<p>I am going through Cliffs and underlining in addition to making flashcards as I go. I plan on reviewing the flashcards (key terms, concepts) feverishly all the way up til May. I am also doing the practice questions and essays at the end of each section.
Good way to prepare? Any suggestions on being more efficient? I am shooting for a 5. Thanks.</p>
<p>Also, the FRQs in Cliffs are kicking my butt! Do I really have to be that concise in my organization and technique? Wow. I guess I’ll have to shapen up.
Any experience with this?</p>
<p>The Princeton Review books.</p>
<p>I’ve come to the realization that I’m going to have to take bio, chem, or phys next year anyway in college. So, I’ve given up trying to pass it and will rather make an entertaining illustration for the grader.</p>
<p>That seems to be an excellent method of preparing. As for the FRQs, you certainly do not need to be as detailed as the sample responses (there is only so much time available), but stating the key concepts and the appropriate vocabulary are essential in order to earn points.</p>
<p>@GoldDomer - Princeton Review…ehh, I’m kinda on bad terms with them since I bought their SAT prep book and it was a bust. ACT too [Barron’s all the way…] I heard Princeton is good for Micro, though I have Five Steps for that.
@mifune - thank you for the response. I’m relieved I don’t have to be <em>that</em> detailed, but it gives a good mind frame that I should approach the FRQs with. (E.g. split the prompt into identifiable blanks to fill out as they suggest). I understand “big pictures” pretty well (endocellular organelle system is a big one for them - I’ve got that down) but I’m still working on splitting up my knowledge into cohesive and concise essays. There’s just so much to know! Also I heard that if you describe a certain word but the term escapes you, they’ll give you points for it.<br>
I added extra info if any other Bio student happens upon this thread…of what I know about it anyway.
Also, GoldenDomer - if you get to the end and you think you’ve racked up enough points, they won’t read whatever you write 
And you don’t have to cross it out (unlike Lang where you had to or they’d read it :rolleyes: ) But good plan! I’m not that good to do that yet…</p>
<p>I’m also going through cliffs… just finished the evolutions chapter… not behind right?</p>
<p>Awesome! I’m doing basically the same exact thing as you. Hope you get a 5, because I’m counting on it as well. I find that flashcards are very efficient in helping with retention of mass quantities of knowledge. I’m breaking it up into 7 “sections” and labeling my flashcard decks accordingly. I feel the same about the FRQ’s!</p>
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<p>You are probably close to two-thirds of the way through the curriculum.</p>
<p>This is great! Thanks for all of the advice/suggestions/experience.
I’m going along chapter-by-chapter since I have a class in the subject…it’s all just a review. I’m not quite as concise as you - Thispakistanigir but maybe you’re self-studying. Idk. Best of luck to you as well! Hopefully my organization doesn’t get the best of me. >_<</p>
<p>Thanks… just curious where are all you guys at?</p>
<p>im a lil ahead of evolution but i havent reaaallly started cramming yet been a lil busy with sats hopefuly i can pull out a 5!</p>
<p>I think I overstudied for AP Bio. I got to the exam and almost laughed at how easy some of the questions were. At the moment it is definitely a “breadth but not depth test”; from what I have heard, this is being changed (I don’t have the link handy at the moment, but there is an article on AP central that should be helpful). Make sure you are very comfortable with reading charts and graphs in an analytical manner, as a large portion of the test deals with them. Also, know lots of minutiae about plants, especially in the realm of reproduction. If you have the central dogma down (DNA to protein) then you’re set for at least 1/5 of the questions, so study that well. All in all, it’s a very “memorize-able” exam.</p>
<p>For the record, my testimony comes from the fact that I got a 5 last May and an 800 on Bio M Subject Test last October ;)</p>
<p>Edit: Be familiar with the conditions for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and that equation: one year there was an entire free-response on it!</p>
<p>Edit2: Be as specific as you can on the FRQ section, but don’t write an essay. If you look at the scoring guides, there are only a certain number of points you can score for each part anyway!</p>
<p>Yeah, I mean, there’s only so much you can really get into on a standardized exam and Biology is so vast (I mean, the functionng of all living things - that’s a pretty hefty topic, lol) so I think I get what you’re saying Split Infinity.
I am going into Biochemistry so I figure it’s a good thing for me to know this stuff well anyhow. 
Plants was one of my favorite sections (ya, I’m <em>that</em> weirdo) so I’ve got them down pretty well.
My weak spots were definitely in heredity/genetics but I’ll work on that later. [:
Thanks!</p>
<ul>
<li>Right now as a class were at the baterial/paramecium stuff, but as review, I’m starting from the beginning. I know it’s a bit late to start studying so late though. I’ve just finished the Cells section, and I think that if I work through the entire spring break I’m good. Any advice on time management? I’m having SAT issues as well so I’ll have to spend A LOT of time studying:(</li>
</ul>
<p>We just started genetics in class last Friday.</p>
<p>That’s called being really behind. I’m practically freaking out.</p>
<p>As for the study method I’m planning on implementing: I’m considering doing question/answer/recall format for each section and I’m probably going to be reviewing those constantly.</p>
<p>xxrunningonempty, that’s absolutely ridiculous! To be at least somewhat reasonable, your teacher should be moving in on the Darwin section now. My class is really fast-paced, which isn’t ideal. I find that going fast doesn’t allow me to hold that much information because I’m just memorizing for the sake of tomorrow’s test. However, I think that you should definitely start outlining Cliff’s now to get a 5. If you wait till Spring Break, I think that it will be a time crunch.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>My class is the opposite, we move really slowly and my teacher tends to go really in depth, which is kind of problematic in terms of pacing, but I do retain a lot. I hear we might have Saturday class and after-school, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I haven’t started studying on my own terms because I’m bogged down with my research class (which ends in less than a week - so happy over that). That’s when I plan on tackling a bulk of the material.</p>
<p>In all fairness, we did cover Chapter 41 and 42 and the Ecology Unit (but we never went over it in class because it was just busy work during the break and almost EVERYONE flunked the test she gave us. That was the end of that.)</p>
<p>We did Ecology over the summer which was about 6 chapters. Since then we have done 2 chapters per week. Right now were doing 4 chapters a week which is VERY hectic. Best of luck to all the ap bio kids!</p>
<p>Haha, for us, it’s more like 1 chapter a month.</p>
<p>But I feel motivated more than ever, hopefully that gets me somewhere.</p>
<p>We’re on pseudocoelmated aminals right now. A good studying technique for me is read Campbell and Reece and pay close attention to the pictures and graph (reminds me of kindergarten so i’m right at home)</p>