AP Chem or AP Bio junior year (at Blair)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the science sequence I would recommend, mostly for a STEM kid:

9th grade: Honors or Research Bio (1 science class)
10th grade: Honors or Research Chem (1 science class)
11th grade: AP Bio or Chem and non-AP Physics (2 science classes)
12th grade: AP Chem or Bio (whichever one was not taken in 11th grade) and AP Physics (2 science classes)

I don't think MPCS offers anything called Research Bio/Chem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the science sequence I would recommend, mostly for a STEM kid:

9th grade: Honors or Research Bio (1 science class)
10th grade: Honors or Research Chem (1 science class)
11th grade: AP Bio or Chem and non-AP Physics (2 science classes)
12th grade: AP Chem or Bio (whichever one was not taken in 11th grade) and AP Physics (2 science classes)

I don't think MPCS offers anything called Research Bio/Chem

Well, whatever the Bio or Chem is that precedes AP.

[Anonymous]

Not at Blair or a magnet school. Suppose a science interested student does AP Chem, AP Bio, and AP Calc BC by Junior year and in Senior year plans to take AP Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) as the first Physics course in high school. What are your thoughts about the course rigor and being able to handle, especially if interested in learning the subject and doing well in the test. I know my question is different from what OP is seeking but, with OP's indulgence, I appreciate any comments and suggestions. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the science sequence I would recommend, mostly for a STEM kid:

9th grade: Honors or Research Bio (1 science class)
10th grade: Honors or Research Chem (1 science class)
11th grade: AP Bio or Chem and non-AP Physics (2 science classes)
12th grade: AP Chem or Bio (whichever one was not taken in 11th grade) and AP Physics (2 science classes)

Oof- that’s a lot of science. Sounds like a good path for some kids, but too much for my CAP kid (the Humanities magnet) who is also good in science. Also, since Blair recommends that advanced kids don’t take Honors Bio, but go straight to AP Bio, that means that even if it’s not the greatest idea to do that, the peer group in Honors Bio is likely kids who struggle with science, so not a great option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at Blair or a magnet school. Suppose a science interested student does AP Chem, AP Bio, and AP Calc BC by Junior year and in Senior year plans to take AP Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) as the first Physics course in high school. What are your thoughts about the course rigor and being able to handle, especially if interested in learning the subject and doing well in the test. I know my question is different from what OP is seeking but, with OP's indulgence, I appreciate any comments and suggestions. Thank you.

If the student has already completed BC Calc, AP Physics C should be a breeze. RM offers AP Physics C concurrently with BC Calc as a first physics course. The first quarter of BC Calc is basically kinematics (it's what Newton invented calculus for, after all.) If a student wants to get ahead with a broad conceptual overview of the course before starting it - I'd recommend https://www.physicsclassroom.com/ .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not at Blair or a magnet school. Suppose a science interested student does AP Chem, AP Bio, and AP Calc BC by Junior year and in Senior year plans to take AP Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) as the first Physics course in high school. What are your thoughts about the course rigor and being able to handle, especially if interested in learning the subject and doing well in the test. I know my question is different from what OP is seeking but, with OP's indulgence, I appreciate any comments and suggestions. Thank you.

If the student has already completed BC Calc, AP Physics C should be a breeze. RM offers AP Physics C concurrently with BC Calc as a first physics course. The first quarter of BC Calc is basically kinematics (it's what Newton invented calculus for, after all.) If a student wants to get ahead with a broad conceptual overview of the course before starting it - I'd recommend https://www.physicsclassroom.com/ .

Thank you for your reply. It gives me confidence that my DC should be able to handle the physics course. Appreciate the link you included in your response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not at Blair or a magnet school. Suppose a science interested student does AP Chem, AP Bio, and AP Calc BC by Junior year and in Senior year plans to take AP Physics C (Mechanics, Electricity, and Magnetism) as the first Physics course in high school. What are your thoughts about the course rigor and being able to handle, especially if interested in learning the subject and doing well in the test. I know my question is different from what OP is seeking but, with OP's indulgence, I appreciate any comments and suggestions. Thank you.

If the student has already completed BC Calc, AP Physics C should be a breeze. RM offers AP Physics C concurrently with BC Calc as a first physics course. The first quarter of BC Calc is basically kinematics (it's what Newton invented calculus for, after all.) If a student wants to get ahead with a broad conceptual overview of the course before starting it - I'd recommend https://www.physicsclassroom.com/ .

Thank you for your reply. It gives me confidence that my DC should be able to handle the physics course. Appreciate the link you included in your response.

