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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP - thanks for doing this!

My DD is getting ready to come to TJ in the fall.

We are a little apprehensive and ignorant of how TJ works. We don't know anyone who has attended.

Can you tell me about the classes you'd consider "really hard." By this I mean, a class that will likely crush you if you don't work really hard and/or if you load it up with 1 or 2 other such classes.

In particular, I'm interested in the math program. My DD will want to take multivariable, linear algebra, and then other classes like RS2, RS3, concrete math etc. Would you consider these to be particularly brutal?

Thanks for your advice! [/quote]

OP here! Welcome to the TJ community--I know that you guys weren't really able to have freshman preview night in person or anything but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have here -- there's also a great resource called RealTalkTJ (https://realtalk-tj.tumblr.com/) where other upperclassmen routinely answer questions about classes, workload, ECs, etc.

The classes that are considered "really hard" at TJ will differ from person to person, but the general consensus would say that the harder classes are the high-level math classes (like you mentioned: multi, linear,  complex, amt, rs2) as well as some science APs and post-APs (AP Physics at the same time as Calc BC, AP Chem, Artificial Intelligence...probably others that I can't think of off the top of my head). I don't think any of these classes alone or in pairs would be too much to handle, it's only if you start taking on too much at once. Normally your counselor, when inputting your course decisions, would warn and advise you if they think your selection might be too extreme for you. Also, at the beginning of the year there are a significant amount of people who drop from Calc BC to Calc AB or AP Physics to Physics Honors. It will always depend on your teacher and what the student is good at or interested in, though, so not every experience is the same.

I have not taken the math classes your daughter is interested in but my older friends do say that it's a brain struggle and not everyone gets As, as goes for most STEM classes at TJ. While they might be difficult, people normally do enjoy math to some extent if they're choosing to take these upper-level classes and will enjoy class as the content itself is very interesting. I've also heard that the teachers for these math classes are amazing. My sophomore friends taking RS2 were constantly studying for the class, because one of the two teachers that teaches RS2 at TJ is notoriously great but a tough grader. TJ does have a very rigorous STEM program, but the math courses coming before them (Math 3, 4, 5, AB/BC) build off of each other and are good preparation for courses that require an even higher level of thinking.

If your daughter is interested in math, she'll love the course selection at TJ. There are many math-oriented people, the entire school blocks out time to takes the AMC, and the math competition team practices and goes to many competitions in the nation.[/quote]

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