I’m going to be a junior this fall and I have a lot on my plate. Taking 4 APs, preparing for SAT/PSAT, working in a lab,etc. I don’t have a lot of time this summer to prepare and what not
No. But without knowing the balance of your schedule and your senior schedule, it’s hard to say. AP Chem might be a better option for you than one of your other classes.
Is honors chem an option or what science class do you plan to take instead? You probably need the core three science classes (bio, chem, physics) before you graduate.
I was thinking of doing just regular chemistry since the teacher is known and is really bad and on top of that the class is already tough.
junior year I’m doing
*AP CALC AB
*AP United States History
- AP Chem (maybe)
- AP language and composition
*Spanish 3
*ceramics
*also studying for the PSAT/SAT
*Working in a lab/ competing in science fairs
So you have not taken a chem class before? In that case, I’d not suggest doing AP Chem
I think it would be good for you to have a foundation in chemistry before venturing on to AP Chem. I didn’t take it personally, but I have friends who did and it really did take a lot of effort to learn and understand the material. I’ll be a senior next year and I also took AP Calc AB, AP U.S., and Spanish 3 last year. Spanish definitely wasn’t bad for me, but calc and history took up a good chunk of time. With calc at least, you build on concepts over time. So you won’t just forget something you learned in August in time for the AP exam. With AP U.S., it can get a bit hectic trying to remember events and people involved and time periods and the like. I would take the limited time you have and use it to learn calc and history well, since those will likely be your hardest exams. AP Chem could be useful, but if the teacher’s bad, it will be difficult to learn, especially without a solid chem foundation. I would say don’t spread yourself too thin - focus on your other rigorous classes and do well in them/on the exams.
AP Chem is the second level in the chemistry sequence. Take chemistry or honors Chem first. You wouldn’t take Spanish 2 before you’d taken Spanish 1, right?
It’s not necessary, but definitely a good option especially for a STEM career. If you’re interested in it and willing to put in the effort you should take it!
Make sure you have taken Bio, Chem and Physics at some level. If you haven’t taken Honors chem, then take that instead of going straight into AP Chem. If you have taken all of those, then take AP Chem or Physics if you want engineering or AP Bio or AP Chem if you want pre-med/biology/chemistry