freshman classes

[apologies]

so im actually pretty young! (8th grade) and am obviously going to be in 9th grade next year and since people on smogon are mostly smart, i wanted help choosing classes- the main things im curious about are honors classes, biology and english in particular
i was told by friends in college (well actually ones a senior) to take those classes in freshman. i asked how much homework they had had and one of them told me half an hour, although he hadn't put much effort into it (apparently got pretty good grades anyways). this seems pretty low and i was like cool although he must have meant like per class, since half an hour total seems really low.
however, i also heard stories of people taking those classes and spending like 5 hours on homework which is pretty ridiculous in my opinion, at least for a freshman.
i kind of have procrastination issues, but once i actually start my homework im usually ok!
so anyways i was pretty much just wondering how much homework you generally get, and how hard the classes are too i guess.
also is it worth it to even take these classes?

 

[frogbandit]

Im a freshman too, but I don't know much about your high school so I'm not sure what classes are required for you to take. My high school is pretty competitive, so I'm in all honors (english, history, science, alg. 2), spanish, basketball (team sport), and orchestra 7th period (after school). But even so, most days I only have 30 min - 1 hour of homework (if I concentrate enough and stop going on smogon >.<). Freshman year has been relatively easy, and I have all As, and even though finals are coming up I feel secure with my grades. English is probably my hardest class, since I'm more a math/science guy, and some days you have to write an essay for hw.

 

[apologies]

alright well thats comforting!
my parents made me go to an elementary school that was terrible (didnt really teach us any math, so i pretty much failed the 6th grade placement tests) and as such im only in algebra 1 right now. (will be in geometry in 9th)

 

[whistle]

the amount of homework you get in high school classes really depends on who is teaching and your school's unique curriculum. but I think the general idea is about the same (barring blatant exceptions that you will probably hear about from friends and older kids) so here is what I remember about early high school classes...

english: really a mixed bag. some of my friends barely had any homework but my teacher was really good and he tried to challenge my class so naturally it was harder. I think we read a novel-sized book every month or so and also had units on poetry + philosophy that were just handouts he gave. I think we read maybe a chapter or two in a book every few days but I'm not sure about this at all considering I've taken tons of English classes since then. we also had two or three essays per semester and one final project. this was maybe half an hour of work if I had reading, but obviously more if an essay deadline was coming up (an hour or two to write a draft if the draft was due the next day) or if we had a group project (a saturday at someone else's house).

biology: I took biology sophomore year and didn't do much homework, but I blame my teacher for teaching really well in class. basically the only homework I did was the review packets for our tests; I'd maybe spend an hour skimming the book chapters and finishing the packet. now that I think about it I don't actually think we had other homework assignments. intro biology is basically about understanding concepts -- listening in class was usually enough for me (again, I had a good teacher) but even if it's not the textbook reading really isn't much. it's pretty easy to read (nothing extremely technical) so if you are interested in biology you should do fine.

if you are smart or think you are smart or want to be smart, take honors classes.

in general, though, don't worry about having classes that give you too much homework. I'd say the majority of my time spent the first year or two in high school doing "homework" was goofing off on the internet or with friends. if I actually sat down in a quiet room and concentrated on my homework for an hour max every night I'm almost certain I would have gotten it all done with time to spare. the real problem is controlling your procrastination! it's not really until junior or senior year (or sophomore year if you're taking classes beyond your grade level) that you have classes that demand lots of time solely because they are hard. and by then you'll probably know enough about your work habits and the classes offered at your school (ap junior english taught by one specific teacher had a reputation for being ridiculously hard, for example) and will be fine.

 

[theamericandream38]

so i pretty much failed the 6th grade placement tests) and as such im only in algebra 1 right now. (will be in geometry in 9th)

Way to make others feel good... I thought I did "fairly well" on the placement test when I was in the same situation as you. Christ, if that's the way you think, then you should agree with me on all of the following (I have recently had an epiphany of sorts): You are a complete and utter moron if you do not take all of the AP (honors) classes that are offered, and take only difficult classes otherwise. You must prove to all others (and most importantly yourself) that you are the smartest kid in your school, and if it is in within your mental capacity, your state (or province, though I am making an educated guess that you live in the United States) and perhaps your country. You also must score at minimum a 34 or so on the ACT (I would say 36 if you are going for best in your state/country) (I never took the SAT so I can't say what is actually considered a good score on that), and you must attend the college that is ranked #1 for your major. If you do not complete these requirements, you have failed (as I clearly have).

