<p>Do you think it's a good idea to take an open period senior year? Will it affect college admissions?</p>
<p>I'm considering getting an open period since I'm going to try taking 5 AP classes and band my senior year. I don't want to be stressed my whole senior year. I'm also doing marching band and such which takes up a lot of my time, so I really have no clue how I'm going to manage all the AP classes. However, I'm set on taking all these AP classes to try and raise my GPA, keep those people who're trying to pass me up in rank away lol, and get college credit.</p>
<p>I'm taking 3 AP classes this year (junior year). It's not as bad as I thought, but how will it be when I take 5 or maybe 6 AP classes? Would I be fine taking 6 AP classes (& band)? Or is it better to take 5 AP classes and an open period?</p>
<p>The part that worries me the most about taking an open period is the effect it will have on college admissions. </p>
<p>Oh, wow, I wrote a lot. Sorry! Thank you for your time! :) Any advice and information would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Six AP classes probably wouldn’t be as bad as you think (it depends on what AP classes they are and how challenging your school is in general), but you’re not going to be rejected from any college for having a study hall.</p>
<p>I’m going to take AP English, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, AP Economics/AP Government, Band, and (if I take a 6th AP class) AP Statistics.</p>
<p>Would this course load be too challenging?</p>
<p>Did you guys take open periods? If so, how was it? If you didn’t how did you survive lol?</p>
<p>I currently have an open period - however, its credited. “AP Study Hall” - I think its a business credit or something; but its for students enrolled in one or more AP class. Every period 1, I go to the designated study hall classroom (or wherever I want, actually. I could go to my favorite teacher’s room, Starbucks, my GC’s office, etc.) - and typically I devote that time to college related stuff, supplement writing, essay writing, talks with GC, etc so that when I get home, I can focus on my primary academics (studying for tests, homework, etc.) 90% of my college application process was completed at school because of this. My AP Lit teacher has a free period during that time, so I went to her quite a few times so she could read over essays and supplements and whatnot. It worked out quite well and I’m thankful for it.</p>
<p>I took 3 AP’s my junior year and made a big jump senior year as well (5 AP/DE courses, and AP Macro Independent Study (it’s graded & on transcript, so its not equivalent to a self-studied AP). It’s difficult, but definitely doable. </p>
<p>If you want to take AP Stats (because you enjoy the class - not because you want to impress adcoms), then do so. It will be a difficult schedule, but not impossible by any means. </p>
<p>If you don’t want to learn stats purely for the sake of learning stats, take a study hall instead. I decided to be a TA one period rather than taking an additional math class, and I don’t regret it a bit. It’s really helpful - I have time to get help, I can take a nap if necessary, I have time to work on homework, and time to work on college/scholarship apps. It’s the best decision I made in high school lol. </p>
<p>So really I’d advise taking the study hall unless you really have a strong desire to learn stats. Senior year is hard you will appreciate having the extra time to work on stuff. And one study hall is not going to get you rejected from colleges if you have a lot of difficult classes.</p>
<p>I think having a free period is totally fine That way, you can get started on homework/projects before you even leave school (or just play games on your phone, like I’d do, haha) </p>
<p>I don’t think it’s necessary to take AB and BC in the same year, but other than that, your plan sounds good.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m taking both AB and BC Calculus because I’m definitely going to take BC Calculus and I though that I might as well take AB too. </p>
<p>I’m not a math person lol, so I don’t have a really strong desire to learn Stats. I was thinking that it would be helpful in college though, so that’s why I was considering taking it.</p>
<p>An open period really does sound very helpful.</p>
<p>Do your open periods affect your GPA, or do they not count? </p>
<p>In my school they don’t count, but I was thinking that having another AP class would be more beneficial than an open period towards my GPA. The biggest reason that I’m hesitant to take an open period is because of the competition at my school. A lot of kids were put in advanced placement classes, (I was not however because of my super shyness in elementary school-the time when they were deciding who to put in advanced) so they have a huge advantage over me. I really want to keep my rank as is, but I’m worried that those advanced placement people will pass me because of all the advanced classes they’re taking. (This year (junior year) most of them are taking at least 5 AP classes compared to my 3 AP T.T)</p>
<p>I don’t think that it’s necessary for you to take both AB and BC. I would choose one and also take AP Stats. There is nothing wrong with having a study hall and you will probably thank yourself later.</p>
<p>Oh you can take a class one semester and have an open period the next semester? :o </p>
<p>I really do want to take an open period after hearing your advice, but it still bothers me that I might regret it later.</p>
<p>Maybe I should do the open period one semester and class the other semester! You know, as a middle ground? There’s AP Psychology at my school that is one semester instead of a full year so I could use that.</p>
<p>If you are going to take an open for one semester, take it first semester. You will have college apps and a ton of other things fi=rst semester. Second semester things are less hectic</p>
<p>At my school you can take AB and BC at the same time. That’s what my brother did. My brother also took AP Statistics along with the AB and BC, and he did really well in the two Calculus classes but not so well in the Statistics class. Now, compared to me my brother is a math whiz, so that’s why I was inching toward the 2 Calculus classes instead of Statistics.</p>
<p>Is there a reason to, though? AB is supposed to cover Calculus I, and BC is supposed to cover Calculus I and Calculus II. So there’s some overlap and you’d learn the same stuff if you just took BC.
(At some schools AB is a prerequisite for BC because BC starts where AB left off, but if you’re planning to take them at the same time that probably isn’t the case at your school.)</p>
<p>To tell the truth, I was going to take both AB Calculus and BC Calculus in order to get better grades. Since BC covers AB too, I’d know the AB stuff because I would have learned it in BC, so it’s like studying once for 2 classes! I was hoping to lighten my study load senior year by during that. </p>
<p>It seems that everyone encourages open periods! I think I’ll take a one semester open period at the second semester, since the AP class that I’m taking for one semester has to be in the first semester.</p>
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That way, you can get started on homework/projects before you even leave school (or just play games on your phone, like I’d do, haha) </p>