<p>I know that this doesnt have to do with the real AP test, but right now im looking for help in doing well in the class and getting an A. im doing ok in the class, but i'm really aiming for an A in the class. I try to study the material, but it doesn't seem to stick in my head. Usually our teacher doubles or triples up on chapters for tests, so I get confused alot of times between different terms. Right now i have an 84 in the class, and really pushin for an A. any advice on doing well in the class is helpful. Oh and if it helps, the book im using is Biology:The Unity and Diversity of Life. Thank You!</p>
<p>Sorry if you've heard this a thousand times already, but the best way to survive a class like Bio is to read the book, read the book, and read the book again. It's absolutely impossible to survive on just notes from lectures, as there's too much material for almost any teacher to cover completely.</p>
<p>I personally listen to my teachers lectures (I don't bother with notes) to get an intro to the concepts, then either one night or two nights before the test I read the chapters word for word, making outlines along the way. Then the morning of the test I read over bolded terms in my textbook and review some things that were confusing me. </p>
<p>I can't really guarantee this approach, as most my friends do it too and they aren't doing phenomenally in class, but it works fairly well for me.</p>
<p>Yeah, reading the book is very helpful. In class lectures usually doesn't click until I read. I usually wait till the teacher lectures about the subject before reading because it is it is insanely hard to make sense of what the book is talking about if I don't have a background to that chapter.
We're using Campbell, and I loathe that book with a passion.</p>
<p>@magis</p>
<p>I use this approach as well. I find that the people who copy down lecture notes word for word in my class tend to not do so well. I engage actively by asking questions and listening and then read the book, and the cliffs book at home the night before chapter tests.</p>
<p>It sticks in my head better when I can remember a question I asked.</p>
<p>Yes, they are correct, you need to read the book. But not everything. </p>
<p>It is actually not that difficult to get a 5 in AP Bio, and you will find that most questions are quite answerable without any detailed knowledge (it sucks in College, because the detail is near post insanity)</p>
<p>Here is my advice: Look over the AP Biology syllabus on the CollegeBoard website. Use it as a checklist, and for each chapter mentioned, read the textbook. Do you have Campbell AP edition? Then, get a review book, like PR (which I used) for the final days before the exam, and you will be fine.</p>
<p>And if you are the kind of person who thinks that you need to memorize everything in Biology (which I hope are are not), you don't. What is more important is understanding why things happen, and what the consequences are, and why they are important in life. Understand the steps in mitosis for example. You will learn that there is no "pointless" step, and that every phase has a meaning. Things in life happen for a reason, and it is waiting for you to understand why things happen. By doing this, it will not only decrease memorization, but it will also make the experience of learning more interesting. You could possibly get away with memorizing in AP Bio, but if you take it to the next level in college, there is no way out.</p>
<p>naka 25, my son is exactly in your situation and he is frustrated. Not used to getting Bs and he is looking for help. That's why I came on cc to look for some helpful answers. this helps. thanks everyone. Any other advise would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I really agree with magiscoder...you need to read the book again and again...make flash cards if those help</p>