<p>I've been doing Macro ALL day (literally. I woke up at 10am [no school today] and have been doing it ever since... and probably won't be ending until 9pm or so). And I just... it's not clicking yet. The concepts are not incredibly difficult but I just feel as though we're moving to fast, not to mention the fact that I have five other classes that at times distract me from learning EVERYTHING. I feel like there are huge gaps in my Macroeconomic knowledge. And, because of the fact that I don't feel as though I know the subject, I doubt I'll be taking the AP test unless it all clicks. I'm taking five AP tests already, what's one less?</p>
<p>PLUS...I mean...would taking it in college be that bad? I almost think that if I took it twice I'd be a lot more confident about the subject. Plus, it may be nice to have a course in college that I am already introduced to and therefore will not have to worry about it TOO much. You know? And it'd probably build upon what I've learned already...</p>
<p>I dunno. Last year I was all "OMG AP IS AMAZING" but this year... I just don't think that college course=AP course. I want to major in geography, so I'm glad I got AP Human Geography out of the way. I own that subject. I'm excited to enter college without having to take an intro to geography course now. But... for economics? I don't think I'll be ready for an advanced economics course!</p>
<p>Anyone else feel like this at times? Like AP classes just won't substitute completley? Of course this is just speculation....</p>
<p>AP Bio - Messed up teacher. Fun labs and partners. Little work, little effort.
AP Calc - Fun stuff. Very interesting. Awesome teacher. Little work, little effort (so far).
AP Chem - Interesting teacher... Easy class. Have to make a stuffed mole by Wednesday. Some work, little effort.
AP English Language - AWESOME teacher. Some work, lots of effort. I love this class like whoa. And I'm usually a science person.
AP US - Some work, some effort. Boring as hell, but easy, so whatever.</p>
<p>Sorry, no rants here. :</p>
<p>Edit: French Honors! Ahh what a crap class. The homework is BS and we don't do anything in class, but the tests are so hard! Talk about irony! Stupid honors classes.</p>
<p>AP Calc = ::strangled noise::
Seriously, it's absolutely crazy. I mean, I don't find calc hard at all, but the teacher makes it SO EFFIN IMPOSSIBLE! she's absoutely insane! but usually around 50% of the class gets 5's..so I guess i shouldn't complain..but still, my gpa's going to take a big dip this year :(</p>
<p>I dunno. I just feel as though all of my AP classes, well, AP classes in general, are very rushed. I'm getting A's in all of them and I don't find them amazingly difficult or anything. I guess I'm just not into the "teach the test" strategy this year. Then again, I approach my classes in a fierce manner. Like when we did Renaissance in AP Euro... I wanted to learn about EVERYTHING. I wanted to read biographies on each sculptor. I dunno. I'm intense with some subjects, I don't like how AP courses seem to be a survey of the subject.</p>
<p>Then again, there'll time for intensity in college... arrggh.</p>
<p>i guess my problem with aps is that at my school, they are reallyyyyy difficult. it's a huge deal to take them, and people always do really well on the exams. however, the actual ap class is as hard as hell..the teachers are crazily intense. they teach for the test--but at the same time they go way beyond. that makes the classes really challenging-- no easy A's in ANY of them (except perhaps world or envi. sci?)</p>
<p>on the other hand, the classes are amazing and make you think in a way you've never thought before. so i guess thats good :)</p>
<p>Techinically, colelge is quite a bit easier. I am taking calc 3, linear algebra, and at latin at my local university and there is little to no homework taht is due or checked. Most grades are based on tests and quizzes with a project or two thrown in. So, one can choose to not go to class and wait until the night before to study for a test and get by with all A's. Of course I am getting my experience from a large public university and nto one fo the more prestigious LACs or universities where I'm sure if one wants to work hard, one can. Also, I'm sure that for humanities and english classes there might be homework and whatnot due, but there will be no real "homework collecting" such as there have been un high school. And if you think AP classes are fast, then you are in for a suprise in college, the classes move at about 4 timse the speed with lectures everyday in all classes and also an AP course that would take a whole year to cover in high school is done in a semester and with classes every other day.</p>
<p>You know what I don't get? In my first APUSH essay, I got a 4, and on the next (which I worked much harder on) I got a 5. In English Lang, I got a 7 on my first essay. What's up with that?? My English teacher says he grades pretty harshly...</p>
<p>Well, from waht I hear of math and engineering majors, the level of difficulty of the work doesn't get harder (if one learns the material prior to that) only that new skills ahve to be learned and applied. So, in theory, you are right that we should build upon skills that we have learned before, but I don't beleive taht the subject material will be necessarily "harder" that what we have done before.</p>
<p>"And if you think AP classes are fast, then you are in for a suprise in college, the classes move at about 4 timse the speed with lectures everyday in all classes and also an AP course that would take a whole year to cover in high school is done in a semester and with classes every other day."</p>
<p>And when I say move fast... I mean... well... take history for example. I loathe "World History." It's too broad, and in the end, you really don't know anything except the bare minimum. Same with European History and US History, too. How much do you really know about the time periods? You get to cover the major wars and learn the names of some influential people and texts. That's what I mean about moving fast - having too MUCH material to cover so that in the end you know nothing about it except some vocabulary words. That's how I think college courses will be different from AP courses. There's courses devoted to SPECIFIC time periods so you can actually leave the class feeling as if you know something about the subject.</p>
<p>And I think that applies to why I'm so frustrated with Macroeconomics. If all these theories were applied to something I'd feel as if I knew the subject. </p>
<p>I can ace all the tests in my classes easily... I'm just frustrated because when it comes down to it I feel as though these survey type courses (economics, wide-range history) only skim the surface of what there is to know.</p>
<p>At any rate, I think that AP is good prep. It's not quite the same level, but it shouldn't be.</p>
<p>I'd say keep the 5 AP load. You'll find that soon enough you'll get used to it, and you'll be better prepared for that 18 unit semester/quarter at that top-25 school.</p>
<p>AP Physics is so freaking hard. I mean, I absolutely love it, because I'm a nerd, but argh. I love all my AP's subject-wise (Art History, Art Studio, Lit, Physics, Calc)....but they're screwing up the 95 GPA that I've had over 9th-11th grade.</p>
<p>But the worst part will be sitting through the tests. No doubt about it.</p>
<p>The best part will be the two weeks of freedom afterwards. Half of my AP Classes just end and become free periods, and the other two work on fun projects and/or watch DVDs.</p>
<p>I'm really tired. My schedule is nutso. I live in the library or at school and am there more than I am at home. :( </p>
<p>euro takes a LOT of time and has so much tedious work. it drives me mad. i'm really good at calc but i keep screwing up tests by making dumb mistakes and then that shoots me down badly. i rock at bio and at lit. gah and at night, i have physics in which i fall asleep. </p>
<p>i'm left with a constant nagging feeling at the back of my head and so on friday afternoons, i completely crash. </p>
<p>i'm falling asleep in class, at tutoring, and sometimes, i will daydream, drift into space, and stare and panic - but not with lots of physical gestures. i will just freeze, take heavy breaths, and listen to my heart beating. </p>
<p>gah! and i am so bothered and worried about everything else concerning college. i can't wait til i have my apps sent in and my 1st semester over with so i can relax a LITTLE bit. :o</p>
<p>AP Chem - Tough, keep making silly mistakes here and there.</p>
<p>AP Physics C - GOD I love this class to death. However, it is the hardest, and I spend the most time on it. But I feel when I am in that class examing how things work like a real scientists. And the class isn't afraid to go off on a tangent to discuss things like gravitrons, etc, for the hell of it.</p>