Too many classes?

catlover2

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Apr 23, 2015
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Hello all. This past week I've received an LOA to USMA and although I'm very happy I'm concerned about my schedule this year. I am currently taking 7 classes : geography, student tutor, ap physics c, weight training, ap literature, ap calc ab, and ap spanish. On top of the that I will have ap govt next semester. I am always busy and doing so much work and I am contemplating dropping ap physics c because it is too much. I don't suck at it necessarily but I'm also not confident enough in my abilities. I know that next year if and when I do go to USMA that I will have a rigorous course load as well but I don't want to fail the class or get a bad grade. Out of all of these classes which do you think will be the best for me to drop? It's hard because it's like I need all these to classes to be able to maintain my gpa (4.2) but I feel so overworked. Will me dropping any of these classes or my gpa slighty dropping affect my chances of getting an appointment or affect my LOA?
 
If anything, drop weight training or AP Spanish, not AP Physics. Really, you're schedule isn't any different than most seniors, it's entirely possible to take all of those classes and do well. But if you feel overwhelmed, reevaluate whether being a student tutor is worth the loss of study hours, or if you really need an extra semester of Spanish or weight training. Don't drop the hardest class because it's hard, drop something that you don't need in the grand scheme of things so you have more time to focus on your harder classes.
 
If anything, drop weight training or AP Spanish, not AP Physics. Really, you're schedule isn't any different than most seniors, it's entirely possible to take all of those classes and do well. But if you feel overwhelmed, reevaluate whether being a student tutor is worth the loss of study hours, or if you really need an extra semester of Spanish or weight training. Don't drop the hardest class because it's hard, drop something that you don't need in the grand scheme of things so you have more time to focus on your harder classes.
It's not more so that it's so hard that I can't do it its just Time. If I'm not at school I'm in sports or clubs on top of working everyday. But I do think student tutor would be the best option to drop but it's one of the only classes I actually enjoy because I am helping kids who really need it.
Drop the weight training.
Yes but I feel that it can help me stay in shape for the academy
 
If it's just a matter of time then that's easy, drop the thing that is the most useless in the grand scheme. Whether weight training is actually going to help you depends on how serious your teacher is about giving you a good workout. I took weight training in HS too and the facilitators (as they weren't really teaching us anything) were both football coaches. If you weren't on the football or wrestling team, they didn't care about you. In fact, they gave the athletes a different workout than everyone else and rarely paid attention to us. It was such a waste of time, I worked out for a bit during the middle of the day, ended up standing around for most of the class waiting for instructions. Even if your school takes it seriously, weight training (as a class in HS) will not help you stay in shape for anything. You may pick up a few tips for your workouts in your free time, but that's about all a class like that has to offer.

If you really want to keep weight training, the next class would be AP Spanish. You've already finished your language requirement, you don't really need it. It might be a fun/easy A for you, but languages take up a ton of time, there'll be plenty of time to pick it back up in college or later in life if you want to.
 
Weight training will not help you as much as you think. Plus, you can, with hardly any cost (be creative) do that at home or in the school gym on your own time.
 
you can, with hardly any cost (be creative) do that at home or in the school gym on your own time.
Considering the OP stated "It's not more so that it's so hard that I can't do it its just Time. If I'm not at school I'm in sports or clubs on top of working everyday" I don't think that is a very viable option.
 
you can, with hardly any cost (be creative) do that at home or in the school gym on your own time.
Considering the OP stated "It's not more so that it's so hard that I can't do it its just Time. If I'm not at school I'm in sports or clubs on top of working everyday" I don't think that is a very viable option.
It's an entirely viable option. The time it takes to go to the gym or work out home a few times a week is far less than the time required to study for a class. And sometimes not having enough time is a matter of not wanting to spend free time on things you don't feel like doing. If he's doing sports he's probably already doing the type of training necessary to "stay in shape", not only that but his coaches probably have more weight training tips to offer him than the weight training class.

I don't see him saying "But noooo, I love spanish!!!"...so it seems like he can easily keep weight training for his sanity and get rid of AP Spanish to free up some time.

I didn't even know you COULD drop classes in HS, at mine you could request a different class, but deciding to open up a period was not an option. Is this a normal thing in many HS's?
 
It's an entirely viable option. The time it takes to go to the gym or work out home a few times a week is far less than the time required to study for a class.
If the OP is concerned about time dropping weight lifting is a horrible idea because that will give her even less time. Forgive me, but I don't see what point you are trying to make with what you said in what I quoted.

Also, if you look at one of the OP's old threads she mentions her CFA scores, and they are not what I would call fabulous in 2 areas, pull-ups/flexed arm hang and push ups. I highly doubt the scores she got in these 2 categories are passing. Weight training will probably help with these 2 categories. An LOA is great but if you don't pass the CFA it means absolutely nothing. Dropping weight lifting does not seem like a viable option to me, however much that means.
 
