The course scheduling for my school has started and I have begun choosing courses. Would anyone mind commenting on my schedule in terms of difficulty, time, and “impressiveness”? Thank you! Course Load: AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP US History AP Language and Composition AP Physics 1 AP Physics 2 Advanced Chemical Analysis(Organic) Research Methodology (College)
I can’t tell you how difficult your course load will be because every school is different, you have to ask your classmates how difficult the classes are and decide whether or not schedule is manageable.
Do you have block scheduling? Why are you taking both AP Calculus AB and BC?
Your course load does look impressive.
Our school uses a block system where you take 4 courses each semester. I would take AB Fall Semester and BC Spring Semester. Also, how bad is high school organic chemistry? The teacher said it is equivalent to the first part of a two part college organic chemistry sequence but I don’t believe her.
What grade are you getting in precalculus honors right now?
In any case you can’t take both Calc AB and BC at the same time. Either you take one of those based on precalcH grade, or you take one then the other one.
You can take either AP Phys1 OR 2.
You don’t have a foreign language, so unless you already reached level 4H or AP, you need to add it.
I applying to a CA university keep in mind you need to have 1 year of art/music.
I currently have a 95.8 in pre calculus. Also my school does it that you take AB first semester and BC second semester. The same goals for AP Physics. 1 in the fall and 2 in the spring. I have completed my foreign language as I took AP Latin Fall semester of this school year. I took my arts credit, symphony orchestra, freshman year.
Okay I understand, so your program really is block scheduling:
1sem 2nd sem
AB BC
Phys 1 Phys 2
APUSH AP Lang
Those are good. Also, you should be able to take SAT2 Physics in June of Junior year by taking both Phys1 &2.
However, I’m more dubious about your 4th block choices.
Why would you take HS Organic Chem? It’s unlikely to resemble college organic chemistry, since that requires 1 more level of college chemistry. What other choices do you have? If you can easily dual-enroll (as per the “research methodology” class you’re thinking of for Spring semester) why don’t you take GeneralChem2 at the college - but be prepared for a really, really hard class. What interests you in the “Methodology” class?
Rather than these two, I would advise a humanities or social science, DE if you can: Intro to Economics, Sociology, psychology.
Do you intend to be premed? If so, you could use that 4th block to start learning a foreign language spoken by immigrants (Latin is going to be useless, although I’m sure it’s interesting). Arabic is a hard but useful one, Spanish is the “default” one.
Or, first semester a DE “easy” humanities class, such as Survey of Classical Music or Overview of World Cinema, and second semester, a freshman topic history class. Since you took Latin, could be an Ancient History class, but you could also take a History of Science class.
I think that, as a junior, a “content” class would serve you better than a “methodology” class.
I am currently taking AP Chemistry, which is the prerequisite for the Organic Chemistry class, and I thought that it was equivalent to a full year college general chemistry sequence. The methodology class was recommended to me by my parents who believe that I should have a basis for how college research works. Since I am done with my language requirement, I really don’t want to start another language. I am hoping to take french in college when I have more wiggle room in my schedule.
Organic Chem in HS is rarely ever equivalent to an actual college course, so you’d be better off taking the class at a college.
A year-long AP class = 1 semester at college (except for Physics C complete with E&M, and Calc BC).
In addition, Ap Chem = General Chem1 (but generally a bit lighter, depending on where you go to HS or where you attend college). You need to take General Chem2 before you can take Organic Chem1 at a college. It’s possible “Organic Chem” at your HS is equivalent to GeneralChem2, but in ANY case you’d have to retake General Chem2 in college, and if you’re trying to be premed, you should retake GeneralChem1 anyway (in order to make sure your bases are strong enough, in order to get used to the college’s style and expectations, and because as a premed you want to frontload your GPA with an A/A-.) In short, I don’t see an advantage to taking Organic Chem, but if you’re interested, why not?
Is the Methodology class attached to a specific department? If not, is it a 1-credit seminar?