If I have completely misread your attitude, I apologize, but it truly appears to me that you are as much of a perfectionist as I am, and thus will not be satisfied with anything less than the best.

 

[apologies]

yeah i guess
only i know im not the smartest, but yeah that actually is pretty accurate
also thanks whistle, you helped a lot!
edit: want to add that i have no idea whether or not id actually be in geometry right now, its just that the elementary school and failing of the placement test in 6th grade pretty much killed any chance i had!

 

[Slyguy46]

Ahh, Freshman year, before we all realized how much High School sucks.

In my school, we have to take certain classes (with different levels, for instance, you have to take a form of Algebra, American History and Physics) and different electives, and need (throughout school) 2 years of a language, 2 Practical Arts (Computers, Shop, Cooking, etc.), 2 Fine Arts (Music, Art, etc), and Public Speaking.

If you have the choice between Honors, CP, AP, or Core, take a few Honors classes, maybe one AP class, and a few CP classes. Take one or two electives, and get situated within your school. If you feel bored in one of your classes, ask your teacher if you can move up a level, and vice-versa if a class is too hard.

In the meantime, try not to overdo it Freshman year, and just be yourself.

 

[tennisace]

My school is kinda ass when it comes to classes but I took Algebra I / English I 8th grade so I had a slate of Geometry/English II/Modern European History/Biology/Italian I/Robotics as my main courses. I know it's already be said but good colleges know that every school is different. As long as you take the most difficult course load possible, you should be fine. What you should be really doing is thinking long term, I didn't take any electives until this year and took all the really hard courses my Junior year so that I could have a ton of time for essays and such this year. It all works out in the end, you should be fine.

 

[cim]

Ahh, Freshman year, before we all realized how much High School sucks.

I love when other high schoolers act nostalgic about high school.

Anyway, just take everything required and whatever electives suit you. if you like learning, take Honors classes. They're not that much harder or anything.

 

[Eraddd]

Take the courses you want to take, and keep in mind that you should challenge yourself, and look at pre requisites for university. Example: I didn't want to take physics, but Physics 11 was a pre requisite, and seeing as I did not want to waste my time taking this gimped course, I decided to take IB physics (not the best choice, but meh, challenging).

As long as you're challenging yourself to the best of your abilities, then you'll be fine.

 

[Firestorm]

Take courses you are interested in. Take courses you are interested in. I repeat: Take courses you are interested in. High school electives are a way to figure out what you enjoy for free. If you wait 'til college, you'll be switching majors years in and spending thousands of dollars. It always surprises me how many people spend their high electives on an easy grade instead of something they like.

Newsflash: Nobody gives a shit about your grade in high school except for a few courses in your last year or so. It's far more important to try out new things than it is to get a high grade.

Also as Eradd said, once you're in 10th, start looking at what you need to get into your school of choice.

 

[Kojax]

Although I'm sure it varies from school to school, the was a very big difference between the quality of the honors classes vs regular classes in my high school. In my experience a teacher will make or break a class, and the honors classes usually had better teachers. I would ask your older friends about the honors courses and the teachers they had in high school and go from there.

 

[hobo bob]

Take courses you are interested in. Take courses you are interested in. I repeat: Take courses you are interested in. High school electives are a way to figure out what you enjoy for free. If you wait 'til college, you'll be switching majors years in and spending thousands of dollars. It always surprises me how many people spend their high electives on an easy grade instead of something they like.

If your school was like mine then you will know there are shit classes for electives. What I mean is that the only electives you can take are Woodshop, Autoshop, or Photo (I couldn't even get in photo since there were only 2 classes and the students who got in was decided by a lotto system aka the one who bribes the most gets in). Luckily the last year in high school opened up some decent electives and I was able to take a Arch. Drafting. Unfortunatly the class was more fun than anything else; we really didn't learn too much but we got to do some neat things on AutoCAD.

