So, you want to take AP Biology: Here's what you need to know.

Honest thoughts from a current AP Biology student. P.S. The mitochondria is not just the powerhouse of the cell.

A go-to AP class for pre-med students and prospective STEM majors, AP Biology is a commonly taken AP class that is perfect to add on your transcript. Today, let's break down what you need to know before you decide to enroll in that class.

Who thrives in that class, what is the workload like, how hard is it, and what are some honest opinions on that class?

Overview:

AP Biology is a broad and vigorous class covering lessons from biochemistry to biotechnology to evolution, and more. It focuses on the application of concepts to experimental setup through labs and lectures.

Time commitment per day: 1.5 hours

Workload: 6/10

Difficulty: 9/10

Recommended Prerequisites: Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Algebra 2, Geometry

Who should take AP Biology?

I'm going to be honest, if you're not interested in biology, or already have 3+ AP classes on your schedule, you may want to skip this class. Yes, computer science nerds and humanities majors, this may not be the class for you. The people who thrive in this class are those with a genuine interest for biological concepts. NOTE: If you're taking this class to learn anatomy and physiology, you'll be disappointed - there is none of that in this class.

If you're majoring in _____, you may want to take this class:

- The pre-med track, nursing, and dental school

- Bioengineering & Biological engineering

- Biology & Pharmacy

- Psychology & Neuroscience

- Environmental science & environmental engineering - Chemistry, Biochemistry, & Chemical Engineering - Public health & epidemiology

Preparing for AP Bio:

Chemistry and mathematics are no strangers to AP bio and the AP exam in May. You will need a strong chemistry background (especially for the beginning units). You will also need to do calculations (with a calculator) and draw and interpret graphs.

The most common test questions in AP Bio ask you to take concepts you already know and apply them to a bunch of stuff you don't know. Seriously. You're asked to apply what you've learned to 2-page-long experimental setups with enzyme names that are 20 letters long that include a bunch of concepts you've never heard of. This class is for those who can not only memorize details but also think quickly and critically to explain the nonsensical questions of the College Board.

TLDR: Take this class if:

- You have a strong background in chemistry and mathematics

- Can memorize details and apply them to unfamiliar situations

- Are the next Albert Einstein (just joking)

- Have good critical thinking skills

- Are ready to put in lots of hard work

- Are comfortable answering questions where nothing is familiar

- Can understand abstract and complex topics

- You're a junior or senior.

Don't take this class if:

- You don't like to memorize details

- You're not interested in biology

- You don't have a background in biology or chemistry

- You're scared of math and/or graphing

- You struggle to apply concepts you've learnt

- You're younger than a junior

- You're already taking 3+ AP courses

- You just want to learn human biology

AP Score Distributions

These are the score distributions for the 2021 AP Biology exam. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Sourced from the College Board.

1 or 2: 40%

3: 32%

4: 19%

5: 7%

As you can see from the test scores, this is undoubtably a difficult class, meant for those ready to put in some hard work (more like literal blood, sweat, and tears). Again, this is due to the fact that AP bio is based on application over memorization (but memorization is important for all those little details).

Review of AP Bio:

Like most classes, your experience will be closely tied to how well your teacher teaches. I try to not take these factors into account while creating this kind of content to make sure it is as accurate as possible.

AP Bio is a hard class but is is totally doable. Many kids in my class were able to achieve amazing grades by reviewing their notes every night. Overall, my teacher didn't give us too much homework, and we were allowed to work together for our most of our work. That meant that most of the grades that went into the grade book were from tests (and there were no retakes). We got one test per unit, and each test had two parts - the FRQs and the MCQs. I reviewed my notes almost every night, especially on days where we did not have homework.

Overall, my favorite units were the biotechnology unit and the DNA unit, which came towards the middle-end of the course. My least favorite units were in the beginning with photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and enzymes. However, I found most of the class interesting.

Can I self-study AP Bio?

Since AP Biology is such a common class, there are a lot of resources online for students. Although it is never recommended to self-study an AP science class, AP Bio is probably the second best AP science course to self-study. Though it's not recommended, with the help of resources such as Khan Academy, it is definitely possible.

In conclusion

AP Biology is probably the hardest course I ever took in high school. I had to spend more time preparing for tests in this class than any other course I have ever taken, and still was not able to achieve the grades I would have liked to achieve. The AP Biology exam in May has one of the lowest passing rates and is considered one of the more difficult ones.

However, AP Bio is a popular course and you'll find yourself with an amazing community of other students like you. This course is really interesting and will give students a broad view of topics in biology. It's great to tie up ends on your college application, especially for many prospective STEM majors. Although it is difficult, I've seen many kids thrive and succeed in this class. Due to my teacher, I didn't have the greatest experience in that class but from talking with other students, it's clear that most have positive or neutral opinions on the class, with fair warnings about difficulty and rigor. But, don't let that stop you from taking this class.

Overall, I give this class a 6 or 7 out of 10. Through this class, you'll learn some exciting and fascinating information about DNA, and the biochemical processes within our bodies, and find yourself learning about the groundbreaking field of biotechnology. If you're willing to put in the work and not scared of a challenge (or a few bad grades), this is a perfect class for curious students and STEM majors.