Hi!
Before you read, I apologize that the stuff written here is a bit long, but anyway:
I am currently a Freshmen in high school. One of the courses I am taking right now is US History 1-H (honors), which has a heavy course load (it requires the most work compared to all of my other classes, and most of them are honors too). Right now, I feel that I am unfit for this course because of its course load, and I fear that as I progress through my high school years, the History honors sequence will have an increasingly heavy course load, precluding me from efficiently studying for my other classes and the SAT’s. Basically, if I were to be a student who fits in History Honors, I would be able to handle such a course load with ease.
My average in History honors is currently is a low A- (89.9%, to be exact), which is not too bad, but I feel that it is not worth the amount of work I put into studying for History tests and the homework given in the course. I also have a quarterly exam soon (which is basically an exam given to us every marking period and counts for a large portion of our marking period grade). I feel that I am unprepared for it, and I am having trouble studying for the exam. I feel that if I were to be a student who really belongs in History Honors, I would be able to find the information necessary for studying with relative ease. Also, our district significantly lowered the requirements for History Honors last year (when I was in 8th grade), which makes me even more skeptical about being in such a course.
Because of the reasons listed above, I feel like I want to drop History Honors, but I do not know how this will affect my college applications. Will dropping from History honors affect my chances of getting into a good college (like NYU, Princeton, or maybe even Rutgers)? Are colleges aware of the workload given by the History honors sequence and, knowing that, would think that I cannot handle such a workload in college if I drop down? It would be very helpful for me if my doubts are cleared.
Thanks!
If you have a B in the class, you belong in Honors. You’re a freshman and this class is testing you because it requires a lot of reading/writing compared to a regular class or what you did in 8th grade.
But basically if your HS offers the Honors version and you’re aiming for a top 50 university/LAC, yes you should stay in Honors and make sure you get a B or higher in it.
I assume you’re hoping to take a few AP classes - these will build on the reading/writing skills you’re learning in Honors classes, including history. Tough it out. Improve your study skills and your reading speed. Figure out what’s important in the homework. Figure out what you can skip or cut corners on (that, too, is learning how to study). It’ll help you build the foundation you’ll need for next year.
Thanks! I will try my best to survive the course…
Keep in mind colleges want to see you in the hardest level you can get a B in. If you’re in regular and your HS offers an honors level, the assumption is that you couldn’t get a B in Honors and/or weren’t recommended for Honors due to past performance.
Right now, sounds like to need to learn study methods and efficient shortcuts.
Yeah, I guess I need to practice studying better.
It is not unusual for a freshman to spend a huge amount of time on History classes. Spending the time is necessary to develop the skills at the highest level. A school like Princeton will want to see you take the hardest courseload your school offers. If your dream is to be a social science scholar, it’s well worth your time to do this.
However, the most important thing for your healthy body and healthy mind is to get enough sleep. If this class is preventing you from doing that, then perhaps it is worthwhile to drop down a level. You can get a fine education at NYU and Rutgers where this will have less of an effect.
Sleep deprivation is rampant among ambitious teens. When you don’t get enough sleep, you are damaging your cognitive function, which makes it take longer to learn, which makes assignments take longer to do, which makes you lose more sleep until you crash and burn. This often leads to physical and emotional distress.
You goal should not be to get into a school like Princeton, but should to maximize yourself without risking your physical and emotional health. If for example you are a STEM kind of personal, you might be better of dropping down and getting enough sleep.
^THIS, 100 TIMES.
I am hoping you’re getting 9 hours of sleep a night, or you’d damage your brain.
So, I agree, your goal should be to maximize your potential WITHOUT risking your physical and emotional health.
If you can get a B or higher without cutting your sleep, then stay in the class. If the class is making you cut the number of hours you sleep, then try cutting down on the numbers of study hours and settle for an 87 or even 85. It’s really OK to have a B, even for Princeton. And if Princeton isn’t in the picture, there are literally THOUSANDS of colleges in the US. Buy yourself a Princeton Review’s Best Colleges and find 20 colleges you had never heard of and like. 
Thanks, ClassicRockerDad and MYOS1634, I am gonna try to do my homework quicker, but if I can’t, I will think about dropping down.