 

[420]

My school is kinda ass when it comes to classes but I took Algebra I / English I 8th grade so I had a slate of Geometry/English II/Modern European History/Biology/Italian I/Robotics as my main courses. I know it's already be said but good colleges know that every school is different. As long as you take the most difficult course load possible, you should be fine. What you should be really doing is thinking long term, I didn't take any electives until this year and took all the really hard courses my Junior year so that I could have a ton of time for essays and such this year. It all works out in the end, you should be fine.

yeah, don't do this. I ended up taking the hard class route all that happened was I made my life harder than it needed to be. Unless you're planning on going to harvard or some prestigious schools just take whatever classes interest you. Also remember, colleges would rather see an A in an easy class than a C in a hard class.

Oh yeah, and getting good grades is more about playing the teacher than anything. Find out what you can and cannot get away with academically early on and if a teacher gives you an inch take a mile ;)

 

[Jimbo]

I also disagree with part of tennisace's post. Take hard classes, but don't overload yourself, especially not in freshman year. You don't want to end your first semester in High School despising it, because you'll still have a long way to go. Just take hard classes, but think about what you can manage. (i.e. find the happy medium between taking all electives and killing yourself with all aps) I also wouldn't take a lot of electives freshman year -- I took all my special courses like Art and Craft of Film and Convenience Foods freshman year to get them over with and I had no electives left for Senior Year....

also tennisace's school is easy

 

[blue cheez]

There are only 2 things that matter in highschool: AP classes and SAT scores.

Take as many AP and college classes as possible. Start doing practice SAT tests now.

If you do that, you'll get a great scholarship and you can skip your first year and a half of BS classes in college.

 

[tennisace]

Yeah my school is a cake walk so "the hard classes" are probably what compares to your normal classes. Though, as 420 said, you need to do that if you want to get into a prestigious school. If not, ignore what I said earlier, and just take what you want.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Private School freshman here. Warning: Big blobs of text here.

Alrighty then, let's get started on the business.

To tell the truth, I have absolutely no idea what goes on in public high schools, but I could imagine it's infested with culturally-influenced students

(read: wiggers, wapanese, so called "pimps", tarts, blondes, Twihards (hell no) and the "good" guys.)

^ Okay, humorously intended, but true in a way, everyone keeps comparing my school to a normal high school, and I literally have to spend seven thousand dollars for my education. So, even then as a freshman who's four years away from college, I have to work hard in hard classes.

My policy is: be prepared and be opportunistic of everything in High school, because the colleges look at your applications, your grades, your activities; basically, anything a mod does to you on Smogon, but in real life. As a freshman, it's your responsibility to act your own age (note: lots of high-school boys don't, but don't go that route), have fun, and again, be oppotunistic. It's a good thing you're taking these classes of honor. They're not too different from a normal class, but you have to work a little, a tinsy-insy, bitsy-bit harder in return for more rewards and a great start on your student career. Yes, you should definitely take those honors classes.

However, what really matters is the A.P. classes. A.P. classes=/=Honors classes. No, Honors classes are just Altaria compared to A.P. classes (Salamence, apparently XD), which begins in my school at junior year, I believe. If you do great in all courses, you sometimes have an opportunity in Advanced Placement classes, which look good on your records, I believe. I can't stress this enough: go after the prey, don't let it run away.

Take all the greatest classes that you can, and if you can't handle them, relax yourself and drop out to another worthwhile class; the future won't scold you for slacking off slightly.

 

[Stylish Interval]

As Firestorm said, take what you're interested in. You can't reselect what classes you want to take when you decide you don't like what you chose. Well, actually at my school they give you a week, but I doubt in a week you'll really know whether you like the class or not. Don't take something because it's hard and you want to look smart.

Here's a little something I learned: You can't compare how smart you are based on what classes you take. You might be smart enough to ace an AP English course, but English doesn't suit you so you take a regular English course instead. Now are the people taking AP smarter than you? Some might be, some might not be, but you can't compare because you're taking a different curriculum than them (they do more work, one of you has open-book test one time to boost your grade, etc.).

