Honors classes and freshman year?

[Anonymous]

My son who is a very good student signed up for AP NSL, Honors English, Honors Biology, Algebra 2, Honors Spanish 3, Elective. This feels like a lot. We can't get a sense of how different Honors vs Regular level classes are (middle school teachers weren't helpful when son asked). Curious about your student's experiences. We'd like him to be challenged but not stressed out. At Whitman fwiw. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Honors is regular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors is regular.

This.
That is a normal workload for good students. He will need to focus on being organized to keep track of actual assignments. The only two classes there that are challenging are AP NSL (keeping up with reading and notes) and Honors Spanish 3 (adding on writing is a bigger step up than 1 to 2).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son who is a very good student signed up for AP NSL, Honors English, Honors Biology, Algebra 2, Honors Spanish 3, Elective. This feels like a lot. We can't get a sense of how different Honors vs Regular level classes are (middle school teachers weren't helpful when son asked). Curious about your student's experiences. We'd like him to be challenged but not stressed out. At Whitman fwiw. Thanks!

The bolded was my courseload junior year of high school, plus two other courses. Times have changed I suppose!

[Anonymous]

The only regular courses my kids have ever taken were required electives. Even health they did honors over the summer.

It's not to much for good students, and the only way to show rigor in MCPS when you have giant high schools.

[Anonymous]

I remember wondering if all honors would be too much for DD when she started HS so I asked the counselor who told me the vast majority of students took honors. So she did. And it wasn’t too difficult. Coming from MS she was an ok student but not amazing, so I agree with above that honors is really today’s regular.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- thanks for the feedback. Pretty surprising that Honors is "regular" level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- thanks for the feedback. Pretty surprising that Honors is "regular" level.

Some schools do not even off "regular"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son who is a very good student signed up for AP NSL, Honors English, Honors Biology, Algebra 2, Honors Spanish 3, Elective. This feels like a lot. We can't get a sense of how different Honors vs Regular level classes are (middle school teachers weren't helpful when son asked). Curious about your student's experiences. We'd like him to be challenged but not stressed out. At Whitman fwiw. Thanks!

NSL and English are absolute jokes. The elective is obviously a free period. Honors Bio is extremely doable if he does the work on time.

Algebra 2 might need a little more attention not because it's hard but because it's such a critical building block for Pre-Calc/Calc; it even has some Stats concepts in there. To do well in upper-level AP math classes, he needs to go see that teacher at lunch often and I'd even recommend supplemental homework problems in the back of the textbook coupled with the regular homework he gets. Also, make sure he doesn't fall behind, even a shred. It's not so bad that it requires a tutor per say, just needs to sit in the front of the class, if you know what I mean. Not trying to scare anyone, just common sense.

Honors Spanish is solid. I'm in college and I wish I would've taken Spanish over French. Starts becoming more about speaking and listening rather than the grammar, conjugation, and cultural focus he saw during middle school. Overall, I'd expect 4 As and 2 Bs/B+s, and it's not rigorous at all - highest/advanced level of each course that's allowed through the regular MCPS system. Isn't there supposed to be a 7th class in the schedule, though?

[Anonymous]

Don’t worry I felt the same, and my current freshman is taking all honors for math, English, science, started a new language, 2 APs( NSL and Comp Science), one elective. It has been just fine for a strong student and he doesn’t feel it is over the top at all. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son who is a very good student signed up for AP NSL, Honors English, Honors Biology, Algebra 2, Honors Spanish 3, Elective. This feels like a lot. We can't get a sense of how different Honors vs Regular level classes are (middle school teachers weren't helpful when son asked). Curious about your student's experiences. We'd like him to be challenged but not stressed out. At Whitman fwiw. Thanks!

NSL and English are absolute jokes. The elective is obviously a free period. Honors Bio is extremely doable if he does the work on time.

Algebra 2 might need a little more attention not because it's hard but because it's such a critical building block for Pre-Calc/Calc; it even has some Stats concepts in there. To do well in upper-level AP math classes, he needs to go see that teacher at lunch often and I'd even recommend supplemental homework problems in the back of the textbook coupled with the regular homework he gets. Also, make sure he doesn't fall behind, even a shred. It's not so bad that it requires a tutor per say, just needs to sit in the front of the class, if you know what I mean. Not trying to scare anyone, just common sense.

Honors Spanish is solid. I'm in college and I wish I would've taken Spanish over French. Starts becoming more about speaking and listening rather than the grammar, conjugation, and cultural focus he saw during middle school. Overall, I'd expect 4 As and 2 Bs/B+s, and it's not rigorous at all - highest/advanced level of each course that's allowed through the regular MCPS system. Isn't there supposed to be a 7th class in the schedule, though?

It must depend on who teaches AP NSL as the section my son is in is not a joke at all. He has had to work hard and study for the A.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, this schedule is easier than many (most?) college bound kids at our school take. Consider honors algebra 2. And the social studies course varies by school, so stick with AP NSL, but note that many kids whose parents are on this board (at other high schools) take an AP social studies course (AP us history) that is roughly twice as hard as NSL. So this schedule is very doable for a good student.

To a PP asking about NSL, I wouldn't call NSL a joke (really depends on the kid's strengths), but the AP NSL course teaches a university-level 3 credit course across the full year (It's very arguable/unlikely that it is really university level, but that's the intent.) The other AP social studies courses teach 6 credits of university-level content over the year. So NSL is structured to be half as fast as AP USH, among others. For those of us whose kids take APUSH first, NSL seems extremely light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this schedule is easier than many (most?) college bound kids at our school take. Consider honors algebra 2. And the social studies course varies by school, so stick with AP NSL, but note that many kids whose parents are on this board (at other high schools) take an AP social studies course (AP us history) that is roughly twice as hard as NSL. So this schedule is very doable for a good student.

To a PP asking about NSL, I wouldn't call NSL a joke (really depends on the kid's strengths), but the AP NSL course teaches a university-level 3 credit course across the full year (It's very arguable/unlikely that it is really university level, but that's the intent.) The other AP social studies courses teach 6 credits of university-level content over the year. So NSL is structured to be half as fast as AP USH, among others. For those of us whose kids take APUSH first, NSL seems extremely light.

OP here -- Thanks for the insights. And he is signed up for Honors Algebra 2, I just mistyped.

[Anonymous]

It’s so asinine that honors courses are the “regular” ones. Talk about coddling kids. Just call it “Algebra 2” or “English.” No need to call it honors if the vast majority of kids take it. What a joke.

[Anonymous]

Our experience: Honors Algebra 2 can be tough but it’s not very much work. NSL is a ton of work if you’re serious about it. My kid was up late rereading the Federalist Papers. Alg 2 is done with a few quick worksheets. Honors English and Bio aren’t very much work, though bio is tougher on grading