PARENT TO PARENT ADVICE ON COURSE SELECTION
TO BALANCE WORKLOAD AND STRESS
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By Grace Becker (2/1/2018)
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.