I know many of you have said your goals as a career will probably change during high school, but I’ve been dreaming of being a surgeon for years (not sure which area yet but that I will figure out.) I completely underestimated AP Biology and didn’t even do my research on it. I’m a complete Math and Science freak, so I will try to hold myself and do the best I can in AP Biology for the sake of my survival in GPA and for the fact I want to major in Biology. I already tried to change my schedules and get a more of a base in Honors Bio but they completely refused to change it. I could have taken AP Human Geo instead, but no, I just had to choose the harder class. (I WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED BY MY PHYSICS TEACHER.)
Like I said, I will do my best. I can’t take Honors Biology online during Summer since Summer is almost over and it’d basically be a waste of time doing if I won’t finish it. I have some questions though, and if anyone has any advice, please help me out.
- Say, that I do score a 4 or 5 on the AP Biology exam. Since I'm taking this rigorous class as a freshman, will colleges consider that impressive? Or would it be treated like any other class for my grade? Will this also help them recognize my dedication to Biology overall? (I hope to take more Biology/Anatomy related subjects along the road.)
- ACT and some other SAT has Biology in it but usually most people start studying and taking the tests around Junior and Senior year. It'd would been a long time since I started taking AP Biology. I think the best option to do is study every year Biology to keep refreshing on my memory and be able to understand the Science/Biology section on the tests.
- ANYWAY I CAN GET A BETTER BASE ON THIS? If I even can, I'll even take Honors Bio online during the year to keep up... But I doubt that I can do that. Any links, courses online, etc is VERY helpful.
- Is there a way to take Biology AGAIN in school perhaps in 11th grade so I can refresh my memory before the more important SAT and ACT tests?
Lastly, I will never make this mistake again, and I completely regret it.
Alright, first take a breath.
- You are not the first freshman to take a "hard" AP. It won't be particularly impressive, but it won't hurt you.
- Check out an AP Biology review book from the library. Skim through it. Get a general idea of what's going on in the class, and work from there. How much Biology have you had beforehand? Did you take Physical Science?
Look into Khan Academy. I will find another link I know you might find helpful.
- SAT does not have a science section. ACT science is all experiment/written lab based, since everyone takes sciences at different times. Don't waste your time retaking Biology.
Take another breath. It’s going to be fine. Freshman year is usually realitively easy, so you will have plenty of time for Biology.
@wonderfulreads
You definitely reassured me a bit, thanks. I will watch a lot of Khan Academy videos ASAP and have already ordered some review books from Amazon. When I mean SAT, I mean the SAT II or something like that… I don’t really know what it is but some say it has a Science/Bio section. After 9th grade, I think I will spend 15-30 minutes reviewing what I had learned in AP Biology to keep and retain what I know. Do you think that will help me out?
I like the fact also that Freshman year is a bit more lenient and less stressful than 10th, 11th and 12th, so hopefully that will give me time to learn some of the basics too.
e/:
Yes I did have Physical Science, if you mean Physics by that. My dad sometimes taught me Biology when I was younger, so I know bits and pieces about Animal Classification, Animal and Plant cell classifications, but I’ll need to refresh either way. I also love Biology with a burning passion. People say Biology requires some math in it, and I think that’s okay because math is another favorite.
@latiere SAT IIs are the same thing as SAT subject tests. So you would take the SAT II Biology exam, with just biology on it. If you plan on taking a the Bio exam, you could do it this spring/next fall. It doesn’t not have to be taken with the regular SAT.
You don’t really need set time to review Biology. Read up on parts of biology that interest you, medical journals, the works. If you do go on the pre-med/med school track, you will have plenty of biology classes.
Also, if you want a Biology “refresher” later in high school- look and see if your school has an Anatomy class, the PLTW Biomedical classes, and other similar classes.
@wonderfulreads So what is exactly the difference between Biology M and Biology E on the SAT? I think I will take the Bio exam next fall, but if I don’t get a score I’m satisfied with, what can I do to improve? (since I can’t take another Biology class, though maybe an Anatomy class 10th or 11th grade.) That’s why I’ll probably need that refresher time to time. I will also take your advice and start reading up on other journals, etc. Thanks again for your support!
So, the Biology exam covers Eniviormental and Molecular biology (which E and M stand for). Past that, I can’t really tell you- but I’m sure the internet has some more information. There are books that specifically cover the Biology subject test, which might help peg down key topics.
Best of luck!
I can’t help you with bio, but if you’re not happy with your bio score, you can always opt to take the subject test for chem or physics. Just because you plan on being pre-med does not mean you have to submit a bio score.
Thank you @skieurope and @wonderfulreads . I can always retake it later, so I think I’ll read up on the internet and watch some vids to help me out if I don’t get a sufficient score. Thanks again for helping me out!