<p>What is the most effective way to use this book? Can I just go through the whole thing reading it (and still get a 4 or a 5 ((my teacher isn’t the greatest)))? Or should I define the terms at the ends of the chapters? Outlines? Is it necessary to do all the DBQ’s? There is one month left before the test!! Is there any way to improve long term memory retention? Thanks!!!</p>
<p>The DBQs at the end of each chapter seem a bit tedious; if you need practice, do them, but I don’t think most people do. Personally, I just read through the chapter and answer the questions that follow. I look over the key terms and define them in my head, but I don’t write anything down.</p>
<p>Everyday, my teacher is giving us MC quizzes on 2 chapters per day…</p>
<p>I’m basically done with my first reading of it. For my second I will</p>
<ol>
<li>Read the chapter</li>
<li>Take the chapter quiz and check answers</li>
<li>Define all the key terms at the end of each chapter</li>
<li>Skim through the misc. stuff at the end (documents, etc.)</li>
</ol>
<p>have any of y’all taking the ap test yet? Or are you taking it in May this year? Do I still have time to study effectively?</p>
<p>I’m taking the test this May. You have plenty of time to read AMSCO at least once and do some practice tests. If you study effectively you should definitely obtain a 5.</p>
<p>so what should i do exactly? Read amsco straight through, answer the questions, practice dbq’s. About how much time daily do you think I should commit?</p>
<p>Commit as much time daily as you think you should to finish the book with ~1 week until the exam. That should give you just the right amount of time to take 1-2 practice tests and see what you’re really struggling on.</p>
<p>For the dbq’s at the end of some of the chapters in AMSCO, i wouldn’t recommended doing them on paper, rather mentally. This just helps you to know if you actually got some information out of the chapter(s) you just read.</p>
<p>I am trying to read this book- but I find it gets really dry really fast. (I am on chapter 4). I can not get through more than a chapter at a time. Do y’all have this problem too? Thanks for everyone’s help!</p>
<p>I really should start reading… and I probably will while being in the car for 10+ hours on college visits! And this book is very dry, but it is history afterall IMHO.</p>
<p>@#9: I actually find the Amsco reading much easier than the standard text book (such as Am. Pageant)</p>
<p>^Same here. Our America textbook is way too detailed (Seriously, it has about 40 pages a chapter). When I read AMSCO, I get the information to the point, with a little added info to help me when it comes to having to add details on the USH free response questions. What I do is read the AMSCO book chapter information and do the questions. The other things, I will complete after I finish obtaining the USH knowledge. Why do I do this? Because knowing how to write a thesis won’t help you if you can differentiate whether Shay’s Rebellion and Bacon’s Rebellion occurred before or after the installment of the Constitution.</p>
<p>I agree that AMSCO is a lot easier to read than the American Pageant (which i didn’t read anyways, but my teacher thinks i did, so w/e =P).</p>
<p>Just read AMSCO, read crash course, read the cram packet
^you’ll thank them later.</p>
<p>AMSCO is definitely a lot easier than American Pageant, but Crash Course is easier still, albeit less comprehensive. If you can’t get through AMSCO at all, at least read Crash Course. Some review is better than none.</p>
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</p>
<p>What exactly is this cram packet you speak of?</p>
<p>You can find the “Official AP US History Cram Packet” on google. It basically is a timeline of events.</p>
<p>Well I think you should read AMSCO twice through to fully get the details you need to do well on the exam, unless that is you have photographic memory. :)</p>
<p>^twice? can’t you just read it once thoroughly?</p>
<p>^You sure could. However, unless you have an eidetic memory or read it SUPER SLOW and THOROUGHLY the first run through, you won’t retain all the information.</p>
<p>I’m reading it twice, but if you’re pressed for time, once will suffice.</p>
<p>I would watch all the videos on hippocampus.org or .net or .com or something of that type. it’s very good. plus, does anyone want a 92 page review packet? </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.dce.k12.wi.us/srhigh/socialstudies/AP%20Classes/APUSHistory/AP%20Review%20Packet%20pdf..pdf[/url]”>http://www.dce.k12.wi.us/srhigh/socialstudies/AP%20Classes/APUSHistory/AP%20Review%20Packet%20pdf..pdf</a></p>
<p>Do you read the whole AMSCO although you’ve already read your school textbook?</p>