I’m struggling to decide which classes to take next year. I’m currently a sophomore starting 2nd semester. My schedule for this year has been:
First semester-
AP Human Geography (finished with an A)
AP Psychology (finished with an A)
AP Statistics (finished with an A)
English 2 Honors (finished with an A)
2nd Semester-
Chemistry honors (Currently taking)
APES (currently taking)
Pre-calc (currently taking)
APUSH (currently taking)
Based on those classes and the grades I received in them (or plan on receiving), my next core classes NEED to be (as per my school’s track) AP Calculus AB+BC (both calcs in the same year required) AP Physics 1+2 (both not required but highly encouraged) AP Language, and Civics honors (senior class only). I am also in my schools ‘STEM academy’ so I’m encouraged to take computer programming 1, AP Computer science principles and AP computer science before I graduate (already took the other recommended computer courses freshman year + they were awesome!). My struggle is deciding which classes to take Junior year, and which ones to save until senior year.
My current plan for junior year is:
First semester-
AP Calc AB (moderate work, either very hard or very easy depending on the person)
AP Physics 1 (lots of work but fun and good teacher)
AP Computer science priciples (very easy)
Computer programming 1 (will be a new class next year so difficulty unknown)
German 1 (online and easy)
Second Semester-
AP Calc BC (moderate work, either very hard or very easy depending on the person)
AP Physics 2 (lots of work but fun and good teacher)
AP Computer science (very easy)
AP Language (easy if you keep up)
German 2 (online and easy)
How would you guys set up your junior year if you were in my position? AP Calc AB/BC, Physics 1, and AP Language have to be junior year, but the other 5 are movable to senior year. I would appreciate the help with this… please keep in mind I enjoy math, science, and computer classes so If you make a schedule that overloads those kinds of classes feel free to share it!
That sounds like a challenging courseload, but it looks like you can handle it! Just make sure not to overload it too much. You may want to move one of the classes to senior year and take an easier class/elective instead. Keep in mind, junior year is filled with stress on its own-figuring out where you want to go to college/do in life and SAT/ACTs–so be mindful of that! As for German, is it a self paced online class? If it is, you might want to consider taking it a bit slower during the school year and finishing up during the summer to ease off some stress. Maybe consider taking an online summer course if it is not flexible?
For German, it is mostly self paced. My friend who took it says he could have easily knocked out the semester long course in 2 weeks if he had done it over the summer. Since you brought it up I did consider taking at least German 1 over the summer… I’ll consider it more, but I do have a part time job and potential internship for the summer. I also need to work a lot to pay for a car. As for the ACT, that is something that I am going to take over the summer (most likely in July). I have taken the SAT twice and hated both scores but my pre-act score was pretty good considering I didn’t actually study for it. As for the other classes, which one would you suggest I move to my senior year? (can’t move Calc AB/BC, Physics 1, or AP English)
I would probably wait on the AP computer science. That will be an easy class to knock out in your senior year. For German, I’m assuming you are wanting to take a second year during your senior year. So maybe take a semesters worth over the school year (stretch it out so there is less to worry about at once) and then finish the second over the summer. An internship and job should definitely come first though. But, assuming that it would be possible to finish the semester of German in about two weeks- you could devote 1 hour each day and a little time on the weekends- a semester should be easy to knock out during the summer, without interfering with either of the other opportunities. When it comes to the ACT, I would highly suggest taking it this summer, but also expect to take it a couple times during the school year. If your pre-act score was around the range you want, then I wouldn’t worry too much. But since you have so much time before you apply to colleges, you will probably want to take it again to raise your score as much as possible (before senior year, might I add).
I’m so confused as to how you’re taking year long classes in one semester.
Every class I listed is 1 semester. My school does block scheduling so everything is crammed into 1 semester. Calc ab/bc are a semester each but need to be taken in the same year for obvious reasons. Only year long classes at my school are AP Chem and AP Bio.
Make sure to prepare for that AP language class. I skipped from french 2 to AP french and was caught way off guard. They will want you to read articles and have a complex understanding of the content, write timed essays with complex thesis statements, as well as prepare and perform oral presentations in 6 minutes. There is little to no grammar review. It’s challenging, but shouldn’t be too bad for you if you go in prepared.
@Sydney159 I think the OP was referring to AP English language, not an AP foreign language.
Yeah at my school AP language = AP English 3 and AP Literature = AP English 4
The only class if move to senior year is computer programming 1, but it sounds like you’d find it fun and are well-prepared for it.
Beside civics, which classes would you take senior year? You don’t want to run out if classes to take senior year.
Civics
AP Literature
Calc 3 (at local University)
Stem capstone (required)
Those are it if I qualify to take only 2 classes per semester like my brother did…
If I absolutely have to take more classes
AP chem or bio (probably chem) (yr long)
Advanced research methods (part of chem)
Weight lifting 1
Any stem elective that looks fun (maybe sas programming)
+German 3 online
Also some college classes (if I get a financial waiver) at NCSU if I have the time
Not entirely sure but calc 3 might have to be a separate class from the other high school ones, in that case I’d throw in AP chem/bio…strong senior semester and somewhat relaxed 2nd semester is what I’ve been aiming for by overworking myself for the last 2 years, especially this past semester.
I’d recommend 3 a semester, with sas programming and german3 online (2nd semester) in addition to what you listed.
I hate APUSH so much, so glad I’m not taking it next year with physics and calc though.