Anonymous wrote:Physics teacher here. Take AP JAVA in 10th. AP Physics 1 is much more challenging for students than AP Physics C, because it is not problem solving but rather deep conceptual understanding about complex situations. It’s a rough course for 16 yr old brains. AP Physics C can be a first time physics course and can be taken concurrently with AP Physics AB/BC.

You probably meant by AP Calculus AB/BC, but I agree with leaving physics after or concurrent with calculus.

Anonymous wrote:Physics teacher here. Take AP JAVA in 10th. AP Physics 1 is much more challenging for students than AP Physics C, because it is not problem solving but rather deep conceptual understanding about complex situations. It’s a rough course for 16 yr old brains. AP Physics C can be a first time physics course and can be taken concurrently with AP Physics AB/BC.

I didn’t realize that AP physics 1 is challenging for 10th grade. At my kids school district (not MCPS) science honors track kids take biology in 8th grade, chemistry honors in 9th, then AP physics 1 in 10th grade.

Physics teacher here. Take AP JAVA in 10th. AP Physics 1 is much more challenging for students than AP Physics C, because it is not problem solving but rather deep conceptual understanding about complex situations. It’s a rough course for 16 yr old brains. AP Physics C can be a first time physics course and can be taken concurrently with AP Physics AB/BC.

AP Java difficulty is largely determined by how much programming knowledge the student already has.
It could be super easy or quite hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. She is planning to take health over the summer. Has already complete half credit last summer, but there is no offering of Health B this summer so she has to wait.

Doing a double-period lab in 11th grade while doing band takes out any opportunities to do JAVA the same year. Doing AP Physics 1 in 10th will open up the chance to do Physics C in the future. Does it matter that much if there is a gap year between AP Physics 1 (if taken in 10th) and Physics C (if taken in 12th)?

Doing JAVA in 10th will help solidify if she enjoys programming, but I guess programming is also one of those classes she can take outside of school to meter interest. I am guessing taking classes at Montgomery College just to get some hands on experience in programming doesn't really count at MCPS?

Is she going to be a science major? I am not getting why she is taking so many physics classes. Let her take a JAVA class.

Very likely a STEM major although she is not sure which direction within that scope. So in some way, getting both Physics and JAVA in might give her an idea of what she might gravitate towards. Are the advantages in coursework/pre-req to taking JAVA earlier versus in 12th grade?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. She is planning to take health over the summer. Has already complete half credit last summer, but there is no offering of Health B this summer so she has to wait.

Doing a double-period lab in 11th grade while doing band takes out any opportunities to do JAVA the same year. Doing AP Physics 1 in 10th will open up the chance to do Physics C in the future. Does it matter that much if there is a gap year between AP Physics 1 (if taken in 10th) and Physics C (if taken in 12th)?

Doing JAVA in 10th will help solidify if she enjoys programming, but I guess programming is also one of those classes she can take outside of school to meter interest. I am guessing taking classes at Montgomery College just to get some hands on experience in programming doesn't really count at MCPS?

Is she going to be a science major? I am not getting why she is taking so many physics classes. Let her take a JAVA class.

Anonymous wrote:Is Tech Ed even offered over the summer?

Yes

I vote for AP Java.

A few thoughts: Depending on the school of course, AP Physics 1 is a super challenging course with the lowest AP test "pass" rate. Kid should expect to work in the class to do well. Meanwhile AP Physics C in our school is now a two period class, just like AP Bio and AP Chem, I don't know if this is a county-wide change.

If you are in Calculus, you can start with AP Physics C without prior physics experience, although that may be more super challenging!

Love band! Keep the space for it

OP here. She is planning to take health over the summer. Has already complete half credit last summer, but there is no offering of Health B this summer so she has to wait.

Doing a double-period lab in 11th grade while doing band takes out any opportunities to do JAVA the same year. Doing AP Physics 1 in 10th will open up the chance to do Physics C in the future. Does it matter that much if there is a gap year between AP Physics 1 (if taken in 10th) and Physics C (if taken in 12th)?

Doing JAVA in 10th will help solidify if she enjoys programming, but I guess programming is also one of those classes she can take outside of school to meter interest. I am guessing taking classes at Montgomery College just to get some hands on experience in programming doesn't really count at MCPS?

Is Tech Ed even offered over the summer?

It depends on the STEM field she eventually wants to go in, but keep in mind that AP Chem and AP Bio are both two-period classes, so if she's looking to be well-rounded in STEM she should plan for one or both. But waiting until senior year to take AP Physics C means potentially three periods of science that year, so plan ahead.

My DS is a junior in college as a double physics/CS major. He doubled up on chem/bio freshman year so he took AP Physics 1 in 10th and AP Physics C in 11th, AP Chem in 12th. He did not take AP Bio. He had to take CS as a prereq to AP Java, which he also took senior year. (Not sure if that prereq is still a thing or is a thing at other HS). No downsides for him in taking AP Physics 1 in 10th and AP Java in 12th.

FWIW, I think it's a great idea to protect band for all four years if at all possible.

I recommend putting together a spreadsheet (that she should take ownership of) to sketch out her course progression for the next three years. English all three years, math all three years, band all three years, then fill in what else she has to take/wants to take (and I agree taking health ed and even tech ed if necessary over the summer is a great way to go).

I don’t think AP Physics 1 is a prerequisite for AP Physics C. In fact, I think Honors Physics is a broader course with better prep for AP Physics C. So she can do Honors in 11th and C in 12th. I think Physics C is important for engineering and other hard science paths. Not so important for bio/pre med. May want to talk to her counselor or science teacher to get better and school-specific advice.

Can she do something like health ed in summer school to free up a class?

DD has talked to her counselor already. She is in 10th grade, and at this point still interested in my inputs/advice.

She has one period slot opened to take a class and she is between AP Java and AP Physics 1. This would mean she'd double on science in 10th with Hon Chem and AP Physics 1. She is in band so that is her "relax" class and will be doing AP NSL as the other AP class in sophomore year.

Because of the desire to do band, she is in some way "sacrificing" a slot for other electives. At this point, she wants to take band for all four years.

We've looked at the courses available at our school, and I've pointed out that taking AP Physics 1 will allow her to do AP Physics C in 12th grade if she happens to want to do a double science in 11th. Are there downsides to taking AP Physics 1 in 10th and delaying on AP Java until 12th? For kids interested in a possible STEM path in college, how relevant is it to take Physics C sometime in HS?

Thank you in advance for your advice. She is my first born, and I am not so familiar with the MCPS system.