<p>As an 8th grader, I had the choice to enroll in either Honors Geometry or IB-SL Math Studies for 9th grade. I chose Math Studies, assuming that it’s always best to take the most challenging courseload available.</p>
<p>I just learned that H Geometry is fine to take as a freshman if one isn’t interested in math. I received a “B” first quarter in Math Studies, which brought my overall GPA from 4.0 to 3.83. Had I taken Geometry, I would probably be ranked first in my class.</p>
<p>Should I switch to geometry now, as Math Studies will only progress and get more difficult as the year goes on?</p>
<p>don’t switch. Stick it out, and if you get an A the next semester, colleges will like the fact that you did better the 2nd time around. I’m assuming you’re a h.s. freshman; if that’s the case, don’t worry about it at all. Just do your best next semester; you’d be surprised, sometimes the 2nd semester of math isn’t so much harder than the 1st.</p>
<p>Another thing to take into consideration: many colleges only take semester grades into account. So even if your school is on a quarter system, some schools will disregard your 1st/3rd quarter grades when calculating GPA.</p>
<p>And some colleges consider only final grades, because that’s all the high school sends. Except for first semester senior year grades, my d’s transcript showed only the final grades for the class. No college asked for her semester grades.</p>