Hey everyone,
I’ve decided most of my senior classes for next school year, but I’m stuck on what science class to take…
I’ve taken Honors Bio, AP Bio, and AP environmental science. As you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t taken physics or chemistry. I think that I would personally enjoy physics more, but which one are colleges looking for more since I have to choose between them? Also, I talked to the ap physics teacher, and he encouraged me to take ap physics. I took a sort of five week physics class at my upward bound program (it wasn’t a college class and didn’t count for any type of credit) and I did well in that class. However, I asked a friend about taking ap physics without taking honors physics first and he told me that it would be a bad idea and that the teacher (the same one I talked to) wasn’t very good. So, I don’t know if I should take ap physics or honors physics, or maybe even Chem. If it makes a difference, I want to go into International Relations, so my major has nothing to do with science. By the way, the other classes I am requesting for senior year are: AP US Gov, AP Calc BC (even though I hate math), Advanced American Lit (already took AP Lang and AP Lit), Advanced Portuguese (there is no AP Portuguese class/exam) and hopefully an elective (hoping for American Assassinations, but our school’s scheduling is awful so…). I have to email my guidance counselor my class requests ASAP so please respond quickly! Thanks!
Is there a way you could take both? Most colleges will want to see one year each of bio, chem, and physics. Not having one of those can put you at a disadvantage and make you ineligible at a few schools.
@guineagirl96 Well I couldn’t take both of them at the same time at my HS, but maybe I could take them at my CC? Although I’d have to go in extra for lab days which would be more stressful bc of everything going on in senior year… If I were to take one at my school and one at my CC, which one should be done at which? Also if I took physics at my hs, should I do ap or honors?
Which AP physics is it? AP physics 1 or C? If its AP physics C, I would do honors, but you should be fine in AP physics 1. If you can also take chem, I’d recommend doing that at CC (if its possible, don’t overload yourself) just because college physics will be difficult with taking another physics first and also may be too difficult math wise (did you take calc AB?). If you do decide to take one at CC, remember that you can also take it second semester if you feel that it will be too much with college apps in the fall. I would be careful with the workload though, because you are taking pretty rigorous classes.
@guineagirl96 it would be AP Physics 1, but do you think I should still do it if my major is non-science related? The valedictorian took it and didn’t do well bc she skipped honors physics…idk that’s mainly what I’m stuck on…Also no I didn’t take AP calc ab, I took Honors Calc and Honors Stats this past year
AP Physics 1 should still be fine. Honors Calc is fine (I just meant previous calc experience; should have phrased that better)- that won’t matter in that case; AP Physics 1 only uses math through algebra 2. Look at some schools that you’re interested in and see what their AP credit policy is for AP physics 1. It may get you out of a general education requirement and then you would not have to take a science in college (depending on their requirements), so it could be useful as a non-science major. If that’s the case, I’d go for the AP (or at least consider it). If it looks like it won’t give you useful credit, then take honors (you’ll have more time to focus on other classes then).
Just to update with my (current) decision, I talked to my guidance counselor before school let out, we agreed that taking Chem at the CC would be a lot with apps, and also the classes were not available at good times- most were in the middle of the day (when I have school, so not possible), and a few were around 7-9 or 10 pm, and in addition to the lecture class I would have to take the lab class on a second day of the week. Basically, it’d be extremely hard for me to do the chem class. However, we also talked about scheduling, and before it would’ve been hard to fit in two science classes, but for the next year they are completely changing the schedule (going from a normal 7 block to a 5 block with classes switching off every other day). With this new schedule, I’d be able to take honors Chem and honors physics, because each take up basically 1/2 a block (they switch off, so together take up one block). But if I was to take AP physics, it takes up a full block (doesn’t switch off). So, I requested honors chem and honors physics as of now, but I have to see how the new schedule will work and if I can actually fit in all my courses the way I want them to. The only thing with that is that if I don’t get Chem as well, then it’d probably be better to take ap physics instead of only honors, but it’s very hard to move “up” (from honors to ap) after schedules have been made, and our GCs normally do not want people to do that. So, I kind of have a compromise with honors chem and honors physics, fingers crossed that everything will work out! @guineagirl96