Chem and Physics B

stix2400 · 06-30-2008, 10:50 AM

I apoligize in advanced for starting another one of those threads for book suggestions, but I have gone though most of the other threads and can't find a clear answer.

So I thought I'd explain my specific situation and see what you guys think.

Chem-I have a great teacher. However, I can't get anything but a 5. The colleges I'm looking at don't accept 4s. So with a great teacher I should be fine but I need to be POSITIVE I'll get a 5 (especially because I may be a chem major)

And maybe the book could help me through the class too? His class isn't very easy, I've heard. So what sounds good?

Physics B- My teacher is AWFUL! Apparently he doesn't teach at all and a ton of kids fail every year. Yet I still want a 5. So I need a good book to sort of teach myself a lot of the stuff. Recomendations?

Thanks

stephennn · 06-30-2008, 10:54 AM

I'm the same way as you with chemistry... i had an excellent teacher though, probably the best teacher I've ever had. i bought Princeton review for their practice tests.... and from what I've heard Princeton review is the way to go for chem [got a 5 on the exam] my friend had Barrons and it looked way to big, it was bigger than my Zumdahl textbook so i wasn't a fan of it.

stix2400 · 06-30-2008, 08:17 PM

one response? BUMP

omagah2009 · 07-01-2008, 12:21 AM

I use Kaplan for everything and I got a five. If you're really good at chem., you'll be fine no matter what book you use.

Ivyhopeful555 · 07-01-2008, 01:05 AM

i'd definitly use princeton review. Did not study that much and just used the reading material in PR and was able to still get a 5.

UnleashedFury · 07-01-2008, 01:23 AM

for physics, if your teacher is bad at explaining, get 5 steps.

if u understand the concepts well but want more practice and more challenging problems, use pr.

barrons is too irrelevant/extraneous.

dont know about chem.

stix2400 · 07-02-2008, 01:23 PM

Come on guys I'd really like some more advice.

After reading an amazon review on PR's chem, well I didn't want to get it.
The guy said that PR was the perfect book "for getting a three"

As I said before as a potential chemistry major I have to get a 5 for college credit (and to look good when applying) so is PR really not enough or is it? I want to be CERTAIN of a 5!

And for Physics I need a 5 also. This will be my first physics class and with a bad teacher I might need to teach myself some concepts so what do you think?

fiN01 · 07-02-2008, 02:12 PM

I got a 4 but I had a terrible teacher. Are you looking at Georgia Tech? They will take a 720 on the Chem SAT II in lieu of a 5 on the AP exam.

stix2400 · 07-02-2008, 02:31 PM

Georgia Tech among other, more prestigeous places.

Either way, I will get a 5. I'm trying to find out how.

dylalien · 07-02-2008, 04:34 PM

i had a very mediocre teacher that didn't cover many of the ap topics. i bought the pr book thinking i would need to use it to prepare myself adequately for the exam. the fact is, though, that i waited until the night before the exam; i didn't read the majority of the book and didn't do any practice material at all. i still managed a 5.

the moral of the story: if you just manage to learn what's taught to you in school thoroughly and then just kind of patch up the holes where teachers didn't teach you, you WILL be fine. you don't need 'the best book' or whatever to do so. when it comes down to it, the ap exam tests how good you are at chemistry, and it doesn't expect you to know every topic to get a 5.

and, if you care that much, i personally thought the pr book (from what i read of it, anyway) was pretty good. i never trust amazon reviewers, anyway; people are always prone to blame their underperformance on minute things like the books they were reading instead of actually thinking about what THEY did wrong.

sage11 · 07-02-2008, 05:51 PM

really, just practice the MC questions from past years. (some teachers can get hold of them from AP seminars--mine did from 1980 till 2004). this plus the FRQ from past years will be more helpful than any book. and really, any good chem student will be able to easily get the 65% required for a five. on our practice tests, everyone who got a five got around 80% on the practice tests.

else, just use PR. It is good, and Amazon review don't mean much. I used it (5) as did most of my friends. Cliffs is more in-depth but ok.

Jman2306 · 07-02-2008, 06:15 PM

Use Princeton Review for both, only to review/summarize after reading through your textbook.

Physics B is not terribly hard to learn on your own. But I know a lot of people that really struggle with physics. It can be tricky sometimes.

I had a terrible teacher for physics, but I didn't try and learn on my own. Big mistake.