<p>I'm a senior this year and I'm considering dropping AP Spanish. Will this make me look bad on college applications? It's just that I HATE spanish and I'm REALLY bad at it. This would be my fifth year of spanish and I've managed to get A's so far, but I feel its just because I memorized the grammar/vocab for all the tests, and that the information went out of my head right afterwards. I never understand the readings they give us or the tapes/tv shows that we end up listening to and watching (I always have to ask people what it's about before the tests). Since this is AP, I'm not sure if I can manage to do well in the class without actually being able to completely understand it and be fluent, instead of just memorizing things every couple weeks. Plus I'm super shy and quiet and I get embarassed easily, so I hate participating/speaking up which has really hurt my grade in past years of spanish, and it's probably going to have a greater effect this year 'cause it's AP.</p>
<p>The thing is, if I drop it, the only other available AP class is AP Euro, which is not relevant to my intended major at all. (I plan to major in some type of engineering.) I would definitely do it if I was taking an AP science or math or something, but I've already taken/am taking all those. Would it look really bad if I drop spanish for a class that is pretty much irrelevant to my major? (Though I like history A LOT more than I like Spanish).</p>
<p>But then again, taking spanish will also allow me to be in spanish honor society and do some volunteering, and I'm kind of lacking in extracurriculars so that would be helpful.</p>
<p>So can anyone give me some advice? Is it worth it to drop it? (I'm planning on applying to top schools just so you know: Stanford, Berkeley, some Ivys)</p>
<p>Well you shouldn’t take a class that you hate but you should keep in mind that the majority of college students’ “intended majors” change and you might find yourself wishing you pursued a foreign language, if not in high school than in college.</p>
<p>But if your question is, will your dropping AP Spanish harm your admission chances, the answer is probably not.</p>
<p>it sounds like you would get a lot more out of AP EUro, which is a great class if you have a good teacher. It is not ewasier than AP Sapnish, although you may find it more enjoyable, and it may be a better fit for your type of thinking. You’ve given Spanish a lot of years, and fluency is a big hurdle for you - this is not unusual among math and engineering types. Talk to the teachers involved and see what they say. Also, don’t stay in Spanish just for the volunteer opportunities, unless you are excited about them. Doing something just for EC credit is a joyless experience. Find something more meaningful.</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine how it has “really” hurt your grade that you have a problem understanding Spanish if you have gotten As…but it’s a shame that you haven’t attained a degree of fluency. At some point you might want to try to find some kind of immersion experience or volunteer experience that forces you to communicate that might help you break through the barrier of shyness. Being able to communicate in another language is a great thing. </p>
<p>But anyway, AP Euro is a great class with a good teacher. At this point in your education you should be looking to acquire a broad background, not narrowing down to a hypothetical college major. (Especially given the schools at which you are aiming.)</p>
<p>BTW, since Spanish has been such a struggle for you–and Spanish is probably the easiest language to learn for most English speakers–something you might consider is the foreign language requirement at any college you attend. Could you fulfill the requirement with an AP score, and if so what? What are your chances of attaining such a score?</p>