Need senior year science advice for future Mech Engr student

[TeaTotaler]

Ds is currently a Junior and has taken these Math and Science classes so far:

 

9th grade: Algebra II (at home);   Honors Physics (Derek Owens)

10th grade: PreCalc DO);   Chemistry (Thinkwell)

11th grade: AP Calc AB;    Honors Biology (at home using Kolbe Syllabus)

 

Courses for Senior year:

 

US History Part 2

Govt (1/2 credit)

AP English Lit PAH - he wants to do this after enjoying Eng Lang this year

Research Writing (Spring) - he had to find something at Lukeion after he finishes up AP Latin, Greek 2 this year :-)

Math AP Calc BC at PAH or Dual Enrollment

Science: ?????   AP Chem through PAH, or through DE.  Should he take AP Physics C through PAH instead.  He plans to begin the Physics sequence during his Freshman year at college regardless of score if he takes AP.

 

Would taking Chem or Physics Sr year be better for him as an applicant for Mech Engr?  Does he need to double up......ugh.

 

Please share your thoughts, suggestions.

 

TIA.

 

 

 

 

 

[kiana]

I'd be more inclined to do physics as that's rather foundational for an engineer. I'd also look into programming if he hasn't had a course in that yet -- not necessarily a full credit but something to get his feet wet before freshman year.

[JanetC]

Agree with Kiana on physics and programming, but chem is a perfectly fine choice if that class works better for some other reason. The CC where we are doing dual enrollment really pushes the DE kids to do chem when they don't have time for both chem and physics before transfer. Apparently, chem is more of a block to graduating on time at our big state u and lots of kids need more than one try to get through it.

[kiana]

Yes, chem is not at all a bad option.

[CSL]

My son has just been accepted into an engineering school for the coming fall. Depends on how many courses/AP he is planning, I would say Physics and Chemistry are the most important. Since he already has Calculus AB, he might not need Calculus BC (depending on the school). Also he has English language, he might not need English Lit.. My son's school only give one credit for Englsih and one for Calculus, so going the extra mile will not help. I would suggest doing AP Physics C, AP Chemistry, AP computer science or just a regular computer programming class for next year. My two cents!

[Jen in NY]

If I had to vote, I would vote Physics. But Chem is good, too, as is programming. My dd uses MatLab a LOT.

 

That being said, my dd's engineering requirements have included exactly 1 chemistry class but *many* physics classes. This semester (2nd semester soph) she has (what sounds to me like three physics classes......) Statics, Dynamics, and Something else with Physics actually in the name (Phys 2114 or something like that.). She has not yet had a semester without a physics-of-some-kind class.

 

ETA: So many Eng students go is as one type and change to another ... so really anything could work. Maybe he takes AP CHem and loves it and thinks maybe Materials Eng is his thing. You never know. :) DD went in as Mech and switched to Civ/Enviro. You just never can tell.

 

 

 

[regentrude]

Ds is currently a Junior and has taken these Math and Science classes so far:

 

9th grade: Algebra II (at home);   Honors Physics (Derek Owens)

Science: ?????   AP Chem through PAH, or through DE.  Should he take AP Physics C through PAH instead.  He plans to begin the Physics sequence during his Freshman year at college regardless of score if he takes AP.

 

Would taking Chem or Physics Sr year be better for him as an applicant for Mech Engr?  Does he need to double up......ugh.

 

If he already had an algebra based physics course in 9th and is planing to take calculus based physics at the university irrespective of AP score (which, I think, is a wise decision), I would NOT have him take physics in senior year. I do not find covering what is essentially the same material three times to be particularly exciting or valuable.

 

I'd rather opt for chemistry with the hope of testing out of the required chem course at college, which for a mechanical engineer is not that important.

 

 

[TechWife]

I don't have any input on the specific classes you're referencing, but I want to give you a "head's up" about senior year. There are some things to take into consideration when planning his workload. First, he will be writing college application and scholarship essays. Much of this is done the first semester, before the Christmas break at colleges. The essay questions can be a bit tricky, especially if it's something he's never thought of before and he will need to spend a good amount of time on them. If he needs to take the SAT and/or ACT again, plan study time for that as well and plan to have him take it in September or early October (check with the colleges where he is applying to see what the last test date they accept is). Plan time for college visits if you haven't done this already - two or three three day weekends is not an uncommon number. If possible, have him do most of his visits this spring. 

 

There is, of course, the phenomenon known as senioritis. Once that acceptance letter arrives, all amounts of giddiness and immaturity ensue. High school doesn't seem important anymore and it can be difficult for them to buckle down and work.  Once April hits, there will be spring break and then any extracurriculars he has will begin having their senior recognition, senior banquets, etc. and each of those will take up an entire evening, at a minimum. This only adds to the senioritis. 

