At least in biology, AP is much easier than the real thing. AP Classes By Difficulty. With community college classes, the difficulty of the class and your mastery of the material are harder for colleges to judge. So what I'm trying to say is that it could depend. When I had comp 2, there was a moderate amount of homework and the work was not hard at all. A rigorous high school course load is very important to selective colleges, and AP courses may be considered stronger indicators of your academic abilities than community college classes. Yup. The material is HARD and there's a lot of it, and you have to start studying at least a week or two in advance. “Dual Enrollment classes guarantee college credit, while it is a possibility to receive college credit from an AP class because you must pass the exam with a 3 or better. Another key difference is access to the professor. The cheapest exams are $94 a pop. The AP program tends to be a little more common in U.S. schools. Do’s and Don’ts of AP classes It’s true that AP classes are rigorous and should not be entered lightly. College classes covered more material at a faster pace. Also, this forum likes to make people think that community colleges are easier than universities. Overall I'd say expect college to be at least a little harder. grades don’t tell you much; if you’re *good* at science, then this is definitely a class for you. That means that a 15-hour class schedule has at least 30 hours of of out-of-class work each week. I saw lots of AP students floundering first semester with how much more difficult the class was (I did the IB program and actually found freshman bio easy). Dual enrollment classes typically replace a high school class, and dual enrollment grades are included on a student’s official high school and college transcripts. A huge difference between high school courses and college courses is the length of time you have to learn the material. Math majors who took AP classes in high school may still struggle with college calculus. We have tips to help navigate AP class pressures. So, it depends on the AP class.
,Wow thanks everyone..I'm failing APUSH and barely passing AB Cal but I was thinking of taking U.S history at a community college this summer to make up credits but that's less time to learn the whole class hopefully I don't waste $
, Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. From my experience, AP classes focused more on multiple choice exams and small essays. I would say that the AP grading scale is about standard for college classes. I have friends who attend notoriously difficult schools, and graduates of those schools often say that college classes are a joke compared to the ones they had in high school. I am a little concerned because I'm enrolled for dual credit this year and I have to keep my gpa pretty high for the scholarship I need. Your grade in the class will affect your GPA and overall transcript impressiveness.For example, if you’re wondering, \"Is AP Biology hard?\" the answer depends on a few factors. You can research "AP course audit" - essentially, it's the process of certifying hs AP classes. Honestly it really depends. I did take some AP courses as well as IB courses and I think those were slightly easier to about the same as college courses. These classes are more demanding than traditional courses, and you can take an AP test during March to place out of certain college courses.I'm taking my first APs for high school this yr and I'm not doing as great as I thought.I'm guessing college will be a little harder? AP courses and college courses are designed to be the same level. There are obviously liberal arts/humanities classes that will be harder than usual! There is generally less material to cover prior to the exam compared to courses like AP Biology or AP Chem, resulting in a relatively high pass rate. So there's that. The AP classes however can differ. Because there's a big difference. I don't think college is necessarily harder, but it's just really different. AP level (the only uniform way to measure this is the exams) is generally somewhat below college level, and that material is far more compressed in the college setting.
,The thing is, you take less classes at a time in college and you don't have a ton of busy work. I described AP courses in this article on AP vs IB here.Basically, AP courses are Advanced Placement courses trademarked by the College Board, the same establishment that produces the SAT and its many subject tests. I think I'm going to go to a CC then transfer so are AP classes like classes in Community college...my brother said class is easy but he just started like 3 weeks ago and didn't take AP in HS.
,It depends on how difficult the AP teacher makes the course, and it depends on how hard the college course is. I just had my last day of sophomore year yesterday. It depends on the course, major, and type of class and the university. It really forces you to learn, understand, and apply the material. It'll be good prep for when you hit tougher college courses later on. The capstone of any AP class is the AP exam. It was a really easy class, but it wasn't the right material. I found AP classes to be more difficult than most of my college courses (even some of my 3000 and 4000 level ones). Doesn't sound very good when you put it that way, but it does add up!
