- Pre-calculus Hon
2)Adv Pl World History
3)AICE General Papers
4)Adv Pl Biology
5)Chem. Hon
6)Pre-Aice(Honors) French
7)Adv Pl Art History
8)Principles of Engineering Honors
These are classes that could potentially be seen on my schedule for next year. I’ve tried discussing the pros and cons of each with my older sister, fellow classmates, and guidance counselor–however, she was unavailable during my free time. I have experience with almost all of these classes as I have already taken the prerequisites/other classes with similar concepts. Is this schedule far too rigorous for a Sophomore? If I do get placed in these classes, do you have any tips for balancing them?
You don’t need three sciences, so replace Principles of engineering with something else or a free period.
AP art history is very tough and 3APs + precalculus+ French 4 would be very rigorous from a junior so make sure you can handle it as a sophomore.
3 APs would be very difficult. Personally, I would hold off on AP Bio until junior or senior year because it is traditionally a junior or senior class and it is known for being difficult and having lots of memorization. If your strengths lie in memorization, you know what you can handle, and it might be manageable.
Is your Principles of Engineering a PLTW class? If so, I have heard mixed things about it from my peers. The majority of my peers seem to enjoy it, but some find it extremely difficult while others don’t consider it too hard. You might want to check with the class’s reputation at your school.
In general, your schedule looks pretty well-rounded, and it’s still evident that you have more of a STEM focus. Are you taking AP Art history just for the AP credit or because you’re interested in art history? It can be a very interesting and worthwhile class, but if you’re not particularly interested in the subject already, you may find it boring and/or difficult.
Yes, it does seem like this is a difficult courseload, particularly for a sophomore, but it has been done before. If you’re unsure about a particular subject, talking to your teachers or guidance counselor wouldn’t hurt, either.
I’m not interested in taking Principles of Engineering AT ALL, which is a PLTW course, but I do find Art history very interesting and believe that it will reinforce some concepts in World History, which is a mandatory class. As for AP Bio, I love biology and my current bio teacher, who will be teaching my possible AP Bio class, really pushed me to take the class. That’s why it’s so difficult for me to make a decision as to what I should drop and add because the courses on my schedule really do interest me (except for POE, of course, nonetheless, I fear I may be forced to take it).
Why do you need to take Principles of Engineering? It’s a pure elective. NO college expects it. You can take it in junior year or senior year. Or not at all.
OK then
- Pre-calculus Hon
2)Adv Pl World History
3)AICE General Papers
4)Adv Pl Biology
5)Chem. Hon
6)Pre-Aice(Honors) French
7)Adv Pl Art History
- Fun class, unweighted, that requires little homework or hw done in class. Current Events or Shop. I’m a big fan of Culinary Arts, it’s a skill you’ll use your entire life.
My high school is a public school but nonetheless I attend it based on an “academy”. In this case it’s the Engineering Academy, which I only joined because of the possibility that I may get to take AP Computer science. Maybe my school won’t care if I take it; maybe they will…
I hear a lot of people talk about schedules, and with what you’re taking, it seems extremely difficult. If this is your first time doing AP courses, taking 3 during your sophomore year is a recipe for disaster. That’s like saying you go from learning to crack an egg to learning to make eggs benedict.
Assuming you took all honors freshman year, you should probably just stick to one or two AP courses. If you took all normal courses, I’d recommend you start slow and take one or two honors.
One of the first things I noticed on your schedule is that you’re doing both Chem Honors and AP Bio. I think it’d be best for you to just stick with Chem Honors as AP sciences tend to be for junior and senior year.
Also, where do you plan on going to college? Do you plan on going to your state’s flagship university or do you plan on going to an Ivy League school? Schedules can drastically change because of choices like that.
This isn’t my first year taking AP. I’ve maintained As in that class (the AP) from the 1st semester to the 2nd (alogisde my all of my honors classes—minus math, which i got a B in for the first semester). Also, it’s not uncommon for sophomores at my school to double-up on any course, let alone the sciences. However, i apreciate the input and I will be sure to use it.
@abcdefgcollege2 Was that AP class you took this year AP HumGeo?
Yup! And I’m aware that it is one of the easier AP classes.
Okay, so I’m now finishing the sophomore year with all As and only one B (AP Economics). I took Honors Chem. and it was quite hard, however, I want to go into a STEM career so I enjoyed the rigor. AP Bio requires A LOT of work and the exam is very hard compared to AP World or APES. I would strongly reconsider the AP Bio if you do not want to go into a STEM-related career, but I would keep everything else. My advice: get a study hall if you don’t want AP Bio.
First, you need to find out whether POE is required in your academy, and if it is a prerequisite for any other required courses. The course load you listed can be done, but will require a significant amount of work (and time). My daughter attends a PLTW school, and had a similar schedule as a sophomore: Honors Arabic, Honors English, Honors Civics, AP Calc AB, AP Chemistry, POE, Computer Science Essentials (PLTW) and Digital Electronics (PLTW, AP equivalent). It has been a tough year, but she has managed. She has to have 4 years each of Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology, so this puts her ahead by one class (allows some freedom her Senior year).
My suggestion would be to map out what you are likely to take the remaining 3 years of High School. First, to make sure you will meet your school’s graduation requirements, but also to ensure you have appropriate classes to take Junior and Senior year. If you take AP Bio and Honors Chem as a sophomore, what are your plans for Junior and Senior year? Unless the biology teacher is retiring after next year, it might make more sense to wait until Junior year for that class.
Save Bio for your upperclassman years; there’s no need to double up on science right now.
The rest of the classes are reasonable overall for a sophomore; other than AP Biology, AP Art History is probably the most questionable class on your schedule in terms of being too demanding, as it is very rigorous.