Junior year schedule plan

littlelotte485
Sun, 16 Oct 2016 23:54:13 +0000

Hi!

I’m a HS Senior, and I’ve taking some of the AP courses you plan to take. To reiterate what was said above, it really hinges on how well you are handling your classes this year. How long are you spending on HW? Additionally, the courses you’re taking right now (eg. APUSH, AP human geography, advanced English) are courses that deal with the humanities; as a result, they are of a different caliber/level of difficulty than the AP courses you plan to take next year. If you are someone interested in mathematics or the sciences, or just have a mental inclination towards those things, then you will be able to do well in those classes.

In my junior year (last year), I took AP Language & Comp and AP Bio, and they were not always easy. I’m good at writing/reading comprehension, so AP Lang. & Comp. was no problem for me (my final grade was a 97%, and my AP score was a 5). That’s not to say the class was a breeze: we had some hard readings (we did American Lit) and lots of papers to write.
While I did well in AP Bio (my final grade was a 98%, and my AP Score was a 4), you need to know that that class is quite hard. My teacher told me that the AP Bio test is the hardest AP exam ever given, and you are expected to complete HW on very complex subject matter from your textbook, perform extensive labs, and memorize a great deal of information. I did well because I am want to be an MD, but I still studied really hard for the exam, using supplemental sources, and reading/taking notes from the textbook over chapters we never covered in class because we didn’t have enough time. And that’s another thing: in HS, the running joke about AP Bio is that the course is never done, because there is just not enough time to teach students in that much detail.

This year (Senior year) I’m taking AP Literature and Comp, AP Calculus AB, and AP Physics C: Mechanics. From my experience with Calc, let me tell you that this class relies on your ability to understand the material taught, and be able to perform many detailed steps to arrive at the final answer. Again, if you are doing well in pre-calc/trig, that’s a good foundation, but if you’re like me, you will struggle with understanding the concept behind the algebra, and know how/why you do things in a certain way. As regards the other classes, it really depends on your plans for the future. If you are a math/science major, then take AP Calc next year, or AP Bio, depending on your plans. I have friends who took AP Psych, and they said it was a difficult class to handle (I’ve never taken it, so I can’t say whether or not that’s true, so sorry I can’t help you there!). I would recommend taking AP Stats or AP Environmental your senior year (or not take them at all), because they’re “easier” classes (so to speak), and they aren’t as influential as AP Bio or AP Calc. As said above, it also hinges on the teacher: are they notorious for giving loads of HW? Are the readily available to help students when they are having trouble? Do they seem to have a good record of students who do well on the AP exams? As cliche as it sounds, it might do you some good to ask upperclassmen or students who have taken these courses (especially those who did well on the AP exams/got high grades in the class) about the HW load, their feelings towards the class/teacher, and their advice on how to succeed in the class.

Ultimately, this will come down to you and what you want. If you have plans for your major in college, take the courses that will help you get a solid foundation. Ask around from other students, and I would suggest even talking to the teachers for some of these courses. Also keep in mind that in Junior year, you’ll need to start turning your focus (if you haven’t done so already) to taking SAT/ACT for the first time, visiting colleges, and getting ready to begin the college app process, meaning you will need to make time for those added responsibilities. Can you manage that plus a minimum of 4 AP classes? That’s something only you will know.

Sorry for such a long reply, but I hope it helps! Good luck with everything, and let me know what you decide! Hope I helped!