I have this AP Biology teacher who we all love and he’s so nice, but he doesn’t teach very well, if he teaches at all. He’s retiring next year and the online homeworks and tests he gives us are all available online so you really don’t even need to know the information but I love biology and I hate that this class has gone to waste.
Should I continue trying to teach myself the information with sub-par grades or go with what everyone else is doing and look up the answers online so I can make the top ten this year?
If, and this is a big if, the school/department/teacher does not have a prohibition from seeking homework help online, there is no reason why you can’t do both.
If your teacher is not going to effectively prepare you for the AP exam, and you plan on taking the exam, you’ll have to do work on your own anyway. In the meanwhile, there’s no reason you can’t ace the course.
FWIW, nobody will care, nor will they want to know, that you have an ineffective teacher. The teacher is there to facilitate your learning, not do it for you. Colleges will expect you to pick up the slack.
If you’re allowed, does anything stop you from doing the work legitimately and then checking your work?