#35 - The A.P. Chemistry Course
Well as this course comes to a close, I�m sure you did well in High school chemistry. Not everyone necessarily absorbs chemistry very well, that�s probably why your on this site getting help, that�s O.K., but if you really love the subject of chemistry, the road of molecules don�t stop here.
Since 1951, an organization called the College Board felt that high school students were able to go past their expected curriculum and organized college-level courses in 19 subject areas in high-school, and administers an exam to be taken at the end of the year. This exam is unlike any exam you�ve ever taken before; it�s very difficult. These courses are called advanced placement(A.P.) courses, you might�ve heard of them before. A.P. can change your life, and expose you to a vast opportunity of education, along with the opportunity to earn college credit!
Of these courses, A.P. chemistry is included and is arguably the hardest course A.P. has offered. The course teaches a full year of college-freshman chemistry. As I write this, I am currently in A.P. Chemistry and preparing for the exam in May 2003. I am learning a whole new world of chemistry I�ve never learned in the high school chemistry course I took last year. If you take A.P. Chemistry, you will learn whole new subjects in chemistry including equilibrium, quantum, gasses, kinetics, thermo chemistry and electro chemistry plus many more. You will also learn more about subjects you�re learning now, especially with solutions, and electron structure.
The exam spans three hours (180 minutes). It has 90 minutes of 75 multiple choice questions, for which you may not use calculators. The part A of the second section is 40 minutes long consisting of 3 free response questions. The first one you have to do, then you have to choose whether to do the second or third. You can use a calculator on this part! The part B of the exam is 50 minutes. It consists of 8 net ionic reactions, you only have to answer 5, then answer two laboratory questions (#5 & 6) where you write about a hypothetical experiment about anything, then you can choose wither to do question 7 or 8. You can�t use a calculator on part B. Then your done!
I know this all may seem intimidating to you, but the challenge exists in all A.P.�s. Plus, you must be willing to work hard. You have to study. This isn�t a joke. If you are willing to learn and work hard, you can succeed in A.P. chemistry. Along with other A.P. courses including A.P. U.S. History, A.P. Government, A.P. Calculus, A.P. Biology, A.P. English Language or Literature, A.P. Physics and so on. You also must love chemistry, if you don�t, then you wont want to work hard. Good luck to you all!
