Tips for each subject from AP-graduates!

kwwboarder · July 2, 2010, 1:16am

Oh, I just thought if some more for Physics and Spanish.

For physics, if you get stuck often you can come up with an answer that is correct or nearly correct by using unit analysis. Knowing, for example, that a Joule is one kg m^2/s^2 can help you find formulas for Work and energy. Also, write down any possibly relevant formula on the FRQ if you get stuck or are unsure, you WILL get partial credit.

For Spanish, try listening and speaking to native speakers as much as possible, it really helps.

jakebarnes · July 2, 2010, 4:30am

AP Art History (Self-Study - 5)

I think the key to getting a 5 is use of time. While the College Board gives the percentage breakdown of the curriculum, I feel that the earlier chronological periods (Greece, Rome, Middle-Ages, Renaissance) take a bit longer to learn and form a base for the later works. It’s especially important to pick-up the architectural terms in these earlier section, because they will be built upon, and can be confusing. If you don’t understand your naves, ambulatories and architraves you will be frustrated on anything architectural. The 18th and 20th centuries are, to me, the most interesting sections, but also the easiest to learn - so save them for last. Don’t spend too much time on Post-Modernism, because sometimes the artists they for Post Modernism are extremely random. Instead of memorizing works for that section just try to grasp the key issues (performance art + body as a medium, installation work, gender and sexuality, race, colonialism + post-colonialism, etc). Make sure to draw parallels between various periods; Hellenism -> Mannerism -> Baroque, etc. The non-western art isn’t a big deal really - do the ancient near-east and Egypt, and then try to memorize a couple African/Asian/Native piece for the FRQs and you’re fine.

AP Lit + Comp (5)

To be blunt, if you don’t read literature for pleasure, you will probably not excel on the exam. Your success on the exam is as much a result of a crystallized body of knowledge formed throughout your life as it is a reflection of the teaching. A good teacher WILL help immensely, but if you read Gossip Girl or The Da Vinci Code outside of school - and not much else - you’ll struggle. In terms of texts to use, plays are AMAZING. Greek tragedies are short and not incredibly complex, but open so many doors in regard to analysis. The same can be said about Shakespeare. Heart of Darkness is - of course - quite helpful, but I think it tends to spawn cliched essays. A book like The Crying of Lot 49 is a lot more fun to write about, and is not overused. There are also books that may impress the markers (Remembrance of Things Passed, Gravity’s Rainbow, Ulysses), but unless you’re truly confident in writing about them DON’T. You do not have the time or space and WILL get overwhelmed unless it’s a very premeditated essay. Practice the MC specifically, as they can be a huge pain. The prose and poetry essays are quit easy, don’t worry about them too much.

AP Studio Art 2D (5)

Use photography; they mark it far more leniently than anything else. You want big, bold lines in almost all your pieces and lots of pattern, colour and shape. Pieces can be “flat” in 2D (in regards to light source, etc) without any sort of deduction. For your concentration, MAKE SURE TO AVOID CLICHES. Doing something like “Architecture” or “Flowers” is like ringing your own death-knell. They love intellectual art - especially if you back it up with your statement - so explore literature, history, science, math, etc. Pure talent without thought can get you a 5, but a probing and interesting concept is far more forgiving. As a side-note, DON’T OVER-EDIT PHOTOS. Layers upon layers of filters and contrast just make your photographs look stupid.

Jamezz93 · July 2, 2010, 9:13am

One last piece of advice for Calc BC: Learn what sequences and series are, and how to use them, BEFORE the AP test. Because it helps. A lot. Trust me.

