<p>I’m looking for some challenging AP courses to self-study.
I just want to challenge myself a little bit this year.</p>
<p>Next year’s schedule (soph):
Honors Pre Calc
AP World History
Honors Chem
Spanish 3-4
AP Computer Science
Gym
Honors English
Art
AP Psychology (self)</p>
<p>I’m thinking about self studying AP Bio since I aced honors bio (which is considered one of the rigorous classes at my school) and willing to know more but I’m not sure whether I should or not. If I do, how can I prepare? as in textbooks, prep books, and any available materials.</p>
<p>So, any suggestions on challenging ap courses?</p>
<p>Btw, do you think my schedule is challenging? Just wondering.</p>
<p>To normal people, that may be challenging…to CCers, it’s a bit on the low end. Psych is said to be one of the easiest APs to self study. Bio’s pretty hard, but I self studied for it this year and got a 5 with only three weeks of prep - and my Honors Bio class didn’t go past the basic overview of Mitosis. If your honors Bio class actually taught you anything, it should be a cinch to five with a couple weeks of studying. I highly recommend Khan Academy and CliffsNotes, using both of those in conjunction was perhaps the best possible way I could have spent my time. Good luck!</p>
<p>For a sophomore that’s more than rigorous enough.</p>
<p>I’m self studying psych because it really interests me.
And to me my schedule doesn’t seem very challenging and rigorous. 
That’s why I really want to just challenge myself and learn new materials.
Are there any other APs that are challenging?</p>
<p>@Aj39vn23cf2
how many hours did you spent on studying AP bio?
did you study every single day or just few days/week ?</p>
<p>Self studying Psychology does not look good at all on your applications.</p>
<p>I did it and that was for acquiring the National AP Scholar award.</p>
<p>I self studied it and started preparing THE DAY before the Psych AP test. Pretty much, I got home at 3pm, worked my way through the Barron’s book till around 8pm, worked my way through the Princeton book till around 1 am, took 2 practice tests (till around 4 am) and scored a 5 the next day. Easy self study.</p>
<p>Schedule is very doable.
Bio will be a joke if you have a sickk Bio teacher like me.</p>
<p>^ How could self studying AP Psych and getting a 5 hurt you? It won’t impress most colleges but it certainly won’t look bad on your application… </p>
<p>I’ve heard that AP Art History is challenging, and yes that is a very rigorous schedule for a sophomore</p>
<p>I read through CliffsNotes the first week, just constantly reading and absorbing the material. Then I watched Khan Academy videos, took notes and redid my notes (to make them more compact/neater) in school the next day. 4 hours max on weekdays, 6+ on weekends. I had to cram a lot into a small time, though.</p>
<p>Looks like an easy schedule aside from gym, which might prove to be a bit too rigorous.</p>
<p>What exactly is Art History?
And I’m just gonna self study psych because I really just want to learn it.</p>
<p>Do you think self studying European History is worth it?
I’m thinking about doing it only if I like AP World History.
I did like the world history class (9th grade) but idk bout going into depths of it since I’m into math and science.</p>
<p>Art History is exactly what it sounds like, the history of art, from cave drawings to modern art. </p>
<p>Self-study as much as you want to. I’m a math-science guy, but I’m taking 17 APs next year, self studying for 13. I enjoy learning as a whole, no matter the subject. Go as far as you can! Take mock APs to see if you can do well on the actual test, if you can go for it. You know your limits, push yourself to them!</p>
<p>wow! self studying 13 Aps?
What are you self studying? and what grade are you?</p>
<p>Also, how can I self study AP Euro?</p>
<p>You certainly already have a challenging schedule for a sophomore. If you’re into math and science, you could self-study AP Statistics, which I heard isn’t that bad, but it will obviously add rigor to your schedule. Or you could self-study AP Chemistry because you’re taking an honors Chemistry course next year. Or AP Biology or AP Environmental Science (considered relatively easy, but obviously still challenging) because of your honors Biology course last year.</p>
<p>Art History is certainly challenging, good for those rarer credits too. It’s art for the non-artist. I regret not doing it.</p>
<p>Since I won’t be taking any math in senior I decided to take AP Statistics senior year instead of taking it along with Pre Calc (which most of the students do at my school).
That’s also the reason why I’m taking AP Computer Science instead of AP Stat.</p>
<p>My school offers AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Psych, AP Envrn Sci, and AP Physics B.
So I was going to take AP Chem and AP Physics and just self study AP Bio & AP Psych for now. :/</p>
<p>So far I’m thinking about self studying AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, and AP Euro.
I didn’t want to self study AP history w/o taking the course. But since I’m taking AP World I thought it would overlap a little and not learn the whole material in a limited time by myself.
Any suggestions/tips on how I should self study these courses and what the course is like?</p>
<p>So for Art History you just basically learn the history of art?</p>
<p>That is pretty rigorous for a sophomore…</p>
<p>It’s like the study of the various styles of art and artists (post-modern, Renaissance, Egyptian, etc.) I’ve heard from people who’ve taken it that it’s a really great class and makes art museums a lot more interesting. Here’s a few sample questions from the ap site</p>
<p>“Which of the following Northern Renaissance painters was most directly
influenced by Italian art of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries?”</p>
<p>“Which of the following art movements received widespread sponsorship by the
United States government in the 1930s?”</p>
<p>“Which of the following was created by Bramante?”</p>