<p>I have been a strong student in highschool getting A's in AP classes. However, math is my worst subject. I am in honors pre cal and doing poorly. Should I go to regular pre cal to avoid getting a C or even a D? Will it look bad to have all AP classes with good grades and then have regular pre cal? I hope colleges understand I am English minded and intend to major in a non math major.</p>
<p>I think if you are taking that many AP classes and doing well, then taking regular calculus and getting an A is better than honors and getting a C. If your school will let you switch now, this far in, do it NOW.</p>
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If a D is a real possibility then definitely switch! Some colleges, such as the UCs, require that you notify them at the end of the 1st semester if you get any grade below a C. All colleges will see your final transcript and just about everyone has a clause in their conditions of admission about “maintaining satisfactory performance”. That doesn’t mean 1 D will get you rescinded, but its better not to find out!</p>
<p>As for “colleges understanding”, that’s a more debatable subject. They can certainly understand why you’re not getting A’s, but can’t even pass the class? That suggests something different, at least to me, mainly poor study habits. Math/science classes are not like other classes which, when you come down to it, are about understanding stories. History, psychology, english, and so on are based on reading and comprehending. With a bit of diligence this isn’t too hard, and the more widely you read the easier it becomes. Math and science classes are different. Looking at a problem and its solution is not enough. You need to really think about what is going on, and that’s still not enough. When you think you understand then you need to do practice problem after practice problem until you can solve them easily; a lot of times when you think you understand, doing practice problems shows that you really don’t. An article talking a bit about this is at <a href=“How to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses - Cal Newport”>http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/11/14/how-to-ace-calculus-the-art-of-doing-well-in-technical-courses/</a></p>
<p>So why bring this up? Math/science classes reveal to colleges a bit about your study habits. Even if you studiously avoid math/science majors, in college you’ll be required to read a lot more than you do now and to think deeply about what you are reading, to draw connections between what you’ve read earlier & elsewhere. This takes a lot of focus and effort, so your HS math/science grades give an indication of whether you’ve learned to do this. My 2 cents, anyway. </p>
<p>Yes a higher gpa is better then one a AP class!!!</p>