alittlemonster · July 2, 2010, 10:06am

AP Biology

AP Biology is definitely a double edged sword. While almost no topic in the curriculum will make you scratch your head and end up reviewing it over and over, there is quite a lot. In other words, AP Bio is not deep, but it is very broad. Thankfully, this makes for an easy 5, as long as you start studying as early as possible. Get a review book over the summer. I had both Barron’s and Princeton Review. Both are good for their own reasons and I’d recommend either. However, PR covers some things Barron’s doesn’t and vice versa and I think Barron’s has the better layout. Get both if possible.
Go through the review book and take notes. On everything. Do this in your spare time and you’ll fly through the books a lot faster than you might think. The books are very concise, and you might end up copying some things down word for word. Don’t sweat it; it’s exactly what you need to learn. Let the review book be your best friend for the first half of the year.
In class, you probably won’t even get through 3/4ths of the curriculum, however the in depth discussion of the topics is needed and something you won’t get as much from your review book. Pay attention, especially to various diagrams and structures like the plasma membrane. Your classtime may end up being as invaluable as your review book.
Finally, for the FRQ section your best bet is a textbook. While you can use Campbell’s, I recommend buying a cheap used copy of Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life by Starr/Taggart off of Amazon. It covers the same topics as Campbell’s, but is much more friendly and better designed for the AP student who just wants some FRQ study time. Use it to brush up on topics you don’t feel so comfortable with or you feel your review book/teacher skimped on.

I got a 5 on this exam and trust me, if you do this you’ll pass with flying colors.

AP Microeconomics

My easiest 5. One word: textbook. Economics by McConnell Brue to be exact. Just reading and taking notes on this text will get you at least a 4, assuming you comprehend it. In fact, I didn’t even take notes on the majority of the book. I don’t know if it was just my experience, but AP Microecon I would deem one of the easiest AP exams.
Be wary of review books. I opened my PR one just to check my knowledge, and was very unimpressed by the content and layout. Texts are definitely your best friend for this exam. Review books will only help best in topics that your text doesn’t cover in detail.

AP Macroeconomics

Found this a bit harder than Micro, but not by much, got a 5 on it too. There are some who find it easier. If you’re taking AP Micro in school, please take AP Macro too. Unless you’re self-studying, there’s really no reason you should be afraid to take both in a year. Both are pretty easy and have a few shared concepts.
My advice is about the same for Micro. Same textbook, but I think review books are more valuable with Macro than with Micro.
I found Macro harder than Micro because the questions asked of you (both in class and on the AP exam) like to test your knowledge more than Micro. For example, one of the FRQ this year seemed to be about the foreign exchange market, but in reality was pretty much just about the supply and demand of money, a concept that just about every test taker is more well-versed in. In other words, Macro demands more critical thinking.

AP English Language

Though I hate it say it, Language is very much like the SAT CR section. If you don’t have a knack for it, it’s not a walk in the park. You can’t plow through a review book and expect a 5. I got an 800 on my SAT CR section and found the MC section of my Lang exam to be a joke, in fact I’m sure I aced it. Others here I’m sure share my situation. I’m not saying this to be boastful, but rather to illustrate a point: I didn’t study at all for the MC section. Others who might have spent a month or two going over Barrons may have had worse luck than I on it.
The essay section, however, is where you can really improve yourself over the course of a year. I recommend taking a class so you can have a teacher who regularly assigns and grades your essays on an AP scale. If you’re self-studying, definitely go over and practice essays until you are sick of them. Don’t rely on your writing prowess going in: AP Lang essays have a few guidelines that you might not naturally follow. Don’t get too cocky and try to learn these by heart.

dtartakovsky · July 4, 2010, 5:41am

hmm

So I took World History and Spanish, both 5’s but since I’ve been learning Spanish at a saturday school for 9 years I can’t offer much special advice.

World History - the test was a lot easier than I thought it would be, it had nothing post 1850s at all (no World Wars or Russo-Japanese war, or anything later than that).

I used Princeton Review and thought that it was great because it was much simpler than Barrons, with less information. It was more general, which is really useful because the test has no specific questions.

The essays were pretty easy. In order to get a 5, you should probably aim for 55/70 right on multiple choice, as high as possible on the DBQ, and anything on the other two essays. I don’t know the essay scores, but I think I got something like 9 DBQ, 8-9 CCOT, 7-8 Comp.

Thankfully the essays were fine, but that doesn’t happen all the years, so score well on the multiple choice and DBQ. That’s a must.

082349 · July 4, 2010, 6:26am

Here’s a compiled list for biology. There’s quite a lot…

[ol][li]AP Biology is definitely a double edged sword. While almost no topic in the curriculum will make you scratch your head and end up reviewing it over and over, there is quite a lot. In other words, AP Bio is not deep, but it is very broad. Thankfully, this makes for an easy 5, as long as you start studying as early as possible. Get a review book over the summer. I had both Barron’s and Princeton Review. Both are good for their own reasons and I’d recommend either. However, PR covers some things Barron’s doesn’t and vice versa and I think Barron’s has the better layout. Get both if possible.[/li]
Go through the review book and take notes. On everything. Do this in your spare time and you’ll fly through the books a lot faster than you might think. The books are very concise, and you might end up copying some things down word for word. Don’t sweat it; it’s exactly what you need to learn. Let the review book be your best friend for the first half of the year.

