<p>D: Hi, so I'm agonizing over my junior year schedule with 1 day before I have to turn in my course selection sheet. I've been going back and forth and back and forth between two options for 2 of my schedule slots (the other classes I've already decided for sure - AP English III, AP Calculus AB and Honors Chinese IV.) I'm planning to study for a major in some sort of biology, and going to dental school.</p>
<p>For my two empty spaces, I can either take Honors Physics (which I've heard is easy from many people) and AP Chemistry, or I can take regular physics over the summer and take APUSH and AP Chem during the school year. </p>
<p>At our school, APUSH is notoriously work-heavy and difficult, but I personally enjoy social studies and take interest in it a lot more than in chemistry (also, I admit that one factor is that some of my friends are taking it. But I also have other friends who are taking AP Chem!). If it helps at all, I got an A- in AP Euro first semester and a 91 on the final with one night of studying the day before. That's obviously not awesome, but I was pretty happy with it. (If grades didn't matter, I'd choose APUSH over AP Chem/Honors Physics in a heartbeat.)</p>
<p>AP Chem is difficult, but it's the tests that kill people's grades and not necessarily the workload. Most of the homework is just textbook questions that take about 1/2 hour-1 hour a day. But again, I'm really not that interested in chemistry or physics (though I do like biology...I'm planning on taking AP Bio senior year). I'm not by any means bad at chemistry, it's just boring for me. </p>
<p>Since I'm taking AB Calc, which I've heard is easy since it's just the first semester of BC calc stretched out into one year at our school (I asked my teacher and she said it would be easy for me and I'd probably be bored), I feel like the relatively light workload in AP Eng and AB Calc (probably 1 hour tops combined...I don't mention Chinese because I'm pretty sure it's going to be an easy class for me, as I have a Chinese parent and I learned how to speak Chinese before English) would make up for the 2-3 hour daily workload of APUSH. And again, I've asked around and found out that the AP Chem daily homework takes about 1/2 hour to 1 hour. But the tests are really hard.</p>
<p>(^ I feel like I'm underestimating the workload and trying to trick myself into thinking it'll be manageable? I honestly want it to be manageable, but realistically, I'm not so sure.)</p>
<p>The thing is, I also (clearly) have the PSAT/SAT/ACT to prepare for in my junior year (obviously with hopes of getting the best score I can possibly get), and I also have to study and intensively practice for a major piano test in November 2011-February 2012. I'm also aiming for straight A's next year, which is definitely a VERY HIGH priority for me. </p>
<p>As of right now, I'm pretty bad at managing my time and I tend to procrastinate a lot, although I get decent grades (always 1 just B, in math...again, it's not because I'm bad at math but because I don't like it at all so I slack and don't apply myself/try and I never do my homework or study for quizzes, but I do well on tests.). Though I know it'll take a ton of time and determination, I feel like I'd be able to manage taking APUSH and AP Chem at the same time and getting A's in both if I learned how to prioritize and not procrastinate...but that's kind of the key. If I continue my slacking ways right now, I absolutely won't be able to pull off straight A's next year with such an intensive schedule.</p>
<p>I guess the trade-off here is between taking the harder classes with a class I actually enjoy but potentially getting B('s), a lower GPA, and less time to prepare for other tests, or I can take easier classes that I don't really have interest in or really enjoy in order to get straight A's and a higher GPA. It's all about sacrifices, but which one should I make? </p>
<p>Now that you've read my GIGANTIC explanation and all, can anyone give me some advice? I know it's really all up to me in the end, but just based on what I've told you and your speculation based off of experience in these classes/a similar situation....</p>
<ol>
<li>Would taking APUSH, Calc AB and AP Chem all at once be a bad idea, considering I have 3-4 major tests to prepare for next year and I have procrastinatory tendencies? </li>
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<p>2.Would I be able to get A's in all of them and still have time to thoroughly prepare for all my tests, without getting only 2-4 hours of sleep a day and/or basically turning into a zombie?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Is it really worth it for me to take APUSH? Do the benefits outweigh the risk?</p></li>
<li><p>How many hours of homework does APUSH have daily (on average) if you divide up the reading evenly, including essays/packets/notes/reading?</p></li>
<li><p>Would it be of any disadvantage to me (college application-wise) to just take AP Chem and Honors Physics, along with my other set-in-stone classes of AP Eng III, H Chinese IV, and Calc AB? Or would it actually be an advantage, since I'd have a (possibly significantly) greater chance of getting straight-A's than if I took APUSH instead of the obviously much easier Honors Physics?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much for reading (at least skimming through) this gigantic post. :) I greatly appreciate any advice. </p>
<p>Have a great day! ^-^</p>
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