<p>A pretty big trend at my school is for kids to drop their foreign language and history course their senior year in lieu of an AP science course (which is double block). I was wondering how this looks in terms of course rigor? </p>
<p>I always thought it was best to have 4+ years of the 5 core subjects (English, Math, Science, History, and Foreign Language). </p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>You really only need three years of history, but you should end up with four years of a foreign language. </p>
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<p>I don’t think it matters as much that you take one of each of those classes every year as long as you end up with the right number of credits in each subject. Which you could do by doubling up, if you wanted.</p>
<p>(And I think they’re okay with people “specializing” on some level in a favorite subject, as long as they meet the minimum requirements in each subject.)</p>
<p>Oh, I mean like the students in my class are taking each of the core subjects every year until their senior year and then they drop History + Foreign Language. They didn’t double up before hand. So they have three or less years of Foreign Language and History.</p>
<p>That’s probably okay, because most colleges don’t require four years of a foreign language. My school doesn’t even offer three history classes. Of course, it would be preferable if they didn’t take an “easy” AP class instead.</p>
<p>History isn’t really a core subject. It’s more like 4 years of social studies. And foreign language isn’t as important as the others.</p>
<p>I think they want you to have taken World History and US History, though…those are pretty fundamental. They don’t want you to just take a bunch of psychology/sociology/whatever electives as your social studies classes. But your social studies classes don’t need to be all history.</p>
<p>Basically their schedule is like:</p>
<p>AP Physics/Bio/Chem
AP Physics/Bio/Chem
AP Calc/Stats
Honors English
Fluffy elective</p>
<p>They only have 4 classes?</p>
<p>They have four “real” classes - that aren’t PE/study hall/video production, etc.</p>
<p>They only have 4 “real” classes?</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>10char.</p>
<p>I’m transferring to your school.</p>
<p>LOL.
Yeah, and the kids who are in the four classes are also in the top 10% of the graduating class…</p>
<p>I’m starting Monday.</p>
<p>Our Salutatorian’s schedule is -</p>
<p>AP Physics C
AP Chemistry
AP Computer Programming
AP English Literature
Study Hall
Study Hall</p>
<p>I want his life.</p>