In class, you probably won’t even get through 3/4ths of the curriculum, however the in depth discussion of the topics is needed and something you won’t get as much from your review book. Pay attention, especially to various diagrams and structures like the plasma membrane. Your classtime may end up being as invaluable as your review book.

Finally, for the FRQ section your best bet is a textbook. While you can use Campbell’s, I recommend buying a cheap used copy of Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life by Starr/Taggart off of Amazon. It covers the same topics as Campbell’s, but is much more friendly and better designed for the AP student who just wants some FRQ study time. Use it to brush up on topics you don’t feel so comfortable with or you feel your review book/teacher skimped on.

I got a 5 on this exam and trust me, if you do this you’ll pass with flying colors.

[li]Bottom line: The CLASS can be difficult and challenging, depending on your teacher and your school schedule, but the exam is a piece of cake, provided you know your material. [/li]
Throughout the year: It takes quite a bit of concentration to read Campbell’s a few hours per week and really grasp the concepts. With such short school years, it’s even harder to cover all the material and you just never know what will be asked on the exam. I could only answer one of three parts on a particular FRQ this year because we hadn’t covered a specific concept. I briefly studied it myself, but I didn’t go into the depth required to answer this particular question. Therefore, throughout the school year, you should really learn the concepts and information (bio is just pure facts; no major themes, ideas, etc. like World History) using an in-depth source such as Campbell’s Biology (text book). Don’t just teach yourself from a review guide, because if you learn just the bare minimum and factor in memory decay (forgetting), then you don’t know all you need to know for the exam. But if you learn more than enough and forget some, then you can still know plenty for the exam.

How to review: It’s rather simple if you’ve kept up with the class throughout the year: Read Cliff’s from cover-to-cover the weekend before the exam. Cliff’s is the best review for AP Bio and it is AWESOME. It’s very easy to read in a weekend (the AP bio exam is always on a Monday), and it doesn’t leave you feeling like you crammed. Also very helpful for me was to take some of the released exams (I took four of them). They really do give you a good idea of what’s coming up on the exam, and you can also see how you do. I scored consistently on all four of them throughout my various stages of studying, so I feel pretty confident that I did just as well on the actual exam. Also sit down and attempt FRQs from previous years (available on the CB website). Act as if you’re in the actual exam and write ALL you can. Then use the scoring rubrics to see what kind of points you’d earn. This will help you learn whether or not you need to go into more detail in your responses, and will help you see what kinds of things can get you points.

[li]DON’T use Campbell’s. It’s a pretty crappy textbook for its length. Get Starr/Taggart’s “Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life.”[/li]
It’s an amazing text, one of my favorite ever. It’s funny and friendly at times, while presenting just as many important concepts as Campbell’s, in a more accessible way. It also has a very poignant passage on death.

[li]Know all you can. Read all of the covered chapters.[/li]
Overall, the main thing is understanding. If you understand things, then hopefully you can achieve better score with less work.

[li]know your stuff. Similar to USH, but I didn’t even read the book beforehand.[/li]
[li]For AP Biology, once your teacher gives you the Campbells Textbook, put it in the closet and let it collect dust.[/li]
[li]This one is all memorization. If you are truly interested in learning biology, get the Campbell’s textbook. If you just want a 5 on the exam, get Cliffs. Period. If you come to a FRQ that you don’t know the exact answer to, write down all information that you do know related to the topic. You are bound to get a point or two. Just don’t contradict yourself or you will lose points (ex. The process produces 2 total ATPs…The process makes 3 ATPs). If your class is finished will finish the entire book before the AP exam (I doubt it) I recommend you start reviewing in April with class notes or a review book. There are a lot of released MC questions floating around for this AP that should be done a few weeks before the exam. If you need something for this exam, PM me. [/li]
[li]Princeton Review; memorization[/li]
<a href=“self-study”>*</a>: CliffsNotes is your new best friend. Get the one w/ the CD so you get extra practice tests. It’s just memorization, not crazy stuff. Try to get released exams to practice the MC. Recommender got 5.
[li]My AP Bio course in school left lots of material uncovered. I payed little attention second semester and got a B in the course. I didn’t start studying until the weekend before the test. Yet I still got a 5. Here’s my advice for last-minute study:[/li]
<ol>
<li>Buy a good prep book with plenty of practice FRQs. I like Barron’s for all my tests, but Cliffs is supposedly good too for Bio. Just make sure it has lots of FRQs.</li>
<li>Take one of the practice MC tests to get a feel for that portion and maybe highlight areas of major concern.</li>
<li>Start reading the review sections. At the end of each, ignore the MC questions. They’re a waste of time - too specific. Instead, do the FRQs in as much redundant detail as possible. When you’re done, check the answer in the book and fill in everything you missed in red pen.</li>
<li>You can probably do step 3 for the whole review book in a day of hard work. Now do it again on day 2. The questions are the same, but that’s okay. Use as much detail as possible.</li>
</ol>

