Math + Science Course/Class Plans w/ Additional Qs

Pre-College Issues High School Life
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Hi guys, a 9th grader here. (Yes, I want to prepare early, and knock out some questions NOW instead of later.)

I’m definitely going to be taking AP Calculus BC in 10th grade and have some doubts on which Science class to take. I want to advance as much as I can in Math and Science, so I have some questions.

Math Plans:
So since I’m going to take AP Calculus BC, I heard that you can take dual-enrollment classes like Multivariable Calculus/Calculus III. Is it better that I take them separately (ex: Calc BC in school, and then Multivariable Calculus following year or during the Summer) or at the same time? (Multivariable Calculus after or before school, you get my point.) Also if you do recommend taking them separately, would you recommend taking it DURING summer, or after summer in the 11th grade? I plan to do this pattern with each dual enrollment class, because I want to be able to knock them out of the way. If I have to take them again during college, I’d probably get a better grasp around the main concept from some previous class experience.

Science Plans: I’m currently taking AP Biology and I’m doing fine. By default, most 10th graders get Chemistry Honors. Is it risky to go straight for AP Chemistry? I’m thinking it probably is, but I want to hear some opinions before I do. I have no clue when 10th and 11th graders take Physics. Do 10th graders usually take Chemistry and Physics, then branch off to whichever AP they like? Not sure. Does AP Physics (I don’t know if it’s B or C or the sort.) require a very good background? That, I was just wondering. I’d like to take some Dual-enrollment classes starting 10th on-wards regarding Science as well, but not sure which. Just to let you know, my primary interest is in the Biology field, so I’m thinking of Anatomy&Physiology I and II (with labs.). Once again, I was wondering about you guys’ experience with it or strong opinions about it. I could take Honors Anatomy & Physiology at school, but it has a I and II at the local community college which would probably give me more in depth learning. Just what I think, I could be wrong.

Additional Questions:
My school is pretty good actually, it offers all the classes I’m interested in. What it sadly doesn’t have, is participation in any major competitions and such like the USABO and USAMO, not sure about the AMC 10 and 12, but most likely not. How on Earth can I participate? I’ve already spoken with my guidance counselor and a couple teachers and staff regarding this issue, but they all don’t give me a definite answer and just ask me to ask another person, and on and on. What is your take on this? Kind of irks me when I see other schools on the list while we have yet to register and I’m just thinking why on Earth we aren’t on the list.

Sorry for the rant. Hope you guys could help my situation out a little bit. It would be really appreciated.
Thanks!

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For the international science olympiads (USABO and USAMO), nearby high schools or colleges may offer the tests. My school doesn’t have linguistics, so the people there go to MTSU.

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What math classes will you take in your junior and senior years? Do you have access to a local university where you can take classes not available at community colleges (if this something that interests you)?

How does dual enrollment work at your school? Would you go to a college campus and take classes there?
If you’re not sure where to start, I would recommend talking to your guidance counselor and looking at the websites of local colleges and universities to see if they have dual-enrollment programs.

Colleges won’t let you take AP Calculus BC and multivariable calculus at the same time, because Calculus BC is a prerequisite for multivariable.

If your state has a program that allows you take dual-enrollment classes for free, you should wait until the school year. Otherwise it doesn’t matter, although you might prefer to do something else during the summer.

I would strongly recommend taking Chemistry Honors first, but I guess it depends on your school and you should try to figure out what other students have done.

Most honors students take chemistry in their sophomore year and physics in their junior year.

Physics B doesn’t require previous background in physics, as far as I know. Physics C typically requires knowledge of calculus, as well as a previous physics class.

You can take the AMC 10 or 12 at a university near where you live (see [this list](American Mathematics Competitions) and email the contact person).

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Calculus is sequential, so it is better to take Calc 3 after BC, not concurrently. Otherwise, it’s like taking Spanish 3 and Spanish 2 at the same time.

It may be; that’s a conversation with a science teacher at your school who will know your abilities better.

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@halcyonheather

Wow, thanks so much. Honestly, I have no idea how to quote since I’m still kind of new to this website overall. So I’ll just do this: A brief summary.

  • I'm planning on taking the following Math classes offered at dual enrollment. I'll probably take your advice and not do it over the summer, but instead during the following year. The dual-enrollment offered at the local community college is 100% free (thankfully.)
  • Because of the above statement, I will probably have a gap to fill in as a period in 11th and 12th, so I'll probably fill those gaps with some AP classes.

Skieurope: Thank you, I think I’ll agree with those statements.

ON A SEPARATE NOTE:
Also, if it’s not too much to ask of you, do you know of any online art classes that actually offer high school course credit? I couldn’t fit any art classes in my schedule this time (how stupid of me…) and I’ve been searching for some that offer high school credit, but no luck unfortunately. If anyone knows of any, please, please let me know.

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For going straight to AP Chemistry and AP Physics, it depends on how your school teaches the course (even though the AP courses follow a standardized curriculum, certain schools focus more on some parts than others). For AP Chemistry, the only major prerequisite is knowing the basics of chemical bonding, chemical reactions, and stoichiometry. Perhaps over the summer you can read through the beginning of an AP chemistry textbook (for example, the first 4-5 chapters of Zumdahl) and that will be enough background knowledge.

For AP Physics there is even less background knowledge required. Essentially you can take the course without any knowledge of physics, although knowing some kinematics (velocity, acceleration, graphs, 5 motion equations) and dynamics (forces, Newton’s laws) will help.

In the past the two versions offered of AP Physics were AP Physics B and AP Physics C (with separate exams for Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism). Now AP Physics B is broken up in to AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. AP Physics B (and now AP Physics 1 and 2) just require algebra and trigonometry, while AP Physics C requires basic calculus skills. If you go through AP Calculus BC you will have enough calculus knowledge required for the course.

