<p>I might be off topic, but I hate my Junior year already. I failed two quizzes in American Studies II, I HATE history so, so much, and I got a 72% on the chapter 1 & 2 quiz in AP Chemistry. Now I have a 75% in AP Chemistry and a 83% in American Studies II… I’m thinking about dropping AP Chemistry if I don’t do well on the chapter 3 test. The thing I don’t understand is that all we’re doing now is review from Chem 1, and I still get terrible grades. I’m almost at the point where I don’t feel like studying or reading. I’ve done TOO much of that and I still don’t get the results I want in my classes. I don’t know what to do, I’m just so stressed out and confused.</p>
<p>Are any of you in really competitive high schools and feel overwhelmed? and @FantasyVesperia - I feel the same. I want to kick myself – I’m going to be attending meetings for Science Bowl but everyone in there’s a freaking genius, and I’m just me… I got a 65% on my Physics quiz like an idiot. Art History is really intense, and then there’s SATs, and a billion other things. Just blah.</p>
<p>Hypocrates: I guess I am, but not in the sense that we compete against each other- we totally don’t. It’s just really hard with really smart people, and if you walk in there and think you’re going to be val because you’re smart, or because you were val in your elem/middle school, or whatever, you’re in for a rude, rude awakening.
I’m taking AP Bio, and I need to read chapters 1 and 2 this year, and there are twenty pages in a chapter, each with teeny tiny letters on the page… this is gonna be a long year. My teacher even started off with “I really admire you girls, you show you like science because you’re willing to risk your GPA to take a hard class, etc etc…” which didn’t exactly make me feel better, if you know what I mean. But she does give a lot of opportunities to make up those points, so it’s not so bad.
Oh, and I just failed my first ever English quiz. Now English quizzes are NOT something I fail. The problem is that the last time I read the Great Gatsby was in July, so it’s not exactly current or anything… and it’s kinda sad when you can’t remember the standard questions and you’re the only one who knows the answers to the questions she dumped because nobody knew the answers… hey, give me credit for knowing that the World Series that Meyer Wolfsheim fixed was in 1919!</p>
<p>Hannah, AP Bio was pretty intense for me last year but as long as you read and grasp the concepts you’ll be fine. I didn’t work out the finer details of enzymes or genetics or any of that until April, but when I went through the review book and started looking through my notes everything just clicked and I did well on the exam.</p>
<p>Did I say I need to read chapters 1-2 this year? I meant TONIGHT. And it’s 9:31 and I haven’t started.
I take enough hard classes that it’s not THAT big a deal to me, and at one point in my schedule-planning process (I like to think of it as the point of no return) I’m just like “I’m already drowning in work, if I’m going to do that I may as well do more, it won’t make that much of a difference.” So I live, but it doesn’t prevent me from hyperventilating at the sight of pages upon pages of dense columns of teeny-tiny print that I need to read ASAP…</p>
<p>So, my guidance counselor talked to the head today, and she threw this huge hissy fit about me taking it before everybody else, and called my mom.</p>
<p>…k</p>
<p>I told my counselor that at this point I’m willing to pay for it, but he said that I shouldn’t because I don’t have to; I think he mainly wants to spite her, haha.</p>
<p>@Hannah: I have to do some reading today, too :/. In other words, a five chapter chemistry cram for my test tomorrow, plus a chapter of Pageant (thankfully it’s only 16 pages or so) & questions. I have to memorize vocab synonyms for a quiz tomorrow as well, but I think (hope) I can manage doing that 15 minutes before the bell.</p>
<p>@lldm21 I am getting the same response about taking SAT in November…! all my friends keep asking me why I am taking it so early. How about 'cause I can? How about 'cause I want to be ahead of the game? :)</p>
<p>Exactly… I don’t want to take it in March or later; I’m going to be busy freaking out about AP exams. Not December because I’ll be worried about midterms. If I’m studying now, there’s no reason to wait until later. Everyone’s saying to take classes, too… except I bumped my score up ~400 points just by taking a few practice tests over a few months with some vocab memorization & an Algebra II course; I’m good with any score I get using my best effort :P.</p>
<p>Thank you! I am COMPLETELY avoiding all April and May SAT/ACT dates because of AP testing… I try to explains his to people and they give me blank stares lol;)</p>
<p>Got an AP Scholar certificate in the mail today… o___o</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m really considering taking SAT in November except that I have a whole year of SAT prep classes this year… my first one’s tomorrow— I’ll see if it’s worth waiting for. Probably notif it’s the teacher I think it is, but oh well.
I also want to wait to see how I do on PSAT… if I get semifinalist then my SAT score will matter so I don’t want to risk it. If that’s not how it works, please explain this to me; I don’t get it at all.
bunnywins: cool! I haven’t taken enough APs yet, but I’m aiming for one at the end of this year (as long as I do halfway decently on AP Bio, which I’m nervous about).</p>
<p>Am so mad the school gave me a Homeroom teacher that is belittling towards me. I really hate her :/.</p>
<p>Those of you reading Pageant for APUSH: how long does it take you to read and outline a chapter?</p>
<p>My condolences to all of you that have Pageant as your textbook for APUSH.</p>
<p>…what’s wrong with using Pageant as the APUSH textbook? I thought everyone on CC like it.</p>
<p>It takes me about 2 hours per chapter in the American Pageant. My school is on the block schedule, so we have to move really fast which sucks :/</p>
<p>I’ve got Pageant, but my teacher said we could use AMSCO instead if we want.</p>
<p>Last year, I believe I used American History: A Survey by Brinkley for APUSH. A lot less dense of a text in comparison to Pageant (at least what I read of it; I read out of a friend’s copy from a neighboring school), making the process of drilling in concepts a bit easier. I tried reading equivalent chapters out of each book, and getting through Pageant was a bit of a pain for me.</p>
<p>I use PR but I already had a year of American History. But PR tells you everything you need to know 
I love it :):). Wow you guys use Pageant, my school can not afford awesome books. Also AMSCO is way to long for nothing but it’s tell a lot of info</p>
<p>I did say The Enduring Vision earlier, but I don’t know if I’ll even touch it much this year. For the most part, I’m just going to use AMSCO and chapter outlines I found online.</p>