Here’s why the method works: the FRQs are usually very open-ended. Answering one of them will cover more topics than thirty MC questions. Plus, the answers will be burned into your brain by so much exhaustive writing.
[li]If you read Campbell as a text book, you’ll probably be intimidated. I honestly thought I was stupid because I always did horribly on the Campbell tests that accompanied the book. I also had a new teacher, and though i love him as a person and friend, he was not a good teacher. I went through fewer than 15 chapters. However, don’t be scared. AP Bio is an easy test. As long as know a decent amount of material (i’ll define how decent later), you’ll definitely get a 4, if not a 5. First, I recommend that you not to read Campbell to study for the AP test. Yes, use it to study for the class, but not the test. It’s too specific. I used Barrons (which i ended up regretting because it was too specific), Cliffs (i liked it, not too brief, and summarizes Campbell textbook), and Princeton Review (my fav). Honestly, if you know everything on the PR book, you’ll get a 5 90% chance. The weekend before the exam, I read through PR one or twice more to consolidate my memory. I also took all the FRQ exams Collegeboard had offered (I believe 5). They are better to study with than MC because MC is too limited and detailed. However, I suggest taking 1 or 2 MC exams before hand, maybe in april, so you can know where you’ll need more focus and you’ll also get a grasp of the dificulty of the exam. If it’s one thing you have to learn, I would recommend ecology. I think that was the reason why I got a 5 because I took APES the year before. [/li]
[]read and actually understand the textbook
[]Don’t worry much about the labs you’re supposed to do (we did like 3 of the 12 labs). If you get how labs in general work you’ll probably be fine. Have a lot of knowledge you can pull together for the FRQs because it’s just writing as much as you can about the topic. [/ol]

082349 · July 4, 2010, 6:31am

[ol][li] Also a lot of common-sense stuff. Keeping up with current events tends to help because I knew answers to some of the stuff about global warming and pollution just from paying attention to the news, not the class. This is one of those tests that if you go ahead and study you will probably do well; it’s mostly memorization of concepts. [/li]
[]For Environmental Science…vocabulary is key. If it’s the end of the year, go through your textbook glossary and write down everything you don’t know. Even if you know it, memorize a few examples (i.e…don’t just know what a keystone species is, be prepared to name a few and where) Collect your class notes throughout the year and condense them before the test to just hard facts that aren’t common sense. It’s good to know conversions (just read the questions carefully so you don’t mistake megawatt for kilowatt or something), case studies (major ones like Chernobyl, Love Tunnel, Aral Sea, etc.), and legislation history (laws/acts/global treaties or major summits). I don’t think you have to know any people (except for like Rachael Carson). I could write an entire essay on what you need to know, but just go to collegeboard.com or read your textbook.
[]It’s really not a hard exam. I thought it was more common sense. However, I had a wonderful teacher and I didn’t need any studying. So that was definitely a plus. If you want a book, I used PR and thought it was a good review for the day before the test.
[*]Use Princeton Review. I bought 3 prepbooks: PR, Kaplan, and 5 steps, and out of them ,PR was the only one that even began to model the actual exam. Also, don’t procrastinate if you are self-studying. Many people on CC (not me) did and feel that they may have failed. Know examples of things and get pollutants down.[/ol]

