I took AP Chem in high school and had a very hard teacher. We had to write a 40-page lab one time and I had to pull all-nighters for 2 weeks, but generally, our labs were 10-15 pages long. I am scared for general biology not having taken AP Bio (I took AP Physics 1 instead), and also scared because of the way my teacher prepared me for general chemistry. How hard is general chemistry compared to AP Chem, and will I be at a disadvantage in general biology not having taken AP Bio in high school (I did take anatomy and physiology)? I only got a 3 on my AP Chem test, but I barely studied for it because I was really sick that year. Any tips or thoughts? I have been studying for weeks on Khan Academy for both classes because I am afraid of failure since I’m a pre-med. Is it normal to feel this way?
Take the classes with the plan to study well, get work done on time, seek assistance if needed, go to office hours if needed. Your bio and chem college courses are the intro sequence to these courses of study. They will be presented as such.
Many, if not most of the students in these courses will not have taken AP courses.
P.S. you will likely encounter “very hard teachers” all the way through college, and eventually in medical school should you get that far. It will be up to you to use any resources your college has available for extra help if you need it. And don’t wait until it’s too late. Get that help ASAP if you feel even a little like you need it.
Few of failure is normal for everyone whether they are a pre-med or not. People don 't like to fail.
Obsessing over that fear, feeling a strong need to be perfect (have perfect grades, be the absolute best student) or being so fearful that it causes anxiety depression or a kind of paralysis of action is not.
If you fine yourself falling into the latter categories, please seek professional counseling. Anxiety, depressions and perfectionism kill far more pre-med careers than does getting a B, C or even an F in a class.
People get into med school all the time with less than perfect grades but mental health disorders are the #1 cause of med school drop outs and failures.
If you are a hard worker you will be ok. Just work hard, attend class, keep up with your studies, find a study group/parter and you can do it. I think the people who aren’t worried are the ones who will end up having a tougher time. Obviously you are conscientious or you wouldn’t be worried. Take a deep breath and believe in yourself. You’ve got this!