<p>Hi, i'm going to be a junior next year
and I'm thinking about taking a "Yearbook" class.
My friends all think that I'm crazy for taking it.
They think yeatbook is "too fun, easy, wasting time" class that wouldn't impress the college admission people.</p>
<p>AP Econ
Ap Physics
Ap Comp Sci
Ap Eng Lang. (required)
Ap Latin Literature
Calculus (2nd year)
+ yearbook</p>
<p>My schedule has been emphasized on engineering/science.
you see yearbook is my only UW class and that would probably lower my GPA.</p>
<p>another thing is that I thought the yearbook course would be pretty rigorous or at leat not "wasting time, just playing around". I'm a person that really enjoys hard working and don't feel well when I have nothing to do.</p>
<p>Since I was a child, I had a mediocre passion for engineering/science. It wasn't like I really fervently loved the subject, but I was just naturally good at them. I enjoy them but don't make me super excited.
On the other hand, I have deep interest in computer graphics, art, media, film area too. I will probably end up majoring in engineering/science but I just want to experience them you know?? I thought yearbook would be a good thing to fultil this because I would get to use computer graphic designing skills &
But, my best friends (gpa rank 1s) just quickly despaired my plan. I just lost confidence at once.</p>
<p>1) Is yearbook really a waste of time and effort? what do you get out of this class?</p>
<p>2) Is taking yearbook considered as being loosing off?</p>
<p>3) for my chance in getting into good engineering schools, will being a TA for computer science class be more beneficial to me than joining a yearbook class?</p>
<p>4) do you think yearbook is an appropriate class to fill and experience my second passion?</p>
<p>Your friends obviously have no idea of the amount of time needed to do well in the Yearbook class. Even though I don't take it myself, I have friends who do, and they have to do photo editing, article writing, taking photos, and the other stuff that you mentioned. Although GPA is a very important factor, schools need to see more about you than just a number. Schools like to see students who go out of academics to try things they are passionate about. People usually have the impression that doing the Yearbook class will ruin your chances at a good college, but its probably because of the fact that many of the students who do take Yearbook aren’t of good academic standing. However, if you do have a good GPA, you can shock everyone who dissuaded you from taking it (including the gpa rank 1 person), and get into a good college anyway because not only do you have a good GPA, you also have the advantage over your peers because they see that you are actually passionate about something other than trying to get good grades.</p>
<p>And whats better than holding your finished product at the end of the year…a collection of memories of high school peers that you, not your peers, helped to put together.</p>
<p>Your friends obviously have no idea of the amount of time needed to do well in the Yearbook class. Even though I don't take it myself, I have friends who do, and they have to do photo editing, article writing, taking photos, and the other stuff that you mentioned. Although GPA is a very important factor, schools need to see more about you than just a number. Schools like to see students who go out of academics to try things they are passionate about. People usually have the impression that doing the Yearbook class will ruin your chances at a good college, but its probably because of the fact that many of the students who do take Yearbook aren’t of good academic standing. However, if you do have a good GPA, you can shock everyone who dissuaded you from taking it (including the gpa rank 1 person), and get into a good college anyway because not only do you have a good GPA, you also have the advantage over your peers because they see that you are actually passionate about something other than trying to get good grades. Also, there really aren't any set criteria that will get you into good engineering schools. (i.e. lots of people do math contests and science competitions just to get into MIT, but many others don't do any of that and still get in). When it comes time to apply, just market the person that you are -- there will definitely be good engineering schools that want you.</p>
<p>And whats better than holding your finished product at the end of the year…a collection of memories of high school peers that you, not your peers, helped to put together.</p>
<p>No kidding. You're already taking 5 APs + Calculus. Don't listen to your friends...you should at least have 1 class that won't kill you, but at the same time is INTERESTING to you! You don't have to base all your class choices on GPA.</p>
