AP Biology is so Freaking Difficult~!!

[FantasyVesperia]

I don't know about you guys, but AP biology isn't a walk in the park. We finished animals form and function last week and we have a test tomorrow. This stuff isn't making any sense at all. I don't know how many times I've read action potential and homeostasis. I'm so done with biology, I've had trouble all throughout the year and can't wait until I'm out of that class. I suck at AP chemistry and it's a WHOLE lot more fun than biology. I don't why people keep on saying that AP biology is nothing but memorization, in reality, that's not the case at all.

Is anyone else having trouble with AP biology or is it just me?

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[YankeesMD]

AP Bio used to be complete memorization but this new curriculum is really different.

Before it used to be memorize a 1000 page textbook and spit it back out on the test. Now you need to know less, but you have to know concepts and how to apply them.

My class is pretty much done with the course, we're just finishing up our last unit which is ecology, but I don't feel ready for the test at all. It doesn't help that since this is a completely new test, old exams are pretty much useless.

 

[DesertPT]

Crash Course Biology:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQe0xW_JY4&list=EC3EED4C1D684D3ADF

Don't know if any of the material in this series will help you at all but it really is excellent and can clear up concepts that teachers may have not been that good at explaining. There is one about the nervous system which might help. Search youtube for other science/biology videos, that can be a great way to learn.

Also, here's a tip I read for a memorization strategy that I think is excellent:

Make flashcards for everything you need to memorize/remember. The act of sitting and writing it out will in and of itself help you learn it. Then get a shoebox, cut up the lid to make some partitions, and divide the box into three sections. Label one section "every day", one "Every other day" and one "once a week" (or "every third day" or "every fifth day" or whatever you like, depending on how much time you have to learn the material). Go through all the flashcards and place the ones you get right in the every other day compartment, and the ones you get wrong in the every day compartment. Next day, go through the every day compartment and do the same thing as the first day. Next day, go through the every other day compartment and promote the ones you get right to the once a week compartment and demote the ones you get wrong to the daily compartment, plus do the ones that were in the every day compartment already. Continue to follow this pattern until everything has been promoted to the once a week compartment, and then just go back a week later and review. The ones you still remember you don't need to keep studying, and the ones you've forgotten get demoted and you work them back up through the system until you know them. Give it a try! I think it's brilliant! 🙂

 

[californicati0n]

I think people tend to say it's all memorization because it requires a LOT more reading than AP Chem! You're right, though, it's really not. People make a big mistake in simply trying to memorize facts, and that usually doesn't get them anywhere in the course. You'll be more successful if you focus on understanding processes as a whole and how they relate to each other. That way, you'll be able to apply the knowledge you learn in a test rather than just recite it. Btw, loved AP Bio. 🙂

Good luck with AP season!

 

[Iso4ane]

I don't know about you guys, but AP biology isn't a walk in the park. We finished animals form and function last week and we have a test tomorrow. This stuff isn't making any sense at all. I don't know how many times I've read action potential and homeostasis. I'm so done with biology, I've had trouble all throughout the year and can't wait until I'm out of that class. I suck at AP chemistry and it's a WHOLE lot more fun than biology. I don't why people keep on saying that AP biology is nothing but memorization, in reality, that's not the case at all.

Is anyone else having trouble with AP biology or is it just me?

If I recall correctly the AP Bio exam is actually shorter than it was before.

And be happy that you don't have to take the AP Physics test as well. That was the worst day of my life.

 

[Quaxton]

I don't know about you guys, but AP biology isn't a walk in the park. We finished animals form and function last week and we have a test tomorrow. This stuff isn't making any sense at all. I don't know how many times I've read action potential and homeostasis. I'm so done with biology, I've had trouble all throughout the year and can't wait until I'm out of that class. I suck at AP chemistry and it's a WHOLE lot more fun than biology. I don't why people keep on saying that AP biology is nothing but memorization, in reality, that's not the case at all.

Is anyone else having trouble with AP biology or is it just me?

I'm taking AP Biology too 🙂
Our teacher is having us make flashcards atm.

