Dang guys— I have no idea how much hw/studying I’m going to have to do… Y’all are too prepared :))
@LeopardFire Same! I hope I’ll be able to improve my study habits next year, but I’ll probably just burn out by the end of the first quarter. :))
@nyuhopeful44 I mean, before school school ended, I asked all of my teachers about how much homework we’d get and how much studying we should be doing.
I’m an international student, so some of my classes are mandatory and kind of different. However, I also have APs so here it goes:
Spanish:
Homework:3
Studying: 1-2
Explanation: Because my country’s language is Spanish, I may have some homework like reading novels or something, but not much. Studying will be really easy for me considering the fact that Spanish is my first language, and my teacher will just teach us the same things we’ve learned, but a little bit more advanced.
Philosophy/ Ethics and Values
Homework: 4
Studying: 5
Explanation: This is mandatory to take in junior year at my country, and previous juniors have told me philosophy is the hardest class, even more than APs. They also have said that there is quite a big amount of homework and studying is a must to not fail.
Statistics
Homework:2
Studying: 2
Explanation: This is the class I have less knowledge of, but I only will take it 2 times per week meaning it won’t be that intense.
AP Chemistry
Homework: 3
Studying: 5
Explanation: I was really good in General Chem last year, but I’m sure studying is necessary for this class, as quizzes and exams are well known for being hard. However, my teacher doesn’t send lots of homework so the work outside school won’t be much.
AP English Language
Homework: 4
Studying: 3-4
Explanation: In summer, the teacher sent me a lot of homework, and he sends normally lots of homework, but I’ve had worse. Studying, however, will be done more in class meaning I will have more help from the teacher.
Pre-Calculus
Homework: 2
Studying: 5
Explanation: Lots of friends had this class last year while I took Psychology. They told me it was their hardest class sophomore year, and although there was only one homework per week, studying took them hours.
AP World History
Homework: 5
Studying: 4
Explanation: Although this class will be relatively easy for me, the teacher is well known for sending 1-2 hour homework per day. Also great study skills are important in this class,meaning I will have to study a bunch out of school.
So I’m researching stuff to do next summer, and I’m debating whether to go to the NIH Summer Internship or to go to something like MITES (MIT) or SAMS (Carnegie Mellon). The last two have housing and most costs provided if you get in, and are like summer college. The first one is probably much more prestigious (NIH…) and revolves around research, but the housing and food are NOT provided, which means I have to find a way to live in DC… Which should I plan to do? Of course, it won’t matter if I can’t get into any of them, but just to think about it.
AP Chemistry:
Homework: 3
Studying: 3
Explanation: It is a sophomore class at my school, so it can’t be too bad if I survived AP Bio which was a junior-senior class.
AP Literature:
Homework: 4
Studying: 5
Explanation: I really suck at English, and we have a ton of essays apparently, so this will likely be my worst class.
AP Statistics
Homework: 3
Studying: 2
Explanation: I am fairly good at math, and this doesn’t seem like too challenging of a course. It’s a shame that my school doesn’t offer multivariable calc, and the nearby colleges aren’t very helpful.
AP Government
Homework: 2
Studying: 3
Explanation: AP Gov is a semester class, and it was really easy according to a friend, but regardless, I have never taken a government class, so I will have to work a bit.
AP US History
Homework: 4
Studying: 3
Explanation: Also a sophomore class, but is apparently rather difficult. I should be able to handle it, but it won’t be easy, with all the essays and stuff.
Accelerated Physics
Homework: 3
Studying: 1-2
Explanation: Again, I am decent at math, and physics seems fairly easy.
Pre-AP Spanish IV
Homework: 3
Studying: 0-1
Explanation: I am fluent in spanish, so I won’t have to do much studying; nevertheless, I think the teacher assigns a fair amount of homework.
for those peeps using the princeton review prep book for psat is it me or were all the math chapters too easy lol? Like
I feel like the actual test will be a lot harder than what was int he book…
@smmonsa What country are you from? I honestly would love to go to a school that REQUIRES a Philosophy class!
@Soccer1235 I literally just researched SAMS after seeing your post and I almost fell back deep into MITES rabbit hole. I luckily pulled myself back out :)) (I remember when I first found out about MITES and I was kind of bummed out that I probably wasn’t going to get in. I didn’t apply.) I would say to start thinking about MITES or SAMS. I know MITES is mainly for URMs, but I honestly feel like I wouldn’t get in. That and I will being doing another summer class next summer, online, so it won’t really be convenient.
even though the summer is almost about to end sadly, do you think it is a good idea to e school physics so i can take an AP science class for higher GPA,etc. Physics is an overall hard subject and I have heard the physic teachers are not that good at my school.
@ak2018 I am from Colombia, and yes philosophy at my school is really good, but is the hardest class for juniors. 
This is a pretty cool idea so might as well do it
AP Language and Composition
Homework: 3
Studying: 2
Explanation: Honestly, English has always been a relay easy class for me, but the teachers give a lot of homework and an essay about once a week
AP Psychology
Homework: 2
Studying: 2
Explanation: Psych has always been a major interest of mine, but its definitely the easiest ap class my school offers
AP Calc BC
Homework: 2
Studying: 3
Explanation: The BC teacher at my school barely assigns homework. I’ve always loved math and its my pride and joy so of course I’m going to study because doing bad in that class would really mess me up
AP Government and Politics
Homework: 4
Studying: 2
Explanation: This is also an easy class and my school but for some strange reason the teachers feel a need to assign mountains of homework (busy work tbh). I’m not looking toward to it.
