<p>How hard are the science classes (biology/chemistry) at UT? Ive taken the AP Bio test and I got a 5. Im currently taking AP Chem and plan on taking the AP test in May. I was wondering if I should place out of Intro to Chem and Intro to Bio my freshman year, or if I should take them to help my GPA?</p>
<p>If it helps, I'm currently admitted as a biology major under pre-pharmacy Next year :)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I</p>
<p>I’m wondering about the difficulty as well. I have a 5 in AP Chem and AP Bio but I’m retaking the classes anyway for the additional knowledge/GPA booster. I’ll NEED the high gpa since I definitely want to get into medical school.</p>
<p>If you have a 5 on the AP Bio then you should try to get into the Honors biology sequence with combines 311C, 311D (the two intro. bio classes), and Genetics into a 2-semester sequence. That way you don’t ‘skip’ the intro. bio classes and still make use of your AP credit by saving yourself a semester of biology by combining Genetics into the 2 semester sequence.</p>
<p>I know that some people don’t like the 2-semester sequence that they have for people with 5’s on AP Bio and Honors students because it jumps around and tests have content from different sections because of the material being condensed, but it is definitely a good option because the Intro. Bio classes are easy as hell if you have a solid high school foundation. And the Honors designation on your transcript is a nice bonus.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the difficulty of the intro. classes if you have good work habits and solid high school foundation (and for y’all to get 5’s on AP Bio and Chem then I’m going to assume you do have a solid foundation). You would very likely have A’s in those classes. The honors 2-semester sequence gives out much more A’s than a typical intro. bio course (60%+ A’s vs. low 20% A’s, respectively), so don’t worry about getting a lower mark in that sequence. There will probably be more work on your part, more studying, and more reading, but you should get the same grade as you would in a intro. class and you get to save a semester of bio.</p>
<p>The university level courses definitely go more in depth than what’s deemed necessary by the college board for the AP tests. I claimed credit and regret it. On the one hand, I have an extra 12 hours of elective space to fill with classes that interest me, but these classes will likely be tougher than any intro class and my GPA will probably take a hit.</p>
<p>The introductory courses also pay off as you progress into the upper division courses. The extra material they cover in the introductory courses naturally reappear later, so while I, with my AP background, am hearing about a clathrin-coated vesicle formation for the first time, many of my peers had already touched on it last semester. If you’re not planning on graduating early then I don’t see any reason to skip the intro courses. Many, if not most, medical schools prefer that you take the university level equivalent anyway. Some don’t even recognize AP credit (but most in Texas do).</p>