So I am planning on taking the following classes next year which are:
AP Biology OR AP Chemistry (both classes are 2 periods each with one for lecture and one for lab)
AP Calculus AB
AP English Language and Composition (my school offers Lit to juniors and Lang to seniors)
Government/Economics
I’m planning on becoming a Biology major because I want to become a pharmacist. The classes that I am debating on taking are AP Bio and AP Chem. What are your experiences with these classes in terms of their level of difficulty and the benefits that can be gained upon taking these classes? More importantly, is taking 3 AP classes too much?
I’m currently taking AP Chem and our class is pretty lab based but there is a lot of math involved as well. It is pretty difficult but as long as you make sure you understand the concepts you will do fine.
The amount of APs you take all depend on your work ethic. If you work hard 3 APs is very manageable.
What are your grades like in your current AP classes? Do you have the time to dedicate to three AP’s? If you do, and your grades are strong, three AP’s should be fine. Have you already take some bio or chem class in high school? If not I would take whichever one you haven’t yet had.
I managed to get a B- in APUSH, my first and only AP class right now. But, my biggest problem is deciding on either AP Bio OR AP Chem, like I said. My regular bio teacher was the worst teacher I ever had cause she didn’t teach, gave useless classwork and homework (which she often didn’t collect anyway), rushes the chapters, and so I had to self study to get a solid B both semesters in her class. Now I don’t have a background in bio because my teacher didn’t do her job effectively. My chem teacher on the other hand is much more passionate in teaching, but it’s just that her lectures are so confusing and I often don’t even have a clue on what I’m supposed to be learning in the class. I got a B last semester in her class so I was wondering if AP Chem would be a good idea. Some of the AP Chem students at my school told me that it really doesn’t matter how well I did in regular chem, AP Chem requires a lot of hard and smart work. Is this feedback true? Also even if I did have ineffective regular bio and chem teachers, can I still re-study both bio and chem from like online videos such as Crash Course with Hank Green or Bozeman Science to hopefully get a headstart in a AP Bio or AP Chem (whichever class I finalize on taking)? I REALLY wanna take an AP science next year, but based on my bad experiences with my regular bio and chem teachers, I may not be prepared for it.
AP Bio vs AP Chem: pick the best teacher.
Are you only taking 4 classes senior year?
Colleges don’t like that. You should have at least 5 academic classes every year - unless you’re starting in community college (which is open enrollment so you don’t have to worry about how many academic classes you take per year).
No. Like I said, AP Bio and AP Chem are both 2 periods EACH at my school. One period for lecturing and the other period for doing labs in EACH class. The lab period is counted as an elective while the lecture period is counted as a science class. So I will be taking 5 classes next year. Also, I’ve heard the AP Chem teacher at my school is claimed to be the “best chemistry teacher” by his AP Chem students (better than the AP Bio teachers). BUT, this does not mean the AP Chem class is easy because it’s not. The AP Chem teacher told me that if I get an A-, B+ or B in regular chem (I got a B in the first semester of regular chem), then I will “study like crazy in AP Chem just to get a B, but a C is a higher possibility”. He also added that “While an A is not impossible, it is unlikely.” I’m not sure if it’s worth studying like hell in AP Chem just to pass the class, especially since it is claimed to be the “hardest AP class” in every AP Chem thread I viewed. AP Bio, on the other hand is considered less difficult at my school and the teachers are quite good. However, my regular bio teacher did not teach me a single thing so I had to self study in her class, but I do not feel like I have a solid background of bio. But I REALLY want to take either AP Bio or AP Chem next year. What should I do???
What the Ap Chem teacher politely said is “Don’t take AP Chem unless you’re fine with a C”.
So, between a C in AP Chem and a possible B in AP Bio (but perhaps a C too), which would you choose?
Colleges won’t care if one class is two periods. A high school day is supposed to have six periods meaning you can’t get out of taking 5 classes (5 academic classes if you want a selective 4-year college).
That 6th class should be one you’re sure to get an A in, in order to offset the possible C in AP Bio or chem.
At my school, if you passed ALL of your classes before senior year, then you can take 5 classes in your senior year which is basically a block schedule. And I finally decided to take AP Bio next year because I think taking AP Chem in senior year is a bad idea due to senioritis being common in senior year and AP Chem is a class where you should DEFINITELY NOT slack off in.