Circular · July 4, 2010, 7:02am

Latin Vergil

For anyone who is taking this exam, there are only two ways to study. One, you have a strong background in Latin before the course; about 4 or 5 years. Two, you must complete the assignments thoroughly and UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD AND HOW IT INTERACTS WITHIN THE CLAUSE IN ALL 1856 lines or whatever it is. To review, starting about two months before the exam, I started translating the entire syllabus. I got about 1000 lines done, but gave up and just continued, instead reading and translating in my head. To summarize,

HAVE A STRONG GRASP OF THE LANGUAGE
WORK DILIGENTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
REVIEW BY TRANSLATING OR READING DURING MARCH AND APRIL

Good luck!

ugaboga232 · July 4, 2010, 10:04am

Spanish Literature - 5

<ol>
<li>Read the required reading list. A lot. In spanish if possible, english if cramming.</li>
<li>Know your vocab. Very well. Just read through the required reading list and learn all the vocab there.</li>
<li>Grammar should be second nature by know, and I assume they grade harshly on it.</li>
<li>MC is hard, but it usually has one passage from the reading list.</li>
<li>Know your literary terms down cold.</li>
<li>Know the themes of the bigger things you have to read, and go over old ap frqs.</li>
<li>There is only 1 prepbook by princeton review, so you don’t have much of a choice.</li>
<li>Get a good textbook.</li>
<li>Actually start early for this one.</li>
</ol>

Though, to be honest, I started studying one week before aps for this, read half the stories in english, and still got a 5. Know your themes, don’t be too scared if you don’t know your vocab, and use literary terms.

xHollyx · July 4, 2010, 10:51am

Seems like there are already a lot of tips for bio so I won’t include those, other two exams I took this year were (5s on both):

Spanish Language- My teacher was pretty good, but I think the thing that really helped the most was taking a spanish literature class the previous semester. It made the reading parts so much easier, and improved my vocabulary a lot as well. If your school doesn’t offer that kind of class, I would recommend reading some of the works on the list for AP Spanish Literature (we read about half of those in our class). As far as grammar, I don’t think you need to use really “advanced” tenses in the essays to get a good score- I typically didn’t use them in the class or on the exam because they sound a bit awkward to me (wouldn’t use half of them in english :p), and I generally did better than those who did use them just because it meant having a lot less room for error (even though you may not get bonus points for using fancy grammar, you aren’t getting points off for messing up on what you are using). If you are very sure you can use them correctly, of course you should, but for those who are less comfortable with them, I would definitely encourage you to find a way of rephrasing what you are trying to say rather than risk using something you aren’t entirely sure about just for the sake of it.

Human Geography- As long as you have somewhat read the text book, you will be fine. My teacher made the class a LOT harder than the exam, and of course since I hadn’t seen any practice tests, I didn’t realize this until I actually took it. A majority of it is common sense/ things that had been covered in my other classes beforehand. I was taking a world history class at the same time and there was a lot of overlap in material (at one point I even ended up having the same essay question about the spread of the plague in both classes). Having said that, I wouldn’t recommend completely blowing it off- someone in my class kind of lost interest about a quarter of the way through because they thought it was too easy, didn’t read at all for the rest of it, and ended up with a 2.

bobtheboy · July 4, 2010, 10:54am

I want to take the AP Studio art 2D exam; can you use just photography? I’ve gotten mixed answers.

bobtheboy · July 4, 2010, 11:01am

My tips:

Economics (self- both 5): Use 5 steps to a 5 and Kaplan and Princeton review (any combination). Start around February and do lots of practice tests. Read the entire study books cover to cover, also look on the net for more info if you like. Try to memorize the graphs. Also, much of it is intuitive so try to get a really good and thorough grasp of each topic - it will make the test much much easier.
Cramsheet:
[AP</a> Macroeconomics Formula Sheet:](<a href=“http://www.runningromans.com/Academics/Economics/Econ%20Review%20Notes/Formulas%20and%20Definitions.htm]AP”>http://www.runningromans.com/Academics/Economics/Econ%20Review%20Notes/Formulas%20and%20Definitions.htm)

Calculus BC (self- 5 and 5 on AB last year/ and 5 on AB subscore): Get any review book, learn the concepts, and you’re done - very straightforward exam.

Statistics (self- 5): Get cliffs- do all the tests, get practice tests online, also pretty straightforward. come on this board for tips near the AP exam.

