I’m contemplating cutting down on my course load for next year but still not sure what exactly I’m going to do. Need a little help making decisions here. My current plan is:
AP Calc AB
AP Calc BC
AP Env Sci
AP Eng Lit
AP Comp Sci (online because no longer being offered at school)
AP Psych
AP Euro
Internship
I’m taking 5 AP classes out of eight total right now. I work around twenty hours a week and it hasn’t been too bad. I’m still working on time management though, which is a big deciding factor because of apps next year. The three main classes I’m struggling in now are ( Ap Bio, APUSH and precalc). I’m not exactly completely loss in the latter two. I just recently figured out how to better study for my math classes and I’m improving. I don’t mind the challenge next year with BC. Bio is a completely different story. I have a problem with the class itself, not the material. APUSH I find hard to study because I’ve lost interest in this class. I do keep up with the reading however and try to use the AMSCO book to prepare for the exam. My loss of interest in the class makes me want to drop Euro for next year. Originally I thought I would like it content wise, but I’m having second thoughts. It’s also taught by the same teacher I have for APUSH.
If I drop Euro, I would either like to replace it with Human Geo online or take a free period. Most of the classes I take now are humanities based. I want to keep up the rigor and I have a sincere interest in the rest of the classes mentioned but I also want to make time for myself. My only problem with a free period, most likely early release, is staying at school on days where I have club meetings. I’ve also thought about substituting Euro for a dual enrollment course to continue studying a foreign language I took previously. The problem with this is working it into my school schedule, driving back and forth and the cost.
This might sound cliche, but do what your heart tells you to do. Only you know what you will feel like with the workload. If it were me, I would keep AP Euro. I find AP Human to be a sort of basic, eh AP. Euro will benefit you more. Have you fulfilled all of your foreign language credits?
Wait, why are you doing AB and BC at the same time? I’ve never heard of people taking the class concurrently and it’s quite pointless to take them at the same time.
Also, why are you taking AP Comp Sci online? I hope it’s b/c you’re interested in it and not because you want to fluff up your transcript.
*edit: oops, sorry the post from bodangles wasn’t there when I typed this up
To the above commenters, at some schools, AB is a pre-req for BC. They would normally take AB first semester and then BC second semester, for the AP Exam.
At my high school you would take AB or BC, not both. They are the same class except BC is 100% college level and more difficult then AB. Take BC, not AB, or visa versa. Also I took AP Env sci and AP Euro, they were easy classes. However AP Env Sci was a joke at my school, it was just propaganda and videos. However, your school might be different. You know yourself better than anyone, so if you think you can do it all then do it. I always regret that I didn’t take more AP classes in HS.
Since you’re struggling a bit in Precalc, take Calc AB, not BC. Colleges don’t even make a difference as long as you have calculus (you’re not shooting for HareyMudd or Georgia Tech, are you?)
You’re not on block scheduling, right (which would explain AB-> BC).
Even top colleges don’t expect more than 4-8 APs TOTAL.
If you’re applying to selective colleges, they’ll expect a 4th year of foreign language.
In fact, ideally you’d have 1 each of English, Math, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language every year, then your mandatory classes and personal picks for electives (doubling up in a subject you really like, pursuing subjects you’re interested in like art, the “fun” class just cause/intellectual curiosity…)
AP Calc AB
AP Calc BC=> remove
AP Env Sci
AP Eng Lit
AP Comp Sci (online because no longer being offered at school) => doubling up from APES
AP Psych
AP Euro => doubling up with AP Psych. AP Psych is an AP lite, AP Euro is AP core class. You can have both if you’re interested in social sciences/humanities.
Internship
Suggestion:
AP Calc AB
AP Eng Lit
AP Env Sci OR AP CS
AP Psych OR AP Euro
One of the two you didn’t take
I’m late everyone, thanks for the responses though.
@bodangles At my school, it’s either AB and BC combined with one course each semester. We receive credits for both. If you want AB only, then its AB and honors calc. Hope that makes sense. It’s yearlong either way if you want to take AP Calc.
@noemii Comp Sci will not be offered at my school next year so I either have to take it online or take the alternative, a mobile programming course which I’m considering. I have taken online classes before and I don’t think they are as flexible as some may believe.
@MYOS1634 and everyone else who is asking about foreign language requirements: I have already completed all the classes for the foreign language I have taken. Which is why I want to do dual enrollment. I really appreciate your suggestions. However, I have to take AB and BC together and Environmental is a graduation requirement. I’m interested in humanities more than math and science. My schedule for this year definitely reflected that. Senior year, maybe not so much right now. But I’m very limited in what I can take.
I’m definitely dropping AP Euro. I am thinking about switching to AB but I mentioned my concerns to my precal teacher and he personally thinks the AP calc teachers are better at explaining things than he is. He tells everyone the same thing no matter what their grade is: if you work hard at it, you’ll be fine. Don’t know if that really makes a difference.
