Self Study AP Chemistry while taking NYS Regents Chemistry

<p>Next year, I will be a sophomore in my high school. My high school's only AP science course is Biology, so I wanted to know if it would be reasonable to complement my HS Chem class with materials to prepare for the AP Chemistry Exam. </p>

<p>This year, I took honors Biology and my teacher was excellent. He really pushed us to do our best and went above and beyond the typical scope of the course to really challenge us. Because of this, I have really developed a love for science, and I particularly enjoyed the chemistry component of his course. </p>

<p>So my question is, would this be a reasonable self-study if I had the guidance of the HS Chem instructor? I have the following credentials that would relate to taking the AP Chem Exam:</p>

<pre><code> - Completed Honors Biology w/ Strong Chem Emphasis (95 Avg.)
- 1910 on SAT exam as a Freshman (660 CR; 580 MA; 670 WR)
</code></pre>

<p>I know the exam is very difficult, but I have the motivation and discipline to set aside time to study and practice the additional material, but will I be able to comprehend it effectively?</p>

<p>Additionally, I will be enrolled in two courses at the college-level next year: AP European History and Business Math I, in addition to a full schedule of honors and regents courses. </p>

<p>So my question is, will I be able to handle and comprehend the AP Chemistry curriculum through a self-study? Thank you all for your responses!</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Whatever you learned for the NYS bio regents (even in honors classes) is just the top 5% of the depth of AP Bio, and that may be a stretch. If it doesn’t suffice for AP Biology’s chem aspect, then I highly doubt it suffices for AP Chem. At most, you’d have learned dehydration synthesis (which is called ester linkages for the chemists), polymers, catalysis, surface tension, prop. of water, endothermic/endergonic, exothermic/exergonic. I’m not sure how much “above and beyond” your teacher did, but even if he/she made you memorize the structures/prop of all of the amino acids, it wouldn’t help you with AP chem nor regents chem (or even organic chem, if your school offers that).
SO THAT SAID, glancing through my AP chem text, it’ll be quite a chockful of work ahead of you if you intend to study both at the same time. Will you have a lab available? I suppose it’s possible (I hate to say anything’s impossible), but it’d be really, incredibly tough. If you do it, I wish you the best of luck and a large quantity of coffee! I don’t mean to discourage you! I just want you to know you’re heading into a hell of a lot of work (and during my freshman year, I was pretty much ignorant of how hard it gets as the years progress)!</p>