Welcome to our AP Courses!
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WHAT IS AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSE?
- General Information
- Which AP Course is right for you?
- How hard is an AP Course?
- How do colleges give credits to AP Courses?
GENERAL TIPS
1. Know the Format
Unfortunately, despite what some AP instructors might have you believe, knowing the actual material will only get you so far. It is important to acquaint yourself with the format of the test and exactly how you are expected to display your knowledge of the subject matter. Of course, needless to say, it is crucial to master the content, but it is highly beneficial to have a strategy and know exactly what you will be up against. I understand that Collegeboard is changing the format of the AP History exams for the 2015-2016 school year, but this tip is applicable no matter what version we are talking about. So check out the links at the end and do some research!!
2. Learn how to read effectively
1. Know the Format
Unfortunately, despite what some AP instructors might have you believe, knowing the actual material will only get you so far. It is important to acquaint yourself with the format of the test and exactly how you are expected to display your knowledge of the subject matter. Of course, needless to say, it is crucial to master the content, but it is highly beneficial to have a strategy and know exactly what you will be up against. I understand that Collegeboard is changing the format of the AP History exams for the 2015-2016 school year, but this tip is applicable no matter what version we are talking about. So check out the links at the end and do some research!!
2. Learn how to read effectively
- Even if you swear you are one of those people who is perfectly able to listen to music and focus on your work at the same time, still, I persist, no listening to music while you study. It is a distraction.
- Turn off your phone. Let me take it a step a further. Put it in a separate room, away from your study station. There’s no denying that compulsion we all feel to check for texts or go on the internet whenever our phone is in arm’s reach. This temptation only serves as a hindrance to effective reading and studying.
- It is a well-known fact that as soon as the average student walks into class, they instantly scan the room for friends, acquaintances, or anyone who could spare them a good laugh during some monotonous lecture. Have enough self discipline to fight the temptation to sit near friends or anyone who has the potential to distract you while you are trying to study.
- If you find yourself genuinely unable to concentrate during your designated study-sessions, schedule your recreation/procrastination time before you begin studying. If you get all of your energy/laughs out before you sit down to study, it will be easier to give undivided time to your studies.
- Do not study past your bedtime, very late at night, or while you are tired. Under these circumstances, you will not be able to truly retain the information (unless you have plenty of coffee or caffeinated beverages.) Even then, that newly-learned information probably isn’t going to be there when you wake up the next morning, drooling and sprawled out at your desk.
- It always helps to read out loud when you are reading from your textbook. Additionally, many online textbooks have a feature which allows you to hear the text read aloud. Follow along with your pen/pencil and look at the words as they are being read to help you retain information faster.
- There’s no way to get around it. If you want to master the course material, you need to read, read, read, and read some more. Don’t be surprised if you need to re-read your textbook countless numbers of times, not only to memorize things like people and events, but to analyze their historical context and see the “bigger picture”. I recommend that you should read your whole textbook (or at least the very important chapters) through at least three times before May. The point is to douse yourself in the information until you're practically discussing the cultural implications of the Northern Renaissance in your sleep.
- Do not be confined to one textbook or source. Besides your textbook, it REALLY helps to invest in a Prep Book to supplement your textbook. Read a chapter in your textbook, then read the corresponding chapter in the prep book. Thanks to our media/technology driven society, there are also many other mediums to help immerse you in your subject matter. Take advantage of the countless number of internet resources at your disposal with our suggested web-sites and reading list at the end of this article.
- Find the biggest notebook you can and take LOTS and LOTS of notes. It is simply a given that you take notes while you read. Writing out information is one tried and true method of memorization, as well. I also recommend writing little notes or keywords in the margins of your book(if you are able to.)
- Remember that succeeding at AP History does not necessarily mean knowing a lot of things, but it is knowing the right things. That being said, do not overly concern yourself with memorizing super-specific details such as exact dates of events or information about battles. When you are studying, instead take notice of things such as people, philosophies, and important events and the general effect these things had on the course of history. Try to identify the general theme(s) of an era and be able to compare and contrast the prevalent ideas between time periods. Also, look for trends, or patterns, within history with respect to philosophies, ideologies, economic conditions, and political leadership.
- Ask questions while you read. The job of historians is not to blindly memorize a collection of random facts. They must have a firm comprehension of and internalize historical information for the sake of analyzation and drawing conclusions. You can attain this level of comprehension by asking questions based on the Who/What/Where/Why/How method.
- Make a timeline. When reading of the various contributions and conquests of the countless number of King Henry's, Charles', and Louie's, it can get pretty difficult at times to keep your facts straight and avoid confusion. Making a timeline (or list of dates) in the back of your history notebook will give you a general idea of the succession of events in history and where these events occurred in relation to each other.
- Devise a long-term study plan. Unless you are some kind of alien super-genius with freakishly effective photographic memory abilities, studying the night before, or even a week before is UNACCEPTABLE. Just passing requires weeks and months of intense preparation. Your yearly study outline should look something like this. If your exam is in Mid-May, from September to March, you should be accomplishing the basic responsibilities of your AP course just like any other serious course by doing all of your homework, studying and passing tests, doing your essays and projects, and maybe taking some practice tests. However, as soon as April comes around, you should be transitioning into something I like to call the Intensive Study Period, or ISP. The Intensive Study Period is a period of hard-core, brain-wracking, non-stop studying in the weeks immediately prior to your exam. During this 4-9 week period, usually lasting from Mid-March to the minute you walk into the testing room, every lunchtime, free period, and free moment you have needs to be spent in constant, whole-hearted face-to-book contact. Your ISP should start at least ONE MONTH before the actual testing date and should only serve as a review of things you should have seen already. This may seem excessive and a bit overwhelming now, but it will prove very rewarding on Exam day when you're flying through your test with joy and ease.
- Follow this simple step-by-step guide to formulate your unique ISP (Intensive Study Period) plan. The first question to ask yourself is, how many chapters/sections do I need to study? Also consider how long each chapter/section is. Plan to read and take notes on one or two chapters each day. So if you have thirty chapters, know that your ISP will be AT LEAST a month long. If the chapters in your textbook are particularly long, only schedule yourself to study one chapter per day so you do not overburden yourself. Next, how many days, weeks, or months do you have before the test? Obviously, if you are reading this less than a month before your exam, you might have to step it up to at least four chapters a day. Step three, what is your usual study-time routine like? Do you usually study right after school, right before bed, after Basketball practice, etc? Find a special study spot and set a time that will let you study without fear of noise or distractions.