<p>I'm a freshman taking AP Biology. I'm doing really well in it: my grade last semester was a 96. Our AP Bio teacher recommends people to AP Chemistry if they have an A+ and an A test average, which I also have. So, most likely, I will have the chance to take AP Chemistry.</p>
<p>However, I've heard plenty of things about it. For one, you need Algebra II Honors completed to take it, and that's what I'll be taking next year. However, I've heard of sophomores taking it as a co-requisite, and I'm good at math. I've also heard that it's extremely hard, with an A in AP Biology being the equal to a C in AP Chemistry. The teacher is also the only teacher that teaches Honors Chemistry, where I would go if I declined the recommendation, but in AP Chemistry I've heard he is EXTREMELY picky with lab reports. Also, if I take it, I will not have a year of high school (honors) chemistry to support me, but there is a required summer course for people who don't have that. I also have debate, a fairly intensive extracurricular, so I won't have as much time to work. If I don't end up taking it, I will probably take it junior year after taking a year of Honors Chemistry and Algebra II Honors.</p>
<p>Given all of this, should I take AP Chemistry next year? Thanks in advance, and if you need any more information that I might have forgotten, tell me so I can (try to) provide it.</p>
<p>I would take the class only if you want to take it, meaning the advantages overpower the disadvantages in your opinion. AP Chemistry at your school sounds very challenging, but if your teacher is recommending you they are probably confident you could do well, if you want to. Don’t take AP Chem if you would rather be taking something else, spending more time on debate, etc. But if you’re up for the challenge, I’m sure you’ll do well. Good luck with whatever you choose!</p>
<p>If time is the issue, and you want to take AP chem early to fit in other courses throughout your high school career, then I’d say go for it. But if not, then I’d say take honors and then go onto AP chem, especially if AP chem is as hard as it sounds. I have a few friends who skipped honors, took a summer course, and then took AP Chem and they did okay, but they didn’t do great. I took honors chem and then moved on to AP, which is hard at my school as well. And I’m glad I never skipped because I find that you learn and understand more when you have more time and you aren’t thrown into a really hard course without much background.</p>
<p>If you are to take AP chemistry (and you have a TI-89) there is this program on ■■■■■■■■ called Chemistry Made Easy that works wonders when you want to check your homework or just try to understand a little more.
It honestly does everything!!</p>
<p>If you’re interested in science and your application reflects this outside of your class choices in the form of ECs, then go for it. Otherwise, you may find that it’s not worth the heartache. At my school, kids think they’re ready for IB Chem after a successful experience in Chem I but find that only the students who have had 98+ in all of their science classes are adequately prepared for the rigor. If you are taking several other difficult classes next year in addition to a time-consuming load of ECs (which, as a CC-er, I assume you have–could be wrong though), I would honestly recommend you avoid that class. </p>
<p>At the very least, you should ask kids in AP Chem how they’re doing. If only one or two kids are getting A’s, you may want to think twice.</p>
<p>the math portion of AP Chem is ridiculously easy. the only thing you will need to learn is natural logarithms for rate of decay/growth question, but other than that, mostly everything is plug-and-chug.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore in AP Chemistry. DON’T DO IT. </p>
<p>The highest grade from a sophomore in our class was a B. Four kids got B-s, two or three got Cs, and a couple of other people got C-s. My friend got a 62.8 for a D.</p>
<p>The teacher won’t slow down for you at all. A lot of the stuff is very difficult to pick up without an honors background.</p>
<p>I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but you’ll basically need to teach yourself since the juniors already did the subjects before entering AP Chemistry.</p>
<p>I have struggled with just about everything so far, from stoichiometry to gas laws to equilibrium. It’s not that I’m dumb… (Well, of course I’m not dumb. It was very difficult to get into this class as a sophomore. Only the top science students were allowed in… 1 out of 60.) I just can’t grasp the concepts on my own.</p>
<p>All of the topics are very challenging and my teacher expected us to already have an adequate level since the class is for juniors who have Honors Chemistry background. It has been the most stressful class of my life. I had a 53.1% at one point and contemplated killing myself.</p>
<p>There is unanimous agreement among the sophomores that we should have taken Honors. The pace is just too fast…</p>
<p>The part that ****es me off the most is those juniors getting As are lower in the intelligence scale than us sophomores. If we had waited a year, we could be tearing this class apart… Basically, the only people who get As in AP Chemistry are the people who were too dumb to get into it as sophomores.</p>
Good luck with whatever you choose!</p>