ok so even though it’s a bit early to think about school (sorry to ruin the fun, but the clock is ticking), i know some people like to get ahead and prep a bit for their classes. so here we go. ap chemistry.
ap chemistry is one of the hardest science courses i’ve taken, and because i think i’m not the only one, i’ve decided to make a reference post of all the sites that helped me through ap chem last year. and hey, even if you aren’t personally going to take the class, a follower might!
my ask box is also always open for questions, i have tutoring experience and would love to help anyone because school is hard D: if you or know of anyone that is looking for a tutor (not just for chemistry, i can tutor for a lot of different subjects), i would be happy to help. for tutoring you can email me at: [email protected]
The Books: i’m not sure which book everyone uses, but we used a well written book with strong examples and practice questions and really is written in a user-friendly fashions. Even if it’s not the same, it is always a good idea to use different sources for a different take and pre-reading purposes. you can also check out a bunch of books from your local library to study with.
[Chemistry 10th Edition by Raymond Chang]
[Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions in Preparation for the AP Chemistry Exam (this is the basically the best of the best in terms of books for preparation. it was recommended by our teacher who was recommended it by one of the best chemistry teachers in the nation)
The Class: wowza, this class was a rollercoaster. it’s been my favorite class of high school so far, but it has also been one of the hardest. i did get lucky and have a super bomb teacher, but he was hard. it was death. but i got through it and i know you can too. one mistake i made in the class was not doing practice exercises. i would do a couple and then assume i knew it all without actually piercing through the surface and getting into the harder questions. this was a problem. lab days were also always really stressful, but it can easily be a grade booster if you follow the steps outlined by your teacher. i have a certain template for my lab reports, but all teachers prefer something a lil bit different than the other. remember. it’s a hard class, and if you need help, ask.
[AP Chemistry Interactive Review Activities]
[AP Chemistry Class Lecture Notes AND instructional videos]
[Learnator Guide for AP Chemistry (seriously i’m surprised that more people don’t use this. learnator is a magical site with questions and help for a lot of different subjects, not just chemistry)]
[Crashcourse Chemistry (how could you even assume i wouldn’t mention crash course)]
Labs- i can’t really help with this one because i have no idea what labs everyone does, but google is always your friend or drop by my ask box, because i obviously have all my old labs saved
The Test: ok so obviously there’s going to be a test at the end of ap chemistry. before you take it, it is crucial to get in lots of practice and make yourself comfortable with the entire format. the test has changed since the 90′s, taking out guessing penalties, fewer multiple choice questions, and permitted use of calculator on the entire free response portion. this doesn’t mean you can’t study from previous ap tests. doing released ap exams is one of the best ways to prepare for the test. please remember some of these exams are going to be different than the one you are taking! make sure you know the actual format of the test so you don’t need to freak out during it! it’s not fun, i know, but you feel so much better when you’re taking it for realzies and you feel good about it. you have resources available, use them!
[AP Collegeboard Exam Tips]
[1999-2013 Free Response with Scoring and Samples]
the number you get on the test doesn’t take into account the magical qualities of you as a person and the grade you get in the class fails to factor in the coolness of your personality. a number will always just be, a number. yo, chemistry is a death class, but you got this.