 

If you have to do any type of travel in order to visit with families, the senior year is an important time, IMO, to get that done. It's much easier for a high school senior to travel to visit his grandparents than it is for the a college student. Once he hits college, you will want him to come home as much as possible for the holidays and you likely won't want to make trips during that time, either. He will probably also be working during his breaks, which makes family travel even more unpredictable. 

 

All of this is to say, you may want to make sure that he has plenty of wiggle room in his schedule and that weighing him down with several difficult courses may not be the best thing to do. Of course, I do realize that these courses might be easy for your son and a full schedule wouldn't be a problem for him. Only you know that for sure. 

 

Oh - remember to save time to make memories, too! There is so much that is bittersweet about senior year for mom & dad. There are a lot of "last times" and "first times" and you will want to savor those moments as much as possible. 

 

I hope he has a blessed senior year! 

 

 

[JanetC]

Great reminder, @TechWife.

[dereksurfs]

I don't have any input on the specific classes you're referencing, but I want to give you a "head's up" about senior year. There are some things to take into consideration when planning his workload. First, he will be writing college application and scholarship essays. Much of this is done the first semester, before the Christmas break at colleges. The essay questions can be a bit tricky, especially if it's something he's never thought of before and he will need to spend a good amount of time on them. If he needs to take the SAT and/or ACT again, plan study time for that as well and plan to have him take it in September or early October (check with the colleges where he is applying to see what the last test date they accept is). Plan time for college visits if you haven't done this already - two or three three day weekends is not an uncommon number. If possible, have him do most of his visits this spring. 

 

There is, of course, the phenomenon known as senioritis. Once that acceptance letter arrives, all amounts of giddiness and immaturity ensue. High school doesn't seem important anymore and it can be difficult for them to buckle down and work.  Once April hits, there will be spring break and then any extracurriculars he has will begin having their senior recognition, senior banquets, etc. and each of those will take up an entire evening, at a minimum. This only adds to the senioritis. 

 

If you have to do any type of travel in order to visit with families, the senior year is an important time, IMO, to get that done. It's much easier for a high school senior to travel to visit his grandparents than it is for the a college student. Once he hits college, you will want him to come home as much as possible for the holidays and you likely won't want to make trips during that time, either. He will probably also be working during his breaks, which makes family travel even more unpredictable. 

 

All of this is to say, you may want to make sure that he has plenty of wiggle room in his schedule and that weighing him down with several difficult courses may not be the best thing to do. Of course, I do realize that these courses might be easy for your son and a full schedule wouldn't be a problem for him. Only you know that for sure. 

 

Oh - remember to save time to make memories, too! There is so much that is bittersweet about senior year for mom & dad. There are a lot of "last times" and "first times" and you will want to savor those moments as much as possible. 

 

I hope he has a blessed senior year! 

 

Wow, TechWife, what a vivid picture you've painted with this post.  Take a step back for a moment and consider a child's senior year in the grand scheme of things, in relation to your family, all the 'firsts' and 'lasts.'  I'm not really a very emotional guy, but you're making me want to cry. lol   ;)  And my son will only be a freshman next year. haha  Things do seem to move faster once they enter this life stage.  I may need to reference your post in future when discussing these things with other parents. I hope I can remember these things in 4 years! 

 

Thanks for this sage, BTDT, advice.

[TeaTotaler]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

I can't multiquote so I'll try to respond in a way that makes sense.

 

Kiana and Janet C: Ds is more interested in Physics but we thought getting a solid course in Chem through AP and possible credit for an Intro course might make more sense if he's going to take Physics in college anyway.

 

3bookworms: If ds decides to do 2 sciences, we may drop AP Engl Lit.  The school he is considering gives credit for both Lang and Lit.  A computer class would be great but we are running out of hours in the day with different online classes, and ds' violin and piano lessons.

 

Jen in NY: I have no idea what MatLab is....(embarrassed).

 

Regentrude: Yes, we thought we'd get Chem out of the way if possible.  I also remember your posts about having to undo bad physics habits with the students you teach. :-)  We are concerned about ds competing against those who have already completed Calc based Physics in High School.

 

TechWife: Thank you for your post.  Believe me, I want to keep Senior year as stress free as I can. Dh and I have discussed the very issues you bring up.  We have tried to maintain margin in our lives which is why Sr Yr is posing such a challenge.  The next step for some of ds' courses are going to be AP or DE - we don't have a choice.  Ds is a strong student but I also want to avoid burnout.  We are already doing college visits this spring.  He took the SAT in Jan and is done - may take the ACT this June.  He took the ACT 9th grade through NUMATS but it was without the writing portion.