Chemistry (self but with adv. chemistry class- 5): Memorize colors and solubilities, and also learn basic lab procedures. The rest should come easily if you practice a lot. Get 5 steps or Barron’s (barron’s is a bit overkill though)

World History (5) - This is a tough one. Make sure to read over the essay grading rubrics carefully and do everything that is asked of you, even if you don’t do it extremely well - that will get you at least a 7 on the essays, possibly more. Get Kaplan, Princeton’s, Barron’s (any combination) but remember that the practice tests are a bit harder than the real thing (with the exception of Kaplan). Know your history backwards and forwards - It takes a long time to prepare for this one well.

Computer science A (5) - Pretty easy. Program a lot, even if it’s not directly related to AP. Get Barron’s, read through it cover to cover and do the practice tests. Get some practice tests online too. Use CodingBat [Java] as well: [url=<a href=“http://codingbat.com/]CodingBat[/url”>http://codingbat.com/]CodingBat[/url</a>]

That’s about it

One more thing: I think the week BEFORE AP’s start is the most important one. You will need to have an amazing work ethic this week - take your last practice tests now (you should get whatever score you are aiming for on the real AP test on these, or very close), make sure all your material is solid, and build confidence. Don’t waste time!

WillDaSnail · July 4, 2010, 3:45pm

AP European History - 5

To be honest, this class was long and arduous, but if you pay attention and take some interest in it (this subject is VERY interesting provided you’re in the right mindset), you will succeed. If you have a really good AP Euro teacher (like I did), you’ll have no problem getting at least a 4 on the test (though 5 would be nice). No matter what teacher you’ll get, know EVERYTHING (including the big concepts, such as the Scientific Revolution, feminism, the French Revolution, and so forth). If you have a solid grasp on these concepts, you’ll be ready for the Multiple Choice and FRQ.

For the DBQ, POVing the majority of the documents is a good idea (however, overdoing it will not be seen so kindly, so pick and choose those that fit with the question that’s being asked). Also, expand on some of the POV’s - this is where it’ll make or break your DBQ; readers want to see your critical thinking skills in analyzing the documents, not just basic analyzing via simple POV’s. And this is where it makes a difference in your essay being scored a 6 or above (passing) or below a 6 (failing, by AP standards), out of 9 points total.

For the FRQ (essays): You have 35 minutes, and yes this will be a pressure cooker as you try to etch out a 5-paragraph essay within the time limit. Spend ONE minute (no more, no less) reading the question and understanding what its asking you for (and 4 minutes to plan it out, if neccessary). Otherwise, get to work! Put anything (and everything) down that’s relevant to the topic (I call this “fact dropping”). You can spend some time trying to draw out facts relevant to the question, but don’t spend too much time! You cannot afford to blank out during this crucial time, every minute counts.

“Fact-dropping” will only get you 60% through the essay. The other 40% will come from your commentary scattered among your 3 body paragraphs. Analyze it well: tell the significance of the events, the impacts, and so forth.

And if possible, if you get to to the conclusion, you don’t need to write too much on this paragraph. 3 sentences is usually enough for the conclusion (restate the topic, your thesis, and predict what’s going to happen next based on the events you just wrote about). Just an FYI, there will be people that may never get to write their conclusion paragraph due to time constraints.

The next part may irk some people, but I have to say that the online study guides that were designed to help one study for the AP history exams are one of the biggest pet peeves I have. Mark my words: THESE. WILL. NOT. HELP. YOU. If you want to rely on those study guides simply to meet your AP Euro needs, you will only squeak through the test. I don’t take “mediocrity” as a word here. Online study guides are synonymous with it. They only cover the basic, surface facts, and that’s not what AP is looking for. If you’re going to take a history AP course, make it count, don’t cheat your way through it. I’ve seen this occurring too many times, and it makes my heart die out.

However, study books (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc) are OK to use.

AP U.S. History - 5

Coming fresh from a year of AP European History, I had no problems with this class (just had to adjust my essay format slightly to conform to APUSH essay standards).

However…to succeed in this class:

Again, know your history very, very well. This will either determine whether you will have a tough time in this class, or breeze through it. Take lots of good notes, make your own flash cards on key terms, pay attention to everything crucial AND keep it ingrained in the back of your head throughout the year.

