AP Biology Expectations and Tips for Success
Biology AP is NOT a slow-paced regular class. If you do not have experience in AP level science, you may be unprepared
for the speed and intellectual rigor this class presents. You may still be a good candidate for this class, but you will have
an adjustment to make. You must make a commitment up front to make academics a priority.
You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.
– Marian Wright Edelman
Successful students reduce work (job) hours and set aside a dedicated study hour every night for Biology. No phones,
no games, No TV.
Successful students study effectively. Begin good habits early. Form a small study group. This is one of the most
effective tools college students have in preparing for exams. Get phone numbers and start your group week one.
Successful students keep up with in-class and online assignments. Maintain a calendar on your phone or in a planner.
As a class, you will plan due dates early and around your activities and commitments so have important dates with you
always.
Successful students complete assignments and turn them in by the assigned due date. You will always be given more
than adequate time to accomplish every task in AP Biology so it is your responsibility to plan your time such that work is
complete when it is due.
Successful students inform the instructor immediately of upcoming absences for school or personal activities. I expect
for you to complete and turn in assignments/tests/quizzes by class time on their due date. You may turn in assignments
early, email them to me, or send them with a friend to receive full credit.
Successful students take thorough notes each day. You are not only responsible for what is written on the screen, but
also for what I say during class, labs, and activities.
Successful students read the chapters in your text book as we progress through notes. Waiting until the night before the
test is an irresponsible habit. Stop procrastinating. Read your text and review your notes as we learn new material.
Successful students will not sacrifice character and honor in desperate times. Do not engage in scholastic dishonesty.
Do your own work. Giving or receiving answers is wrong. Plagiarism is wrong.
Successful students track their grades and progress in this class. You will create your own account for the grade viewer
online and use it regularly to keep up with your average.
Successful students ask questions! Before class, DURING class and after class…ask questions! I abhor an enthusiasm
vacuum! At least pretend you’re enthusiastic if you want a happy instructor in your classroom! I am at school each day
by 7:30am. You may come in any time before school or afterschool for help.
Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be
a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.
-Albert Einstein
In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
YOUR JOB:
Copy the following questions into a word document. Type complete answers
directly under the questions! Change your font to red and bold. Email this
document to me with your answers by ________________.
chsbiologygeek@gmail.com . This document can be found on my school
web page.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Will AP Biology be taught as a high school course or a college course?
Who assigns the due dates for assignments in class?
When is the best time to read the chapters we are covering?
What do you do if you will be gone for a track meet, baseball, solo and ensemble, etc.???
What distractions should be avoided when studying for AP classes?
What two sources are there for notes in class, labs and activities?
What is a responsible use for your phone in this class?
How will you know your average in this class?
When are your papers due?
How is scholastic dishonesty demonstrated in the context of this course?
What important activity should you arrange during week one of AP Biology?
How much time does the successful AP student spend on that AP class each night?
If you have an emergency absence, how will you turn in your work?
If you know early that you will be gone on the day an assignment is due, how will you turn that paper in?
When should you ask AP Biology questions?
What do I really abhor? What does abhor mean?!
So, describe what do you need to do to keep me happy?
What extracurricular activities are you involved in? (clubs, sports, church, service, work…)
What do you hope to get out of this course?
Tell me something about yourself that you just like to share, but don’t see it ever coming up in class.
What are your plans after graduation (school? Major? Work?)
The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person
doesn't like to do.
- Thomas Edison