If you think you can handle the work load you can go straight to AP Physics and AP Chemistry next year.

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@Transfer154
Thank. You. So. Much.
I think I’ll try to take your word for it, I’ll work hard.
Once again, thanks so much.

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Math Plans:
So since I’m going to take AP Calculus BC, I heard that you can take dual-enrollment classes like Multivariable Calculus/Calculus III. Is it better that I take them separately (ex: Calc BC in school, and then Multivariable Calculus following year or during the Summer) or at the same time? (Multivariable Calculus after or before school, you get my point.) Also if you do recommend taking them separately, would you recommend taking it DURING summer, or after summer in the 11th grade?

Dual enrollment arrangements differ widely from school to school. You need to ask your counselor about this. If you don’t know the answer to this already, my guess is that your school has no dual enrollment arrangements for post-BC math. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean you cannot of your own initiative enroll in such classes at a local cc or college, but don’t expect much support or any credit from your high school. It may not even be possible to take them during the year. That depends entirely on scheduling and whether your high school is cooperative. Even if it can be scheduled, you need to decide whether it’s worth it. Can your family pay the tuition and textbook costs? What about transportation–that can be costly, inconvenient, and time-consuming. Will the scheduling work between the schools, or if the class is offered after school hours, will it prevent you from joining any EC’s? Will you be able to enroll, or do these classes fill up with priority enrollment given to college students?

“I’m currently taking AP Biology and I’m doing fine. By default, most 10th graders get Chemistry Honors. Is it risky to go straight for AP Chemistry?” My daughter would say yes but you should talk to the teacher and to students at your school.

“Do 10th graders usually take Chemistry and Physics, then branch off to whichever AP they like?” No, they usually take chemistry and then physics the following year. You really should talk to other students at your school…

“Not sure. Does AP Physics (I don’t know if it’s B or C or the sort.) require a very good background?” There is no more B, it’s been replaced by the 2 year sequence of 1 and 2, and those require no background. If your school is still teaching a Physics B class (even though there is no Physics B exam), some schools don’t require prerequisites, others do. I would suggest background for C. Talk to your physics teacher and to students at your school.

“I could take Honors Anatomy & Physiology at school, but it has a I and II at the local community college which would probably give me more in depth learning.”

You need to talk to your counselor. Just because something is a college course doesn’t mean it is automatically “dual enrollment”. Every school has different arrangements. Our school doesn’t give credit for random college classes. You should also be aware that college grades will appear on your college transcript and should you find these courses difficult as a hs student, that won’t matter to those who will be looking at your college GPA.

"What it sadly doesn’t have, is participation in any major competitions and such like the USABO and USAMO, "

I don’t know about USABO since that is not something our school has, but USAMO requires qualifying scores on the AMC and then the AIME tests. You can travel to a testing site to take the AMC if your school doesn’t offer it. Evidently you have a list of schools which offer these exams, so you need to talk to someone at one of those sites to arrange to take the AMC.

One reason why it’s hard to advise people on the internet is that schools differ quite a lot in requirements and expectations. For instance, our school runs an 8 block schedule, while kids at some schools take as few as 6 classes. Our teachers have less instructional time and our students are juggling 1-2 more classes than many kids. As a result, they tend to want prerequisites for the AP science classes, whereas a kid on a 6 class schedule with more instructional time and less homework load from other classes may be more able to jump in to an AP without a prerequisite.

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@mathyone

I had already checked with my guidance counselor prior to posting this. There is dual-enrollment offered at my local community college as I had mentioned previously before and have already read the courses offered list. I’ve done all the checking work, I just wanted to hear opinions. You’re right on the others though. Thanks for your help.

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OK, but you still have to work with the scheduling of the cc. That probably isn’t on the exact same schedule as the high school.

We don’t know how many classes you are taking or how timeconsuming your ECs are. Still, I would caution you that BC calc, Physics C, and AP Chem are usually considered the most difficult AP STEM classes, especially if you haven’t already taken AB calculus. Jumping in to both Physics C and AP chem as a sophomore with no prior physics or chem would be quite difficult. And then, will you be able to find and schedule classes to take as an upperclassman? Will the workload make you miserable? Will you have time to pursue ECs? Will you get enough sleep? I am similarly concerned about your plan to pack each summer with STEM classes–sounds like a recipe for burnout to me.

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I have a friend who is also a 9th grader skipping classes and doing all the crazy work. She does schoolwork for hours. The thing is she loves it. It’s her passion and she wouldn’t chose to do anything else with her time. She is driven to do this by her love for it, not the desire to get it all over with, or to impress anyone else. I going to go ahead and assume you are too. If I’m wrong please correct me, as we need to be having an entirely different conversation.

I think if you handled AP Bio with no high school background in it (which you are supposed to have) you might be fine to take AP Chem without it too. That’s just my thinking though, I have no personal experience with either classes. Definatley talk to your guidance counselor about it. I’m actually in AP Physics I right now and you can definatley go in it with no physics background. In fact, I think it would be too easy for you to go in it having already taken an honors class. As for art, see if your state has a virtual public school that offers classes. A lot of states do and you could probably take it from there for free.

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" I’m actually in AP Physics I right now and you can definatley go in it with no physics background." AP Physics 1 is intended to be a first physics course. AP physics C is much more difficult.

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@mathyone @Madeline25

Thank you guys for the elaborate explanations and personal experiences. Excuse me for my late reply. Yes, I really do have a passion for these classes, and I have somewhat of a competitive fiery spirit haha. Thanks again for all your help!