Should I take Honors Biology before taking AP Biology?

Answered

Hi,

If your good at self study then I'd suggest you do it. BUT AP Bio is a memorization course. A LOT of remembering, active recall, etc. It's a lot like Ap Psychology in terms of the amount of stuff you need to know and application.

If you have already taken chemistry then I'd suggest you do it, if you haven't though it will be tougher because there is a decent amount of chemistry involved in most units

Secondly, check with your school counselor or read your districts academic guide because some schools have a pre-req that you'd have to take before taking the class. College board also has pre req's they HIGHLY suggest you take, bio & chem

Finally your gonna be spending so much time studying outside of class because it's a heavy content course, you seem pretty concerned about you grades as well and that is something you will risk if you take this course without being prepared.

Now for the future, if your trying to get into top schools,yes, ap bio will look good but you need extracurricular activities too. Freshman year is usually the year you figure out what you want to do for this aspect of your high school career.

It's generally recommended to take Honors Biology before taking AP Biology, as the Honors level course will provide you with a strong foundation in the subject matter that will be covered in greater depth in AP Biology.

Honors Biology courses are typically designed to cover the foundational principles of biology, such as cell biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. These courses often require students to engage in rigorous coursework, including laboratory experiments, research projects, and advanced readings.

By taking Honors Biology first, you'll gain a deeper understanding of these foundational principles, which will make it easier to grasp the more complex concepts covered in AP Biology. Additionally, Honors Biology will provide you with the skills and study habits necessary to excel in a college-level course like AP Biology.

That being said, it's not a strict requirement to take Honors Biology before taking AP Biology. If you feel confident in your understanding of biology and are willing to put in the extra effort to catch up on any foundational material that you may have missed, you can still be successful in AP Biology. Ultimately, the decision to take Honors Biology before AP Biology will depend on your own individual academic goals, strengths, and interests.

Hope this helps!

From my perspective yes absolutely. I haven’t taken AP bio but I am currently taking honors bio and while the class isn’t exceptionally challenging I definitely wouldn’t want to dive right into AP. At my school the advanced science path is honors bio, honors Chem, AP bio, AP Chem.

Honestly, this is probably not going to be super helpful because I haven't taken AP Bio, but as someone taking all APs with a 5.0 GPA this year, here is my take on your question.

I believe that taking Honors Biology would not be the best use of your time. Colleges would rather see you take multiple types of sciences and excel in them because they don't expect you to know exactly what to do when you apply. A well-rounded student is able to succeed in and has experience in a variety of fields.

I've jumped into many APs and DEs without any previous experience and even those that I was/am completely lost in are manageable with good study techniques and time management. Plus, there's usually a period of time where you can drop a class or move down a level if you believe it'll be too difficult for you. Remember, AP exams are heavily curved and a super high percentage on the multiple choice is not usually necessary as long as your writing portions are decent. If you study and understand the concepts, the key to these writing portions are knowing the language the AP test uses. If you can do that, you're golden.