Personal Narrative: Taking AP Chemistry

I have always excelled at math and science. Sophomore year, I had to decide whether I would take regents or honors physics in my junior year. I was already going to take AP biology, and I had planned on signing up for regents physics so that I wouldn't get too overwhelmed by science courses. Everyone warned me that honors physics was a tough class. However, I ended up taking the honors because my friend didn't want to be alone in that course. This is one of the best choices I've made in my life. I loved my honors physics class. Physics allows me to apply my math knowledge into real world situations that I can visualize and even test experimentally. Additionally, it requires me to problem solve and think problems through meticulously, which I love.

Until about 2 years ago I was not quite sure what path I would choose for my future career, let alone what path I would choose when I arrived at college. I tended to be adept at subjects such as science and mathematics throughout my high school life, however I was never particularly fond of any one subject in particular. However, that changed my senior year of high school when I enrolled in AP Chemistry. I was intrigued by chemistry when I attended the pre-AP Chemistry course, however I was not particularly interested at that moment. However, AP Chemistry came with a plethora of hands-on experiments and procedures that existed to illustrate basic concepts of chemistry. Although it may sound mundane, I was amazed at some of the concepts we learned being implemented in front of our eyes, and I was especially

As I grew older, my love for the sciences grew. Since I enjoyed science, I took as many science courses in high school as possible to find the right concentration for me. Through the classes, I discovered that I enjoy biology and chemistry the best because I love learning about the principles of life. It is always exciting to learn about the ways of nature and all the complex processes in organisms that work together in harmony to create that single organism. Furthermore, the complex processes of life all have a chemistry background.

I have always had a strong passion for the sciences. They were always my favorite classes and I enjoyed putting in the hard work to master them. I did well in math and business courses too, however I never felt excited about the material I was studying. My favorite areas in science have been biology, anatomy, and physiology of the human body. Each time I learn something new, I continue to be amazed by the complexity and precision of the human body.

Last year I took a few classes at Columbus State Community College. There were definitely some changes that I had to make so my life could still run smoothly. Some of the things that changed were my extracurricular activities. I had to swim less often than before because I had classes or homework that I needed to do. My study habits didn’t change very much, surprisingly. I still did my work sooner instead of later. I won’t say I always did it as soon as I could because while that would have been optimal it didn’t always work out. And I made sure I always got the work that was due first, done first. Also during the school year my classes at Columbus State were on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In addition to those I still had all

In the beginning of my junior year, I had signed up for one of the most intimidating classes in my high school, AP chemistry. While I took chemistry honors, I heard rumors about the AP course and seen homework packets that overwhelmed me to the point of removing the class from next year’s schedule. However, out of impulsiveness, I decided it was time for a challenge and put the course back on my schedule. When I received my summer assignment for the course, I felt confused and regretful about the decision I had made. My commitment to not fail the class the first week back from break forced me to focus on the time-consuming homework. From my struggle, I managed to finish the packet on time. The school year began, and one of the first lessons

My AP Physics C classroom is filled with whiteboards. You can start writing a problem on one board, circle around the room, and find the answer right next to where you started. With a small class of just eight students, application of physics and calculus to real world scenarios is gripping. I remember contemplating during the MLB World Series fervor how long batters had to react to a pitch. My physics class and I were intrigued. We all grabbed Expo Markers and began solving for velocity, acceleration, impulse, all the while keeping in mind cross-sectional area of the ball, the stride of the pitcher, and other minor variables. I modified the problem by asking the class to use Aroldis Chapman (the fastest pitcher) as the pitcher. We spent hours

I’ve always heard that some trials are caused because of our own actions, I discovered this firsthand when I enrolled in AP Chemistry. I'd never taken Chemistry before, but after talking with the teacher we concluded that I would do fine in AP as long as I was willing to work hard. Chemistry didn’t come easy for me. I felt like things weren’t clicking as quickly as I wanted. When I read from the book I had a difficult time understanding what I was reading. So I started sacrificing my hour lunch to get help from my teacher. Nearly every day I ate lunch while getting help on chemistry homework. At home I spent most of my time doing the same homework. I'd do the problems I knew how to do, then the next day I came to class and lunch prepared with

In high school, I always looked forward to science class—Biology and Anatomy and Physiology the most. Life, creatures, and the science behind it fascinated me (and still does to this day). I was with classmates that did not have the greatest interests in science like I did, but it made me more motivated.

Throughout my time at Chelan High School, I faced many challenges when it came to my homework and it took me nearly my whole high school career to realize how to fix it. The problem was how unmotivated and lazy I was when it came to have to complete my homework. Looking back at it now it seems that the solution was so simple, and it is frustrating that it took me so long to be able to self-motivate myself. It turns out that this responsibility was a habit of mind. This habit of mine helped me very effectively and completely changed how I went about doing all my school work and studying.

“Crunch, Crunch,” I heard as I walked towards the shiny blue portal. It was dark, hazy, and cold. I heard “grr” behind me get louder and louder. I turned around, I lifted my arms, and pulled the trigger. I couldn’t tell what shooked more, my arms from being scared, or the vibration of the gun. I thought the zombie died and it was all over, until I turned around and three more zombies appeared. I pulled the trigger as fast as a jackhammer but it was no use. Game over.

Learning the different things in my science classes have inspired me to become a chemist and a pharmacist in the future. My teachers have a great impact on my decision that I have made. Mrs. Swiney was my Pre-AP Chemistry and Forensic teacher for two years and has taught me almost everything I know. She taught the subjects in such an interesting and exciting way that I wanted to learn more. The classes were easy to me as well, so it just made it better. Mrs. Smith, my AP Chemistry teacher, made me finally decide that chemistry is something I want to keep in my life in the future. I understand it very well and tend to help my classmates with the subject. In the future, I want to attend a college majoring in Chemistry, and hopefully I will go

This year felt different. I made real, good friends that I thought would last until at least until high school. They felt like family to me, and talking to them every single day in class was something I never thought would really end so soon. Of course, the world does not revolve around the lives of seventh graders and keeps on going.

Last year as a junior, my AP Calculus class and I received the opportunity to paint a mural on a wall to demonstrate our hard work throughout the year. The one catch, however, was we had to design and paint it all within fifteen days. My class and I were very motivated and began work as soon as possible. We brainstormed ideas for the design of the mural to incorporate as many calculus concepts as possible while also combining it with hidden messages that had special meaning to our class. At the same time, our goal was to make the mural fun and appealing to all by-passers. Now it was time to take our concepts, and begin the process of painting the mural. Initially, we had roughly seventeen students who could paint and help out but that number

Learning Chemistry, Maths and Physics never got me tired. I’ve started to experience enthusiastic feelings towards those subjects during my high school as I was acknowledged to proceed with my upper school in science stream. I couldn’t agree more that being a science student is very challenging as it involves critical thinking which relates with the theories and practical. However, after a couple of months of learning, I came to realize that I have been intrigued by those subjects despite the challenging parts of understanding. Hence, I really look forward to further my studies in Chemical Engineering which involves deeper understanding of those subjects.