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Q: (Initially posted on 8/26) FROM MENTEE RASHELLE
C. IN PA
My school is so small that we can only pick from the basic
classes you
need to get into college. This year I am taking Geometry,
and Chemistry.
When I am a Senior I will have a choice of AP Calculus (advanced)
or applied
Calculus. I am thinking of doing AP Calculus. For sciences
I have AP
Biology and physics I have to take between my Junior and Senior
year. Should
I take AP Bio in 11th or in 12th? Some of my classmates are
taking it in
11th so that when they take physics they will have a higher
math background.
Is that the way to go, or are they just taking the easy way
out? Also, for
English in my school I have the option of taking AP English
or English 12. I
was thinking of trying AP English. I am planning on going
to college and am
trying to base my decisions on that. I don't think my major
will be science,
but science comes easier to me than others. Thanks.
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August 27, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR MICHELE MOENSSENS. FOR BIO. CLICK
HERE.
Rashelle--
I think the first and foremost thing you need to do is try
to determine what
type of major you will have in college, if it is not going
to be something in
the sciences, I would advise taking the AP English and not
one of the science
courses. However, if it is going to be a science or math based
major, I would
advise taking the AP Physics your senior year and AP Calculus
and not the
English. You do not want to over load yourself. I think it
is great that your
"small" school offers so many AP courses. I took
AP Physics my senior year,
it helped having the extra year of math. I do not think this
is taking the
easy way out.
August 27, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK. FOR BIO. CLICK
HERE.
Your small school seems to be doing well by you, offering
all those
AP classes! A lot of my earlier responses to other people
have the
general theme that it's just fine to do the basics in high
school and
wait until later for more career-oriented courses.
Taking math before physics makes sense to me. Biology used
less
math, so it's easier to take it earlier. A physics course
taught to
students who know algebra well and have some calculus would
be a far
more sophisticated course than one taught to students without
the
math.
The difference between AP calculus and applied calculus sounds
as if
the emphasis in the AP course is more on understanding and
in the
applied course more on applications. Naturally, if you understand
math you can apply it and are less likely to forget it when
you need
to apply it than if you'd learned it only as a set of rules
to
memorize.
I'm less familiar with what the difference between AP English
and
regular English 12 might be. But one advantage to AP classes
is that
you are more likely to have stimulating, interested, smart
classmates
and better class discussions and more interesting assignments.
In any choice of between courses the teacher is a big factor;
if you
look at the content and can't decide, choose the better teacher
every
time.
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