advice or suggestions please on ap chem, college alg/trig, college us history?

Question

i have to choose either ap chem or college alg/trig. so the thing is, i'm not very "good" at chem. i made a's and b's when i took pre ap chem and i basically struggled my way through the class and i probably won't end up taking the ap chem test or if i do i wont be able to make a 3+ on it. the only reason, i'm considering the ap chem class is because i was told colleges like students to take advance courses like ap classes and im in 2 right now. as far as my major in college, it'll be in liberal arts/science.

as far as college alg/trig, i can understand math concepts better than chem concepts but the thing is colleges out of state won't accept the college credit if i get accepted to one. and i'm not sure if i want to go in or out of state yet. the deal with the college us hist class was that last year i signed up for ap us hist but the counselors never told me that class never made so they put me in regular us hist. so i'm debating whether i should take the college us hist because if i do go to a college in state they would accept the credit but if i don't they wont. i know this is long but any suggestion would be very helpful. thank you..

Answer 1

Algebra/Trigonometry

Chemistry is an excellent course for an engineering major. For a Liberal Arts major History would be the better course to take. Since you can't take that then take Algebra/Trig. Even if the course is not accepted for college credit by a University it is still an advanced course and the Universities Admissions Board looks for the INTENT more than the actual choice of the course.

Algebra/Trig is also an excellent course for any engineering or science major. Not some much for a Liberal Arts Major, it will be a requirement for ALL science programs though (In my field of construction engineering I used Algebra and Trig daily). Any science or engineering program will require it, as a precursor to more advanced math courses. In High School I took AP (Advanced Placement) Trig and Precalculus. I was over reaching a little and didn’t do that well. However, my grade point average was decent, and by taking those advanced courses the Universities I applied to thought I would make a good choice for their school. Back then there were no High School courses that could be used for college credit, but by taking those advanced classes I had the foundation I needed to take them again in College and perform better. It helped to increase my College Grade Point Average, and that is the most important thing, next to what classes you do take.

Your High School GPA is very important, and taking advanced courses is almost of the same importance. The third factor is what outside of school activities you are involved in, and then the Admissions Board looks at the actual courses you took in school. So taking the advanced Algebra/Trig won’t hurt your chances of getting accepted to a College and it will help. It will help your High School GPA better than taking Chemistry will, and you may not even need the Chemistry course.

You will apply for College and Universities before you finish High School, but what you do that summer can also be important. Junior Colleges offer many of the basic courses that ALL college graduates are required to take; English, History, PE etc. You can take some courses during the summer to get these requirements out of the way. You can also take a few courses during the first Summer Term and then based on that you can reapply to any school that did not accept you in the spring. Your performance in college, any college, will be a better indicator of your future performance, more than an advanced High School course would be.

There is one bad thing about taking advanced courses for college credit outside of the University you attend. All Universities will accept the course, but many may not accept the grade. If you made an A, B, or C then the University will credit your College GPA with a C, in their school. They have to accept the course, but since it was done off campus then they can’t be sure it meets with their standards, so they may not give you full GPA credit for the course. A few such courses over a 4-year term won’t harm you overall GPA much, and you could take the course again in the University that you are accepted at for an improved College GPA.

But, your primary goal is to get into a good University. So graduate High school with a high GPA and take as many advanced courses as you can. Taking the advanced courses is important, but not as important as what you actually take. It is the intention of taking those courses to get ready for college that the Admissions Board is looking at. If you do take the advanced Chemistry course and don’t do well in it, then that might harm your GPA, probably not. If you are taking advanced courses then you probably have a high enough GPA that a C or B won’t hurt you much. However, the college is more interested in your GPA, which determines your ranking in High School, the actual courses you take are of secondary importance. That’s why you have to take college level History, Math, and English courses in any major degree plan; these courses will meet the Universities standard. Taking a college level course outside of the University that you plan on attending won’t help your College GPA. So it is better to take the advanced course that you can make a higher grade in. I did poorly in my High School advanced math courses and only made a B in the advanced English course, but my GPA was high enough for Texas A&M to offer me a chance to go into their honors program. Honors courses are tougher and if you take enough of them then you can graduate with honors. Employers will like that as a good sign of your performance. They don’t care so much what honors courses you took, just that you took them.

Algebra/Trig will help you in any and all science or engineering majors more than Chemistry will. The better grade you can make will help your High School GPA and class rank, which is what the Admissions Board looks at. They don’t care what advanced courses you took as much as the fact that you attempted them. If you still don’t have what it takes to get into the University you want then you can take summer school courses in a Junior College and use your performance there to help you reapply. You have two summer terms to do this so you can still have some time to goof off or take a vacation or work at a job.

I highly recommend that you do go to at least one Summer School session in a Junior college no matter what. You can get some of your required basic courses out of the way, it will be cheaper to do that at the Junior College, and it will help put you into the College Frame of Mind better than any High School course can. The transition between College and High School was a big shock for me. In High School I used to sit in front of my TV and do my homework, then go to bed by ten. That doesn’t cut it in college. You will have to spend at LEAST two hours for every credit hour you take studying for college. The standards of college are much higher than for High School, even for a High School advanced course.

Start applying and searching for financial aid in the spring or summer. College is expensive, and you have to buy your own books (check out used books first, they are often just as good and cheaper). Then there are supplies, laundry, transportation, entertainment, and food. You don’t always want to eat in the college dining facility, and you will need a study break, now and then, or go insane. Even if your parents are well off you will want some sort of finical aid. Most of the aid is given with no strings attached. You can use it for anything you want, as long as you are using it to help you get through college. Check out the essay programs, they give a little money, for a little work, and every little bit helps. The PEL grant is the best, but don’t sneer at loans. I did and it set me back several years.

Go for Math and go for success, I wish you luck in college!

Answer 2

take the math, as a person who took both, I know from experience that the AP test are hard and grosly unfair and unless you are a genius, you will be lucky to just get a 2. Colleges really do not like AP class because the scores do not get in until jusly, and by that time, if you are a senior going into college in the fall, you will already be schudaling your classes, and depending on you scores for a class, only to find out too late that you did not score high enough and end up taking the 7 am or 5 pm class so because all the other times were full. email me if you have any questions on the matter or the AP tests

Answer 3

1. Make sure that whatever ap you take is the end of a course of study in college. In other words if you take chem, make sure there is not a second semester waiting for you. You may have a tough time with math too.
2. Take stuff you are sure you will get credit for or the ap is useless. Schools do not pay attention unless they offer the courses and then only after admission

Answer 4

Dont do the chemisty if it'll be too hard, yes, colleges like AP classes, but only if you get A's. Otherwise they prefer you to stick to regular classes and get A's. I'd say go for the college credit, cuz it's not like it's going to hurt you if your college doesn't accept the credits, just a chance for an easy A and a chance to boost your GPA. Good Luck.

Answer 5

I took BS in nursing and chemistry was required....so it depends on your major requirement. If you already know that you are not as 'good' at chem...then you have already set yourself up for less in chem. (you have to do everything with confidence in life...to get the best result.) I would take the alg./trig it is less study time then chem...less memorization...and I think that the 2 you have now will suffice. . Good luck

Answer 6

take AP History if you are qualifed. With this class comes the story of good and bad and the hope for avoiding the bad in the future

Answer 7

Give up UR social life and take both. Study hard, go to office hours, or join a study group but stay focused on school if U do. It will pay off in the future!

Answer 8

maybe do the math one.

with math, you can take more classes in college. My limited math has held me back at times.

Answer 9

college alg/trig

Answer 10

do the other one