<p>If you self-study, yes it is possible to get 4-5 on AP exams.
You could look up online textbooks on ebay, or ask your teachers to borrow some.
Otherwise, go to a bookstore and buy some AP Prep books for the specific subject, like Barron's, Princeton Review, etc...
And if you feel that isn't enough, you can always buy other books such as REA's that do not focus on the AP exam, but the subject as a whole.
Use online sources, ask older friends for their books if they aren't using them.
You don't need to buy tons of books to get a 4-5.</p>
<p>Colleges prefer the AP course over AP exams because then you get the feel of what a college courseload is like, but if you take say 3 courses and self-study 1, it still looks good because it shows you still have the motivation to teach yourself.</p>
<p>Workload depends on your teacher and their teaching style. Some nights I might have 2-3 hours from my 2 AP courses alone. Other nights, I'll have none.
When they tell you to read, but don't test you on it, still read anyways, or it will hurt in the long run.
Stay ahead in your AP classes if you want to do well.</p>
<p>Good Luck, btw: Does your school offer IB? If it does, I would suggest that over AP.
I don't have room to take much AP's with IB.</p>
<p>I dont know, I wasnt too motivated sophmore year, I only had 1 AP and that was enough lol. This year I have 4 plus a self study and its all I can handle with my Job and ACT/SAT crap.</p>
<p>My children are homeschooled, and homeschoolers self study for many AP classes.</p>
<p>You have several choices in self-studying a course:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you are familiar with the material (like, say, you did quite a bit of statistics in math class and you really understood it) then you can just pick up 2 or 3 AP test prep books and work through them. </p></li>
<li><p>If the material is fairly new to you (like, say, psychology, which you have never taken as a course) then you are better off to set it up as a self-study course, complete with textbook, supplemental materials and a few prep books. </p></li>
<li><p>You can also take many AP course online, just do a search for online AP classes...that way if your school doesn't offer something, you can still do it.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>What we do at our house is do a google search on the course (example: AP Psychology). You will find many syllabus' from high school teachers listing what they cover, what textbook they use, what supplemental material they use, etc. Take all that information and put together your own course (you can do that during the summer). Pick the textbook that is most used (buy it online, used, for cheap) and create your own syllabus. Use the test prep books for your unit tests. There is so much information out there, you have to pare it down. Also, you can go the <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegeboard.com</a> and sign on under the teacher section (you may have to have your parent do this) and then sign on to the course discussion listserv and ask any questions you may have (what materials are most helpful, what textbook is best for self-study, etc)</p>
<p>Homeschoolers get 4's and 5's on AP tests all the time doing self-study...just remember that you have to budget for your time! Be realistic in how much time your extracurriculars and your regular school work is going to take, and then figure in any self-study class (they don't take as long as a regular class, since there is no lecture..just you and the book). Alot also depends on how fast you read and how well you comprehend...many people who say that AP classes are not that hard are very good readers and can digest the material quickly.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the detailed replies.
I havn't exactly made up my mind because we have 1-2 months before scheduling.
I think I might self-study AP statistics instead of AP chem because math is my strongest subject and there is no course for stats here.
I can learn stuff pretty quick and I like the flexibility of self-studying.</p>
<p>My school doesn't have IB.
