Students may earn college credit if they pass a dual enrollment class with a grade of C or better. AP classes vs college classes AP classes vs regular & honors classes. I took ap Lang and lit and had a TONNNN of homework from both classes. W hich are better when applying to colleges, AP courses or real college courses taken at the local community college?. A huge difference between high school courses and college courses is the length of time you have to learn the material. 40 hours a week is a myth. Hope this helps. For the most part, yes, AP courses are harder than college courses. In college, you would go 2 or 3 times a week max. 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 … So what I'm trying to say is that it could depend. 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). 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. 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. grades don’t tell you much; if you’re *good* at science, then this is definitely a class for you. 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. This means a lot more stuff to cram in your head. I found AP classes much, much easier and full of "busy work" compared to my college classes. 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. (Again, this depends on the college and your professors!) Teachers tried to scare everyone in highschool saying how impossible college is but its really not that bad once you get used to it. 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. Cookies help us deliver our Services. AP courses are not, in fact, remotely equivalent to the college-level courses they are said to approximate. 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. If the student scores high enoug… 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. 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. However, if you have the study skills developed in your AP classes, you will probably be able to adapt. Press J to jump to the feed. I would say that the AP grading scale is about standard for college classes. 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. AP Classes By Difficulty.
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? If my classes are not considered AP courses but are advanced, do colleges take this into consideration? AP courses and college courses are designed to be the same level. Obviously, the academic gap will vary depending on what college you go to. 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. I feel like a failure! How AP Classes Impact Your College Chances. Ochem is very different from what you are doing in AP chem, so you will have to just feel that out. But there's so many factors involved its hard to generalize. if you’re not willing to put in the hard work, though, then this might not be the class for you. 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. 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. The capstone of any AP class is the AP exam. The class was a joke; my teacher was still used to the old format, so he was teaching us the wrong stuff. 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. It'll be good prep for when you hit tougher college courses later on. 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. I also took ap physics in hs. It was really, really hard compared to hs, but luckily I passed it with a C+. This may be true in upper level STEM courses, but you have some time before you get there to develop those study habits. It's possible and probable to maintain a high GPA by studying maybe (maybe) 2 hours a day or so. But my school just started ap my freshman year and there is a pretty low pass rate. Once again, if you work hard, you will find yourself in a good position. The AP program, created by the College Board,offers college-level courses for high school students. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are great opportunities for students who are looking to earn college credit while still in high school. 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. How tough can it be to just study the thoughts of people who sat around and contemplated existence? Has anyone taken an AP Exam and didn't to so well on it, but took the college class of the subject? 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. Just because it's a community college does not mean it will be any easier than a 4-year school. It really forces you to learn, understand, and apply the material. Another key difference is access to the professor. Yup. I've got a 4 on Lang and APUSH and 3 on calculus and bio. 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. 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. 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. 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). This creates proble… But in my experience, college classes are harder and more mentally taxing than AP classes. Honestly it really depends. Do’s and Don’ts of AP classes It’s true that AP classes are rigorous and should not be entered lightly. In high school you have the same classes 5 times a week. 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. 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. 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. ap chem is a whole different ball game. That means that a 15-hour class schedule has at least 30 hours of of out-of-class work each week. Your dual credit schedule sounds really easy. There are obviously liberal arts/humanities classes that will be harder than usual! Philosophy. I actually had a higher GPA in college than high school because of the quality of the college courses and my elevated interest.
