The AP Biology test is changing for the 2012-2013 school year not 2011-2012. Check this page: advancesinap hth ~Moira

There is a well established list for Latin self study--LatinStudy--that regularly runs beginner groups as well as groups reading through various Latin authors. So there are lots of experienced Latinists who are happy to assist newbies. This link, The LatinStudy List should give you the info you need. hth ~Moira

If you like literature, how about Jasper Fforde? His Thursday next stories are lots of fun to read. First one is the Eyre Affair. I've just read the latest One of Our Thursdays is Missing. hth ~Moira

Okay, since this has been revived, I'll try again to post. 1) How was the year for your student? What did they enjoy, lament, find different than they had expected? Funny or awesome things they experiences or learned? Overall, it was really a good experience. She had room mate issues that were never resolved but she'll be off campus next year with friends who've had lots of discussions about life style and expectations. There were 8 of them looking for apartments so they had a psychologist friend design a questionnaire for them. She suggested living arrangements based on their answers. They ended up as a group of 3, nicknamed 'communists' because they wanted to do things together, and a group of 5 which includes my dd -- 'the independent ladies'. She's learned a lot about how to get what she wants in a bureaucracy -- 'nuff said. :D 2) How was the experience for you as a mom? Any surprises, brags, lessons learned? Well her sister says dd1 never left but just moved into our computer. We had some other changes here at the same time so it's hard to say how much of the change is due to dd's departure. The net seems to be good so far. I think the real change will come when dd2 leaves in fall 2012. 3) How has having them out of your homeschool changed your life or your perspective? I'm finding that time sometimes hangs heavily. I have to be here for dd2 in case I'm needed but she is very independent in her studies this year. Next year I should be more involved as I'll be handling her history and English courses whereas this year I only covered her math -- my main achievement all year has been figuring out the TI89 so that she doesn't have to deal with the frustration. That is one opaque calculator! 4) If they are more of a "young adult" now, how is the change in their relationship to you (if any) working itself out? She has definitely become a stylish young lady. Students in Montreal are very stylish; it must be the French influence. She's become my style consultant. 5) By all mean brag if you'd like--we'll rejoice with you! She seems to have found her place. She was nominated as "best first year student in an arts undergraduate society." She didn't win but was really flattered to have been nominated. She added to her stage death experiences -- this time as Kassandra in Agamemnon. ~Moira

Sounds like you're looking for human geography texts rather than physical geography ones. My younger dd used Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities, 11th ed. By Fellmann, Getis, & Getis in her AP course. Doing a search for syllabi for human geography should bring up others. HTH ~Moira

If I recall correctly, the accompanying booklet gives line numbers from the text. Essentially you miss a whole lot of repetition and/or battle scenes. The audio bridging--the woman's voice--gives a good synopsis of what you miss. The publishers didn't think there was a market for the entire Iliad on audio when it was recorded. By the time the Odyssey translation was published they'd heard from enough people to convince them that the market was there. This is why Ian McKellan reads the whole thing. HTH ~Moira

Although I agree on the Traupman dictionary. I would recommend the Amsco edition -- it is a little larger in form factor and is much easier to read. ~Moira

Congratulations to you both. Home education is an amazing privilege, isn't it? ~Moira

The abridged reading by Derek Jacobi is very well done. The abridgements mainly takes out the repetitive battles and are narrated by another voice so you don't miss anything. hth ~Moira

I have read the book. It was a book group read. So I appreciate that many find it uplifting. I loathed it and would not want my child to have to read it. just my 2 cents. ~Moira

Consider anything by Farley Mowat especially The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, The Boat That Wouldn't Float, or Owls in the Family. If you want something more serious And No Birds Sang is his memoir of his time in Italy during WWII -- very moving. I also second The Great Brain and Little Britches. HTH ~Moira

I also had to repeat braces as an adult. It was much easier to handle. I knew who I was and why I was doing it. Good luck ~Moira

Have you read E.B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan or, better yet, listened to the audio? There is a whole part of it set in Boston that is just wonderful. The reason for the audio is that you actually hear the trumpet playing. Faneuil Hall is a fun outing. Also, consider a Duck boat tour. If you don't normally have access to an underground rail system just riding the MBTA will be fun for those ages. Learn the song Charlie before you go. FYI the stored ticket used on the MBTA is called a Charlie card. HTH ~Moira

