DS will take AP Chemistry next year and has received an exemption from taking the typical prereq of Honors Chemistry. Does anyone know of an online course or have any sort of recommendation of a book/website he could review this summer to be prepared? We thought of possibly working through the KhanAcademy section on chemistry as an option but have read some feedback that there are errors and/or it is not a very rigorous class?
Thanks for any recommendations!
Students who have completed Biology/Honors Biology in the 9th grade usually take AP Physics in 10th if they don’t take Honors Chemistry, assuming they receive teacher recommendations.
Also, as a senior currently in AP Chemistry, please don’t let anybody take AP Chemistry without taking an actual Honors Chemistry class first (that goes on your transcript).
AP Chemistry at DS high school is a one year course, It has Advanced Chemistry the first semester and then the AP Chemistry the second semester. They have a prereq of taking Honors Chemistry before the Adv Chem/AP Chem course but it has been waived as he has done well in his other courses. He wants to spend a bit of time over summer so that he is at least at the same level of those who took the prereq. He had a bit of chemistry in middle school.
It may be worthwhile for her to speak to the AP Chemistry teacher to get his/her recommendations and be sure it won’t be an issue. Perhaps she can arrange with the school to borrow the regular/honors level chemistry books over the summer? And a good NYS Regents Review (ex. Let’s Review…) book may work as a way to cover basic material (although it would not be at the honors level).
FWIW our HS does not allow students to take AP Chemistry until they take (and do well) in honors chemistry.
@happy1 Thanks for your suggestion. At your HS is AP Chem a one semester or a full year course?
AP Chem is a full year course. (but FWIW it itsn’t technically called AP Chem since the high school developed its own curriculum that goes beyond what is done in a standard AP class)
The idea I’m trying to get across is to be careful with any jump into a class (especially a STEM class) without a prerequisite. I understand that your S must be quite bright but if he dosn’t have the necessary background he could be left scrambling. That is a reason why I think it would be good for him to speak to the AP Chem teacher in advance and get his/her take on if this is do-able, get his/her ideas on how to prepare over the summer, and to be sure that the teacher will support (rather than resent) him if/when he finds there are gaps in his background.