We had similar experience with physics classes. But I will say that even now at a four year school, a couple of problems can really cost you a grade. My kid’s physics midterm had three questions. The grade in the class is based on two midterms and one final. What we found is upper division math and physics had the most motivated kids. Those were students hoping to transfer into engineering to four year schools. The classes were always spilt into kids who were excellent (maybe 10% of the class) and everybody else struggling. Almost no middle. The biggest issue is kids just want a paper. Most think what matters isn’t knowledge, but a paper that says you earned a credit. Well a credit without knowledge is worthless. But if you don’t understand it, you cheat. And cheating in online classes is rampant.

Does anybody know if a best way to prep for a French placement test? Any good (and not too massive) review prep either in book or video form?

Quality of CCs varies substantially in my experience. Some CCs in CA are absolutely excellent. But some more rural ones (like ours sadly) aren’t. I think Covid made things much worse. I worry that the quality lost during Covid is now impossible to regain.

You are not alone. I have lots of regrets. Homeschooling was extremely isolating for us. Academically excellent but a disaster in all other ways. Whatever is driving the misery, I hope you find answers. Hugs.

Oh, I didn’t realize they didn’t have rolling admissions anymore.

And their business and their music. 🤞❤️

Gosh, I can’t imagine it being any lesser than AP Calculus, which really all it takes for the 1 series. UCLa runs honors sequence in Calc and physics for those majoring in these areas and needing Caltech level learning. Regular 1 series isn’t that.

Can he write a solid paragraph? I would keep building on that with the goal of an essay before graduation. I don’t know that I would use a curriculum. WWS seems too much work. I think writing across curriculum as much as he can handle and polishing up paragraphs would be the way I would approach it.

I am hoping August 1st. We are looking at University of Indiana.

I will say my kid hasn’t had a single issue with registration down there. Smooth sailing so far. But he isn’t in the bio department.

I thought kids couldn’t handle calculus and wanted algebra based so that’s why they were all flocking to 5. If you can’t find a class, it’s better to take 1 series and get it out of the way than spending years attempting to get into 5 series. I have seen juniors still not managing to secure spots in the 5 series. Honestly so much of the difficulty is teacher dependent. As I said, Corbin (notorious for being the hardest prof) often teaches courses in the 5 series. also, you get a more solid take on physics from 1. Learning never hurts.

I stand corrected. I thought it wasn’t. I think in many places bio majors are able to take non calculus version. Even more reason to attempt the 1 series then. I see Corbin sometimes teaches 5 series. I can’t imaging anything with him could be easy, 5 or 1. But yes, UCLA seems to have too many premeds. They really need to do a better job matching demand.

This, especially after witnessing who gets into and why into privates. And neither of our kids have experienced any issues around registration.

Enterprising LA culture 😂🤦‍♀️

My son agrees. He also says calculus makes physics easier.

I agree that these students need to be expelled. UCs accept more students than they can accommodate because of unrelenting pressure from politicians to increase the number of kids attending. Never mind that many CSU campuses have plenty of space. And CA population where in the cities it it’s uncommon to see families with $300k combined incomes (that makes you pretty much full pay) most still can’t afford to shell out $95k for private universities (cost of living here and multiple children pretty much makes private education impossible for those families), putting more pressure on UC admissions. Also the dreaded physics courses that are always in short supply have a calculus based equivalents and they always have space. I don’t understand why any stem major would want to take algebra based physics frankly. But yes, UCLA seems to put everybody through the dreaded three quarter physics sequence, including CS folks. Maybe it’s a common practice. I don’t know. But in short I agree, let’s stop cramming kids into campuses that are at capacity.

If you want a composition class, look at WTMA. I believe rhetoric classes are solid high school composition. https://www.wtmacademy.com/course/rhetoric-writing-i/

Are you able to help at all? This is another interesting take. It teaches with problems. I didn’t have as much luck with this text but in knowledgeable hands, it can be very good. https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Physics-Understandable-Practical-Reality/dp/0935218084/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3GHYLMP8UBZSZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v-dDQgVYZEm2rmWPRes5DW3pfBs3xrMLXURV8P4mVkjkpVim1t0w0IYFoylCT-z5c_KuXdpvt-2kLHCkmfDejnV1tdgdvIs_3fBBjrFDIlkLiQgP6cA13wZ3czrS4jNRsf6c1riezJmbSdIeWDvMEEWO-Y5JuNU56D7WNt6UEjVNzC0wxQbkktLG4HMNCvtw9m9J80DqE9mFdI7V0NKCug.KY6E4iMzJZ1mM8gAXEMt051wisLGHt6v8QxlBuuGSBY&dib_tag=se&keywords=thinking+physics&qid=1712007690&sprefix=thinking+physics%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-1 also Gamow books are fun reads and really got my kid into physics. Along with @MorningGlory Jetta and her wonderful class that uses conceptual physics. He is now a physics major and pretty much wants to do nothing else.

https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Superheroes-James-Kakalios/dp/1592402429/ref=asc_df_1592402429/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=353620917518&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4910225348439418695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031887&hvtargid=pla-432173195227&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78171713224&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=353620917518&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4910225348439418695&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031887&hvtargid=pla-432173195227&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk6SwBhDPARIsAJ59GweghbhlpBs3r9xm0kd6x423ox4_St2jibktMECLNLEsBLDRJd3luVwaAoYPEALw_wcB peak at this book. It’s a physics textbook with a more engaging take. See if she likes it.

Mine is back to school for another 10 week quarter. He is super excited to be taking all new classes. This is definitely the benefit of a quarter system. But not so excited to be dealing with finals second time since January. And that is a drawback of this fast paced madness. Having him home for a week with nothing to do I realize his life here is over. This is now a temporary relaxation station in life. It’s sad and exciting.

You know which one I am rooting he chooses. 😂😉Congratulations!!!! if he goes to the southern one, we should do a get together with WTM moms down there!

Did he have a lesson with Amherst teachers? I would go with the teacher he likes. I don’t trust places with conservatories for non conservatory kids because I was told you don’t get access to “real” teachers there. I know in places with grad school, you get assigned grad students. Oberlin has no grad school though, but if you don’t have a spot in a studio for a conservatory kid, how do you find a place for a non conservatory one? I am musing aloud here. Congrats to your DS though. I know how much of a roller coaster this process is, especially for music kids.

What’s happening? We don’t input any data but it was all brought in from IRS without our handling a single number. I am looking at SAI now and it seems a bit lower to me than what we anticipated. How do I know if there is a mistake?

Oh it absolutely is! Like sports! Congrats!

I also think AoPS was the single best thing we did in our homeschool given my son’s choice of major.