Could you have taken that AP course? Of course you could have. But if you don't like English and you won't do anything with it in the future, why give yourself more work? (Of course, you like English, I'm just giving an example.)

Don't take all honors/hard classes to impress your friends. You might seem smart, but if you have a 3.0 in all honors and they have a 4.0 in all regulars, which of you looks better? Harder classes aren't better, especially if you can't handle the homework or don't like the class. Take easy classes in subjects you don't like, more challenging ones in subjects you do like, and take electives that appeal to you. Electives are there for you to have fun in and learn what you like outside of the core subjects. If you take Electives that you don't like you're wasting your time. Well, that's all I got.

 

[cim]

However, what really matters is the A.P. classes. A.P. classes=/=Honors classes. No, Honors classes are just Altaria compared to A.P. classes (Salamence, apparently XD), which begins in my school at junior year, I believe. If you do great in all courses, you sometimes have an opportunity in Advanced Placement classes, which look good on your records, I believe. I can't stress this enough: go after the prey, don't let it run away.

Are the Pokemon analogies really necessary?

For what it's worth, I took one AP class my entire high school career. AP is basically a load of shit (fuck no it is not a college equivalent), but you'll probably have to take it if you're a normal student and want to get into a super college. I'm the exception; I took 8 college classes in high school.

 

[Johann]

You should do what you think you should do. Takes the electives that interest you. If you think you can handle the a.p./honors classes, take them. If you think you can't handle them, don't take them. Hope you find this helpful

 

[Firestorm]

Although I'm sure it varies from school to school, the was a very big difference between the quality of the honors classes vs regular classes in my high school. In my experience a teacher will make or break a class, and the honors classes usually had better teachers. I would ask your older friends about the honors courses and the teachers they had in high school and go from there.

Eh, it really varies. My Social Studies 9 teacher was the worst teacher in the entire school and it was an Honours class. Of course, Honours classes weren't weighed differently or even showed up on my transcript as Honours so it was really useless as far as university went... I also had some amazing teachers who were and weren't my Honours class teachers. I was pretty happy with the teachers in my school overall with the few exceptions. I remember dropping out of Honours Math because I just couldn't learn from the teacher who taught it and got much more out of regular Math.

If your school was like mine then you will know there are shit classes for electives. What I mean is that the only electives you can take are Woodshop, Autoshop, or Photo (I couldn't even get in photo since there were only 2 classes and the students who got in was decided by a lotto system aka the one who bribes the most gets in). Luckily the last year in high school opened up some decent electives and I was able to take a Arch. Drafting. Unfortunatly the class was more fun than anything else; we really didn't learn too much but we got to do some neat things on AutoCAD.

Yeah, mine was pretty good. I tried out Robotics & Flight, Web Design, Computer Programming, and Journalism by the time I was done. Took History and French too even though they weren't required in the upper levels. I regret not taking the Media Arts course seeing as that's technically what I'm in now (although I have a high interest in Journalism and Web Design) x.x

 

[Kojax]

Eh, it really varies. My Social Studies 9 teacher was the worst teacher in the entire school and it was an Honours class. Of course, Honours classes weren't weighed differently or even showed up on my transcript as Honours so it was really useless as far as university went... I also had some amazing teachers who were and weren't my Honours class teachers. I was pretty happy with the teachers in my school overall with the few exceptions. I remember dropping out of Honours Math because I just couldn't learn from the teacher who taught it and got much more out of regular Math.

This exactly.

I didn't mean to imply that honors classes will always have better teachers, just that at my high school this was usually, although not always, the case. Some of my favorite teachers were from regular classes, and the most interesting and rigorous class I took in high school was not classified as honors.

 

[Rin]

I'd say... do whatever you're comfortable with, but I definitely lean more towards the AP route...

Myself, I regret not trying harder in the AP classes I was in (I mean, I got an A, but I think I got a 3 on the English exam cause I was really lazy.. 4-5 is required....) and not taking other AP classes.. so I could have gotten college credit..

I've taken up too much time doing prerequisites in college which could have been already done with AP classes...
Since our HS paid for the AP classes, and courses cost money in college, I'd say it would save you time and money, and would also prepare you for the rigors of college..