[bamboozledsci]

Hey Cougle!! I'm thinking of taking a science next year, specifically one of the APs, but I'm not sure which one is right for me. I've heard some rough things about AP Physics, but I don't know if I can commit to a two-period class with AP Bio or AP Chem. The thing is, I'm interested in all three! Can you tell me your experiences with the aforementioned?

[Arianna Le]

Hi! For me, I took AP Bio. I'm personally not interested in science, but I had a lot of fun in this class! (thanks in part to the fact that Mr. Cheadle was the teacher, and both the AP Bio teachers are nice!) Compared to chem, it's a lot less math (although there is some), and mostly learning functions, processes, and how to apply that knowledge to theoretical questions.

I don't regret taking AP Bio and the people whom I talked to didn't either! There's naturally some stress and difficulties w/ AP but the experience is worth it ad not overbearing, at least for me. I don't know much about AP Chem or Physics since I didn't take those courses though

[Deven Navani]

I can speak for AP Physics and AP Chem.

Don't worry too much about AP Chem being 2 periods long -- Mr. Walz (the only AP Chem teacher) is great and he definitely makes the 2 hours bearable with his quality teaching and stories about his children. If you're into labs, we do PLENTY of those (around twice a week).

Regarding AP Physics, there are 3 courses: 1, 2, and C. If you haven't taken calculus yet, start with 1 or 2. If you have, C is the way to go. Labs are definitely a smaller component of Physics compared to Chem. You're right, many people say that AP Physics at EV is a rough course. This is probably because Physics demands a more conceptual understanding of what you're learning. In Chem, you can sometimes get away with blindly following rules or using formulas. Not so much in Physics. But PLEASE don't shy away from taking it because of what you've heard; you will do well if you listen carefully in class and ask questions regularly.

For either AP Chem or AP Physics 1/2/C, it's pretty necessary to be strong at math (less so for AP Bio, as Arianna mentioned).

It's pretty cool you're interested in all three! In addition to what I mentioned above, make sure to consider what you're planning to major in. If you're looking to become an engineer, Physics is probably a better choice. If you want to go to medical school, perhaps Chem or Bio.

I'd also encourage you to go talk to the teachers and glance over the textbooks. They'll be able to provide more in depth info.

Physics - Mr. Lubbs, Mr. Miller, Mr. Higgins
Chem - Mr. Walz

Hope this helps!

[sadmeow]

Personally, 2 hours in AP Chem is a bit too long and makes me want to fall asleep sometimes. I wouldn't recommend you to take the class if you're only slightly interested in chem or if you're just taking the course for it to look good on college apps. That was probably the biggest mistake I made this year. If you're genuinely interested in chem and good at self studying a lot of the work, then go for it. Table groups in that class are basically grouped together for an entire school year (according to a lot of past students). I also don't see any signs that seats are going to be changed. One cool thing about the class though, is that Walz gives the 2nd and 3rd period class coffee sometimes.

[Karina Tran]

I'll just tag on a bit to Arianna's post about AP Bio. Since it was something that I'm really interested in, I absolutely loved the class. The 2 hour period might seem like a lot at first, but once you get used to it, it flies by pretty fast. Mrs. Taylor also used to tell stories about her life, or roast the kids, which made the time pass a little quicker as well The desks are also kind of like whiteboards, so I had fun doodling in class with EXPO markers haha

A lot of the learning is done in groups, which personally helped me a lot. Reteaching and discussing concepts solidified them much easier than if I was stuck in a traditional "teacher lectures, student listens" classroom. It's definitely more abstract than Physics and Chem, both of which I haven't taken, focusing more on the understanding of concepts and how they play within one another rather than statistical calculation to reach a single answer. The tests on the different units you learn might be difficult, but I would recommend studying the study guides your teachers give you, and understand the specific wording involved so that you can give yourself the best advantage on test day.

Be prepared to think outside of the box if you do choose to take AP Bio next year!