While they may allow exceptions, RMs website lists regular physics as a pre req for AP physics C.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain the different AP Physcs courses and which one to take. My kid will do AP Calc BC junior year, and by that time will have taken Honors Chem, Honors Physics and AP Bio. So which AP Physics is appropriate for senior year then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain the different AP Physcs courses and which one to take. My kid will do AP Calc BC junior year, and by that time will have taken Honors Chem, Honors Physics and AP Bio. So which AP Physics is appropriate for senior year then?

I am also a parent in the same boat like you. My understanding is that AP Physics C is appropriate for your kid (if your kid is interested in pursuing physics further). The "C" indicates that it is calculus based (that is the equations expressing laws of physics and problem solving will be using calculus). A single period AP Physics C will cover only Mechanics subject matter while a double period Physics C will cover Electricity and Magnetism also.

For students who haven't done much of calculus, there are AP Physics 1 (algebra based Mechanics) and AP Physics 2 (algebra based Electricity and Magnetism).

Many colleges give more credit hours for doing AP Physics C than for doing AP Physics (algebra based). Also, many engineering schools and bio medical engineering programs would like their entering students to have done AP Physics C.

Please do your own research to confirm what I have mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain the different AP Physcs courses and which one to take. My kid will do AP Calc BC junior year, and by that time will have taken Honors Chem, Honors Physics and AP Bio. So which AP Physics is appropriate for senior year then?

I am also a parent in the same boat like you. My understanding is that AP Physics C is appropriate for your kid (if your kid is interested in pursuing physics further). The "C" indicates that it is calculus based (that is the equations expressing laws of physics and problem solving will be using calculus). A single period AP Physics C will cover only Mechanics subject matter while a double period Physics C will cover Electricity and Magnetism also.

For students who haven't done much of calculus, there are AP Physics 1 (algebra based Mechanics) and AP Physics 2 (algebra based Electricity and Magnetism).

Many colleges give more credit hours for doing AP Physics C than for doing AP Physics (algebra based). Also, many engineering schools and bio medical engineering programs would like their entering students to have done AP Physics C.

Please do your own research to confirm what I have mentioned above.

I agree with this poster. The only problem is that not all MCPS schools offer calculus-based AP Physics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the science sequence I would recommend, mostly for a STEM kid:

9th grade: Honors or Research Bio (1 science class)
10th grade: Honors or Research Chem (1 science class)
11th grade: AP Bio or Chem and non-AP Physics (2 science classes)
12th grade: AP Chem or Bio (whichever one was not taken in 11th grade) and AP Physics (2 science classes)

Oof- that’s a lot of science. Sounds like a good path for some kids, but too much for my CAP kid (the Humanities magnet) who is also good in science. Also, since Blair recommends that advanced kids don’t take Honors Bio, but go straight to AP Bio, that means that even if it’s not the greatest idea to do that, the peer group in Honors Bio is likely kids who struggle with science, so not a great option.

Not really. Would you say two art classes in Jr and Sr year is a lot for an aspiring artist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the science sequence I would recommend, mostly for a STEM kid:

9th grade: Honors or Research Bio (1 science class)
10th grade: Honors or Research Chem (1 science class)
11th grade: AP Bio or Chem and non-AP Physics (2 science classes)
12th grade: AP Chem or Bio (whichever one was not taken in 11th grade) and AP Physics (2 science classes)

Oof- that’s a lot of science. Sounds like a good path for some kids, but too much for my CAP kid (the Humanities magnet) who is also good in science. Also, since Blair recommends that advanced kids don’t take Honors Bio, but go straight to AP Bio, that means that even if it’s not the greatest idea to do that, the peer group in Honors Bio is likely kids who struggle with science, so not a great option.

Not really. Would you say two art classes in Jr and Sr year is a lot for an aspiring artist?

Nope, just a lot for a kid who is simply trying to be well-rounded. Two of anything is a lot for that kind of kid. As you said, your recommendation is mostly for a STEM kid.

[Anonymous]

My kid is only a freshman at Blair (non magnet). He is inn honors Physics as recommended in sequence. I am surprised that the chem teacher is telling your child to deviate from what’s recommended. Why is AP chem helpful for AP bio?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is only a freshman at Blair (non magnet). He is inn honors Physics as recommended in sequence. I am surprised that the chem teacher is telling your child to deviate from what’s recommended. Why is AP chem helpful for AP bio?

Because there is so much of chemistry in biology.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My takeaway is that it is a mixed bag so no reason to try to get my kid to try to do something different than what everyone else is doing, which is taking AP Bio as recommended. She'd rather have the chance of being with lots of her friends and same grade kids.