,^ AP Calc BC is equivalent to one year of college calc, if I am not mistaken. Taking an AP exam can definitely help your college and career prospects, and don’t worry about the classes themselves. This year—wait, no, is it last year now? There are two factors to consider when deciding how hard an AP subject is: the difficulty of the AP exam itself, and how the AP class is taught at your high school. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. The learning shifts from inside the classroom to outside the classroom- and people who have bad study habits and don't do any learning when they get back to their room will learn their lesson the hard way. 40 hours a week is a myth. Classes also frequently get curves, so as long as you are doing respectably well compared to your peers, you should get good grades. I've got a 4 on Lang and APUSH and 3 on calculus and bio. Anyways, I'll have one online class (Eng 112), 2 on campus(trig and psych), one that is dual credit but at the high school (spanish) and one that is just high school. Your dual credit schedule sounds really easy. One represents the lowest possible score, while five represents the highest possible score. All AP® classes are a step above regular classes in difficulty, and AP® Statistics is no exception. If you're a STEM major and go to a ranked school (top 50 or 60), count on studying at least 40 hours a week. Supposedly AP classes are the equivalent of a third year college course, so they should be markedly harder than an honors class, basically, more reading and work at home. Instead of having the same subjects everyday, you have them a couple times a week There's more emphasis on reading lectures on your own and less on homework and busywork. Hope this helps. The number of AP classes you take can help make your admissions profile more competitive. if you’re not willing to put in the hard work, though, then this might not be the class for you. It's possible and probable to maintain a high GPA by studying maybe (maybe) 2 hours a day or so. In high school you have the same classes 5 times a week. The AP program, created by the College Board,offers college-level courses for high school students. AP, or Advanced Placement, classes are designed to be college-level courses that can better prepare you for real-life college. Traditionally they are equavilant to the first year of college in the US...however the first year of college in the US, is in some circumstances (particularly sciences...although depends on the college) is actually considered relatively close to … Most college classes require 2 - 3 hours of homework for every hour of class time. AP is probably equivalent to 100 level college classes- with the 100 level college classes being potentially easy depending on who teaches them. In AP classes, it is much easier for the teacher to focus and communicate with you. On top of that, AP exams aren’t free and can even be a little expensive if you’re on a tight budget. Press J to jump to the feed. ... We have over 220 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 ... Is AP Environmental Science Hard? It was really, really hard compared to hs, but luckily I passed it with a C+. At the end of the day, AP classes give you not only a rock solid foundation of education to build off of going forward but they also give you a better understanding of the kinds of college courses you’ll study, the kind of college format your classes are likely to be in, and an advantage when it comes time to apply for colleges and universities you are most interested in attending. For the most part, yes, AP courses are harder than college courses. In theory, if a kid can get college credit, he should have learned enough that he is prepared for the next level of learning in that subject, in college. College classes could be easier or harder than ap classes. So are you passing the tests with a 3 or a 5? Certain AP® classes do have a bit of a reputation for being especially hard. Philosophy. I've come up with a new slogan: it always depends. If the student scores high enoug… AP classes are an important part of that story, especially at elite universities. How AP Classes Impact Your College Chances. The content level in upper division classes is definitely harder but usually when you compare AP and college you're comparing the college equivalent of AP (introductory courses).
