Calculus...or Latin II?

ikatfabric
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:08:41 +0000

I’m currently a senior in a high school that runs on block-scheduling (bleh). My schedule this year is somewhat rigorous with a fair amount of AP classes, though no Physics due to a scheduling mishap that landed me in Latin I. I was very unenthusiastic about Latin at first, but now that I’ve started it, I kind of really like it. I like it so much, in fact, that I’d like to take Latin II next semester. The only problem here is that I’d have to drop my regular level (not honors or AP) Calculus class in order to take it. Yeah, I know colleges like to see math your senior year, especially colleges I’m going for (NYU, USC, Emory, GWU etc.). But I’m REALLY enjoying Latin so far, and next semester, I won’t have any language classes…or any fun classes, for that matter. I didn’t get any of the electives I had signed up for. German was what previously got me through my days at school all the other years, but I’ve already taken up to the highest level of that.

So here’s what I figure:


I truly enjoy Latin.
I thoroughly hate math.
I already have 4 credits of math because I doubled up in it last year (Precalc and AP Stat). No school is going to ask for more than 4 credits.
There is no way I’ll be majoring in anything math-related.
I still have a competitive schedule with AP Bio, AP Econ, APUSH, etc.
Regular Calculus is weighted the same as Latin II, so I wouldn’t be “moving down” or anything.
I don’t have any electives next semester. They’re all straight AP’s plus Calc. I think I’m going to need a break, lest I die from stress.
I know it’ll be harder for me when I take math in college, but meh.


I’m just sort of a believer in taking classes I enjoy but are still academic rather than just doing what is expected of me from a bunch of people I don’t even know. I would even be willing to declare a major in the Humanities or something like that in order to show the schools that I have no interest in math. I could always switch later on, as I originally intended on going in Undeclared.

Thoughts? Concerns? I have a feeling I ought to be taking Calc, but come on! It’s not like I’m slacking my senior year! Why can’t I enjoy something?

Thanks for reading.