,@ Semperfi15. 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. It’s… pre-college. 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. AP classes prepare students for an AP exam. 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. All AP® classes are a step above regular classes in difficulty, and AP® Statistics is no exception. So much theory in the abstract, students who want one right method and one right answer will be struggling for sure. This year—wait, no, is it last year now? I don't think college is necessarily harder, but it's just really different. That's a general statement of course. Also, this forum likes to make people think that community colleges are easier than universities. Depends on what you major in and what college you attend. I've come up with a new slogan: it always depends. Overall I'd say expect college to be at least a little harder. I just had my last day of sophomore year yesterday. Often times, that is not the case. So as a result I got to skip comp 1 but had to take comp 2. AP is probably equivalent to 100 level college classes- with the 100 level college classes being potentially easy depending on who teaches them. 100 level Professors try to scare their students into saying that you have to study 3+ hours for their class. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. So I really think it depends on the subject. 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. At least in biology, AP is much easier than the real thing. No admissions questions, cheating, memes, or illegal behavior/piracy. 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. Most of my liberal arts friends get by with studying for a test for only two or three days. Pros: AP … (Please do not drink College Light if under 21.) If you can manage a 5 on the test, you could most likely get an A in the college class. And I don't think it's necessarily the difficulty, it's the speed in which you learn the material. 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. 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. 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. I wouldn't say college is necessarily that hard. And then when I took physics in college, I wanted to blow my brains out lol. The AP classes however can differ. So there's that. 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. So are you passing the tests with a 3 or a 5? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In AP classes, it is much easier for the teacher to focus and communicate with you. 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 … So, speaking from my experience (again, depends on the college) I thought AP classes and the AP exams were waaaay easier. “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. 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've had joke classes and I've had ridiculously difficult ones. 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 lays the foundation of study skills and writing skills that you will need for the next level, where your skills will be improved further. ... 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? AP Psychology is widely considered among students to be relatively "easy" compared to other AP classes. The AP program tends to be a little more common in U.S. schools. 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. 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. If you're taking a business administration major it'll be easier than a comp sci major by far. 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. You can research "AP course audit" - essentially, it's the process of certifying hs AP classes. In college, the professor has hundreds of other students therefore they can’t help you as much. It was a really easy class, but it wasn't the right material. I'd say GE's and 100 and 200 level classes are AP level depending on what school you're at. Certain AP® classes do have a bit of a reputation for being especially hard. In some classes, my entire grade is based off of 4 tests. College classes could be easier or harder than ap classes. We have tips to help navigate AP class pressures. The subreddit for discussion related to college. I've taken AP US history and AP government and both courses were harder than … Ended up with a 2 on it. But with adequate preparation and the right mindset, students can succeed and be prepared to make the most of their college experience. English and Psych at the 100 level are notoriously easy freshmen classes at most institutions. But there's so many factors involved its hard to generalize. With community college classes, the difficulty of the class and your mastery of the material are harder for colleges to judge. Is AP Psychology Hard? I didn't do well in one of my AP Exams and I am just so scared of how it will be in college. AP is probably equivalent to 100 level college classes- with the 100 level college classes being potentially easy depending on who teaches them. College is just different from highschool. Because there's a big difference. AP exams are graded on a scale of one to five. Your score on the exam will affect whether you can get college credit for the class. However, a typical AP course gets ~250 hours of class time... a typical college course has to cover that same material in 50 hours. 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. 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. Most college classes require 2 - 3 hours of homework for every hour of class time. So, onward. 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. 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. Was it easy, hard? I wouldn't worry too much. 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. I've had teachers tell me AP is much harder but a lot of people on this sub say college is really hard. I hope this makes sense, lol, and helps. Last I heard, it's a cumbersome process. It depends on the course, major, and type of class and the university. When I had comp 2, there was a moderate amount of homework and the work was not hard at all. Taking an AP exam can definitely help your college and career prospects, and don’t worry about the classes themselves. College classes covered more material at a faster pace. These classes are more demanding than traditional courses, and you can take an AP test during March to place out of certain college courses. The number of AP classes you take can help make your admissions profile more competitive. 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. AP, or Advanced Placement, classes are designed to be college-level courses that can better prepare you for real-life college. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Classes also frequently get curves, so as long as you are doing respectably well compared to your peers, you should get good grades. 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. The only type of credit you’re guaranteed for passing AP classes is high school credit. 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. 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. 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. 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. On top of that, AP exams aren’t free and can even be a little expensive if you’re on a tight budget. One day in a college lecture probably equates to about 3 or 4 days of an AP class, maybe even a week. How hard is a college class compared to AP classes in high school. I found AP classes to be more difficult than most of my college courses (even some of my 3000 and 4000 level ones). 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. At that price point, AP exams are a steal compared to the regular price of a college class covering the same material. From my experience, AP classes focused more on multiple choice exams and small essays. Math majors who took AP classes in high school may still struggle with college calculus. Edit: Also, in my experience, I've had excellent and challenging professors, and their tests made AP tests look like a joke. Also, you have 10+ page lab reports due every single week, etc. I did pass Lang with a 3 but got a 2 from lit. Well, pretty hard actually. Senior year of HS was just so stressful for me and I couldn't plan effectively when it came to AP Exams. 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. AP classes are an important part of that story, especially at elite universities. College Light. There are a lot more variables you have to consider. One represents the lowest possible score, while five represents the highest possible score. The cheapest exams are $94 a pop. There's really no way to tell.
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