well take the easiest exam :)</p>

14

<p>Well yeah, Russian, history, but as you know, academic decathlon also has literature, music, and economics, which will probably all be based on Russia or at least tie into Russia (the economics section usually has a lot of general economics). The music section requires some understanding of general music theory as well as music history and composition.</p>

<p>Well, don’t procrastinate next year. I don’t think it’s possible to handle that schedule with procrastination. Then again, I don’t know how some of you CC self proclaimed procrastinators do everything so well. My grades tanked at one point when I became a procrastinator and I really regret it. </p>

<p>With the exception of calculus BC, chemistry, biology, US history, maybe world and euro but not sure, and physics B, AP exams only represent one semester of college material, so AP environmental science is definitely doable. If you want an easy AP, AP psych is definitely something to check out (probably your senior year in your case). Environmental science may be better though since it probably fits in with your interests better.</p>

15

<p>That’s too much. Some of that stuff looks unnecessary.</p>

16

<p>Drop AP Bio and APES. No need. Drop a math class - 2 is fine, 3 is excess. </p>

<p>Admissions officers at the top schools are looking for you to pass a certain academic threshold, which you clearly have. Beyond that, they are looking for an interesting person. Having the AP award doesn’t make you interesting, being involved and excited does. I can guarantee that even as a superhuman, you will be burned out by this schedule. It’s just not worth is. Do a cost benefit analysis.</p>

17

<p>@alwaysleah AP Bio is necessary for me since I want to do a research internship next summer and without that knowledge I don’t think I would succeed. And once again, I am not overscheduling just to get into a top school; I legitimately am interested in each topic. As for the math, I decided to take Discrete math this summer and the other two during the school year, to balance it out more. Thanks for the input, though!</p>

18

<p>Haha, finally someone with one that looks similar to mine.</p>

19

<p>It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re interested. At a certain point you need to focus on other things. You have all of college and the rest of your life to continue to take classes. No need to rush.</p>

20

<p>That schedule looks totally manageable… for Albert Einstein. Please do yourself a favor and drop some classes. Other than your school schedule, drop all but one of your classes from each category you listed.</p>