So I took Honors Chemistry my sophomore year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I accelled and enjoyed he topics so much! I ended with a 95% S1 and a 96% S2. I got 100% on half the tests without studying, and my lowest test score was a 93%. I opted to take AP Chemistry because I truly enjoy it so much, and would love to learn it at a deeper level. However, I hear it is MUCH more challenging than intro-level high school chemistry. There is one AP Chem class, and out of 22 students during the first semester, 1 got an A, 7 got a B, 12 got a C, and 2 got a D. My honors chemistry teacher said she believes I will do great, I will just have to actually work for it. But I’m wondering: how hard is AP Chem really in comparison to regular or honors level sophomore chem? For any of you that took it, how much time and effort per day and week did you put in on average, how did you perform in sophomore chemistry, and what was your ending grade in AP Chem? Also, what are some tips to get a good grade? I just really want a better idea of how certain people performed and advice on how to do well. Thanks!
I’m an upcoming junior and I just took AP Chemistry this year without any prior chemistry experience. I was warned about this multiple times, being told that no one in my school got a 5 on the AP exam and that the previous year the average on the midterm was a 40% with a curve.
Of course every student’s AP Chem experience depends on the school, I really think students over exaggerated when talking about the difficulty. The AP curriculum is completely different from the honors one, but honors will definitely provide a good baseline to help you explore the topics.
I felt that a lot of the units were math-based, and because I am a math-oriented student, I didn’t spend much extra time studying in the class other than doing homework. Though other people may need to put in more time and effort. Considering that your teacher says you can succeed, I’m sure you will do fine. I purchased the Princeton Review AP Chem book to supplement the text book, and I watched Khan Academy videos on some topics I struggled with. I did take a lot of notes, but that was mainly just to prepare for the AP exam. The FRQs that the college board released are also very helpful material to study for tests and the AP exam.
I ended the class with a 95 and got a 5 on the exam. It really isn’t impossible if you put your mind to it and don’t be afraid to help. I feel that students make it seem more difficult than it actually is.
Honestly, class difficulty is mostly up to the teacher. Ask people who took it last year. As far as curriculum goes, it’s difficult. However, you might not find it hard.