It's an entirely viable option. The time it takes to go to the gym or work out home a few times a week is far less than the time required to study for a class.
If the OP is concerned about time dropping weight lifting is a horrible idea because that will give her even less time. Forgive me, but I don't see what point you are trying to make with what you said in what I quoted.

Also, if you look at one of the OP's old threads she mentions her CFA scores, and they are not what I would call fabulous in 2 areas, pull-ups/flexed arm hang and push ups. I highly doubt the scores she got in these 2 categories are passing. Weight training will probably help with these 2 categories. An LOA is great but if you don't pass the CFA it means absolutely nothing. Dropping weight lifting does not seem like a viable option to me, however much that means.
As I said before, weight training is only useful if the teachers actually take it seriously. My experience with weight training was basically a wasted hour where the coaches spent all their energy on giving the football and wrestling athletes a work out. I did have time to work on my pull ups and squats since I had so much free time, but there was no structure to the class so I left with no really tips on weight lifting. For me it was totally worthless. She's been in this class for at least a few weeks already, she should know if she's going to get anything out of it or not.

We don't know the OP personally, only she can decide what's worth her time. I've already said that AP Spanish is probably the most useless class in the grand scheme. If the weight training class is well structured, it'll be a welcomed and productive break from classes, AP Spanish is not a requirement, takes up a ton of time, and not something that will be useful to her at the Academy as she'll have to take it again if she happens to continue with it at the academy. AP Physics, which is the class she WANTS to drop, is the one she really shouldn't. Yes it takes up a good bit of time, but it'll make college physics easier to understand.
 
Smithrm 0368, You haven't mentioned your SAT scores or your ranking in your class. If you need to drop something you should start with a non-weighted class that is not a requirement. To maintain that GPA you'll need to keep your AP classes, all of them. Non-weighted classes at this point just pull down your GPA. Of all the classes you listed, AP Calc and AP Physics are the most attractive to West Point. Getting a strong grade in those two classes will be a head nod for those looking at what you've done. Drop something so you can work harder on your AP Physics course. You can do it!!
 
Smithrm 0368, You haven't mentioned your SAT scores or your ranking in your class. If you need to drop something you should start with a non-weighted class that is not a requirement. To maintain that GPA you'll need to keep your AP classes, all of them. Non-weighted classes at this point just pull down your GPA. Of all the classes you listed, AP Calc and AP Physics are the most attractive to West Point. Getting a strong grade in those two classes will be a head nod for those looking at what you've done. Drop something so you can work harder on your AP Physics course. You can do it!!
Since she has 7 classes right now, her grades for these classes won't be in until graduation. The transcript she applies with will contain up to Junior year so grades from these classes won't affect her admittance package. It'd be different if she were on a block schedule. At my school we took 8 classes per year. Some years it was a block of 4 classes per semester, and for a year or two we took all 8 at once for the entire year and had them on alternating days. So keeping a non weighted class may drop her gpa a few hundreths of a point, but it wont be reflected on the transcript she submits to colleges. Dropping AP Spanish is not a big deal, especially if it gives her more time to do well in the more important classes.
 
It's an entirely viable option. The time it takes to go to the gym or work out home a few times a week is far less than the time required to study for a class.
If the OP is concerned about time dropping weight lifting is a horrible idea because that will give her even less time. Forgive me, but I don't see what point you are trying to make with what you said in what I quoted.

Also, if you look at one of the OP's old threads she mentions her CFA scores, and they are not what I would call fabulous in 2 areas, pull-ups/flexed arm hang and push ups. I highly doubt the scores she got in these 2 categories are passing. Weight training will probably help with these 2 categories. An LOA is great but if you don't pass the CFA it means absolutely nothing. Dropping weight lifting does not seem like a viable option to me, however much that means.
Oh I redid my CFA not even a week ago and my new scores are: one mile: 7:27 push-ups: 33 sit-ups: 72 bball throw: 50ft pull-ups:1 and shuttle 9.3. I went back and trained a lot. I feel that my body was just really out of it that day. I had just started school and I think all the junk from the summer held me down. Just training for about a week or two I shed about 5 pounds of water and junk.
 
It is very true that just practicing for the CFA will enhance your CFA scores.

And while the old saying is "practice makes perfect," I find that "Perfect Practice is Preferred." Do it right every time.
 
Gpa: 4.2 weighted, ranked 30 out of 373, ACT scores( by far not my best quality) Math:29 English:29 science and reading :28. As far as sports go I play varsity basketball and track team captain and both and state qualifier. I do cross country more to stay in shape, I work almost everyday after this. And manage to go to my clubs and such
 
I
It is very true that just practicing for the CFA will enhance your CFA scores.

And while the old saying is "practice makes perfect," I find that "Perfect Practice is Preferred." Do it right every time.
Yes! I was amazed at how many more pushups I could just by doing reps of them everyday along with the other events
 
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