I’m a rising sophomore who is debating whether or not I should take AP Bio. I took Honors Bio as a freshman, I enjoyed it and did well (97.75 avg). I’m nervous because if I do take it this will be my first AP class. Does anyone have any tips for success in the class and on the exam (4 but hopefully a 5). How did you study for the class and exam? How far in advance did you prepare for the exam?
AP biology was my first AP class as a sophomore. If you study and pay attention, you’ll do fine. Its the best AP class to be your first, because it’s one of the easier science classes and is purely understanding concepts and some memorization.
i had a really fast-paced teacher who loved to give free response tests and suprise labs. I had on average about 40-60 questions for homework a night (sometimes up to 120!). We usually zipped though a chapter a week. It was intense and scary. I managed to pass with a 98 average. I did this by reviewing the chapter reviewed in class every night. I did practice questions and reviewed vocab. Most AP Bio classes are fast paced (there are almost 50 chapters to go through before the exam!) There are tons of online resources, such as Khan academy, Quizlets, and actual teachers teaching on youtube. I went to my teacher sometimes when I was free and she would review for me and my classmates. I would study with friends.
Of course, I felt like I was in hell at times, but I actually love biology, so it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could’ve been because I was learning something I actually found interesting. Since you say you enjoy it, it shouldn’t be as bad.
If you happen to get a teacher that doesn’t teach at all, self study. It’s important that you do, or else you’ll fall behind.
I got a 4 on the test, and I did this by studying 6 weeks before the test. I reread all my notes and the textbook the first two weeks. I bought the princeton review book. I studied that for two weeks. The last two weeks, I took practice test and studied the topics of questions I got wrong. the last three weeks, I didn’t go out with friends or watch tv or any of that. I would video chat with my friends and study.
Also, FIND STUDY GUIDES AND REVIEWS. The last week, my teacher gave a study guide, giving sample questions. It had like 100 bullets, asking to explain in detail. My friends and I stayed up all night finishing it on a 65 page document. Our study guide was very useful.
If you search up “end of year AP Biology review” there are a ton of videos of ap bio teachers going through content. Watch it when you can. I watched these before going to bed, during breakfast, on the bus, etc. SUPER HELPFUL
I do think I studied the right amount. It does seem like a lot, but it isn’t so bad.
Do yourself a favor and TAKE AP BIOLOGY! Its like a staple of highschool, you might as well get it over with. It’s interesting, and even though it requires a lot of energy, it’s worth it. It’s pretty easy, and I think it was draining for me because of my teacher. If you have a great teacher and enough time to prepare, you’ll pass with flying colors.
Take it! I love bio. You’ll be fine, just make sure to do the work, get a prep book like Barrons, find practice FRQ/tests. Also, read the textbook and make sure to stay on top of it. Watch online videos to supplement content. Quizlet to memorize things is aways the best. Its a work intensive course, but not too difficult if you put in effort! Hope it goes well!
I was in the same situation as you and took it as a sophomore as my first AP. My teacher was really bad and I had to self study all year. I averaged an A, but I was very unprepared and ended up getting a 3. I studied hard and did the whole princeton review and read the crash course, but I was just not prepared for the actual format of the test. Make sure you know the number of question and FRQs and time yourself so you know how you should approach everything during the actual test. I regret not taking past AP tests as practice. You can find a couple online if you search.