Retaking gen bio when I have AP credit

[two thirty]

Hi all,

I'll try to keep this simple. I'm a second semester sophomore and I got a 5 on the AP Bio exam, giving me credit for Bio 1 & 2. When signing up for classes this spring, I figured I might as well retake the series just to be safe for schools not accepting credit, plus I thought it would keep it fresher on my mind for the DAT and it wouldn't be too daunting since I knew the stuff pretty well going in. So I signed up for Bio 1. Anyway, I'm a month in, and while the course isn't difficult, I feel like it is a waste of time. I'm past drop/add, so I am stuck finishing out this semester.

Anyway, I had planned on just staying over the summer and taking bio 2 while working and trying to get some volunteering/shadowing in to strengthen my application. However, if I didn't retake the second course, I could go ahead and get in biochem or physics 1 and make my junior year much easier. I'm majoring in psychology but I am planning on picking up a minor in biology, which requires biochem, microbio, and two upper level bios of my choice in addition to the general bio sequence.

Would it look strange if I decided to retake bio 1 and didn't decide to go on to bio 2(assuming I do well in bio 1 and the upper level stuff)? Or should I just stick it out and finish the sequence and get another potentially easy A in the summer. I'd really like to get something more difficult out the way though and make junior year much more enjoyable trying to get in all my major/minor classes.

Thanks for any advice.

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[Dew517]

If you are planning on taking more advanced bio's, don't bother taking bio 2 if you already have credit for it.

It wont look weird at all considering that you already have the AP credits and you only placed out of it to take higher level courses - biochem, micro, etc...

 

[two thirty]

Allright, thanks for that. On a semi-related note, would biochem be too fast paced to take in the summer or is it manageable? It would work wonders for my schedule to get it out of the way in the summer. I know a lot of people who have tried to take o-chem over the summer and said it was too much.

 

[Maygyver]

I've heard some schools don't take AP credit. I would check with the schools you plan on applying to about that.

 

[RLeadem2011]

i have a similar question about dent prereqs over the summer so ill throw it on here 😛. are rereqs done during the summers looked down on at all compared to there normal simester counterparts?

 

[doc toothache]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527335

 

[youknowthedrill]

I'd take one of the harder classes over the summer. Save Biology II for the next semester when you're taking several classes that require more attention.

 

[dantemac]

A) Some classes don't accept AP credits and

B) University level bio will probably prepare you for the DAT better than AP bio.

I know at the school I go to (I'm a TA), bio faculty are required to look at official MCAT/DAT/PCAT topics and build their curriculum around that. The professor I TA for structures her lectures straight out of the MCAT bio demands. If all colleges/professors are similar in that they give a damn about their pre-med students, it is probably similar. Take the class to prepare accordingly.

 

[Blue87Fiero]

Some schools don't take AP credits but some of the dental schools also max you out at 4 hours gen bio, which you would have. Also I believe a lot of dental schools don't specify intro to bio classes there usually just 8 hours bio with lab. Except for some schools requiring micro or something. Just my 2 cents

edit to add that I personally would take it because it should be an easy A and it should help you with the DAT.

 

[iamsyc]

I APed out of bio 1 and 2 in my undergrad and it was never a problem when i was applying/interviewing at schools. I took a bunch of upper level bios (bio was my major), and managed to do well, so that's the important thing. And taking the classes during the summer, while I personally don't think they don't look down on it, it can be easier/crazier depending on how much info they try to cram into the class. But I think that as long as you take the class over the summer at the same school that you are attending, it isn't that big a deal vs. taking a class over the summer at a community college.

And I personally feel that my upper level bio classes helped me more on the DAT with the topics that require a bit more detailed knowledge. And you can always go over cliffs ap bio for the more general bio stuff 🙂