<p>I took H Biology my freshman year and I am now going into my sophomore year. I got an A in my biology class both years and I was thinking of taking AP Bio this upcoming year but am unsure whether I could handle the work since ap bio is probably the hardest ap class offered at my school. I don't know if sophomore year is the best year to take the class instead of taking it as a senior since I took the honors version as a freshman and taking it as a now would just be a continuation. I took one ap class as a freshman and got an a in the class. However, I'm going to be jumping to 3 ap classes sophomore year and I'm wondering if taking the hardest ap class is the best decision. Also the ap bio teacher is the same teacher that I had for honors bio. Many of the sophomores are designated to take APES and AP Human Geo this year and I'm iffy whether I should follow the regular schedule or continue on to AP Bio. What do you think?</p>
<p>Hi there, I have not taken APES, but I have taken AP Biology. AP Biology was my first AP class as a sophomore, but I had never taken any biology beforehand. I found the class to be very difficult. Like your school, it is considered as one of the harder APs. As I’m sure you know, the AP test changed drastically this past school year. I found the class to be very difficult because no teachers knew what to expect with the new format. Next year will probably be similar, as teachers are still adjusting to the new curriculum. If you had the option to take APES sophomore year and then take AP Biology senior year, this could be more beneficial. By the time you’re a senior, your teacher will likely have a deeper understanding of the new AP Bio format and you won’t feel so much like a “guinea pig class.”
Because your school feeds sophomores into APES and AP Human Geo, I think it would be a good idea to consider this option. I took AP Biology along with another AP and found that I had a difficult time getting all of my work done because I devoted so much studying time to AP Bio. Because you plan on taking 3 APs, I think taking APES will be just as impressive and will also help you in the long run. Having my grades suffer because I had to invest so much time into AP Biology really made me question my decision to take the class.
However, because you’ve already taken an AP class, and you have also taken biology, I think whatever you decide will be okay. For me, a lot of my struggling came from the fact that I had never taken an AP class, and had no idea how much work had to be put into the class. Don’t overwhelm yourself, sophomore year is a great time to figure out what subjects you excel in and what subjects you may not want to continue studying later on in your education. As I’m sure the grades you get matter to you, I really would stress to you that you should take the classes that you feel you will enjoy, do well in, and be able to manage all at once.
If you decide to take AP Biology, let me know. I can let you know about some tutorials I used throughout the year and the review books that I found most helpful. Good luck, you will do great!</p>