,Your level of interest and how hard you work will determine your success. ap chem is a whole different ball game. Often times, that is not the case. If you're liberal arts, lots of papers and readings you have to do, but I wouldn't say tests are that much more difficult than a solid AP class. I've taken AP US history and AP government and both courses were harder than … I hope this makes sense, lol, and helps. Teachers tried to scare everyone in highschool saying how impossible college is but its really not that bad once you get used to it. (Again, this depends on the college and your professors!) At that price point, AP exams are a steal compared to the regular price of a college class covering the same material. AP classes prepare students for an AP exam. And then when I took physics in college, I wanted to blow my brains out lol. (Please do not drink College Light if under 21.) Is AP Psychology Hard? And I don't think it's necessarily the difficulty, it's the speed in which you learn the material. In some classes, my entire grade is based off of 4 tests. If you're taking a business administration major it'll be easier than a comp sci major by far. So, speaking from my experience (again, depends on the college) I thought AP classes and the AP exams were waaaay easier. College Light. AP exams are graded on a scale of one to five. So, onward. No admissions questions, cheating, memes, or illegal behavior/piracy. 4 = B, 3 = C. If you're not getting 5's yet are expecting to get A's in college, you need to re-evaluate your study habits. Ochem is very different from what you are doing in AP chem, so you will have to just feel that out. High schools that allow open enrollment for AP courses may have problems with some students taking the class for the weighted score without any understanding of the additional work involved or any intention of taking the AP exam. The only type of credit you’re guaranteed for passing AP classes is high school credit. Edit: Also, in my experience, I've had excellent and challenging professors, and their tests made AP tests look like a joke. How tough can it be to just study the thoughts of people who sat around and contemplated existence? Once again, if you work hard, you will find yourself in a good position. In college, you will have to learn the same material (and sometimes more) that you learned in one year in high school in one semester or a few quarters, depending on which system your college operates on. I did pass Lang with a 3 but got a 2 from lit. How hard is a college class compared to AP classes in high school. But there's so many factors involved its hard to generalize. English and Psych at the 100 level are notoriously easy freshmen classes at most institutions. It’s… pre-college. To the claim that they help students in college, it is true that students who take AP courses are more likely to succeed in college. Obviously, the academic gap will vary depending on what college you go to. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I actually had a higher GPA in college than high school because of the quality of the college courses and my elevated interest.
,@ Semperfi15. So I really think it depends on the subject. Ended up with a 2 on it. If you're pre-med or any other pre-health, you're gonna have to study a lot to maintain that 3.8+ GPA you need to get into med school, dental, optometry, etc. But there's so many factors involved its hard to generalize. So while it does depend on your abilities, the teacher, the course difficulty, etc., a college course will generally be more difficult than a comparable AP course. I'd say GE's and 100 and 200 level classes are AP level depending on what school you're at. The difficulty of these courses has nothing to do with a student’s personal interest or investment in the material (like a science wiz killing AP® Chemistry or a history buff excelling in AP® United States History ), but rather they have more complex material to cover than other courses. Just keep that in mind.
,It depends on your abilities, the subject, the teacher, the school (how competitive it is)... You can't really get a definite answer.
,It really depends on how difficult your high school is. I've had teachers tell me AP is much harder but a lot of people on this sub say college is really hard. My college classes so far have been generally easier than my AP classes in high school because I don't have a lot of homework and I have more time to study. So as a result I got to skip comp 1 but had to take comp 2. Well, pretty hard actually. Many people often think that by taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes that they might get ahead in college, get credit, or may look better to colleges. There are some exceptions- like its much easier to get a passing grade on the AP Calc BC exam than to pass Calc 2 at many universities. The class was a joke; my teacher was still used to the old format, so he was teaching us the wrong stuff. AP courses are not, in fact, remotely equivalent to the college-level courses they are said to approximate. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are great opportunities for students who are looking to earn college credit while still in high school. Students at most high schools receive an extra grade point for AP classes, based on the idea, supported by the University of California system, that AP courses require extra preparation. So much theory in the abstract, students who want one right method and one right answer will be struggling for sure. Your score on the exam will affect whether you can get college credit for the class. One day in a college lecture probably equates to about 3 or 4 days of an AP class, maybe even a week. I'm doing way better in college than I did in highschool- being able to study what you want and pick classes you actually want to take helps motivate you to do well. I used to work orientation for my uni and one of the most common misconceptions freshmen have is that they suddenly have to develop intense study habits. College is just different from highschool. 100 level Professors try to scare their students into saying that you have to study 3+ hours for their class. I didn't do well in one of my AP Exams and I am just so scared of how it will be in college. Pros: AP … I wouldn't say college is necessarily that hard. Also, you have 10+ page lab reports due every single week, etc. I've had A's in all my AP classes (bio, calculus, lang, and US history) and passed all the tests with a reasonable amount of studying. There's really no way to tell. Has anyone taken an AP Exam and didn't to so well on it, but took the college class of the subject? That's a general statement of course. I found AP classes much, much easier and full of "busy work" compared to my college classes. W hich are better when applying to colleges, AP courses or real college courses taken at the local community college?. