Which should I take, AP Bio or AP Chem?

<p>Hello, I was wondering should I take AP Chem? I am currently a Junior & our Chemistry teacher told us that AP Chem is coming back next year, I am very weak at math & I am only taking Algebra I (I'll be taking Geometry next year), due to an IEP request to put in general education math & transfer from special education math I am very below average that I feel stupid. </p>

<p>Yesterday 2-26-10, our teacher started making a list of the students raising their hands who were interest in taking the AP Chem, I raised mine also.</p>

<p>My Mom believes that I should take AP Bio over AP Chem because she believes I benefit from Bio more because she thinks that I would AP Bio easier than AP Chem & that I would find more interesting. </p>

<p>Anyway, either class I'll take along with AP Human Geo (Two AP Courses). What do you think? Should I talk to my Chemistry teacher to tell me more about the course & maybe have her talk to my mom about what she thinks? </p>

<p>I currently have B in the class so I don't believe I'm doing too bad... I also heard many bad things & rumors about AP Chem, many kids say the math is very advanced (Precalc, Algebra 2 etc.). </p>

<p>The teacher let me barrow the AP Chem textbook & my mom really unimaginably hates chem but loves bio, she just automatically said you're not taking it, that the book looks really crazy & that it would be too hard for me. </p>

<p>What should I do? =(</p>

<p>From what I’ve heard, the AP Bio exam is far more difficult than the AP Chem exam. I’m taking AP Chem this year, and I plan on taking AP Bio next year.</p>

<p>The math in AP Chem is nothing to be afraid of. It’s mostly calculator work, with some simple algebra. When you get to integrated rate expressions, there’s some calculus involved in deriving the formulas, but you can easily memorize them without any knowledge of calculus. I know calculus, but the kids in my class who didn’t were still able to grasp the concept with ease.</p>

<p>On the other hand, AP Bio doesn’t really have any math component, but I hear that it’s a LOT harder than AP Chem.</p>

<p>Talk to some people at school who have taken the class. No offense to your mother, but she isn’t a reliable source when it comes to things like this. Talk to your teacher and guidance counselor and see what they think.</p>

<p>AP Biology is A LOT easier than AP Chemistry. Biology is more memorization than anything. Since you will be taking geometry as a senior, I think it would be best if you stayed away from AP Chemistry which is way more calculation based.</p>

<p>AP Bio is so much easier especially if you aren’t strong in math. I have taken both and I found Bio a lot less stressful and much easier. I would definitely recommend taking Bio over Chem</p>

<p>In my school AP bio is so much easier than AP chem, but I think AP test yield is about the same, if not better for chem since the class is so hard.
I think you should talk to people in your school.</p>

<p>You can self-study AP Bio. But you really need a teacher for AP Chem, unless you’re a genius or something.</p>

<p>I don’t know how long AP Chem was gone for in your school, but if it was only for a year, talk to other kids who have taken AP chem in you school to determine the difficulty of the course. In my school the course is pretty difficult because the teachers are very strict, but most do well on the AP test. I had a B+ in chem, and the teacher was like you should get a B+/A- or higher if you want to take AP chem, so i’m like borderline but i think it’s still going to be difficult for me…
I suggest you take bio because you’re not very great at math and getting a ‘b’ kinda indicates that you’re not great or well prepared for higher level chem. chem is mostly math and thinking. whereas bio is memorization.</p>