Am I gonna burn out next year?
This year, I’m taking Latin 4, AP statistics, AP US history, AP Language, AP Physics 1, Personal finance (required), and Crafts (random elective that I thought I would need for a brain break). For my extracurriculars, I recently founded a volunteer club that I now lead every week, and I also volunteer a ton with one particular organization that I am Vice President on the advisory board for. Additionally, I’m in the math and history honor societies at my school and plan on joining the national honor society once I get an invitation to do so in the spring. Outside of school, I am illustrating a picture book for the said volunteer organization and volunteer at my church in the nursery, and I do art projects, including knitting baby blankets that I’m saving up to donate, and I read a ton. (This is just to give an example of my workload.)
So I thought 4 AP classes would be the end of me, but it’s not bad at all. I’m still getting straight As, and even though I think I might not get all 5s on my exams, I think I’ll do pretty good. Next year, I’m planning on interning with the said organization (this is my spike, of course), becoming president of the advisory board, and remaining in my position as president of the club, as well as stay in the other honor societies. Here are the classes I’m taking next year and my reasoning:
- AP world history (a freshman class, but it was added this year and I really want to take it!)
- AP biology (supposedly okay if I remember 9th grade biology, which I do)
- AP literature (I’ve been wanting to take this since I was a freshman!! loooove literature!)
- AP Latin literature (I’ve gone this far)
- AP calculus BC (I didn’t take AB but I’m good at math and will self study over the summer, plus there’s a lot of overlaps)
- AP government (apparently easy because our school separates US gov and comparative gov into 2 classes, so it’s a semester worth of content in one year)
- mentorship (the intern I talked about. I get to leave school early)
- 3D design (I need a chill class and a friend recommended it to me)
Do you think I can handle this much work? I want to be able to hang out with my friends, but I don’t want to take all the easy classes because I’ll be bored. I only need three of the classes to graduate, but I plan on applying to some Ivies, so I don’t want to have gaps in my schedule, although it would be nice.
My mental health hasn’t been that great this year, but it hasn’t been good for a while, and it’s not exactly due to schoolwork. But I want an honest answer, is 6 AP classes too much? Do you think I’ll burn out?
the reason I’m taking a lot of APs is because my family makes too much money to qualify for enough aid but not enough to pay my tuition
Edit: I had to transfer out of my art class because of difficulty with a teacher (so I'm in drama now), but other than that, my year has been going great, and I've registered for my senior classes. Thanks for the advice!!
Last year, I took seven IB courses (English, History, German, Spanish, Chemistry, Math, and TOK). I did get really stressed, but I survived. IB classes in my experience are like AP classes on steroids. I think it is possible for you to take six APs and not feel burned out.
Is it possible for you to get a study hall/independent study/office aide? One of those options might help you handle the stress.
Personally, I am grateful that I did not choose to take as many AP/IB classes as fit in my schedule this school year. Does that mean you will get burned out? No. You are a different person than I am. Do you love to learn or do you just want to take all of these classes and participate in these activities because your parents told you to? If you love learning, you will feel less burned out than if you are taking these classes.
Based on the commentary you gave, I think you definitely should take APWH and AP English Lit. Will the Latin class get you any additional college credit? I know my AP Spanish Lit didn't get me any extra (because I didn't get a five and had already earned the rest of the credit from AP Spanish Lang). The other AP classes would be helpful for fulfilling gen. ed. requirements, but it doesn't seem like you're really looking forward to taking them.
I hope this helps! Good luck!!!
Thank you so much!! The only classes I have to take to graduate are English, lab science, and government, but since I'm trying to go for more prestigious schools, I can't take free blocks, although the school would let me only take those three classes and sleep at home the rest of the time :) I do love learning and I'm excited for calc bc, too, but the rest of the classes are just because I enjoy the content and have no other choice but to do AP or be bored, unfortunately. Thanks for the response, again!
I feel that it depends on many factors such as:
-What You Want To Do
-What Are Your Mental Habits
-What Do You Like
-And What Are Your Physical Habits.
I feel that what you want to do afterwards has a huge impact say someone wanted to go to a college that was centered with law and took AP classes to get there now those AP classes are not as useful in a college/university with a centered subject of biology.
Also mental habits have a lot; how you take notes, what do you memorize, and how you prioritize your classes is a huge factor on how on time and on point you can be.
Another thing that goes along with mental habits is what subject you enjoy doing. Doing an AP class that you don't enjoy at all will be much tougher and this will not only affect that class but distract you from all the other classes you could spend more time on.
Physical Habits also play a tremendous role; when are you most active, how much energy do you tend to need to have a good day, lots of extracurricular activities such as sports can an inconsistent day between tired and awake. Causing you to have to revisit a part in some classes.
And finally I feel that how much you are willing to spend on AP classes. That equilibrium point of time outside of school used to relax, play and school is very important.Because if your not willing at all to do Advanced Program Classes then that is shown in your grades and as https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com said "The short answer is that it's better to get a "B" in the AP or Honors class because selective colleges want to see that students are challenging themselves academically, but also that they're mastering the material." However if you are not mastering or at least making an effort then whats the point.
However everyone is different.
The important thing about volunteering is that it is meaningful to you. Think of volunteering as your real-life classroom. And remember it's your life. So volunteering should reflect something personal. Schools want to get to know the real you. So show the through volunteering.
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