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04-05-2006, 07:53 PM
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#106 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Palm Beach
Threads: 5
Posts: 47
| PR is the best for physics. Dont waste your time on barrons.
Barrons for Lit!!! It raised my score on the practice tests from a 3 to a HIGH 5 in two weeks! This book is brilliant. I highly recommend it! | 
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04-05-2006, 08:30 PM
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#107 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Threads: 34
Posts: 231
| I don't know about Physics B, but I know that for Physics C, Barron's is by far the best that I've seen. Having taken Physics C Mech and E and M sophomore year while I simultaneously took Calculus, I'd bet my whole grade on this book. I don't understand why you would say dont waste your time on Barron's. Honestly, I think that if you're good at self studying, take Barron's. Their questions are a little harder than the AP Exam I agree, but I guess I didn't study up just to take the AP Exam. If you were to study both books fully, I would say that Barron's would leave you with better conceptual understanding (vital in Physics). PR tends to have a step by step process on solving problems which I don't like because it doesn't seem like physics anymore... it seems like... err well... the Macarena... 1...2... blah blah... HEYYY MACARENA. AIIII ^_^
Just my 2 cents. I'm not saying PR is bad, I just prefer to have it more difficult so that the AP Exam is easy. But for your case for 3 weeks, I'd go with PR (just because they have nice concise reviews that can be understood in such time.. its almost always like that.)... Have fun with Physics B man | |
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05-01-2006, 08:04 PM
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#108 | | New Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Threads: 0
Posts: 1
| so is cliffs not recommended for studying ap euro? | |
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05-01-2006, 08:19 PM
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#109 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Chicago, IL
Threads: 1
Posts: 70
| for euro, princeton review is a godsend | |
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05-01-2006, 08:44 PM
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#110 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Westwood, MA
Threads: 9
Posts: 100
| I donno man... I picked up a copy of Modern European History for Euro, and nobody even uses the actual textbook anymore! This book has been unimaginably important, especially in a class that is weak in some areas. DEFINITELY recommend it... | |
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05-11-2006, 09:56 PM
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#111 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: DC
Threads: 122
Posts: 2,414
| So what are everyone's reviews on prep books?
I have a few:
Strongly Recommended:
PR's Econ book - absolutely spectacular for micro, very good for macro as well
Princeton Review and Arco's calc books - excellent in terms of content, the MC tests are pretty accurate. Free Responses are better to be studied on collegeboard.
These books are OK:
Smartypants guide to environmental science(too brief, only use if you have extensive knowledge on the subject, it does cover many main terms though)
PR's US gov(pretty much good to get you a 4, is lacking the depth in many sections for complete understanding)
Barron's Econ: pretty long, covers the concepts but not as clear as PR
Would not recommend these books:
Ken Weddings comparative government: you better look elsewhere, this book is lame and the practice tests are terribly inaccurate. I would recommend reading the briefing papers.
PR's Environmental Science: it was their first year releasing this product but i was very dissapointed. Left out a lot of key concepts and vocabulary, too much info on "common sense" concepts.
Yet to evaluate:
Annotated Mona Lisa | |
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05-11-2006, 10:30 PM
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#112 | | Member
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX
Threads: 65
Posts: 731
| ryan, do you think that just the Smartypants guide is enough to help me make a 5 on the AP Env Sci exam if I self-study? | |
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05-11-2006, 10:32 PM
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#113 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Threads: 37
Posts: 246
| princeton review for calc BC was AMAZING!!!! | |
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05-11-2006, 11:23 PM
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#114 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Threads: 82
Posts: 2,217
| DO NOT use princeton review for AB!!!! It is impossible to find ANYTHING and tell apart unless you haul ass back to the table of contents. | |
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05-11-2006, 11:32 PM
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#115 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Los Angeles
Threads: 88
Posts: 394
| ryan, do you think that just the Smartypants guide is enough to help me make a 5 on the AP Env Sci exam if I self-study?
hell no | |
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05-11-2006, 11:34 PM
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#116 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: TX
Threads: 5
Posts: 210
| Hmm.. I heard PR was good for AP Calc... but apparently not for AB? Well... I plan to self-study Calc AB next year. What would be recommended in that case? | |
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05-12-2006, 02:30 AM
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#117 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2006 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 17
Posts: 198
| I took Micro today and PR is VERY good for Micro. Taking Macro next year, but I'm sure PR will be great for that as well.
Chemistry...I bought both Barrons and PR. My friend used Barrons and she said it had a ton of errors. I didn't use Barrons at all, but it looked good for anyone who needed to LEARN...it seemed too hopeless to review from.
So in the end I only used PR - I'd gotten 5's on previous released APs, so I only wanted to review. My other friend and I were able to cram the entire PR book the night before the exam. Not sure if it helped or not. It doesn't go in depth, but very good for review. | |
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05-12-2006, 02:43 AM
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#118 | | Member
Join Date: May 2005
Threads: 21
Posts: 638
| williams, be careful with PR for macro. I used the 2002-03 PR book. It was good for micro, but PR macro didn't review basic changes in investment, aggregate expenditures, how they affect each other, etc., enough for me. These are very basic concepts, I know... I might be just dumb... But I still think I would've been better prepared for macro if PR would've given more step-by-step review of these concepts.
Anyway, I will say Barron's isn't bad for bio. Their review questions are actually very close to what the real MC will look like. | |
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05-12-2006, 02:50 AM
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#119 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2006 Gender: Not Saying
Threads: 17
Posts: 198
| I'm doing it with a very good online course so I have a textbook (Economics Today), tons of assignments, and writing essays for each unit...so I think I'll be okay with PR since I'm just using it to review (using 06-07 book, but I'm sure thats not much of a difference from 02-03 version). Thanks for warning me, I'm glad that PR isn't my main source of information. | |
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05-12-2006, 04:07 AM
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#120 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Threads: 55
Posts: 193
| 5 steps to a 5 + cliff's for bio is pretty ultimate combo. I learned about ecology, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, human reproduction, and plants from those two books. And of course you will need the bible of bio aka Campbell for reference | |
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