The Mycenaean

AP Biology is one of the most unique classes offered at Leesville Road High School. The course is a yearlong commitment; only a single class is offered each semester, and it is exclusively taught by Mrs. Dobbins.

The course dives into each element of the required biology curriculum in extreme detail, thoroughly preparing students for college-level biology and microbiology. However, the course can be time-consuming and difficult for many students, leading to the question—should you take AP Biology?

What is AP Biology?

AP Biology expands on topics that are typically only covered at a surface level in standard biology. For example, Unit Three in AP Biology focuses almost entirely on photosynthesis and cellular respiration, whereas in standard biology, these topics would be minor parts of broader units.

The course’s thorough curriculum is precisely why the class is intensive; it takes basic topics from standard biology and covers them in extreme detail, connecting processes in ways that require critical thinking. Even though it’s a year long course, the units still feel rushed to some of the students enrolled. 

Mrs. Dobbins has been teaching AP Biology for six years, and her love for the subject is evident in the course’s well-developed structure and hands-on activities. For example, in the photosynthesis lab, students observe leaves photosynthesizing in real time. In another lab, students work with actual enzymes and witness reactions being catalyzed by them.

Another unique aspect of AP Biology, specifically regarding labs, is that students must write thorough lab reports after collecting their data. These lab reports offer direct insight into what occurs in real labs and the requirements for college lab courses. Some of these lab reports can exceed ten pages in length and take more than a week to complete, but they provide valuable practice and experience for students in the course.

Who Should Take AP Biology?

While scholarly students may be inclined to take AP Biology as their choice of an AP science class, it can be a lot of work to take on especially if a student isn’t necessarily interested in biology. 

“I’ve taken APs before, but this one is one of the hardest. I took the class because I’m interested in neuroscience, but it does require most of my time to study, complete assignments, and do labs,” said Ipek Aydin, a junior.

“AP Bio is a class that you have to spend time outside of class to understand. My favorite unit is unit five because I enjoyed doing Punnett squares and learning about genetics,” said Katie Neligon, a senior.

Neligon and Aydin met in AP Biology and quickly became friends. Now they go off-campus, study for tests, and complete assignments together. The yearlong structure of the course allows for these connections to be made among students; additionally, the multitude of labs encourages collaboration and knowledge-sharing between them.

“AP Biology is one of the harder science APs; it’s not as hard as AP Chemistry, though,” said Kesav Kalanidhi, a sophomore currently enrolled in AP Biology, who has taken many APs despite being early in his high school career.

Kalanidhi excels in school and took AP Biology to boost his GPA. “Personally, unit two about the parts of a cell was my favorite because it wasn’t much of a step up from what I already knew and didn’t require as much deep thinking as other units,” said Kalanidhi.

While the course is demanding, it’s an excellent choice for students interested in biology or science-related careers. AP Biology is the perfect opportunity to delve into that interest and confirm their liking for the subject and look good on future college applications.