<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I've been accepted to an Ivy and definitely want to go pre-med. I took AP Chemistry and Physics in sophomore year of high school. I'm a senior now and I really don't remember ANYTHING from those classes. Does remembering what you learned in high school help you in your introductory science classes, or do these classes start fresh as if the student had never taken chem & physics before? I'm just worried that everyone else will know so much that I've already forgotten from having taken those classes so long ago (AP Chem and Honors Physics are both the terminal science classes at my school, since we don't have AP Physics). </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Well, unless you enroll in the 1000 level (or whatever the lowest level is at your school) class in the department they won't teach you as if you have never taken the subject before. I assume you will be taking General Chemistry I and General Physics I. In those classes, they start at the beginning, but you might not get an in depth discussion on what an electron is or what a neutron is or what a force is, etc. Your teacher will likely speed through the first few chapters, which are essentially a summarized version of the 1000 level class. It does help if you remember stuff from HS because you will pick up material much faster. You don't HAVE to remember anything, but it definitely helped me. I took AP Chem in HS and it helped me a lot in General Chemistry. Most of my classmates who had taken AP Chem felt the same (it really depends on your AP program though...some are better than others). This issue isn't a make or break for premed though. I wouldn't worry about it. If you are really nervous, read the first couple chapters of your textbooks over the summer.</p>
<p>It helped me a little, but it wouldn't have made any difference even if I hadn't taken any APs in high school; I just would have had to study a bit more. End result would've been the same.</p>
<p>Definitely don't waste your first summer before college reading textbooks!</p>
<p>D is pre-med at state school, graduated from small private school that no offering of AP Chem. According to her observation, she was prepared for College Chem much better than most other kids. Prof. also noticed it and hired her as an assistant (basically tutor who is getting paid by university). IT IS VERY IMPORTANT how well you are prepared in HS and seems depend more on school than AP vs Regular classes. Gen. Chem. was easy for D., not so for many others. Another exmaple, her Honors Freshman Bio in college used the same textbook as her Honors Freshman Bio in HS. That class was very challenging weed out that made good number of Honors students (mostly valedictorians from private schools) change their major. This class was not easy by no means, but D managed an "A" with a lot of hard work. Conclusion, AP did not matter, what HS D went made a difference.</p>
<p>It really depends on how well your future professor in college teaches the course; if he or she doesn't teach as well and just kinda glide/skim through the course, your hs knowledge will be tremendously helpful. Other than that, i wouldn't stress too much about it.</p>