Should I exempt Bio 1?

[BeastfromthEast]

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hey i started scheduling my classes for my fall semester. however, i am thinking about exempting from bio 1 and going straight to bio 2 during my freshman year (using AP credit).

so my plan is to take bio 2 second semester of my freshman year.

is this advisable? will i need what i learned in bio 1 in upper division bio courses (im a bio major)? will reviewing AP bio/studying the bio part of the mcat book enough?

thanks! i need quick responses so quick responses will be appreciated haha.🙂
i need to contact my advisor soon.

btw bio 1 is like cell biology, bio 2 is plants and animals etc.

thanks again my fine feathered friends!

 

[indianjatt]

Why not retake the course to reinforce it further and have an easy time getting A since everything is basically review.?

 

[BeastfromthEast]

well, the only bio 1 class available to me in the fall is taught by a notoriously hard teacher. my spring schedule will already be pretty busy (genomics research program(when i went to the orientation, my advisor said its going to be intense 😱), Chem 2 with lab, and another class). Bio 2 at my school covers plants and animals, while bio 1 covers cells, etc.

Bio 1: Basic chemistry, cell structure and function, metabolism, genetics, evolution, bacteria, and protists. For major in biology and
related fields. Completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, CH 115 or BY 116 with a grade of C or better or equivalent
advised. Lecture and laboratory.

Bio 2:Survey of fungi, plant and animal kingdoms. Anatomy and physiology of higher plants. Major organ systems of animals with
emphasis on humans. For major in biology or related fields. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisites: BY 123 with a grade of C
or better.

 

[NickNaylor]

I wouldn't trust AP credit at all. I received about 30 hours of AP credit, and I retook everything that was required for my major. As someone else said, it should be an easy A, regardless of the professor.

 

[BeastfromthEast]

are you sure this will be an easy A? i dont want to sound mistrusting, especially since you know a lot more than me, but i asked some students (and they are all in the honors program) and they said bio is hard.

btw just to clarify, this isnt really an "intro" or "survey" class. its basically general bio 1 & 2 but its called intro bio 1 and 2.

thanks!

 

[absolutdokta]

The second half of Biology tends to be the "everything else" of Biology (birds, trees, evolution, ecology, all that kind of jazz). IMO the first half is more important, especially for the MCAT....you get all the cell stuff, DNA replication, genetics and then some (its been a few years, I cant recall all that was taught🙂) Even haven taken AP I would still take Biology 1

As for your "easy A" question: I am by no means one of those "smart people", but everything really is an easy A. Don't worry about which classes to take to get that easy A so your GPA is good. Manage your time well, study hard and you will get the A no matter what the class. I've done all those classes and found this to be quite true (even with the d-bag professors)

 

[BeastfromthEast]

Thanks for your answers! I appreciate it. But I still don't understand how it could be an easy A if the people I asked (who are smart) said the class is hard. Especially since the teacher is mega tough.

 

[aidama]

Thanks for your answers! I appreciate it. But I still don't understand how it could be an easy A if the people I asked (who are smart) said the class is hard. Especially since the teacher is mega tough.

Why it's hard:
1) Because "college type questions" are different from "AP type questions" are different from "high school type questions". College biology classes become less about memorizing information and spitting it out onto a test and more about knowing the information and being able to think critically/apply the concept to a new situation you've never heard of before. This is more applicable to upper division courses though.

Why it's easy:
1) It's introduction to Biology. If your friends think this is hard, well...
2) You're asking kids on SDN, the majority of whom work their arses off 😀

 

[indianjatt]

Thanks for your answers! I appreciate it. But I still don't understand how it could be an easy A if the people I asked (who are smart) said the class is hard. Especially since the teacher is mega tough.

Well the way I see it is.... You have had prior exposure to the material. Since you have a great deal of back ground knowledge it will be easier to recall the information when you read it again, further strengthening your retention for Biology since you will be exposed so much. This will make it easier for you on tests because you will know a lot more and it will help for the MCATs. Also, you will have an advantage over those who have not taken the AP course since you have had a lot more exposure to the material. Lastly it's an intro course so there are other people who are not pre-meds taking the course. That means some aren't studying all day in hopes of an A. This isn't always the case but the way I see it. I hope I helped.

Don't get me wrong.... You still have to study but you will have an easier time.

 

[kjv0924]

Plus most Adcoms will look more favorably upon a bio course taken in college rather than AP credit earned in high school

 

[katarina90]

I guess I'm the only one who will say this, but I didn't get much out of Bio I (at our school it was Bio 196), it was just too much too soon.

Instead, most of what I learned about cell physiology I learned from taking "Cell Physiology" (an upper division class at our school). If your school offers the same, then I don't think you necessarily have to take Bio I to get that necessary info (instead, you could use the space to take an extra biology elective that will give you a more in-depth knowledge of a relevant topic)

 

[BeastfromthEast]

im a bio major, so im going to be taking more upper level biology courses later on. i want to finish general bio and chem my freshman year, then take physics and organic chem sophomore year, so i can study for the mcat the summer before junior year and take it in the fall of junior year. and if i do bad, i can take it again in january etc.

