I’m a current Sophomore and rising Junior right now and when I was homeschooled during my Freshman year, I took a science class that taught Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. This class actually moved at a faster rate than normal but I still understood it and remember most of what I learned.
So with that information, would it be smart to take AP Biology and AP Chemistry together? And if so, what topics do you recommend I try to learn/ review?
My schedule for next year will look something like this:
French 2
Project Adventure (a gym class) (One Semester)
Pre-Calculus
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Human Geography
Intro. to Engineering (One Semester)
Intro. to Programming Language/ STEM (One Semester)
You were home-schooled in grade 9, and in a bricks & mortar school for grade 10 and will be in that same school for grade 11, yes? What science did you take in grade 10?
Doubling up on lab sciences, works for some students- but ime, not for most students. The key variables include:
- what are these courses like at your particular school? Bio in particular is a content-heavy (ie, a big part of the challenge is the sheer volume of material). Have other students managed it? if so, would you see yourself as a comparably strong student?
- how strong is your base in Bio & Chem? if you didn't take either in grade 10, and your only base is a survey course, you may not have as solid a base as you think. Check out something like Khan Academy High School Biology & HS Chemistry- see if you have comfortable with that material
- if you discover that it is too much for you, what is the plan B? what are the add/drop rules, what other course could you take?
- how strong a student are you? can you handle large volumes of work, work independently, etc? is science 'easy' for you?
- your other subjects imply that you are looking in an engineering / STEM direction- what about physics?
- what are your college goals?
Are you back in a traditional brick and mortar school? Does your school allow doubling up in lab sciences? Many do not because of block scheduling for the labs.
Where is your english class? Most colleges want to see 4 years of HS english.
@collegemom3717
Yes, I’m still going to be attending the same school I did this year (a brick and mortar school) and in 10th grade I took Honors Environmental Science.
I’m not entirely sure how the AP Bio or AP Chem courses are like at my school but from what I understand, the AP Bio course isn’t too hard or too easy while the AP course is a bit more challenging. A few students have managed it in my school which is why I feel a bit more comfortable taking them together.
If the courses are too much to handle, my plan B would be dropping AP Bio (switching to Honors Bio) and focusing more on AP Chem.
I feel like I’m a pretty strong student. Science and math have always come pretty easy to me. I know that Environmental Science isn’t that close to either Biology or Chemistry but I got a very easy A+ in Honors ES this year.
I’m looking towards either Engineering, Physics, or Mathematics for college but I’m leaning more towards Physics and Math.
@momofsenior1
I am back in a “brick and mortar” school which does allow doubling up on lab sciences. My English class for this year is being taken at a community college after school.
Why English outside of school? Unless your school doesn’t offer the class that could be seen as a red flag.
You don’t need to double up on science. Take AP chem this year and AP physics next year (assuming your had a level of general bio).