In my old district they did and all the courses were exactly the same as AP courses. AP and IB people were in the same classes. Don't see much of a difference?</p>
<p>4 AP as a sophomore is over-load. i would just do calc, world history and maybe one science. ap chem is very hard and i heard the ap bio exam is one of the hardest. you should take in account that you might need some social time, and are you in any extra curricular? if not...then go for it...but do whatever you want. good luck</p>
<p>Its for sure too much work. I mean you can do it but do you really want to spend the whole school year studying? You gotta find a balance between school and everything else. If you take the 4aps all u will be doing for the whole year is simply studying! How fun. Plus (this applies for me..maybe itll apply for u) isn't there something else that you want to study independently? Like im studying psychology and latin by myself for fun... and if i took 4 APs id have way too much work to do..i could never have time to study either psychology or latin. I imagine u also have something that u do that ud have to stop doing or give up to take the 4APs.</p>
<p>Last suggestion..simply ask yourself Is it worth it?</p>
<p>I'm a junior taking AP Chem and AP Bio and I can tell you its a lot of work. I wouldn't take them together unless you really like science. It seems to me you are just trying to impress colleges. If this is the case, you will have a very unpleasant year. Taking the 4 APs you listed is not impossible but it will cost you a lot of stress and many late nights.</p>
<p>chillax with so many AP classes because the ones you listed are hard. I am a sophomore myself and I am just taking AP world in school. I like and know about economics and thats why I am self studying AP micro and macro. But if you dont like the subject dont put yourself through it.</p>
<p>is it just me or does anyone else think homeschoolers live lives through torturous expectations from their parents. I mean we all love to perform, but some of the parents on here are a little insane when it comes to drilling children.</p>
<p>I would do it. I would have taken four APs during my sophomore year, but I could only fit three in my schedule: World History, Computer Science, and Statistics.</p>
<p>As for multiple sciences in the same year, I'm taking three (Chem, Physics B and C), and it's not too bad.</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn't take two classes based heavily on reading (e.g. Biology and History), but combining Chem and Biology/Physics wouldn't be a big deal. Calc goes at a very slow pace, too.</p>
<p>Figure out what each class entails, then see if you're up to it.</p>
<p>My APs right now are Calc BC, US History, Physics B, and perhaps a self-study of Comp Sci AB. I don't feel too overwhelmed. Actually, all those classes are going well, but another class is suffering due to lack of attention. Another thing to keep in mind ....</p>
<p>Wait a second. Calculus? Sophomore year? Most kids manage to make it to Geometry at public schools. Or Algebra 2 at my school. Or Pre Calc for 5 crazy kids at my school. (During Sophomore year) I do know one genius, who is an 8th grader taking calculus with the seniors, but he's already smarter than most teachers. And he literally memorizes pages of stuff and retains the knowledge. And he's insane. Don't be too much like that kid. If you are a Calculus genius though, you might as well take it, and don't bother with the science courses yet unless you want to be Bill Nye or something along the lines of that. Otherwise, wait a measly year. And I recomend practice with essays. If you don't figure out essays, don't dream about taking most AP courses, kay?</p>
<p>Wow 8th grader taking calculus. I would dumb myself down if I was that far ahead.
Well part of the reason for thinking about taking 4 is to get ahead gpa wise of a couple other people taking 3 AP courses.
As for studying all year, I guess its worth the sacrifice.
I remember my 8th grade schedule:
7-3: school (I went to the high in the mornings)
3-5: track/other extra curricular
7-9: study for science olympiad everyday (so I'm into science)
Plus homework every night.
saturdays: 9-5: study for science olympiad
sundays: 1-5 sometimes: study for science olympiad
And I still somehow manage to find time to hang out with friends.</p>
<p>If thats what 4 AP's like, I would take it. If not, then it's a tough choice.</p>
<p>As other people have said, it really all depends on what the classes are like. At my school, some APs are easy (like Physics, where I've had close to no work all year) and some are ridiculously hard (like Spanish Lit, where you have lots of work every night, reading 16th century Spanish). It may or may not be a problem- I don't know what it's like at your school.</p>
<p>My suggestion would be to sign up for all 4 of them, and drop 1-2 of them if the workload gets out of hand. Or, simply switch into regular classes.</p>
<p>you are a freshman and already looking at senior year? i know you want to be prepared and all but thousands of other students do amazing with only taking a few classes. i only took 1 AP which was psych my jr. year and this year i'm taking calc and spanish lang. don't burn out before you start your high school career. think about the workload.</p>
<p>Well I am a sophomore and our school does not even offer AP classes to us! I wish they did so we could at least do one. But as a sophomore i definiltely would not take four, but i would maybe try 2. Definitely AP Calc, because if you are up to that math class already then theres no point of taking an "honors" calc class. But i dont know maybe you should just go for it and if its really that impossible and its killing you , i suppose you can drop it?</p>