Yes, we have also thought about travel to grandparents - if we can swing it and IF college apps are done we hope to visit my parents over Christmas break - they live half-way around the world. :-)

 

Thanks again to all, for your thoughtful replies.  Lots to consider.  Ds has decided not to apply to Ivy League schools but the school that's on the top of his list currently is our state school which is usually ranked in the top 10 univs for Engr - so it's pretty competitive. 

 

Off to ponder.......

[anne1456]

My son is in 10th and leaning towards Mechanical Engineering, and his tentative plan is to do chemistry senior year, either dual enrollment or AP.  It just seems to make sense since it is a requirement for the engineering, but not as important as physics.

 

I did want to suggest you look at the high school engineering classes at Auburn, http://www.eng.auburn.edu/outreach/k-12/ea.html. My son is doing the ea100 this year learning SolidWorks, and it is by far his favorite subject.  They also have a Matlab course, so if you are looking for a technical elective for next year either of those could be an interesting class for him.

[Brenda in MA]

If he already had an algebra based physics course in 9th and is planing to take calculus based physics at the university irrespective of AP score (which, I think, is a wise decision), I would NOT have him take physics in senior year. I do not find covering what is essentially the same material three times to be particularly exciting or valuable.

 

I'd rather opt for chemistry with the hope of testing out of the required chem course at college, which for a mechanical engineer is not that important.

 

I agree with this advice.  If you live near a college or CC, I'd suggest having him take Chemistry + lab there.  Depending on which college he is looking at, he might be able to transfer that Chem class and not have to take Chem again.  That is what my MechE ds did.  The chem course at engineering school was a weeder course, and he was very glad not to have to take it.  I would also second the suggestion for some kind of programming course, and possibly a CAD course if you can find something.

 

If he goes to the CC, you might also have him look into taking some other classes that might transfer.  My son also took English 101 and Psychology.

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[TeaTotaler]

My son is in 10th and leaning towards Mechanical Engineering, and his tentative plan is to do chemistry senior year, either dual enrollment or AP.  It just seems to make sense since it is a requirement for the engineering, but not as important as physics.

 

I did want to suggest you look at the high school engineering classes at Auburn, http://www.eng.auburn.edu/outreach/k-12/ea.html. My son is doing the ea100 this year learning SolidWorks, and it is by far his favorite subject.  They also have a Matlab course, so if you are looking for a technical elective for next year either of those could be an interesting class for him.

[TeaTotaler]

Anne1456, I had saved the info about the @ea course sometime ago but have been concerned about being the Facilitating Teacher.  Any thoughts on assigning grades etc.

 

Thanks.

[RootAnn]

As an older ME, I know I would have liked to have taken some CAD classes. I had some programming and it came in handy. If he hasn't had any programming, that's something to think about, but an intro to MatLab, Latex, Solidworks, or Fluent would be great, too. 

 

I wouldn't double-up on science. As for the above, they don't have to be a class ... just exposure & fooling around would be great for when he gets into his Mech Eng classes. 

 

Best of luck to your son (and you, as he enters his senior year)!

[anne1456]

Anne1456, I had saved the info about the @ea course sometime ago but have been concerned about being the Facilitating Teacher.  Any thoughts on assigning grades etc.

 

Thanks.

 

This is the first year they have run the class, and at least for this year there is no Facilitating Teacher for homeschoolers.  The TAs for the class do all the grading for homeschoolers.  So I do nothing for this class, and just look at my son's account to see his grades.  I don't know if they are going to set it up differently next year, but it would it would not be as attractive a class if I had to do the grading.

[TeaTotaler]

 Belated thanks, Anne.  The boards got wonky for me as you can see from that weird font in my previous post.  Then it quit working for me. So happy I can post again. :hurray:

 

I will keep this class in mind depending on how crazy ds' schedule ends up being. 

 

This is the first year they have run the class, and at least for this year there is no Facilitating Teacher for homeschoolers.  The TAs for the class do all the grading for homeschoolers.  So I do nothing for this class, and just look at my son's account to see his grades.  I don't know if they are going to set it up differently next year, but it would it would not be as attractive a class if I had to do the grading.

 

[TeaTotaler]

For the past couple of weeks I've been chatting with a couple of parents who have walked this path with their students (one homeschooled, the other public schooled).  They both recommended that ds do both AP Chem and AP Physics C.  Our town's public school sends a high proportion of their students to the State University that is high on ds' list right now.  Both moms said that in order for ds to have a shot at the Honors College at this Univ he will need to have AP Chem and Physics C on his transcript. Sigh...

 

I wrote to the professor who teaches Calc 1 at the local university over 3 weeks ago and still haven't heard back.  I know profs are busy but it makes me hesitant to pursue dual enrollment.  I may just stick with AP Calc BC with PAH.

