Just Monday, May 14, I took the AP Biology exam; it was hard, though the challenging aspect of it and the way it really made me think was actually rather fun. After having completed the course with the taking of the exam, I highly recommend the class to incoming sophomores and anyone who hasn’t taken in yet for next year.

AP Biology is taught by Mrs. Sebastiano, who also teaches the Living Environment regents biology class. The class is definitely rigorous, as it requires lots of writing and focus, but it’s worth it as the information taught in the class is very interesting and engaging. Visuals, movies, and hands-on lab activities that are fun and exciting are incorporated into the curriculum; some of the activities in AP Biology that have been done include observing behavior in isopods (colloquially known as “pillbugs”, “sowbugs”, or “roly-polies”), making creative models of operons out of art supplies, and viewing fruit flies under microscopes.

The tests are also different than your conventional tests in other classes as the questions are often “College Board-style” questions which are less about memorization and more about applying the concepts learned in class, which may be advantageous to the learning styles of some. Even after the big AP exam in May, the class continues to do activities, including watching science-related films and dissecting a fetal pig.

If you haven’t taken AP Biology yet and you have room in your schedule for it, try taking it one year! It’s truly an unforgettable experience.