AP Chemistry: AAHHHHH

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Okay, so here's the deal.</p>

<p>I took regular high school chem last year. My school doesn't offer an honors chem class, just regular chem and AP Chem every other year (We alternate AP Bio and AP Chem every year).</p>

<p>Last year I did perfectly fine in chemistry. Solid A all year. Aced every test except for maybe the occasional B+.</p>

<p>Anyways, we had an interesting situation teacher-wise. Our teacher got pregnant very early in the school year, so we had a long-term substitute after the third week of school or so. Once the substitute's time was up, our original teacher was supposed to come back. But, she wanted more time with her baby.</p>

<p>So basically, we had a different substitute everyday for about 2 weeks until our school could fine a new long-term sub. Once we got the new long-term sub, we had him for about 2 months and then our original teacher came back.</p>

<p>Long story short, teaching was extremely inconsistent and we skipped a bunch of chapters and missed out on a lot of essential topics.</p>

<p>I'm taking AP Chem this year, and it's INSANE. Our teacher is new to the school, and very tough. I thought I was good at Chem (Hey, I got an A+ with a class taught by more than 3 different teachers), but I'm really dying this year. I'm an A student, but this class has me desperate for a B.</p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone else has had difficulty with the jump from high school chem to AP chem, and if anyone has any suggestions for me. I talked to my teacher and all she really told me was that "AP Chem is a harder class." I feel like I'm working my hardest so I don't really know how to work even harder. I have a very tough courseload, but I feel like even if this were my only AP class this year, I'd still be having trouble.</p>

<p>The sad thing is, my teacher has a really generous grading scale. 85%+ is an A and 70%-84.9% is a B, and yet I STILL am in the mid-B range based on her scale.</p>

<p>I'm new to this. I've never really had trouble with school. I'd like to have an A but I'm beginning to think I'm in too deep and there's no hope. That doesn't mean I should stop trying, but it definitely isn't motivating to think all hope is lost for an A.</p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :D</p>

2

<p>WHOA. My Chem teacher uses the same grading scale! I don't think you go to my school, though, since we didn't have that pregnancy situation... also, I don't live in California... err. Anyways.</p>

<p>I think that you should buy a Barron's AP Chem book and follow along with the lessons. I mean, I read a bit of Barron's Chem SAT II book over the summer to prepare for that subject test, and that really helped (a) refresh me on Chem stuff that I had forgotten, since I took the class two years ago, and (b) introduce me to some of the new AP stuff on a pretty basic level upon which the teacher elaborated in class. I imagine that a book designed for the AP class would put things in simpler terms and help you understand the general concepts, and you could talk to the teacher about more specific questions.</p>

3

<p>Barron's AP test books might not be the best way to simply learn concepts. The Calculus prep book, at least, was, at most, mediocre in this regard.</p>

4

<p>Not sure what you're already doing or what will/won't help, but here's what I do to keep my head above water in AP Chem, since I started class 2.5 weeks late and am still trying to catch up...</p>

<p>-- Pick up a copy of Princeton Review's Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam. It won't really tell you much new, but it every once in a while will give you a nice nutshell perspective on some concept that you don't quite get from the class.</p>

<p>-- Always read the chapters in your textbook that correspond with what you're going over. Make sure you understand them, and if there are any questions in the book that go along with them do as many of them as it takes to grasp the material.</p>

<p>-- Use other classmates to your advantage. If you don't get something, ask them about it.</p>

<p>-- Use the internet. I don't know how many times I've found something online that completely demystified something I didn't understand from class. Yahoo! Answers can help too.</p>

<p>Probably all stuff you already knew/do, but really I can just advise using ALL of your resources. That's the key to doing well in hard classes.</p>

5

<p>70% B...I'd kill for that scale, I'd literally have to do NOTHING to get that kind of grade in all my classes (they aren't as hard as yours). </p>

<p>That's pretty sad if your teacher just says, "It's a difficult class", teachers are supposed to help you I guess.</p>

<p>If your teacher isn't willing to help (rofl@ this), I guess you can probably look online for a couple websites regarding chem (I can't help you here; I don't know any websites relating to academic stuff), or some books, etc.</p>

6

<p>Are you using Zuhmdahl?</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all the suggestions guys.</p>