<p>if you're that worried about it, have your counselor include a blurb about how you sacrificed .01 on your gpa so you could pursue an activity that you find fulfilling. spin it to where it's good for you.</p>
<p>Yes, don't base your class choices on GPA. That's silly! Do what you want :)</p>
<p>In our school, Leadership, Journalism, and Yearbook are all classes - which means that yes, tragically enough, our student body president will probably never be valedictorian (our school doesn't rank, technically, but you get the picture). Does that stop him/her from going to an amazing school? Of course not.</p>
<p>I, for one, took Journalism this year - and oh no! It lowered my GPA .17 points! And next year I'm taking Journalism AND Community Leadership - oh no, there goes my 5.0! Thinking like that is silly - trust me, you'll get way more out of a class you want to do - and yearbook is fun, I wish I could do it. It's kind of one of those classes that takes up as much time as you want to put into it.</p>
<p>1) Is yearbook really a waste of time and effort? what do you get out of this class?</p>
<p>No! I hearttt my yearbook (at my school, it's an ec instead of a class but still). I've learned so much about design & writing-you learn the best angles of photos, how to edit photos effectively, how to make deadlines, you see how some things look better than others, even if the shot is only a little bit changed. You also see how some perfectly fine shots will only work in some contexts. (Can you tell I'm going to be the photo editor next year?? hah) Also, you learn text boxes and many other technical things. As well, yearbook also helps work the anal side in a good side (I also take latin, and if you're taking AP latin lit, I assume you like nit picking perfectionism, too, at least deep down! hah) </p>
<p>2) Is taking yearbook considered as being loosing off?</p>
<p>No! Your schedule is intense...and even if it was only a studyhall, it would prob be okay w/all those APs. It's not a slacker class as much as a newspaper would be, as my advisor from last year, "Any one can have a 'Irish Club' that meets 2 x a week, but you can't fake a yearbook staff. Either you have a yearbook, or not."</p>
<p>3) for my chance in getting into good engineering schools, will being a TA for computer science class be more beneficial to me than joining a yearbook class?</p>
<p>I would say it's probably 50/50. What would you rather enjoy? I mean, being a TA isn't that good-most people who are "TA's" in my school just wander and pester the teachers. Maybe college admissions will realize that. </p>
<p>4) do you think yearbook is an appropriate class to fill and experience my second passion?</p>
<p>Awww, take the yearbook class, ballechase. You'll be glad you did, and it won't hurt you in any way, shape, or form in the grand scheme of things. It might lower your GPA a bit, but so what? Colleges won't mind. In the eyes of an admissions committee, you are way, way more than just a number. The experiences you'll have doing the yearbook class are far more valuable than a slightly boosted GPA--in your personal life and in college admissions. </p>
<p>It sounds like yearbook makes a lot of sense in the context of your interests/passion for computer graphics, media, etc. Colleges will recognize that; they adore passionate applicants, and the more support or evidence you have for a passion, in the form of classes, ECs, etc., the more passionate you will appear on your application. Taking a bunch of APs doesn't necessarily give evidence for passion--maybe a passion for getting into a good college, but that's not what adcoms are looking for!--whereas taking an interesting class like yearbook does give that evidence. It's an excellent idea to balance out all those APs (which are valuable in their own right, and don't get me wrong, I'm sure you're not taking all of them just to raise your GPA) with something that really interests you for its own sake. </p>
<p>Go for it. Your friends have got it wrong, this time. :)</p>
<p>And about the TA position-- Does it show up on your transcript what class you TA'd for? I TA'd in a Spanish class (which makes sense in the context of my passions/interests) in 10th grade, but it just showed up on my transcript as "TA." Anyway, I don't think TA is taken very seriously by college admissions officers. Anon<em>Person</em>1 might be right; in my school, too, many of the TAs just sit around and use the period as a study hall. Being on the yearbook staff would probably give you more to do than being a TA, unless you arranged with the teacher whose TA you were to allow you to be a big part of the classroom activities and teaching. As far as the transcript and college admissions go, you'd likely be better off with the yearbook class--in my opinion. :)</p>