 

I am really torn.  I feel like thus far, we have gone with ds' interests in Math, languages which is why he pursued Spanish in middle school until the end of 9th grade.  He decided to continue with Latin and add Greek in 10th.  He will finish with AP Latin and Greek 2 in  Jr. Yr. but it seems like we now have to make up with the sciences in Senior year.

 

Those who know my son feel that he is capable of handling the heavy load...but I really don't want to spend senior year like this.  FWIW, ds is willing to take both sciences along with Calc BC and AP Engl Lit.  I just don't know if I can bring myself to sign him up for this.  

 

Sorry for rambling.....any additional thoughts?

 

Thanks.

[Gratia271]

For the past couple of weeks I've been chatting with a couple of parents who have walked this path with their students (one homeschooled, the other public schooled).  They both recommended that ds do both AP Chem and AP Physics C.  Our town's public school sends a high proportion of their students to the State University that is high on ds' list right now.  Both moms said that in order for ds to have a shot at the Honors College at this Univ he will need to have AP Chem and Physics C on his transcript. Sigh...

 

I wrote to the professor who teaches Calc 1 at the local university over 3 weeks ago and still haven't heard back.  I know profs are busy but it makes me hesitant to pursue dual enrollment.  I may just stick with AP Calc BC with PAH.

 

I am really torn.  I feel like thus far, we have gone with ds' interests in Math, languages which is why he pursued Spanish in middle school until the end of 9th grade.  He decided to continue with Latin and add Greek in 10th.  He will finish with AP Latin and Greek 2 in  Jr. Yr. but it seems like we now have to make up with the sciences in Senior year.

 

Those who know my son feel that he is capable of handling the heavy load...but I really don't want to spend senior year like this.  FWIW, ds is willing to take both sciences along with Calc BC and AP Engl Lit.  I just don't know if I can bring myself to sign him up for this.  

 

Sorry for rambling.....any additional thoughts?

 

Thanks.

 

Will pm you.

 

[Dicentra]

How did he do in Thinkwell Chem when he took it?  If he did well and has retained the material (or could quickly get back up to speed), I think he'd find AP Chem relatively easy.  Thinkwell Chem is supposed to cover most of what would be included in the AP Chem course so he'll probably be looking at a fair amount of review work in AP Chem.  That might help lighten the load a bit.

 

Just a thought. :)

[TeaTotaler]

How did he do in Thinkwell Chem when he took it?  If he did well and has retained the material (or could quickly get back up to speed), I think he'd find AP Chem relatively easy.  Thinkwell Chem is supposed to cover most of what would be included in the AP Chem course so he'll probably be looking at a fair amount of review work in AP Chem.  That might help lighten the load a bit.

 

Just a thought. :)

 

That's a good question.  He did the AP compatible version and would do very well on the practice tests but would miss several questions on the actual tests.  I learned too late on the boards that the Thinkwell science tests don't always correlate well with the material covered.  So I also purchased Zumdahl's Introductory Chem to supplement Thinkwell. 

 

I do think that taking AP Chem will be worth the time.  The AP credit would be great but I mostly want to be sure ds has mastered the material.  If nothing else, it will make freshman year a little easier.  He has heard from lots of folks about the Chem class at the State flagship being a killer course and a "weeder class."

 

Thanks for your input.

[TeaTotaler]

Will pm you.

 

 

Thanks!

[EmilyGF]

I'd be concerned about taking college physics after having not had any physics in three years. 

 

 

Either programming or statistics would be super helpful to have for an engineer. Even a 10-week EdX or Coursera programming class can make a huge difference.

 

Emily

 

[TeaTotaler]

I'd be concerned about taking college physics after having not had any physics in three years. 

 

 

Either programming or statistics would be super helpful to have for an engineer. Even a 10-week EdX or Coursera programming class can make a huge difference.

 

Emily

That's interesting, because a lot of the schools around here offer Alg based Physics in 9th followed by Calc based Physics in 12th.

 

Do you or anybody else have a recommendation for a short programming course that could possibly be done over the summer?  Is there a specific course at EdX or Coursera you recommend?

 

Thanks.

[EmilyGF]

That's interesting, because a lot of the schools around here offer Alg based Physics in 9th followed by Calc based Physics in 12th.

I meant the sort of physics you do at college (or I did at college) which was nothing like Calc-based AP physics. But I consider that a two-year gap, anyway.

 

Emily

[TeaTotaler]

I meant the sort of physics you do at college (or I did at college) which was nothing like Calc-based AP physics. But I consider that a two-year gap, anyway.

 

Emily

 

Sorry...I misunderstood your earlier post.