<p>Yes, we're using Zuhmdahl. What's the general consensus on Zuhmdahl? Yay or nay?</p>

<p>I too thought the scale was so generous and that I'd have no problem, but apparently not. :(</p>

8

<p>Lol, I hate Pregnant teachers. They always get so angry, frustrated, stressed, etc.
I had same situation in Latin. Teacher was out for a whole year (except for maybe like 1~2 months.) Substitute did not know anything about latin, and an AP Latin student who was supposed to teach us kinda sucked at teaching. Ended up getting B in both Latin I and Latin II. (Would have something like 3.99 GPA if not for that.)
Anyways, my AP Chem teacher is so hard too. She focuses more on Labs and AP Tests, that she pretty much just teach us by giving us tests & quiz.
Try doing better in Labs and Daily works. Also, attend some after-class tutoring if she offers any. I'm planning to attend one next week.
(At least your A is 85+. mine's 93+.)</p>

9

<p>In my AP Chem class 80% is an A. Its a pretty hard class with lots of quizzes after just getting a packet. We took like a weak to learn redox reactions and then took a test. </p>

<p>Our teacher doesn't teach from the text, Zumdahl. He kinda of just gives packets and tells us to do them.</p>

<p>But hey it works for me I have a 96.</p>

10

<p>My teacher gives us formulas. Then it's up to us to figure out how to use it.
But she does give good explanations if we ask her any questions. Problem is that we either have too many questions, or we can't understand her explanations.
I like her though, she's cool.</p>

11

<p>Out of all the AP classes that are available in my school, it's pretty much unanimously accepted to avoid taking AP Chem at all costs.</p>

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<p>Our AP Chem class is hard as well, our grading is 95 is an A, so you can imagine it's hard considering the difficulty of the class. Our teacher kind of just presents us with a power point that is extremely superficial in material then we have a quiz, a lab, a quiz, and two weeks later a test over 2-3 chapters including a packet of free response questions that we are expected to answer.</p>

13

<p>My AP Chem class is pretty tough too. I squeaked out a 90.6 this past week for the quarter (yes!) But I think you're okay. I mean, AP Chemistry is a very difficult class, everywhere, and the exam is tough too. If you keep working hard, you're sure to get at least a 4 or even a 5 on the exam, which is a very well-worth you're effort. Colleges understand it's a tough class (I think AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC are the hardest classes) and a B is okay. Just hold on, if you get a B, it's not something to worry about, just try your best to really learn and master the material for the exam.</p>

14

<p>Yea Chem IS difficult.
My teacher is one of the hardest teacher at my school...</p>

<p>I have both barrons and princeton review,
but the materials inside are way too superficial for his class.
So my suggestion is that you have to read the actual textbook instead of just prep books (we have this really old textbook from 1990 by James Brady).
Reading the text helps a lot for conceptual units (bonding, atomic theory...etc).
Explain everything to yourself or better yet a friend also taking the class after reading will help to stick the material in your brain.</p>

<p>I did poorly in the same teacher's honors chem class (B-, B+) last year mainly because I only reviewed class notes but not the text.
I have a 94% now...</p>

15

<p>AP Chem is also taking a toll on my friend. He was in honors chem last year and had a high A throughout the year. But this year, he's struggling to maintain a B. From what I hear, it's one of the hardest AP classes at my school.</p>

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<p>AP chem isnt hard, just learn how to do problems and answer multiple choice and memorize stuff... just like any other AP</p>

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<p>c r a m s t e r</p>

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<p>Just bumpin' this thread to announce that we had a three-part Chem test yesterday and today; I got a 235/288 (81.5%) and a 65/66 (98.4%) on today's, and a 94/190 (49.4%) on yesterday's. TERRIFYING. Somehow I still have an 89.66 in the class, and 85+ is an 'A' anyways.</p>

19

<p>Ouch. Is that related to the class being hard, or you not studying? ;)</p>

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<p>It's related to him just putting random crap on the tests.</p>

<p>And we haven't gotten them back yet (he just put the grades online), but I'm willing to bet he was really stingy about giving partial credit. Like, I got the first step wrong in one multistep problem and did everything else right, and I'm betting I only got a few points for it. :rolleyes:</p>