If you continually do so (aka spend a good amount of time on APUSH), you will breeze through the exam. I got a high 5 on my multiple choice practice (70 out of 80), which virtually guarantees me a 5 on the exam provided I do very well on the essays.

The next part may irk some people, but I have to say that the online study guides that were designed to help one study for the AP history exams are one of the biggest pet peeves I have. Mark my words: THESE. WILL. NOT. HELP. YOU. If you want to rely on those study guides simply to meet your APUSH needs, you will only squeak through the test. I don’t take “mediocrity” as a word here. Online study guides are synonymous with it. They only cover the basic, surface facts, and that’s not what AP is looking for. If you’re going to take a history AP course, make it count, don’t cheat your way through it. I’ve seen this occurring too many times, and it makes my heart die out.

However, study books (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc) are OK to use.

AP Calculus AB - 5

This class will be tough for some, easy for others. However, saying from my own experience, it was indeed tough for me at first. Know everything that’s required for the AB exam front and back. Know the “big 5” concepts (continuity, MVT, Rolles Theorem, average value, Intermediate Value Theorem); one (or more) of these concepts will be tested in both MC and/or FRQ every single year. I’ve seen one of them pop up in my AB exam this year (though I’m not specifying the exact section on the test due to test security agreements).

Do a LOT of multiple choice practice and FRQs when the time comes. Through this, you’ll fully understand what the test writers are asking you for. You’re trying to beat the system here, and by thinking like the writers (you have to know your calculus very well in order to reach this step), you’ll be prepared for what AP is going to throw at you on test day.

idkwhatnametouse · July 4, 2010, 4:34pm

Chemistry:

I got a 5 on the exam using Zumdahl, Barrons, and 5 Steps to a 5. The Barrons book is like the bible of chemistry in terms of review, however never use the practice tests. 5 Steps to a 5 actually takes their tests from a former AP exam, but the questions are much more difficult than the real test, and the review in it sucked. Zumdahl was a great book to read to understand the concepts and get practice with those concepts. I pretty much read it cover to cover and have to say it was an awesome read. It really seems geared toward an AP test taker based on what information is presented. The class itself is easy with a good teacher and textbook, but it is one of the hardest if your teacher does not teach very well. Make sure to do lots of practice exams, problems, and free response questions! Notes aren’t the top priority, and if you are going to use Barrons, make sure to begin that at least a month in advance due to its length, especially if you are taking other AP exams. I really enjoyed the class, and I now want to pursue a career in chemistry because of it.

bobtheboy · July 4, 2010, 7:11pm

Keep in mind that everyone’s different. For example, I thought the review in 5 steps was amazing and better than barron’s, while I thought the practice tests were too easy in it. I liked Barron’s practice tests, but they were much more difficult than the real AP test. So I was pretty much opposite to you (I got a 5 too however)

idkwhatnametouse · July 5, 2010, 12:39am

^ I like Barrons’s practice tests a lot because they challenge me. I just don’t think most people want to suffer through their difficulty. I still am against the summaries in 5 Steps to a 5, but I do like the questions in there. I just stated they were more difficult than the real thing.

bobtheboy · July 5, 2010, 1:26am

See, that’s where my personal opinion differed from yours. I thought 5 steps was more straightforward than the real thing (and thus easier).

idkwhatnametouse · July 5, 2010, 1:58am

^ Really? Huh I guess to each his own.

girlofpurple · July 5, 2010, 12:24pm

APUSH: (i got a 4)
My teacher recommended Barrons, but I didnt really start using it until a few days before… i skipped the main part of the book and just used it for the practice exams.

We used the American Pagent as a textbook, but the writing can definetly make you fall asleep… lol I used both REA books (“Are you serious about getting a 5?” and “Crashcourse”- crashcourse is AMAZING- some things i noticed were on the test that crashcourse needed to go a bit more in depth, but it was great otherwise.

Although I didn’t get it, everyone recommends Amsco- I looked through my friends book, and I wished I had bought one.

Even if you don’t feel like you did too hot on the MC, having a decent essay can save you. I think the only way to do this is to contantly practice your writing. (i hate to admit that!!)

haha goodluck to everyone

yearsofwisdom · July 5, 2010, 12:33pm

is amsco publishing site the only place to get amsco for apush?

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