PARENT TO PARENT ADVICE ON COURSE SELECTION

TO BALANCE WORKLOAD AND STRESS

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By Grace Becker (2/1/2018)

beckergc2@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

• WHY I’M SHARING THIS INFORMATION

• WHAT WE WILL COVER

• SENIOR LABS

• AP COURSES

• A SIDE NOTE ABOUT HOMEWORK

• BALANCING YOUR COURSELOAD

• ONLINE COURSES

• SUMMER SCHOOL

• COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

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https://fcps.tjhsst.edu/coursemgmt/media/300/resources/2015-four-year-plan.pdf

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GENERAL INFO[NEW: NO SCHEDULE CHANGES AFTER MARCH 9]

• Course Catalog: https://insys.fcps.edu/CourseCatOnline/#/frontPanel/503/nocourselist/0/0/0/1;

https://fcps.tjhsst.edu/coursemgmt/courses/300/

• Research Lab Brochure: http://tjpartnershipfund.org/docs/Lab_Inserts.pdf

• Math: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/mathematics

• Humanities: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/humanities

• Science/Tech: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/science-and-technology

• Computer Science: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/computer-science

• World Languages: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/world-languages4

SENIORLABS

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SHOULD YOU COMPETE IN THE SIEMENS COMPETITION OR

RENEGERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH?

Chart made by TJ

Partnership Fund for

Lunar New Year 2015

AP COURSES

• AP TEST DATES

• 2018: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/dates_fees/233071.html

• 2019: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees/2019-exam-dates

• AP COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

• SEPARATE SHEETS FOR WORLD LANGUAGES; HUMANITIES; MATH/CS

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https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/inline-files/MathAPandBeyondCourseExpectations.pdf

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https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/inline-files/World%20Language%20AP%20Course%20Expectations.pdf

AP SCORES

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THANK YOU FAIRFAX COUNTY

ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED

FOR SHARING THIS DATA

For more info on AP/IB scores in all FCPS schools: http://www.fcag.org/apib.shtml

A SIDE NOTE ABOUT HOMEWORK

• TRIAGE – DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST

• STUDY TOOLS (AUDIO BOOKS; SMART PEN)

• STUDY GROUPS - SKYPE; FACEBOOK; ON THE BUS

• HOMEWORK AT SCHOOL (ON THE BUS; BREAKS;

LUNCH; 8TH PERIOD)

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BALANCING YOUR COURSELOAD

• OUR STUDENTS ARE OVERACHIEVERS.

• CONSIDER 1or MORE COURSES THAT DON’T REQUIRE PAPERS and/or TESTS.

• PROJECT BASED COURSES (e.g. Robotics; Computer Science; Prototyping)

• FINE ARTS CLASSES (e.g., Band, Strings, Choir, Drama)

• TJ STUDENTS DON’T TAKE PE IN 11TH AND 12TH GRADES (so the student sill

have an extra course with homework)

• 4th SOCIAL STUDIES CREDIT – CANNOT TAKE AP PSYCHOLOGY

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BALANCING YOUR COURSELOAD

• WHICH MATH COURSE SHOULD I TAKE AFTER RESEARCH STAT?

• BC CALCULUS or AB CALCULUS?

• SHOULD I TAKE ANY MATH AFTER CALCULUS?

• AP PHYSICS vs. HONORS PHYSICS?

• AP U.S. HISTORY vs. HONORS U.S. HISTORY?

• SELF-PACED PASS/FAIL EPF vs. AP MICRO/MACRO ECONOMICS

• SHOULD YOU TAKE AN SAT SUBJECT TEST IN 10TH GRADE?

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ONLINE COURSES

• GREAT WAY TO SLEEP IN IF YOU CAN GET A RIDE TO TJ

• USUALLY 1ST PERIOD; YOU PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM TJ.

• FREE IF IT IS 1 OF 7 COURSES, BUT YOU PAY $680* IF 8TH COURSE OR SUMMER ONLINE

COURSE

• HIDDEN COSTS: YOU PAY FOR DRIVER’S EDUCATION; HEADPHONES; COMPUTER

• GENERALLY, TJ ALLOWS FOR EPF; PE; CAPSTONE AND NON-PREREQUISITE COURSES

• TJ ONLINE COURSE POLICY: https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/node/2043

• FCPS ONLINE WEBSITE: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/online-campus

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* $780 for NON-FCPS STUDENTS

SUMMER SCHOOL

https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/academics/summer-programs-201817

• YEAR LONG COURSES: June 25 – July 27, 2018

• SEMESTER COURSES: June 25- July11; July 12 – July 27

• COST: $820/$420 + BUS FEE $272/$136

• TIME: 8 am – 3pm

NATIVE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS

• FCPS CREDIT EXAM FOR WORLD LANGUAGES

• TEST GIVES 1-2 CREDITS FOR 26 LANGUAGES FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS

• TEST GIVEN ONLY ONCE A YEAR (USUALLY IN THE FALL)

• https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/world-languages/credit-exam-world-languages

• American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Hindi, Italian,

Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto*, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog/Pilipino, Tamil, Telugu,

Tigrinia, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

• NAT’L EXAM FOR WORLD LANGUAGES (NEWL): COLLEGE BOARD ENDORSED AP-LEVEL

• https://www.americancouncils.org/services/testing-and-assessment/NEWL

• Chinese; Korean; Arabic; Portuguese; Russian

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CONCLUDING COMMENTS ABOUT COURSES AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

• COURSE SELECTION AND EFFECT ON COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

• IS IT BETTER TO GET AN A IN AN EASY COURSE OR AN B IN A HARDER

COURSE?

• CONSIDER SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

• SCHOLARSHIPS

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FINAL THOUGHTS

• SLEEP - LEAD BY EXAMPLE

• TURN OFF ALL LIGHTS AND PARENTS GO TO SLEEP AT 10 PM.

• STUDENTS ARE LESS UPSET ABOUT LACK OF SLEEP THAN PARENTS ARE.

• STUDENTS ARE TEENAGERS –

• THEY WOULD STAY UP LATE EVEN IF THEY WERE NOT STUDYING

• Yes, they tell you they are studying but are they on YouTube, social media, video games, etc.?

• THEY WILL BE MOODY/DEPRESSED/HAPPY – WHETHER IT’S ABOUT ACADEMICS,

SOCIAL, SPORTS, ETC.

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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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QUESTIONS?

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Disclaimer: While I tried my best to make sure the information is reasonably accurate,

please double check all information with TJ or FCPS staff. I am only a parent. I do not

speak for the school or any organization.