Why Is AP Chemistry So Challenging for Me?

[claytonh4]

I'm a junior in high school and among other advanced courses I am taking AP Chemistry 2 which is by far the hardest. Now I've had difficult classes before but I have a good work ethic and am able to work through them no matter how hard and come out with an A. While I still have an A in chem as well it is frustrating me to no end. Our teacher just flies through subjects at the speed of light and while I feel like I comprehend what's going on, when tests roll around I do relatively poorly consistently despite studying. Because of the time issue i have no time to go back and fully understand what I'm missing which leads me to the most annoying part that is I don't even know what it is that I don't know if that makes sense. I'm excelling at all other courses but this. Hoping to pursue a scientific future, does this mean I'm screwed or could this just be a one time thing?

 

[rollcast]

I'm a junior in high school and among other advanced courses I am taking AP Chemistry 2 which is by far the hardest. Now I've had difficult classes before but I have a good work ethic and am able to work through them no matter how hard and come out with an A. While I still have an A in chem as well it is frustrating me to no end. Our teacher just flies through subjects at the speed of light and while I feel like I comprehend what's going on, when tests roll around I do relatively poorly consistently despite studying. Because of the time issue i have no time to go back and fully understand what I'm missing which leads me to the most annoying part that is I don't even know what it is that I don't know if that makes sense. I'm excelling at all other courses but this. Hoping to pursue a scientific future, does this mean I'm screwed or could this just be a one time thing?

In class take the opportunity to ask plenty of questions about what you are being taught. You could ask your teacher if they have any past paper questions for the topics you are covering and then you can try these at home and see what papers you did comprehend and what parts you didn't.

Also chemistry is very much a case where rattling off facts you knew, understood and learned will only get you part of the way. To get to the next level you need to be able to take knowledge you have learned and apply it to other situations that are not necessarily the one you learned them about.

 

[Highway]

get AP books / study guides / etc and work through those problems on your own. Pick a few friends from class who are doing well and ask them for clarification on stuff you don't understand outside of class. Offer to get a pizza or whatever for the hour or so they take out of their schedule to help you.