[Guilty Sp4rk]

Did anyone else have a really hard time understanding, or more appropriately, retaining the more advanced areas of this subject? I've had a pretty hard time with it this year and I'm just wondering how everyone else handled it.

[TJ Griffin]

I always loved science class and had no trouble with 10th grade biology, in fact I enjoyed it. Math class, now thats what gets me.

[Skotekal]

I just failed my Grade 11 bio class. Bio was freakin' hard. Freakin' hard. So I don't blame you if you're having trouble. Some of the stuff is hard.

[HeroOfCrapsalot]

I took Bio as a 9th grader. I got an A. My teacher wa super cool and it was just an awesome class.

[Skotekal]

Biology at earlier levels is a breeze. Higher levels the get right into things like the processes of photosynthesis are hard. So much to learn in so little time.

[Stranger]

I never had any troubles in my math/science classes. In high school, I took Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Calculus*, Trigonometry*, IPC (Integrated Physics and Chemistry, it's like a primer), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy*, and I didn't do too bad. I seem to have lost a lot of what I've learned as years passed though, you have to keep at it or you'll lose it.

*Not a formal class, private study with instructors willing to teach me.

[HeroOfCrapsalot]

I did Algebra II as a Freshie and now I'm in Pre-Calc as a Soph.I'm in Chemistry as well and it's a little tough for me.

[Skotekal]

I fail so hard at math. I barely passed the average level math for grade 10's this year. I suck.

[Arseface]

I did forensic scienec in year ten, and that's sort of similar. I got to cut up a rat. We literally had a rat parts fight.

[Man]

we never did actual biology work. it was mainly just writing down notes and after that, we were free to do as we please(d)

[Stranger]

Biology isn't fun if you aren't doing anything that's... well... fun. The actual dissection of various bugs, rodents, sea life, birds and pigs was pretty fun, we would have done cats and dogs too but some nimrod students put together a petition (it's not like I'm killing them, they're already dead...). But more than that, I loved studying anatomy. I really, really liked the hands-on study of anatomy and I always did my homework, but that's a different discussion.

[Arseface]

Do you love the study of anatomy in a Hannibal Lecter sort of way...?

[Tsuyu]

Wooooo, sex ed.!

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by Arseface

Do you love the study of anatomy in a Hannibal Lecter sort of way...?

Of course not!
He studied mostly male anatomy whereas I studied strictly female anatomy. I did it for recreation and on occasion for applicative purposes while he did it almost entirely for practical use.

Oh, and I never chopped anyone up, or cut off pieces of their face, or ate human flesh, or killed anyone, or pretty much anything that he did. No, really. Stop looking at me like that.

[TRA Rotid]

We never got to choose anything.
Speaking of biology - since I didn`t choose a biology exam, I didn`t have to focus on it. I just learned the stuff I needed for tests and then mostly forgot about the details (you know the breathing cycle, DNA stuff and other things).
Physics never suited me; on the other hand, I just love(d) chemistry and math has it`s moments. (as I can tell, you guys have geometry, trigonometry, algebra as separate subjects, but we just call it math in general).
And we never got to cut open any animals.

[Necromancer11]

I've always had a head for math. It comes quite easy to me. Science, on the other hand, well, it's not difficult for me, but I hate it. I had biology as a freshman and chemistry as a sophomore. They were both horrible. Now, as a junior, I'm in AP psychology. It's not that bad. I suppose social sciences aren't as bad as other kinds.

Speaking of psychology, during our unit on memory, I learned a very helpful trick. Study right before you go to bed, and I mean right before. Close your biology book, and get in bed straight away. I started doing that after I learned about it, and my test scores have improved significantly.

[Sabbath]

I love biology! especially the genetics section

[TRA Rotid]

Yeah it`s because during the sleep your brain sorts out the important information and stores it for you.
I usually didn`t worry much if after some time of studying in the evening, I couldn`t remember all the stuff, bc I knew in the morning I would.
In Estonia, we have this saying "hommik on õhtust targem", which means "the morning is smarter than the evening" (I`m sure you have somethinf similar) - it`s not random.

[Guilty Sp4rk]

Originally Posted by Skotekal

Biology at earlier levels is a breeze. Higher levels the get right into things like the processes of photosynthesis are hard. So much to learn in so little time.

Thats exactly what the problem is. They expect you to learn an entire book within half a school year, ace the test, then move on to the other book they sent me. It's a bit uncool.

[ssjcb1186]

I don't know how you learn, but it's good to just write notes. I used to do it for every class and never look at them again because I would remember. Are you Visual?...Kinesthetic? Audial?

I'm all three, so it helps me remember things when I do the homework right after taking notes (so it's fresh in my mind). You just have to remember the stuff for the test, and then forget about it...or at least I did since it was the only Biology class we had.

Is this weird? We had to take Earth Science, then Biology, and then Chemistry for science in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade respectively. We had Physics, but that was optional.

And what sounds better? College Preparatory or Enriched? and we have "normal" classes which aren't labeled as anything. It used to be AT (academic Tech...which I don't understand) but colleges didn't like it. And they kept Honors and AP (advanced placement)...but to the initial question...does that sound better...or even normal?