<p>I figured it would be nice to have a thread like this, where you could write stuff about certain AP's.</p>
<p>For example, AP Bio</p>
<p>Grade taken: 10th
Experience in that field before: Honors Biology, 9th grade
Grade in AP: A, A
Grade on AP Exam: 5
Amount of homework/studying per night: 2 hours
Advice about class: don't take it unless you have a good base in biology and really like it enough to put in the 2+ hours / night needed to do well!
DONT SELF-STUDY</p>
<p>Hard if you’re a freshman, but after first semester, it’s smooth sailing.
Study a week prior to test, and just do nightly review.
Homework was pretty long and redundant. Usually graded on accuracy.
Grade A/A.</p>
<p>AP test was O.K. (5)</p>
<p>It’s a really interesting class. I’d say take it.</p>
<p>I disagree with your assessment of AP Biology. </p>
<p>Grade Taken: 10th.
Experience in the field before that: None.
Grade in AP: A, A
Grade on AP Exam: 5 (I thought it was very easy)
Amount of homework/studying per night: Maybe an hour nightly with the occasional 2-3 hour study group on the weekends, usually before exams.
Advice about the class: You can definitely get through it with no background. You just have to be dedicated. I only took one other AP course in the same year as AP Bio (AP World). Just memorize, memorize, memorize. And try to get a good essential understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Remember “Structure relates to Function”. The class does take the work, but I know someone that hated it and still got a 5. THIS WAS MY FAVORITE CLASS OF HIGH SCHOOL. So, I strongly recommend it.</p>
<p>Experience in the field before that: Nothing, really. Going into AP courses blind is a pattern for me. </p>
<p>Grade in AP: A,A</p>
<p>Grade on AP Exam: 5</p>
<p>Amount of homework/studying: I took notes on 1 chapter every week. Probably took 2-3 hours total. Before the midterm and the AP Exam I spend two nights cramming vocab. </p>
<p>Advice about the class: Just read the text book. Its a painful experience (if you are like me and you hate history) but that’s how I got a 5. Its not too bad. Pretty easy relative to APUSH.</p>
<p>Amount of homework/studying: I always kept up on my reading, and would skim through the chapters before quizzes or exams. This added up to around 3 hours a week, sometimes more, sometimes less.</p>
<p>Advice about the class: Read the textbook, and read through Crash Course at least twice before you take the AP exam. The class was really one of my easiest APs that I have had experience with. It just takes commitment.</p>
<p>^^Obviously amount of work will vary depending on how much meaningless busy work your teacher gives you. But the amount of studying needed to pass the AP Exam should be relatively constant assuming CC users have a similar level of intelligence. I think that is the assumption we are operating under.</p>
<p>AP European History
Grade taken: 10th, first AP
Grade: B’s and A’s
Exam: 5>>Much easier than the class. Weirdly, most thought the exam was much harder than the class. For me, the teacher’s tests were much harder and more comprehensive than the exam. I got a prep book a month before the AP, read through it twice, took the practice tests, read through the textbook once, and that’s it.
Amount of homework: We’d get an assignment every two weeks, which would take a good 3 hours if you wanted an A. Around an hour if you wanted a B on it. Studying was a mixed bag. I didn’t put much effort into school last year, so I’d net low B’s with no prep, and then do well in in-class essays (one about every week) and homework.
Advice: Study at a low level constantly and know concepts and details. Not one or the other. Also, cramming is stressful and never works for me. I study 30 minutes a night starting 3 days before this year and I’m doing much better. Also, 10-page Term papers should be started a good 2 weeks in advance of the deadline. I did mine last year in a 12 hour coffee-fueled binge, so I got a mid-B on both of them.</p>
<p>AP Biology:
Grade: A, A
Prior Experience: Biology in 9th grade
Grade on the AP: 5>Only kid to get a 5 in a class of like 80 kids, 3 people got 4’s, and most of the people failed. I was surprised to be the only one to pass, because there were a few kids who I’d thought knew Biology decently well.
Amount of homework/studying: Little homework, which mostly involved printing science articles and talking about them. Studying was minimal-1/2 hour a week, if that-, but I had a good Bio class in 9th, and I have a strong personal interest in Biology, so I’d often read on wikipedia about random things related to Biology, which helped.
Advice: Make sure you get Photosynthesis and Respiration because its everywhere on the AP. Buy Campbell’s and read through it to destroy the AP and prep for USABO. As long as you know the concepts, details can be reasoned out. I didn’t cover ecology in my AP class, but I did well on the AP because ecology is very intuitive and logical.</p>
<p>AP USH
Grade taken: 11th
Experience in that field before: Honors world history (10th)
Grade in AP: B, B
Grade on AP Exam: 4
Amount of homework/studying per night: Didn’t study unless there was a test coming up (as reflected in my grade lol)
Advice about class: My grade in APUSH are a result of the terrible curriculum my teacher set-up, so don’t let my Bs have a negative light on the class.</p>
<p>AP Environmental Science
Grade taken: 11th
Experience in that field before: Honors Science (9th), Honors Bio/Chem (10th)
Grade in AP: A, A
Grade on AP Exam: 3
Amount of homework/studying per night: Varied but on average <30 minutes</p>
<p>The class was ridiculously easy, aside from studying only 10 min for each test, I didn’t ever set aside time to study for the AP exam, and as a result got a 3. I’m fine with the 3 though because of my minimal effort, and all the unis in my state accept a 3 for the exam, and I’m 100% attending a uni here. You should at least review a little before the exam haha.</p>