What advice can you give someone on taking an AP Biology Course?

Question

i will be an upcoming junior this fall...and i want to take AP Biology...but since first semester grades this past year at an all time like with the class highest being a C...I am very nervous. How might i prepare my self...or should I even take the course and wait until i know i'm ready and can handle it?

This is wat my schedule looks lik next year:

0-6

Physics

AP biology

spanish 3

AP US history

English Honors 3 (which takes a lot of dedication)

AVID 3

AP Calculus (which I am very scared of)

Answer 1

I took it for a quarter and got a C the whole time.  I couldn't better my grade in that class no matter HOW HARD I STUDIED, so I dropped it.

I really felt like my grade was beyond my control in that class.  I'd say if you're passionless about biology, don't take that class.

I hear that the AP test is very rigorous and difficult.  Besides, you already have quite a (ridiculous) a load you're taking on.

Answer 2

Your schedule is hard, but if you're dedicated you'll be fine.  Junior year kind of sucks, and in many ways is a big show for colleges, excelling with a difficult schedule in your junior year is one of the most effective ways to show them that you really mean business.

As for AP biology... it is likely that you will absolutely fall in love with the class.  You will learn more and understand complex systems more fully than you ever have in your life.   As cheesy as it might sound the best advice for such a class is to read your textbook religiously, the cliffs notes AP biology book will get you through the test, but if you have a halfway decent teacher then it will never get you through the class.  I bought a version of the textbook I used Jr year (Biology by Campbell) for less than $10 on half.com after the class was done because i liked it so much, so they're not hard to come by if you want to buy one before the year starts to begin reading.  Good luck

Answer 3

AP bio deals with how the world works, opposed to chemistry and physics, which is more why it is the way it is. AP calc. will be fine if you have a dedicated teacher, right when you start having trouble, talk to him/her, and try to come in early or stay late for help with the homework you dont get. I had problems with AP US, though it was partially because the full year course was then shared with AP Lang, another full year course, so i had half the time to learn in class. If you are good with history, or enjoy understanding how your world was shaped, it is the class for you. i on the other hand, can't tell whether Maryland was a northern or southern state in the civil war. As for physics, i had a terrible teacher, before calculus, but throughout my calculus class i found that they had lots in common, so its like your having one class twice a day, though one is only word problems. i think you will be fine, the fact that you are dedicated enough to ask this question shows that you really will work diligently to do the best you can

Answer 4

Ration your daily time....this is a very similar setup  compared to many at my school....try looking at 6 IB courses.....but i try to focuse on the class where i have trouble while i breaze throught classes like history where i excell.

Answer 5

Firstly I would like to say that AP calculus will make physics a breeze. I look back on it now, and calculus is so integrated into physics its not even funny.

As for AP biology, I believe that If you have taken Algebra II and some chemistry classes, it will be very simple. The first semester will basically be biochemistry and genetics, with the second semester being classification (which actually requires studying). I thought the test was pretty easy, and I made a 5 on it.

With that load, you may consider taking AP environmental science instead. I can promise you though, if you take bio, you won't regret it.