How do science classes in college work?

[etherealsolvent]

I'm a high school senior and I'm so confused on how college classes work. Couple of questions:
1. Are general chemistry, biology, organic chem all one semester courses or are they a full year course?
2. What's the difference between a quarter and a semester system? Which one is better?
3. If you took AP classes in high school, is the material covered in classes like gen chem and biology the same material?
4. How often do you have tests in science classes? Do you have to do lab reports for every lab?

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[Pagan FutureDoc]

1.) typically each of those classes will be broken into two parts like Chemisty 1 and 2 (or three parts on quarter system) each part is graded separate and considered its own class. You will have to take a full years worth for your prereqs.

2.) in a semester system you will have 2 four to five month semesters (with couple. weeks off at Christmas and a summer break). Quarter system the school yeah is broken into 4 quarters evenly (though in my experience most students don't take much, if anything, over the summer quarter).

3.) most of my classmates who has AP course in HS said the material was much more in depth and difficult in college but the basics were the same (I went to a top 20 so, it may be different at less academically rigorous schools)

4.) tests vary a lot at schools and with different professors. I've seen some that had 3-4 test, 2 comprehensive mid terms and a comprehensive finals....I've seen others that had a midterm and final.

 

[piii]

I went to a top 20 so, it may be different at less academically rigorous schools

Cool irrelevant brag bruh I bet there's far more rigorous non top 20 schools than yours lol

 

[efle]

1) Full year for Bio, Chem, Orgo, Physics, Calc. One semester for Psych, Sociology, Biochem

2) It's just whether the academic year is broken into 2 vs 3 parts. Neither is really better or worse.

3) My experience was generally that everything in AP was also covered in college - but in more depth and faster, because there was also a lot of new content. This will vary by school though. Sibling at a small liberal arts college took the same APs at the same highschool, and says her prereq science classes often focus on completely different subject matter and are easier.

4) For prereqs I always had 3-4 exams per semester. Sometimes the final exam was optional and would replace your lowest midterm score if you chose to take it. Sometimes labs would span multiple weeks but usually yes, you had a report due at every lab session.