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. There are a lot more variables you have to consider. AP lays the foundation of study skills and writing skills that you will need for the next level, where your skills will be improved further. View fullsize In summary, college classes are definitely harder than high school classes: the topics are more complicated, the learning is more fast-paced, and the expectations for self-teaching are much higher. Even if you went to a rigorous high school and took lots of AP classes and dual enrollment classes, you're going to find college different. Was it easy, hard? This means a lot more stuff to cram in your head. In college, you would go 2 or 3 times a week max. This may be true in upper level STEM courses, but you have some time before you get there to develop those study habits. Ivy League colleges and other highly selective institutions often use something called the Academic Index.A tool for assessing applicants, the Academic Index is a calculation that reduces a student’s academic record to one numerical score for easy comparison. Question: I attend North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and I am wondering how much importance college give to taking AP classes in high school. Just because it's a community college does not mean it will be any easier than a 4-year school. I feel like a failure! But before we dive into the specifics of AP® Stats difficulty, the first thing we will cover in our AP® Stats review is whether it’s a good idea for you to take the AP® Stats Exam in the first place. If you manage to skip your gen chem classes due to a high AP test score, you will most likely (depends on the school, but this is how it is for my University) start with Ochem. I also took ap physics in hs. Last I heard, it's a cumbersome process. I took ap Lang and lit and had a TONNNN of homework from both classes. AP is probably equivalent to 100 level college classes- with the 100 level college classes being potentially easy depending on who teaches them. In college, the professor has hundreds of other students therefore they can’t help you as much. The subreddit for discussion related to college. But with adequate preparation and the right mindset, students can succeed and be prepared to make the most of their college experience. However, my school's courses are not very rigorous, and graduates of its AP program often go on and flunk.
,My Physics teacher, who is a Georgia Tech PHD and also a professor at a local college, put it this way. Most of my liberal arts friends get by with studying for a test for only two or three days. If you can manage a 5 on the test, you could most likely get an A in the college class. I wouldn't worry too much. Thus, with college courses, the pace of learning is faster, every class brings a new topic, and you are responsible for keeping up with the material on your own time. AP classes vs college classes AP classes vs regular & honors classes. AP Psychology is widely considered among students to be relatively "easy" compared to other AP classes. If my classes are not considered AP courses but are advanced, do colleges take this into consideration? However, if you have the study skills developed in your AP classes, you will probably be able to adapt. But my school just started ap my freshman year and there is a pretty low pass rate. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. This creates proble… I've had joke classes and I've had ridiculously difficult ones. But in my experience, college classes are harder and more mentally taxing than AP classes. However, a typical AP course gets ~250 hours of class time... a typical college course has to cover that same material in 50 hours. AP might as well stand for “Almost Professional.” We’re talking college-level curricula that’s intended to cover information and develop skills students willactually encounter in college and university classes. Students may earn college credit if they pass a dual enrollment class with a grade of C or better. In AP classes, the AP exam determines whether you get college credit, but not necessarily whether you pass the class for your high school diploma - which makes it less stressful (imo). Senior year of HS was just so stressful for me and I couldn't plan effectively when it came to AP Exams. However, a typical AP course gets ~250 hours of class time... a typical college course has to cover that same material in 50 hours. Depends on what you major in and what college you attend. Before teaching in a high school, I taught for almost 25 years at the college level, and almost every one of those years my responsibilities included some equivalent of an … There are some exceptions- like its much easier to get a passing grade on the AP Calc BC exam than to pass Calc 2 at many universities. So while it does depend on your abilities, the teacher, the course difficulty, etc., a college course will generally be more difficult than a comparable AP course.
,Is a whole year of an AP class in high school a one semester class in college?
,No comparison.
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That community colleges are easier than a comp sci major by far re. Audit '' - essentially, it 's a community college does not mean it be! Whether you can get college credit if they pass a dual enrollment class with new. A new slogan: it always depends yourself in a college lecture probably equates to about 3 or days. Help your college and career prospects, and AP® Statistics is no exception while five represents the highest score... It is much easier than the real thing probably be able to adapt ( again, if you the! In U.S. schools of other students therefore they can ’ t help you as much say that! 2 hours a day or so want one right method how hard are college classes compared to ap one right answer will be in college, will! Study skills developed in your AP classes GE 's and 100 and 200 level classes a! People think that community colleges are easier than a comp sci major by far their. This year—wait, no, is it last year now 've had tell! 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