The Dublin Shield decided to recap three classes as the deadline for schedules approaches!

Honors Chemistry

With deadlines for course selections rolling in, many students are still left in the dark, wondering what courses to take next  year. One of the many advanced courses that are offered during sophomore year, Honors Chemistry is eye catching to future sophomores. While it may seem intimidating, Honors Chemistry has many rewarding outcomes both during and after taking the course. Students will become more well-versed in chemistry, for starters. Also, if you plan to take an AP science course in the future, Honors Chemistry would help you prepare for those classes, regardless of whether it is AP Chemistry or AP Biology.

Students with an avid interest in sciences and mathematics would find the class enjoyable. Current Honors Chemistry student Ayra Jafri believes it is “important to pay attention in class and ask questions” in order to obtain  an A in the class. While nightly homework isn’t mandatory, it is highly recommended to complete these “practices” in order to have a firm grasp on the concepts the class teaches. While the class does count as an honors, it shouldn’t be taken solely for the grade bump. The students  who do enroll into the course should be willing to do more work than the regular chemistry class. If you’re already taking numerous AP classes, and have a relatively minute interest in science, you should focus on those classes and take normal college prep chemistry instead.

AP European History 

The presentation for AP Euro was presented by teachers Mr. Ruegg and Mr. Rodriguez in the Student Union during the second and third session. They talked about how this class covers “everything from the 1300’s to the present, all in one school year.” A chapter from the textbook is covered every week, starting from the first day of school. Students are expected to take handwritten Cornell notes on every chapter. If time is managed wisely (and the whole chapter isn’t saved for the day before it’s due), there is about 45 minutes of homework every night (not including studying). Additionally, there is a vocabulary and reading quiz every week based on that week’s chapter. There are 40 to 60 vocabulary words given every week, out of which only 10 are on the quiz. There is a test every two or three chapters, and the finals in this course are cumulative. This means that second semester finals will include both first and second semester. As for projects, in past years, there have been only one to two projects the whole year. However, this year, Mr. Rodriguez says that they “are hoping to bump it up to three or four” instead.

Extra Information: The summer homework for this course is optional, but highly recommended. It is reading chapter 11 from the textbook (which will be posted on the AP Euro teachers’ websites) and taking Cornell notes. Additionally, homework in this class (other than notes) will usually be due the day after it is assigned. Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Ruegg both use a “text message reminder service” called Remind for the students.

Quotes from Previous Students: “AP Euro is a great first AP Class because it gives students a feel of AP classes in general and can help them decide whether or not to take more in the future.”  – Ishaque Khan

“If you are a history person, you should definitely take the class. However, the experience depends on your teacher. I didn’t enjoy the class much. Also, there is extra credit, but the AP exam was difficult.” – Vana Janapati

AP English Language 

AP English Language and Composition, also known as AP Lang, is one of the three English class options for juniors. The class is highly recommended for those who want to work on improving their writing. In this class, students primarily learn rhetorical analysis, argumentative writing, and synthesis writing, with an emphasis on practicing each of these three styles to help prepare for the AP exam in May. Students will learn to consider the bigger picture and identify what strategies writers use to achieve their overall purpose. The class isn’t only a writing class, so be prepared to discuss your thoughts on the pieces you’ll read in class discussions and seminars. You will be required to read two books in the course, a satire and an autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. You won’t be assigned a lot of homework on a daily basis, but you should expect assignments  to take anywhere from half an hour to two hours. There usually aren’t many tests or quizzes, but take them seriously when there are.

“It’s not really the average English class,” said Gowri Datta, a current AP Lang student. “here’s the usual essays and all that, but the work is more based on what you think and it’s just more engaging for and enjoyable for anyone. It’s just a fun class overall, and some advice would be to stay on top of work that’s assigned and put effort into all assignments.”

In regards to discussions, Datta noted, “We’re not really graded on our discussions, so it eases up the atmosphere and people contribute much more to the conversations. For Ms. Briggs, the vast majority of class time is spent discussing, socratic seminars aren’t really that common — so it’s less of the graded discussion and more of free relaxed and thoughtful comments rather than comments to get you that A in the seminar.”