The next 2 years

SiggaardAndersen
Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:02:57 +0000

Thank you all for the wonderful responses. I appreciate it.

Regarding math, the day I posted this (I have just awoken from some much needed sleep) I wasn’t feeling the best and the self-assessment I provided was far from accurate. Freshman year I was taking a course which included algebra 2, trigonometry and calculus. However, due to personal reasons which I admit now are quiet silly my studying was quite minimal compared to what I could have achieved. Sophomore year I began with algebra 1, but after the first semester I switched to algebra 2 because the former was far too easy. Upon switching I earned a B+ from the course with minimal practice. The reality of the situation is that my years of sitting through lectures in this unknown Balkan country has left me with a wealth of understanding but little applicable knowledge, and all I need to get myself going is some instruction.

Science is my passion and I consider myself an overachiever to some degree. Rather, I overachieve in every area other than math. Because of this, I find myself at a level with human sciences, for example, which can be found in most upper level university courses but if I were to take AP Calculus I would fail.

CantConcentrate, you bring up an excellent point. However, rest assured that the reason is more regional than anything else. Schools here don’t use AP. Not even one. It’s because universities here don’t award credits for them. I couldn’t find a school at which I could sit in on the exam. With that being said, I looked for a way - I even considered flying out of the country. Now I’m in a situation. Next year I plan to take on a heavy workload, and regardless of how secure I was of the material for AP Biology a 5 on the exam requires hefty review if left unattended for over a year - this is time I don’t believe I’ll have. Regardless of past issues I have had sitting in on the exam, though, I will take it at some point.

Going back to math, my family will be fairly large. Without proper funding it will be improbable at best to steadily work with a math tutor. This is help I need, and I won’t sugarcoat this. Without at least 3 sessions a week I will never be at the level required of me for a path in biochemistry. As with university, nobody other than myself will pay for this which brings me back to employment. Do I believe I can work, be in Running Start, take AP courses and maintain at least a 3.8 GPA and 4-5 on the exams while attending school physically? No. The physical attendance bothers me because I’m learning to the same degree as I would be independently though it’s much slower.

Perhaps it seems as if I’m dead set on the online path, but that’s not the case. I would just like to figure out which path is indeed the most successful. Again, I appreciate the responses thus far.