<p>So I have basically planned out my courses for next year, except I’m sort of unsure about whether APUSH would be a good idea. So here’s my plan:</p>
<p>English 10
Alg 2/Trig
AP Chinese
Accelerated (honors) Chemistry
Nutrition/Wellness
Ceramics
AP Drawing…
and either APUSH or normal US history.</p>
<p>Based on my course choices, realistically should I take the AP class sophomore year? I’ve heard it’s an insane amount of work, and one of the hardest AP’s. Currently, I have straight A’s, and consistently have the highest grade in my World History class. How much homework do people enrolled in the class get a night? And, most importantly, is it worth it?</p>
<p>On another note, does anyone have any idea how much work AP Drawing is? It seemed like a good idea, and I was recommended by my art teacher, but I have heard lots of horror stories about the ridiculous amount of stress and work involved. </p>
<p>APUSH is soo easy if you can spend ~6 hours weekend on reading. I’m a junior and I have an A in the class because I do the reading. Other kids don’t bother to read and just rely on prep books, and that’s why they have B’s.</p>
<p>If you want to read like 10 hours every 2 days. Write 3 page essays every week (and more when it’s closer to AP testing time) and memorize so many facts that you may explode.</p>
<p>Then yea, take APUSH. </p>
<p>And seriously, I’m not lying. This is what they do in APUSH.</p>
<p>kimmylouie: “And seriously, I’m not lying. This is why THEY do APUSH.”</p>
<p>Have you ever actually taken the class? Because I have heard the horror stories from friends of people who are in the class as well, but what I really want to know is what the people who are in the class/have taken the class thought about it…</p>
<p>I was on the flip side and decided not to take APUSH (it was offered Junior year at my school since we dont have a history class freshman year) and was deemed “the smart one” for not taking it while my friends were loaded with reading and projects and tests.
My decision was rationalized by me taking AP Calc instead which was more relevant to what I wanted to do later on in college. The regular history course was truthfully painful since it lacked any measure of challenge (and my teacher was simply far from great). I believe I had a slightly easier year because of my decision not to take it (especially in the context of junior year and the stress of college mounting) but I believe that it may be a good class to take sophomore year to begin to get college credit under your belt.</p>
<p>Its OK. Wiki notes is your savior. I spend about 15 minutes reading chapter summaries and I get solid a solid b in the class. Essays can be a *****.</p>
<p>I totally recommend taking APUSH. Like at your school, APUSH is a sophomore class and it is a lot of work but it totally pays off. I learned so much about US history and that knowledge alone has helped me in further classes. Furthermore, from writing practice DBQs and FRQs, I learned how to write a good essay on a very short timetable, another valuable skill. To top it all off, I managed to score a 5 on the AP exam and I very likely could earn college credit for it next year. Yes, APUSH was a lot of work, but it was one of the most valuable classes that I took, teaching me how to manage time and study effectively. I highly recommend you take it! (oh, fun side note, you have pretty much the same sophomore schedule as I did, swapping French 3 for AP Chinese)</p>
<p>I recommend taking it. If you’re fairly intelligent and driven then you will most likely be bored and annoyed in a regular class. APUSH can be a lot of work, but, like the post above mentions, it really pays off. You can apply a lot of what you learn in a government or economics class, and if you’re taking an AP English in the future the material you cover will help your essay techniques, and essay content. I don’t think you should shy away from a class because of the “horror stories.” In my class, I had about 10 hours of homework spread out over 3-4 nights (not including the reading.) None of it was busy work. It all helped me understand, and remember the concepts.</p>
<p>Don’t listen to the horror stories. I took AP Euro last year, and am taking APUSH this year, and history classes are easy. It’s not that much work at all. All I do is read the chapter and take meticulous notes the day before the test–this only takes 2 hours, tops, and if you read the chapter well, you should get an A. It’s all about how you study. </p>
<p>However, if you very bad at memorizing small facts, don’t take APUSH.</p>
<p>I think the deciding factor should be whether or not you can write good essays, and whether you’re willing to put the time. If you aren’t a good essay writer, after each dbq or written assignment talk to your teacher about what you did wrong. That’s what a lot of people do where I am, and it worked well. You learn A LOT.</p>
<p>I have taken it, there are a lot of work, but perfectly manageable. Its not a “hard” class, its a busy class. It teaches you how to prepare for college work. I suggest take it, not for the knowledge, but to develop good study habits.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! AP US is starting to sound like a good idea. I talked to my history teacher and he recommended I go ahead and take it, and from the posts on this page, it really doesn’t sound that bad. Most people have a tendency to exaggerate anyways :(</p>
<p>So, on the flip side, did anyone take/is anyone taking AP drawing? Submitting 29 pieces by May sounds insane, but most people seem to be able to do it without too much trouble. How much work and time is involved?</p>