It may be doable. I no longer have the text so I can't say for sure. But one of things I really liked about Jacobs -- I used the 2nd edition, the one with proofs -- is that it it includes Algebra review so that it is not totally forgotten while a student spends time learning geometry. ~Moira

I'm celebrating with you both :grouphug: ~Moira

dd has had a very smooth transition academically. She took full advantage of the information sessions/assistance offered by various departments at McGill University (in Montreal) such as degree planning, using the library -- yep new cataloging system, using research databases, apartment hunting, etc. She was surprised by how poorly attended the sessions were. She also met with her academic adviser -- who was able to get her into a course that she needed despite it's being full -- and her departmental advisers, she sought assistance from the reference librarians to find articles she needed for essays and took advantage of opportunities to get an essay outline or draft reviewed by the prof or ta, /etc. She also didn't let the course level deter her for a course that she really wanted to take; she approached the prof who encouraged her to take it because of her background. She was surprised by how few of her fellow students took advantage of these opportunities. Most of these actions she undertook on her own initiative but others were the result of dh and I coaching her about how to approach bureaucracy -- for which McGill is notorious! She didn't relish doing some of these things but she did them and succeeded in getting what she wanted. She has learned that advocating for herself brings results. She did this during her high school years but this was much harder for her because she had to do it face-to-face rather than via email. As to being more willing to raise her hand - yes, she found that she was one of the few in her larger English classes. When she grew concerned that she was being too pushy, she checked in with the prof and was assured that she wasn't. There were others (not homeschooled) who were similarly willing and they banded together and named themselves 'the talkies.' She was also one of the few first year students to actively participate in the departmental undergraduate societies and was subsequently nominated for an award given by the faculty level undergraduate organization. Her situation was probably rather unlike most other students since she was taking courses with freshman through senior year and even some graduate students because of her previous studies. This was helpful as it gave her many different perspectives but also it means that she did not really have a cohort to bond with. But being different comes with the homeschool territory... I'm beginning to ramble, so will stop. hth ~Moira

Have you considered Oklahoma State University's German Online? Several of us have used it with good results. hth ~Moira

In previous years we've usually sent email to the instructor to request an application. Although some instructors have things set up to send an application automatically, most do not. I'd have your dd send an email to the instructor whose course she's interested in and go from there. HTH ~Moira

Where are you getting this from? :bigear: Normally the site shows if a course full, but I don't see this anywhere. Are you sure you're looking at the 2011-2012 listings? There was a stale link to the older 2010-2011 courses that was coming up earlier this week. Thanks ~Moira

Scholars Online uses the Penguin Classics edition translated by A.T. Hatto. dd2 has just read it and said it was fine. hth ~Moira

Yep, the 1945 edition has much clearer print -- essential for Greek imho. You should be able to get a used copy for a reasonable price ~Moira

I second Kai suggestion about taking more of a language and composition approach. That kind of broad non-fiction reading designed to help a student discover the argument mad in a piece of writing will serve you well as a science major. You can see sample syllabi on the college board here. They should give you an idea whether that appeals to you more. Many (most?) AP English Language and Composition instructors have students continue to read literature over the year, but more at a book group level of discussion than heavy duty literary analysis. fwiw both my dds have said that this has been their most helpful high school level English course by far. HTH ~Moira

Other students in dd's classes (Reading Greek and Intermediate Greek) who initially bought the little found it inadequate to their needs and switched. The received wisdom is that the middle is adequate until grad school. Knowing that she was heading to classics, we bought the Oxford Latin Dictionary when it was on sale a couple of years ago. She still finds John Traupman's New College Latin and English Dictionary adequate and much less cumbersome. Sometimes you can have too much information. For quick reference dd has the Lexiphanes app on her iPod. She much prefers the middle though since she often finds that the words around the actual entry are helpful to her. Another resource that she loves is Nino Marinone's All the Greek Verbs. She says she doesn't need it often but when she does, it's a life saver. Have to tell you, she won the Classical Association of Canada's sight translation competition (junior Greek) and received an honorable mention in the senior Latin competition, too. She was delighted. One proud mama, here. ~Moira

From dd: Liddell & Scott -- either the 'Middle Liddell' -- An intermediate Greek Lexicon or the 'Little Liddell' -- Abridged Greek-English Lexicon. hth ~Moira

Just another data point, I used this with my elder dd when she was in 11th grade -- we did Omnibus I-III when she was in 9th through 11th and her younger sister was 7th through 9th. It offered plenty of challenge to her. hth ~Moira