<p>Hey guys,
I'm planning to self-study AP Biology and AP Chemistry this year. Has anyone self-studied either one or taken the class? I have already taken H. Biology and am using Campbell. Do you have any tips to get a 5 for AP Bio? Like prep books, online resources etc. Also has anyone self-studied/taken class for AP Chem? I know AP Chem is not recommended to self-study but I am taking Honors Chemistry and have Zumdahl. I am willing to put in several hours a week and am starting now. Does anyone have any tips to get a 5 on AP Chemistry? What were your study strategies, prep books used and tactics for both AP Biology and AP chem? What would be the best prep books for chem and bio?</p>
<p>For AP Bio, you can get an easy 5 (with self study or class) just using the Cliffs AP prep book. I’ve noticed Cliffs isn’t that great for any other class, except Bio. You don’t necessarily need the Campbell textbook to score a 5 on Bio… Campbell is really overkill. Probably only half (or less) of that 1000+ page book is needed for the exam. Cliffs = 5 for Bio.</p>
<p>As for AP Chem, I can’t really give any advice because I haven’t taken the class yet. But my brother used barron’s and said it was really good and thorough.</p>
<p>Do old Chem practice tests - they really help. The questions from diff years are closely modeled after each other. For example, ques 4 is always about reactions and they always have an acid-base reaction. It would be good to also learn how the chem test likes their answers – sometimes the format teachers prefer is not the same as what the ap test likes. </p>
<p>Good luck! Chem is difficult enough with a class. I don’t think I could have done self-study. XD</p>
<p>You’re very welcome I used Kaplan for both bio and chem, but I thought they were both very vague and not very helpful, though they managed to get me 5’s. My friend with princeton review said it was great, but did not get as high a score. For Bio, I heard barron’s was good. I think there’s a sticky on this topic…</p>
<p>If it changes, the prep books will document that change… companies come up with new editions each year, so it should be fine. And plus, I heard AP bio will be easier… like you don’t need to know as many details for Respiration and mitosis/meiosis etc…</p>
<p>but some books don’t change any of the material, and just say it is 2012 edition. PR does this with its prep books to make money. I don’t know if any prep books will have any info. on the new collegeboard AP Bio 2012 format because this is they first year.</p>
<p>AP Chem isn’t hard. I never got why people thought it was so hard. I didn’t even memorize anything, besides ion and flame test colors the night before the test. Here’s how you’re gonna self-study for AP Chem:</p>
<ol>
<li>Obtain a textbook. I used Brady / Senese.</li>
<li>Read each chapter that’s relevant to the AP exam. Take notes. Do the example problems. Do a few practice problems from the homework section to reinforce the concepts and “problem-solving” techniques (I used the term problem-solving loosely because it’s all repetitive garbage in AP Chem).</li>
<li>Obtain practice AP materials. Complete them.</li>
<li>Take the exam and get an easy 5.</li>
</ol>
<p>AP Chemistry is neither mathematically nor conceptually challenging. I didn’t self-study it, but my teacher was horrible to the point where listening to her would make you worse at chemistry, so I used the techniques listed in the class. I read and outlined the chapter before she “lectured” on it. This led to me consistently scoring the highest test grades in the class, finishing all marking periods with a 109% or higher, and getting an easy 5. I don’t mean for this to come off as bragging; rather, I mean for it to illustrate how easy and over-hyped the AP Chemistry exam is.</p>
<p>@biofreak – may be true for some book companies, but I think PR is pretty good about that kind of stuff. There were some scoring changes this past year and they addressed that well. </p>
<p>@Keasbey – It may be that you’re just really good at Chem. :)</p>
<p>I’m not. I’ve got a decent mind, but I’m not anything special at chem. AP Chemistry isn’t even real chemistry; it’s just spitting out facts, concepts, and formulas to answer questions. Granted, you have to have a certain knack for science and math, but it’s not exceptionally hard…</p>
<p>@iridescentidyll- PR doesn’t really change its content year to year. The actual content like the information is typically verbatim in the newer PR editions compared to older editions. Also PR reuses the same practice tests for every edition. For example I was looking through a 2007-2008 SAT Biology and compared it to SAT Bio 2010-2011 PR, and i found the practice tests and content the same. Also I was just looking at 5 Steps to a 5 2012 AP Biology Edition and it didn’t mention the change in the AP Bio format. However 5 steps to a 5 2012 AP Bio mentioned the no-guessing penalty, so I guess they do update. But I think PR just reuses information and reuses tests every edition so i guess not much diff. I don’t know if it mentions the new format. Collegeboard is surprising everyone this year so prep books may include it next year. Then again I don’t know if it PR changes to inform changes in collegeboard format. Probably some books will mention the college board changes.</p>
<p>@Keaseby Night- So do you think if I take Honors Chem. it won’t be too hard to get a 5, as long I take notes from Zumhdahl and practice? Did you find Honor’s Chemistry extremely easy? Most people even ccer’s find AP Chem a daunting AP exam so I don’t know. Do you think it easily doable to get a 5 if I put in several hours a week starting now till May? How much effort must I put in every week till May to get a 5 because I will be busy but want to devote some time to AP Chem every week? Any suggestions for prep books?</p>
<p>Oh my goodness. I think I’m in the same exact boat as you. So I want to self study ap chem and ap bio next year. I have taken biology and physics already but I haven’t taken any course in chemistry. I’ve heard chemistry is a pretty tough ap to self study but bio ap should be alright. What do I do? Im so confused my course load for next year is ap physics ap us history ap literature precalculus and Spanish 3 and I’m going to be a junior.</p>
<p>@La Princessa- You can’t take Honors Chem in your high school? You have a pretty tough schedule. I’m going into tenth grade so my schedule isn’t too bad. Everyone says that AP Biology is easily doable with Cliffnotes alone but I am reading through campbell as well. Some people say AP Chem is easy like Keaseby Nights but most others don’t think so. I think if you don’t have any knowledge on Chemistry then you should take a online course to help you.I am also reading through Zumhdahl. I don’t have any prior chem knowledge either but I am taking a honors chem class so that will kind of help. Honestly people say if you work hard in chem it isn’t too hard to get a 5 on AP Chem test.</p>
<p>After skimming thru this post, I want to take AP Chem exam so bad. I could not take the ap exam bcoz my school didn’t have enough kids to take that test. I know it sucks, but that is how reality is. I took Chem H last year; I found it easy because you don actually need to memorize a lot stuff. In order to excel in chemistry, you need to learn how to analyze and understand how is formula manipulated to get another formula. For instance, the combined gas law is pv/t, from which u can deviate another three gas laws. As someone mentioned above, khan-academy is pretty useful if you need to reinforce what you have learned from the class. Good luck.</p>
I used Kaplan for both bio and chem, but I thought they were both very vague and not very helpful, though they managed to get me 5’s. My friend with princeton review said it was great, but did not get as high a score. For Bio, I heard barron’s was good. I think there’s a sticky on this topic…</p>
my course load for next year is ap physics ap us history ap literature precalculus and Spanish 3 and I’m going to be a junior.</p>