Thanks @Hamlon ! That was a very detailed and helpful post. I plan on taking two Engineering classes next year, POE and Engineering Explorations I/Robotics. The second class is one of the classes my school district offers. I’ve talked to the Engineering teacher at my school and he said that the curriculum for both of those classes are similar. I actually would love to take both. I, however, heard from some of his students that he likes to give out lectures alot and they can be pretty boring, but I’ll have to make do.
For AP Computer Science, our school used to have it, but stopped due to low enrollment this year. Instead, they just have regular and advanced programming, which I may take if I cannot take another Engineering class senior year. I talked to one of the students who took regular programming and he said that their original teacher quit and they hired a new teacher, but wasn’t really adequate when it came to Java programming. This is common of most of the Computer Science and Programming teachers. Not that many people would want to teach high schoolers programming, by choice, when programmers earn alot more money. I am currently in Computer Math, and so far I’m learning the basics of how to program in Visual Basic.
Back to POE, I actually do love math and physics. I would love to ask, if you or anyone that’s reading this has taken Physics yet, that some of the things learned in POE could prepare you for a Physics class and vice-versa. I’m planning on taking a Physics class senior year.
You go to an IB school @Madeline25 ? How is it? I was zoned to go to an IB high school, but didn’t because I honestly hated IB in middle school. I also heard that taking AP courses are somewhat better than IB courses. This is only something I’ve heard, I may be wrong.
@ak2018 My school offers both AP and IB. They consider IB more rigorous. I won’t be doing the whole diploma but will be taking four HL levels. I hate the whole idea of it but that is what is considered rigorous in the school.
Also, I totally agree on whoever said that at least in my school. The AP courses are more organized and better based on other factors as well.
@ak2018 Yes! I’ve heard many good things about it, but you don’t actually start until 11th grade. I went to an “IB MYP” middle school, but we really did nothing related to it.
If you don’t mind me asking, are you not in the US? I’m in the U.S. and my school offers both.
@ak2018 & @Tedalkfan
I’ve actually heard IB is better than AP. Our IB program is definaley an especially strong one though, especially compared to our AP one. I don’t know much about the individual courses’s cirrculum comparison. I like the actual IB DP program that the IBO sets out. I like how it integrates the classes with an emphasize on essay writing, community service, and research altogether. However my school likes to have its own take on it. We have to take HL English and HL History, which really stinks if you are a STEM person, although I do like English sometimes, like me. We are also limited to 3 HLs although IBO actually allows 4. IB at my school is defiantlely considered more rigorous than AP. It’s also a clique as much as anything since they run partly on a different schedule and take all of their classes together.
@Tedalkfan
Sorry that was odd wording I used. Since I can really only choose 1 HL, I’m actually choosing math to be my HL, despite it not being the thing I’m most intrested in (I still like it though).With the math class I’m in this year, It would be a big step down to take SL. It’s also considered harder than HL Bio, which is what I’m actually most intrested in. I’ve decided to take Chem and Bio SL for that reason. I can, however, take the AP tests at the end of the year so I will still be eligible for college credit/placement for math, bio, and chem. It would be a lot harder to do this if I took math at SL. IB is a two year program so HLs run over 2 years and most SLs (everything except for foreign language and math) will run over 1. Depending on class offerings and how my classes are scheduled I will take both SL Bio and SL Chem, which are one year classes, sometime in the next 2 years. It might be at the same time for 1 year then no science courses the next year or one junior year and one senior year. Does that make any sense?
@ak2018 POE is the only reason I took Physics in 9th grade instead of Bio. You can take POE without a background in Physics, but it’s helpful to already have the basic concepts under your belt before you step into an engineering class for the first time. @Madeline25 I think you misread county as country in one of @ak2018 's previous posts. :))
@ak2018
I haven’t taken physics yet, but I don’t POE isn’t really difficult to understand (but maybe that’s just my teacher). POE can be good preparation for physics and vice-versa.
@thetex I thought we had to take the new SAT for colleges. I know I’m going to use it. There’s no way I’m prepared to take the old one now, considering there’s only one or two more sittings left and I want ample time to study when I take my first test.