<p>Who here studies just what the AP test covers, only uses the review book, and completely ignores the rest of the subject because the test will not cover it? Why doesnt studying specifically for a test bother you?</p>
<p>That’s like asking “When you take a class, why do you just study for the tests? Why not just study everything in that subject?”</p>
<p>I agree with Didnotfaillife. The first post seems kind of judgemental. If you consider every possible circumstance, I’m sure you wouldn’t be so accusatory.</p>
<p>Many people self-study AP exams to get out of school requirements (why sit through a class you hate when you can just read a review book and get it over with?). People don’t usually ‘get out of’ things they enjoy doing, so, naturally, they would be more inclined to do more research on a topic if it was of interest to them. </p>
<p>Also, there are people who’s parents force them to study AP exams. The parents usually want their kids to excel academically, which may or may not run counter to the feelings of the kids themselves. If a freshman is taking World History only because his parents want him to, what makes you think he would feel any guilt in not avidly caring for the subject? It would do more harm to the person to really learn about something they hate, than to just acquire shallow and minimal knowledge so as to pass a test.</p>
<p>I think you (mattd) should have worded your post better so as not to point the finger at people.</p>
<p>Ill clarify, to study this subject I will only use the review books because that is the bare minimum I need to know and only what the test covers. I will not read actual books or doing problems worth doing because the test doesnt cover it.</p>
<p>Oh so are you asking if your class goes over chapters 1-20 and only 1-10 is going to be on the AP exam would you still pay attention to 11-20. I think I would only if it’s interesting.</p>
<p>If you hate history, for example, you would do yourself more harm by paying attention to chapters 1-20 (to follow sciencenerd’s example) than you would by just following 1-10.</p>
<p>and hence you would be taking it for the exam only, which is what Im asking.</p>
<p>Can you give an example of an AP test that leaves out a significant portion of a subject? I can see you arguing for Computer Science, for example, but then it’s kind of ridiculous to ask someone to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about programming…</p>
<p>Calc: no hyperbolic functions, no integration by trig sub, AB no going into anything BC because its not on the test.
Econ: Lack of info about the Phillips curve, its limiting restrictions. Barrons book glances over all the material and doesnt go into depth about anything. The book also has atleast 10 typos including a mc question that goes against what they say 2 pages before.
Java: not going into how to implement linked lists and what the trees are actually doing. You are suppose to just call the predefined classes methods, which doesnt do much for you.
Stats - Everyone on this board who says you can learn it in two days, which is not true unless your top 100 kids. </p>
<p>Its similiar or even the same to saying to some of the kids how do find moment of inertia and they go, I have no clue but I knew last year.</p>