<p>K, so, I'm currently a freshman and am interested in all of this getting ahead junk, although am in the dark as to what all of these AP classes are going to be like. I was thinking of self studying for AP Bio for Sophmore year, but I'm unsure how much what it's going to take and need some help gauging the effort I'll need. Right now I'm in AP Human Geography (Not too impressive, I know) and am doing pretty well. I have over 100% thanks to all the extra credit my teacher gives out. Rambling aside, I'm a rather slow reader, but I can retain concepts well. Let's say, hypothetically, that I went through with this. When should I start studying and how long should I be studying. Any tips? What should I study with? I know it's going to be a lot worse, but just how much harder is AP Bio compared to HG? Answers to general questions like these will help a lot. Bye the way, I'm going for a 5. If I decide to do something all academic then I might as well go for an academic grade.</p>
<p>I think AP Bio is one of the harder APs due to the sheer amount of content and the fact that the FRQs can get very specific.</p>
<p>However I also think it’s a very possible self study. Ultimately I’d recommend taking the class because it’s more immersive and you get more detailed explanations (provided you have a good teacher) but if you don’t think that’s an option then go ahead, get a good review book and pace yourself.</p>
<p>^I don’t think it’s one of the hardest because many of my friends took it as a freshman, all got 5s. I heard it’s just a lot of memorization.</p>
<p>Ya it’s a lot if memorization, and you have to understand what you’re memorizing. So it takes a while to learn it. You can’t just crack open the book 2 weeks before the test and expect a 5. who said memorizing is easy?</p>
<p>And who the hell takes the AP bio test as a freshman that’s just weird</p>
<p>Self study? Kind of hard I guess.</p>
<p>With class, it’s not bad. Just get a book and do some extra studying etc, like all AP exams.</p>
<p>Well, I’ll mention that I’m working my way through Honors Biology right now to see if it’ll improve my odds. (Probably should’ve included that first, but anyway, people are saying it’s only about half the difficulty of AP level) I have all of summer and the rest of the school year up until May to study. I’m terribly slow paced, so if I do go for it, I’d have to start kind of early. I don’t think it’s impossible, but I don’t want to get into something exceedingly brutal. Will maybe an hour a day during summer and half an hour a day during the school year cover it?</p>
<p>From my experience, most of AP Bio is a repeat of Honors Bio. With a substantial amount of prep, a self-study will get you the 5. I recommend getting the Barron’s for the Bio, mainly because it has so much more information than the other review books (a tiny bit might not be useful, but it’s good).</p>
<p>If you have a LOT of time, even go through an actual textbook, and do what the classes would do (in terms of online activities, etc.).</p>
<p>An hour a day during summer, and 1/2 hour during school will definitely cover it.</p>
<p>I took AP biology as a freshman and I can testify that it’s NOT a good idea to self-study. Mainly because a lot of the content is lab-driven. I remember when I took the exam (and scored a 5), the fourth FR was completely lab-based. If you did the lab in an AP Biology class, that should have been an easy 10. If you haven’t, then you might struggle a little. </p>
<p>Also, biology’s content creates a discussion-like atmosphere in the class. It might be harder for you to “get it” when you self study; hearing other people explain it in their own terms certainly helped me earn my “5” even though I was terrible at biology. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if you do wish to self study, then I recommend Barrons for review, and Cliffnotes Practice AP exams. The latter has 6 full length exams you can take. You could also check out the essays on AP Central or ask your school AP biology teacher for previously released exams. Good luck :)</p>
<p>I was going to write a detailed response, but I figure I’ll keep it simple:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>AP Human Geography is one of the easiest exams and one of the easiest courses (of not THE easiest). People make good grades and exam scores in it all the time, yet struggle with another AP class their next year.</p></li>
<li><p>The fact of the matter is that you aren’t sure what to expect with AP courses. They are very different than regular courses, and it takes some getting used to. If APHG is the only AP course you’ve experienced, you aren’t experienced enough. </p></li>
<li><p>AP Biology is an intense subject, and isn’t something I’d recommend self-studying for a sophomore, especially one who has only taken one (easy) AP course. It is much harder than APHG.</p></li>
<li><p>You say you want a 5. First of all, it’s hard to do with just self-studying. Being in a class offers you a much greater learning medium, being able to learn things in a much more detailed manner. Reading a review book alone may not get you a five. You will need a text book, and assignments to supplement your knowledge. </p></li>
<li><p>Overall, I strongly recommend taking the class in school. I’m a rather stellar student and took AP Bio this year (as a sophomore), and I’m doing really well. But I can’t imagine self-studying it… it’s not easy. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Self-studying looks cool and awesome, but it’s not as easy as it may first seem.</p>