<p>@ChrisChick13 What’s funny is that our AP Biology teacher said that it’s not a good idea to make flash cards because it’s hard to connect concepts with just words and definitions. She says the best way to study is to make concept maps. I’ve made 5 for chapters 22, 23, 24 and 25. They might seem like a lot, but they really help.</p>
<p>I hate the Evolution Chapters of 22, 23 and 24 T_T</p>
<p>@FantasyVesperia Really? My teacher said that flashcards were the best way to study, this was after the first four weeks and my lab partner and I, who used my cards, were the only ones in the class above a B-. Concept maps…I shiver at the thought. I also recopy my notes, so I go over everything nicely and neatly, starting a few days before a test.</p>
<p>^ Lol. I can’t stand making concept maps, but they’re helpful.</p>
<p>@DaFantom Some of the stuff in chapter 24, macroevolution is a bunch of crap if you ask me. Sometimes I can’t tie things together. For example, sympatric speciation in animals, I don’t really get how sexual selection causes speciation and then a reproductive barrier forms???..I have no clue, I’m studying right now and moved on to the origin of life lol.</p>
<p>@Meverest:
I’m currently getting A/A+s in this class.
My teachers uses these powerpoint notes that are distributed apparently all over the internet. I take those + Campbells and write teensy tiny notes ALL OVER THE PAGE/ONTHEBACK for everything that the notes misses and is in the textbook. Then just keep reading it and reading it.
I used to take reading notes. I should start that again, but there’s just so much.
Anyone taking reading notes here?</p>
<p>That, and study your arse off. I usually pull early mornings before tests to be super ready and drink loads of caffeine in the morning (I keep tea in my locker, uhuhuu~ school coffee/tea is nasty). My later day classes aren’t important, lol.</p>
<p>@ChrisChick13: ooh, that sounds lovely. I think I’ll go out and get a pack of large index cards for the cell chapter. xD
I used flash cards for the chem chapters (though I didn’t <em>finish</em> making them… I’ll get around to that… Turkey-day break)</p>
<p>Whoa… How fast are your classes going in terms of chapters per week? Also, how far in depth is each chapter covered? To the extent of the previous AP test or just what was announced to be required for the newer version? Our school is only on chapter 13, Meiosis at this point.</p>
<p>Didn’t study, 100 on first three tests. SUCCESS!</p>
<p>@Synapses The only unit we’ve covered was Evolution, and the first big idea. We’re on unit 2, biochemistry. Our teacher said that we’re doing about 5+ chapters per unit and each unit is about 3 weeks or so I believe…</p>
<p>How does everyone feel self-studying for the new exam would be? I’m trying to fulfill all the requirements for both schools that I’m considering attending, and this would fill a gap in both. However, I’m already taking 8 exams. Would you all consider this self-study-friendly? and congrats on your successes in the class, I personally have shied away from biology since nearly failing it freshman year and would never be brave enough to take the AP class.</p>
<p>Everyone needs to go to Amazon right now and buy the Campbell and Reece AP Biology study guide. It has seriously been a life-saver for my grade in AP Biology. This study guide has extensive review for EVERY chapter in the Campbell and Reece Biology book, every study guide complements the Biology book you have. </p>
<p>The first AP Biology test on chapters 1-5 in Campbell and Reece I made an 83 on after studying 4 hours the night before… needless to say I was very disappointed. After getting this book and studying it and doing the REAL chapter test in guide to see what I need to work on (only studied 1 hour the night before) I ended up making a 98 on the test!!! 
This was a hard test too, it was on the Cell and the Plasma Membrane. Only person in the class to make an A.</p>
<p>What do you guys make flash cards of? Just all the terms in each chapter?</p>
<p>^ You could make flash cards, but it’ll kind of be a waste of time. you should try making concept maps they help too.</p>
<p>@Nate I will definitely look into that! We just took our first test on Evolution chapters 22-25 and that test was freaking hard! I’m looking at a possible C lol. But I’ll definitely add that book to my to-do-list. Thanks.</p>
<p>@Fantasy: Evolution already? Wow, we are on Photosynthesis right now and just went over the Calvin cycle today. I wouldn’t be worried about it! I made an 83 on our first test because I was very nervous and wasn’t accustomed to the caliber of AP Biology questions yet. Plus I was very confident with my free-response portion. I got really excited when I saw the question, “What attributes to cell-cell connections and how can this be applied to a cure for cancer?” I was like bang, glycoproteins located on membrane proteins on the phospholipid bi layer.</p>
<p>@Nate Lol our first unit was Evolution. It seems like everybody else starts from like chapter 2 or 3. I would rather get evolution out of the way. I can’t stand evolution and ecology ewww. On the test there was 3 mathematical questions, one Hardy-Weinberg, Chi-Square, and polyploidy chromosomal count. I left the chi-square blank, I forgot how to do it lol. Also, I didn’t have enough time to finish my essay, I wrote like a page for 1 of my 3 short answer question…huge mistake. Now I know what to avoid for the biochemistry test.</p>
<p>Yeah… my first unit was review of biological chemistry. Now we are doing our first unit, evolution and we have a test tomorrow. The test is on speciation. I think that we are going to finish a small portion that is left for evolution (macroevolution) and then start on a new unit, cell parts and osmosis/diffusion.</p>
<p>We’re on chapter 10, photosynthesis!</p>
<p>btw, half of the students that complain about tests being so difficult don’t read the chapter thoroughly and enough times. Not all, but some people do that. Even though reading isn’t the only thing to do to prepare for a test, it sure helps a lot.</p>
<p>I agree with MathGuy, read the chapter, or be screwed. Really screwed. Before a test, if it’s a really visual chapter, like Cellular Respiration (we’re on it now, ew…Kreb Cycle), study the pictures. They help quite a bit. I like the idea of reading notes, they make up a portion of my flashcards.</p>
<p>I’ll be making lots of flashcards over the weekend, AP Bio Quiz and AP Spanish Quiz on Monday. Bleh…</p>
<p>My class is on photosynthesis now … we just finished cellular respiration … this class is stressful but managable … i guess its like an actuall college class (hence Ap) since the class is hard and stressful and seems impossible (atlleast with my teacher) but someway somehow people do it …</p>