<p>I am going to be a junior in high school and I plan on taking 3 AP classes. One of them of course is Chemistry. I have heard people saying that it is a very difficult class and people should never take it. I am pretty decent science. I got a 95 average in Honors Chemistry with not too much effort in all honesty. I really want to do well next year as it could be huge for me. What makes this class hard? Is it even hard? thanks for the help</p>
<p>You really have to understand the concepts and the math to do well; that’s why it’s a “difficult” class. It wasn’t too bad for me, and I did similarly well in honors chem, with a 5 on the AP Chem exam in the end. You should take it if you like science or plan on going into anything science-related.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about your honors course or your AP course, so the following information will be anecdotal.</p>
<p>The difference between most honors chemistry classes and AP chemistry is that you go straight into material without worrying about most of the foundational stuff you learn in honors chemistry. Naming, balancing simple reactions, stoichiometry, etc. were reviewed in about two weeks before we dove into thermodynamics in my class. You’ll definitely notice the difference throughout the year as you learn to visualize what’s going on, and learn the mathematics required to describe, model, and predict chemical reactions. </p>
<p>Is the class necessarily difficult? Not really. Is the exam challenging? Only if you’re unprepared for it, but it’s not a pushover either way.</p>
<p>The exam became more difficult this year as well. There’s not as much material out there for the new exam, and you need to make sure you understand the concepts in and out, including labwork, if you’re gunning for a 5. There’s no information out on the potential curve yet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fantastic exam that truly tests your knowledge and understanding of chem; they’re no longer giving out 5s because you learned to memorize material. </p>
<p>Just make sure you’re prepared, and don’t get lost otherwise you will regret it at the end of the year. </p>
<p>Thank you for the wonderful input. So do you think it smart to take advantage of my time in the summer and prepare for AP chem by maybe perfecting the perquisites?</p>
<p>Kids worry a lot these days about protecting the GPA… if you enjoy science and do well, I think you should take it and challenge yourself. My son took it and it was his favorite science class in high school. </p>
<p>Tips for success: Check out your textbook over the summer if you can. Do a free online course at MIT or similar. Keep a lab book throughout the year and write up your reports thoroughly and neatly. (Hopefully your teacher will work on this with you.) If you plan to do a spring sport or you have a lot of activities in the spring, I would suggest you plan on spending a significant amount of Spring Break studying for the Exam.</p>