<p>I wanna do pre-med or major in biochem in college and eventually go to med school, but I suck at AP Bio (I'm a high school junior). Lately I've been putting a lot more effort into the class (reviewing the material after lectures instead of waiting until a test to study) so my grade will probably be pretty good for the rest of the year. But the thing is, in a class like math, I just get it. Like when the teacher explains stuff, I just understand it, it clicks in my brain and then studying the material just reinforces what I know. But with AP Bio, this isn't the case. When the teacher is explaining something, I often find myself getting lost because of how fast the class is moving and now instead of understanding the material in class as the teacher teaches it, I need to study every day after the lecture just to understand the material as opposed to reinforcing the knowledge when I study. And even when I study sometimes I don't get it so I have been meeting with my teacher outside of class a lot more lately to understand concepts. </p>
<p>Basically my question is, if I'm struggling with AP Bio in high school (which could be due to not reviewing the information until a few days before the test, I'm not sure yet because we haven't had a test since I started reviewing every day), will I have a shot if I do pre-med and eventually want to go to med school? I've heard that college classes are much harder than classes at the high school level so I want to know if I'm screwed. The main problem seems to be that I can't follow everything he teaches and the information doesn't fit together or make sense to me. Thanks.</p>
<p>It would be absurd to say that you can’t be a doctor because you aren’t doing well in AP Bio. But why exactly do you want to be a doctor in the first place?</p>
<p>First of all, if you enjoy bio then nothing is stopping you from being a pre-med. It just takes a lot more work/effort if it doesn’t click like math for you; it wouldn’t really be work if you enjoy what you’re studying/reviewing though.</p>
<p>The reason I want to be a doctor is because I have always been fascinated by various aspects of the human body (particularly the brain, eye, heart). I want to be able to delve deeper into topics about the human body, how it works, certain organs, and so on. So I feel like if my school offered an Anatomy class, I would be really good at it. In my spare time I read articles online about that kind of stuff. The thing with AP Bio is that we’re learning about stuff at the microscopic level like protein synthesis, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, etc.</p>
<p>It’s ok to not get the material right away. I have an A in AP Biology and I usually don’t get the stuff right away. It takes many readings and looking over notes for me to understand what the heck my teacher is talking about. I suggest you take ALOT of notes, like jot down everything your teacher says. And I mean everything. You really don’t know whats going to be on the test. Oh and make sure to read your textbook. I have the Campbell book and I love it. The reading is at the 8th grade level and it’s very straightforward. Also get Cliffsnote AP Biology book as a supplement. It summarizes everything and makes it easier for you to remember. Most importantly, look over your notes. Most likely, the things on your notes might be on the test. Also don’t give up and don’t doubt yourself. Anyone can get an A in AP Bio if they really put a lot of effort to it. That’s why it’s an AP class :)</p>
<p>Hi there:D
Okay, this is coming from a PreMed Biology major at a CSU: Don’t fret. Lol
I also took AP Bio in my junior year of high school and struggled as well. While I did get an A actually, I sometimes felt like I had to study for twice the amount of hours just to get the material while I felt like my friend would get it instantly. We were discussing work one day and I said to him “Richard, why are you so naturally smart?” and he said to me “I’m not smart, I just have good study habits.”
So you see? The key lesson here is to make sure you practice on developing good studying habits. </p>
<p>I also agree with Rhebar, this AP Bio class does not determine if you’re gonna fail or not in premed or college in general, so take a deep breath. Right now, just enjoy high school. Now that I think back on it, it was just a practice on developing studying habits and a taste of the actual Bio college course. The main test being: Can you handle the material? The main thing in college is for every hour you are in lecture, you should study 2-3 hours outside of class. Bio in college, especially, is a five unit class and is highly competitive to register into (here in CA). With lab and everything, it requires precision and great discipline. Relax, enjoy Senior year(which is the BEST year btw), and worry about Bio in college when you actually get there.</p>