Honors Physics
Homework: 2
Studying: 1-2
Explanation: Its always been an easy concept for me and in the my school the only reason people struggle is because they don’t have appropriate math background.
Honors Spanish 4
Homework: 1
Studying: 2
Explanation: Spanish 3 is the hump at my school because of all the new verb tenses. This has made a trend at my school that Spanish 4 is a breeze. I’m seriously so excited for this class.
Honors Symphonic Winds
I don’t know what to say for homework and studying. But this is the 2nd highest band at my school. Its my second year in it since I didn’t make it into Wind Ensemble. Hopefully i’ll make it for next year since almost my whole section is graduating. However, band at my school stresses me out so much. So yikes
@wildguy57 What classes are you taking? I personally wouldn’t do Physics just to raise my GPA.
@smmonsa I could see why. Philosophy is pretty hard to understand, however, at least for me, I can understand it pretty well. I’ve been watching Crash Course Philosophy on YouTube for the past couple months and found it really helpful to understanding Philosophy. The guy who teaches the lessons, Hank Green, is really good at explaining concepts and breaking them down. You should definitely try and watch it.
@LeopardFire Wow you’re taking Latin? My school doesn’t offer it. However my 8th grade math teach told me a really funny story about how he got D’s in both Latin classes he took. Then he said “the only reason Latin class exists is for fools” But honestly I think he just didn’t study enough. :)) So is the class really that hard?
Okay so I, officially, just took my first full ACT test and I kind of don’t know how I feel. I was hesitant to put the rest of my scores up, but here it goes:
ACT Math: 25
ACT Reading: 25
ACT English: 24
ACT Science: 21
ACT Composite Score: 24
So I just took the Reading and Science sections today with literally only an hour of prep for both (I don’t know if this is the problem or not). I got 30/40 of the questions correct on the Reading Section and 21/40 of the question correct on the Science Section. I didn’t expect to fail so badly on the Science section, considering the fact that it felt really easy, but I did. I didn’t make it to the last passage, so I just did what my prep book said to do and choose a pair of corresponding answer letters, such as A and F, and just using those answer choices. Overall, I feel I shouldn’t be so sad about considering the fact that I literally prep for each section for an hour.
After I took the Reading section, I decided to call Virginia Tech and they confirmed with me that they only look at the Math and Reading sections. I was kind of ecstatic, only to remember that I’ll be applying to other schools. I looked online and saw that all of the other schools I’m applying to will look at ALL of my ACT scores. I decided that while even though I’d only need a good Math and Science score at VT, I want to get a good all-around score for the other colleges I’m applying to. So despite this little minor hiccup, I’m still going on strong!
So I just had question to ask: Do you guys think I should spend more time prepping? I’ve been prepping for an hour and a half a week, but I could have that change to as much as 4-6 hours a week.
I also had my goal scores:
ACT Math: 30
ACT Reading: 30
ACT English: 29
ACT Science: 26
ACT Composite Score: 29
These are what I want, for now anyway.
I took the ACT in December of last year and I plan to take it again this September. Here is my goal score and my previous score in parentheses:
English: 35 (32)
Math: 30 (27)
Reading: 34 (30)
Science: 34 (30)
Composite: 34 (30)
@ak2018 Going into testing without prep is hard so kudos to you for working through on it! The only experience I’ve had with the ACT is a combo SAT/ACT test from Kaplan and I didn’t even know I was signed up for it until the day before so I went in blind and was completely screwed by the timing, and on math I got an 18! Somehow I got a 33 on the science but now I know it’s hard to trust non-official tests so I just disregarded the whole thing haha
For my classes this coming school year I don’t even know how much homework and studying I’ll have. I’ll be taking 3 APs along with electives. Maybe 4 if I do AP Chem. But I’ll probably have a lot of homework for APUSH and AP lang and comp, a lot of studying for AP Chem if I take it, and moderate homework and some extra studying for Calc AB cause I’m nervous for it.
@ak2018 Your science score is most likely going to go up with time. It does take some getting used to, so don’t get discouraged. Also go back and figure out why you missed EVERY single question if you are not sure post it in r/ACT someone will help you.
@ak2018
I am taking
AP US history
AP English
Pre AP Calculus
AP Computer Science
Pre AP Physics (which a student normally takes if he or she is not taking doubling science or not taking AP Bio or AP chem)
AP Spanish 4 (which I have heard is very difficult…)
AP Psych one semester and PE the other semester
Tbh should I take AP Environmental Sciences instead of AP Spanish 4? Heck, does AP environmental sciences even have a use? Some kids are skipping psychics by e schooling it to take an AP science class.
Just got a 96 on my STATS TEST! I’m going to bed now so I can wake up for work 
@kristennl99 I love Latin! Its one of my favorite classes. At my school at least, its very grammar intensive- I learned more about clauses and participles in Latin last year than I did in Honors English. Personally I don’t find it too hard, but I know a lot of kids struggled in the class. They usually just didn’t put enough time into learning the concepts, though…