 

[nlax30]

I would not count on med schools giving you credit for "AP Bio". Even on the college level it varies depending on what sort of credit the college gives you for AP courses.

At my undergrad they accepted AP credit for things like Chem and Bio, but ONLY for credit for non-science major levels of those courses, if you were a science major those AP credits did not count towards the major and you had to take Bio1 , Chem 1 again anyway. So just double check and be sure of what kind of credit your college is giving you.

Even if the credit they give you will apply towards a science/bio major I would just take Bio 1 on the college level since a med school is going to want to see that anyway.

Nothing is a guaranteed "A", but as long as you continue to work/study hard it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[deleted202457]

I would retake since what you learn in AP Bio can be so variable. And like others have said Bio I is usually the cellular stuff and very important for the MCAT. Why not retake it and get an easy A to help boost your GPA? And if it's not easy then it is good you took it b/c obviously you didn't learn enough in your AP class and will be better prepared for the MCAT.

 

[BeastfromthEast]

ok, lets say that i do exempt the class (and review the content when i have free time). i studied bio multiple times already (for the AP class, for the AP exam, for the SAT Subject test) so it shouldnt be too hard.


sorry if i come off as stubborn, but i want to finish my prereqs by junior year. i think the only way to make it work is to use my AP credit for bio.

i also, during my freshman year, will be taking a biology research program. my advisor advised me to not take bio this year. he wants me to take it next year when i dont have that research program. i dont want to do that though.


will med schools accept the AP credit as long as i take upper level bio classes like cell bio, genetics, etc.

 

[FuturaDocta]

You sound like you want to get a jump start on upper biology or at least get ahead of the group. But, I think you are better off taking biology I to get a good grade and to review for the mcat. You can't go over this material too much, since it is essential for almost every science class you take.

You can just take the AP credit and leave the class behind you, but you may end up relearning the material for the mcat. Given the lag time between high school and mcat prep, you may forget a lot of the material if you are not careful.

I personally enjoyed cell biology.

 

[nlax30]

That's the thing, I don't know I med schools will accept that AP credit. If they just say 8 hours of biology credit as a pre-req and you've taken 8 hrs of other bio beyond rhen you may be fine. You're going to have to call some of the schools you're interested in and just ask them.

I'm also a little surprised your college applies that AP credit towards your science major.

 

[Ischemic]

I agree that med schools do not take AP credit in substitute of the general prereqs of bio, chem, ochem, physics, math and english. They want to see that you took these classes in college where **** actually matters not in high school where everything taught is seemly useless.

Also, I don't see any benefit for you to so stubbornly insist on finishing your prereqs early and getting a head start on upper level bio. Honestly, none of this stuff has any relevance to the MCAT. As long as you know BASIC **** all the info to answer the questions are in the passages given. Really, just take the ****ing class again otherwise you'll find by application time you can only apply to 5 schools that don't mind taking AP credits for bio. Then you'll come back here and bitch and moan about what to do and how unfair the school is. Save yourself the trouble now and just do what people ahead of you tell you to do.

 

[BeastfromthEast]

I agree that med schools do not take AP credit in substitute of the general prereqs of bio, chem, ochem, physics, math and english. They want to see that you took these classes in college where **** actually matters not in high school where everything taught is seemly useless.

Also, I don't see any benefit for you to so stubbornly insist on finishing your prereqs early and getting a head start on upper level bio. Honestly, none of this stuff has any relevance to the MCAT. As long as you know BASIC **** all the info to answer the questions are in the passages given. Really, just take the ****ing class again otherwise you'll find by application time you can only apply to 5 schools that don't mind taking AP credits for bio. Then you'll come back here and bitch and moan about what to do and how unfair the school is. Save yourself the trouble now and just do what people ahead of you tell you to do.

ok dude i get the point. im not trying to finish my prereqs early just for the sake of finishing them early and get a head start on upper level bio. the only available bio 1 teacher available in the spring is a notrious weed-out teacher and i was hoping that i could skip bio 1 and go to 2. sorry that im making you so upset.

 

[Bacchus]

Schools don't necessarily accept credit even if you take upperlevels.

 

[nlax30]

ok dude i get the point. im not trying to finish my prereqs early just for the sake of finishing them early and get a head start on upper level bio. the only available bio 1 teacher available in the spring is a notrious weed-out teacher and i was hoping that i could skip bio 1 and go to 2. sorry that im making you so upset.

I don't think you're making anyone really upset, he's just trying to help you avoid what could be a lot of frustration later on if you have to retake something like Bio 1 after the fact.

LOTS of successful pre-med and med students before you have done just peachy starting off without having to get a "head start" on upper level science courses. There really are no short cuts.

All I can say is if you really are set on doing this then I would contact your college and be ABSOLUTELY sure they will give you full credit for that AP bio AND also contact some med schools you may be interested in and see if extra upper level bio courses will fulfill their requirements even if they don't accept that AP Bio. That's the only way to know for sure.

 

[BeastfromthEast]

alright thanks for you responses. i will take bio 1.🙂

 

[absolutdokta]

alright thanks for you responses. i will take bio 1.🙂

good choice👍