<p>I go to a school where I have plenty of periods to take classes and therefore don’t really need to or want to self study. (8 classes/year) </p>
<p>I am interested in taking psychology but I have my brothers prep book and I looked at the FRQs online and they didn’t look too bad. The only reason I would self study would be to take a free period or two as a senior. Would this be bad?</p>
<p>Also I am signed up for regular physics first semester and AP second. Is there any way dropping regular physics for a free period and still doing well in AP could look worse than just taking it?</p>
<p>(My semesters are independent fyi. 4 classes/semester)</p>
<p>I am planning on having taken approx 11-13 ap’s by the time I graduate. ( just to show I’m not trying to slack off too much)</p>
<p>I believe that the free period will help me be slightly more active in my Ec’s</p>
<p>Do not drop your regular physics, UNLESS, you’re a efficient, i put emphasis on efficient at studying and being able to learn on your own. Going from a regular level class to a AP class is extremely difficult because of the work increase, the speed of the class, and the more advanced topics not covered in regular classes. Also, you can do EC’s along with your classes right now, it would look good on the college application, it shows the colleges you can manage your time wisely, you’re a hard worker, and you’re a well rounded person. Sometimes self studying can be good but, it really depends on the topic, sometimes self studying is better, sometimes you SHOULD take a class because teachers have more past knowledge that you would gain by taking the class.</p>
<p>on the contrary, physics is perhaps the only science in which skipping regular might be acceptable. it doesn’t nearly cover as much material and require as much memorization as chem/bio. at my school, most people dont take physics/phys honors and yet many still get 5’s/a’s. I never took physics regular or honors and I got a 5, 770 SAT 2, and an A. Esp. if you are only taking 4 classes per semester and your semesters are independent, you should be able to handle.</p>
<p>I would push you to take AP Psych as a class, mainly because you have the free period to do it (two free periods probably won’t look good), and since the course itself can be very interesting. </p>
<p>As for Physics, it all depends on how it’s done at your school. Some schools require regular or honors to take an AP science and have a shorter AP class, while others might alot more time or simply allow taking AP directly. If you are strong in the sciences and can catch on quickly, I don’t really see a reason to take regular first (unless you are talking about AP Physics C).</p>
<p>If you are confident in your ability to catch on to the material quickly, there’s no reason to take regular physics. But you should be prepared–if a vast majority of kids in AP Physics have just finished another physics class, it’s unlikely that here will be a slow start-up period of review. You need to be ready to jump in. But if you can do that, a free period is a great way to reduce stress, since you’ll have less you are responsible for at home both in terms of homework and ECs.</p>
<p>As for whether or not to self-study Psych, it’s certainly one of, if not the easiest AP to self-study. I took the first part of IB Psych (a two-year course) this year, but the class could have just as easily been called “Psychology in Film.” Suffice it to say, it hardly counted as taking the AP class, but the Barron’s book was a decent review, if a little over-informative. The curve on Psych is massive, so with a few weeks of prep, a 5 is more than in reach. </p>
<p>The downside is not being able to take what can be a really phenomenal class. Some teachers do an amazing job of teaching the material.</p>
<p>But again I’d most likely be self studying with a free period or maybe an easy class. I think on some level the class might look better perhaps.
More thoughts?</p>
<p>Self studying a core lab-science course (such as physics) is unwise. I suppose you can get high numbers on your SAT II and/or AP tests, but that’s not what a lab science is about. In any case, if you’re not aiming too high in you college applications then what you are planning wouldn’t affect your application one way or another. The less selective colleges will be pleased to see the high grades in your physics course.</p>