 

[Bamfu]

Pre-AP/AP Biology was the first course I had to study for 🙁. I was such a bad student then - no idea how I managed the 4 I got on the exam.

Good luck 🙂

 

[pkteen]

Tell me about it...
But priority no. 1 right now is AP Chemistry...A DAY AWAY.
And I'm self studying them X-X
Anyways, the AP Chem curve is REALLY generous. Does anybody know what the AP Bio curve is usually like?

 

[californicati0n]

I seem to remember someone telling me that the AP Bio curve is a little less generous than AP Chem. It's not too bad, though. I wouldn't stress too much about chem. I took it and it was SO much easier than I expected.

Good luck!!! 🙂

 

[PapaGuava]

I almost took that class but decided not to. Probably shouldve tried it

 

[Quaxton]

We took a practice test today. 😛
Going to find out how I did on Wed.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

We took a practice test today. 😛
Going to find out how I did on Wed.

Our teacher is making us do 4-5 AP practice problems a day and a packet full of mathematical questions for the exam......

 

[nysegop]

Our teacher is making us do 4-5 AP practice problems a day and a packet full of mathematical questions for the exam......

Hardcore.

 

[YankeesMD]

Where are you guys even getting practice questions from? The ones from old exams aren't good anymore.

I already used the ones in the course description.

 

[californicati0n]

How about the review books? I always remembered that those were good. The FRQ's from previous exams on College Board are always good too.

 

[YankeesMD]

Yeah I have a review book.

I just thought they were talking about a released exam or something.

 

[MiamiMed10]

Our teacher is making us do 4-5 AP practice problems a day and a packet full of mathematical questions for the exam......

Yea, that seems a bit excessive. My teacher is basically giving us free periods to study as we see fit. I guess he's not too worried about anyone doing poorly on the AP test haha

 

[Yazo]

Ah, I'm thinking of taking it.
Having mixed thoughts now, anyhow, good luck with your class.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

*UPDATE*

We got our animal form and function test back today, and I got a 91% on it! 😀 So proud, so proud. 😎

 

[californicati0n]

*UPDATE*

We got our animal form and function test back today, and I got a 91% on it! 😀 So proud, so proud. 😎

Wooooo! Good job!

 

[YankeesMD]

So, what did you think of the test?

My school district is taking the late exam.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

So, what did you think of the test?

My school district is taking the late exam.

The test was tiring, not too hard though but I just felt rushed. 🙁. The questions made me think and it took some time to answer, and it caused some not to finish the grid-ins.

 

[YankeesMD]

The test was tiring, not too hard though but I just felt rushed. 🙁. The questions made me think and it took some time to answer, and it caused some not to finish the grid-ins.

Yeah I heard some of the questions literally take up an entire page. Just paragraphs of reading for one question. It's pretty ridiculous to the point where they're testing more on reading comprehension than actual biology.

When I take it I plan on going straight to the grid-ins first since I know I can answer those (well, that's based on the practice exam which had grid-ins that were really easy for me). How did you think it compared to the practice exam? I'm assuming you took it.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

Yeah I heard some of the questions literally take up an entire page. Just paragraphs of reading for one question. It's pretty ridiculous to the point where they're testing more on reading comprehension than actual biology.

When I take it I plan on going straight to the grid-ins first since I know I can answer those (well, that's based on the practice exam which had grid-ins that were really easy for me). How did you think it compared to the practice exam? I'm assuming you took it.

The practice exam was a lot harder, and the short answers were digging deep into like mid August material

 

[YankeesMD]

The practice exam was a lot harder, and the short answers were digging deep into like mid August material

Really? I've heard a lot of people say the opposite.

That's encouraging though. I thought the MC on the practice exam were hard but the grid-ins and FRQ weren't bad at all. We shall see.

 

[sentree]

I loved how there were short novels for nearly every question. Didn't have enough of an attention span for that early in the morning haha. I spent way too much time studying things that weren't even tested too.

 

[Quaxton]

I'm glad it's over. 🙂
The FRQ wasn't as hard as I had expected it to be. I felt confident that I knew the material. Didn't really need a calculator either. I forgot mine at home.