Multiple classes scheduled only one hour a day and other schedule conflicts?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

Most of the AP classes in my school are only held one hour a day, so when I saw my tentative schedule this year, I was … not surprised it had major problems.

Most problematically, my school’s only AP Calc (AB–BC is not offered) class is offered at the same time as the only AP Bio class. I’m a STEM person and am afraid not having AP Bio will hurt me, particularly in my dreams for high reach schools.

Incidentally, both of those classes would be immediately before the one hour of AP Physics C … but, due to low enrollment and only having one physics teacher for the whole school, Physics C has always been put in the same hour as another physics class: they just ask the teacher questions about their work after the teacher finishes teaching the other class their lesson for the day and they usually stay after the bell to talk with the teacher. Otherwise, it’s mostly a self-study class. I love physics and I love the teacher, so I don’t want to drop this class… but the conditions for it are less than optimal, to say the least.

I also have to choose between forensics/meteorology (one semester of each … it’s a unique senior class) and AP Psychology, both only available for me to take in one hour. (These both actually are held multiple hours, but due to other schedule issues I still have to choose between one and the other.) I feel like I would enjoy either, but forensics/meteorology at my school is considered to be much more fun in a way that AP Psychology mostly isn’t, and it’s taught by my physics teacher, who I love. But I’m worried that AP Psychology would appear much better on my transcript, and I might risk my class rank dropping if I don’t take it… honestly, at this point, with my schedule being such a mess, I’m worried that’s all I have.

I also have two free periods (out of seven) at the end of the day. None of the classes I signed up for are being held then at all, and I don’t think there are any classes I’m actually interested in taking then… but would it be better to just get some random electives in then so that I’m doing /something/, rather than appearing lazy for only taking five classes?

I’ve tried to see if concurrent enrollment was an option to fix my schedule, but it seems unlikely at this point. The nearest college seemed uncooperative–will not allow me to take “advanced” courses, even intro calculus, even if I qualify with AP credit. There’s one more college that might be an option, but transportation would be very difficult, and I can’t drive.

I am a senior. I have taken four years of math (Pre-AP Geometry, Pre-AP Algrebra II, Precalc/Trig + AP Statistics) and five years of science (Pre-AP Biology, Pre-AP Chemistry, AP Physics I, AP Chemistry, AP Physics II), all advanced when possible.

Thoughts?

2

I am not sure how to help you with the question of AP Calc or AP Bio, since both are important classes for an intended STEM major. Could you ask about doing an independent study of one or the other (and having it marked on your transcript as such)?

I feel like if you are worried about your class rank dropping, you should take AP Psych. It’s a very interesting class.

Lastly, I do think you should have your guidance counselor write about this in their school report- colleges understand scheduling conflicts.

3

Currently, I’m choosing AP Calc over AP Bio, since I’ve taken at least some biology freshman year and am still taking a science class this year. That might be as good as it gets.

My counselor said I can’t do any truly independent study, but I might be able to do something like our Physics C class with calculus–sit on a different math class with the calculus teacher and do the same work as the regular AP Calc students, just asking if I have any questions, and have it registered as a single section of AP Calc with myself as the only student in the system/on my transcript. I’m not sure what kind of option that is; I feel like I could pull it off without too many problems, but my parents don’t seem to approve (even if they believe I could do it, they don’t seem to believe I should, but, quite frankly, they’ve underestimated me before) and seem to have swayed the counselor against it. I’d also need to personally ask and convince the calculus teacher for that to work out, but since I’m not sure myself, I don’t want to inconvenience them for nothing…

I ended up asking and it turns out my class rank will stay the same either way, with or without AP Psych. I still might want to take the class, because it does sound interesting, but so does forensics/meteorology… choices.

4

I believe calc is more important than bio for any major, especially stem.

5

Take the forensics class over AP Psych. You said your class rank won’t change. It’s important to have fun and take enjoyable classes in high school.