[mct2dj]

How do you study for AP US History? THERE IS SO MUCH TO REMEMBER!!! AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START.

I like history, but I seriously can't remember things when I have to read it directly out of the text book. So I was wondering how most of you guys (who are taking or took the class) study....

[alicimoo]

I'm not taking APUS, but regular US in my school uses the same book as the APUS students. And just my luck, I end up with the regular US teacher that decides to teach all the material that the APUS students learn. -__-"

I use course-notes.org. I know that sometimes there are some mistakes in there, but for the most part, they're really helpful because they summarize everything that's important in the book. And if you use the American Pageant book, you know how much useless information that book has addition to the important stuff.

I heard the AMSCO book is really helpful as well?

[pekkles]

^ Yes, AMSCO is wonderful for details, and REA is good for getting a general outline/idea of what is going on during each time period. (I have both, let me know if you would want to buy them off me ^__^;;) Do the practice questions and essays- they really help.

Try taking notes, and pay lots of attention during lectures.

If remembering what you read is kind of hard, then after you finish each paragraph, summarize only the important information in one sentence, and then write an even shorter version in your notes. Connections, influences, causes and effects are EVERYTHING- make sure you know what caused what, how something might affect something else, why something might have happened- treat it like a giant story.

If you get to do projects, try to focus and have fun, because you'll remember best the material that you had fun with.

Are you taking the test? Maybe it was just my school, but I had such low confidence in my APUSH class, and I kept getting such mediocre grades and doing badly on the essays that I was sure I'd get a 2- but I ended up with a 5 on the actual exam ^__^ so don't worry too much, if a dumb person like me can do well, it's not that bad.

[freetshirtsorg]

anyone have the 3 dollar AMSCO answer key? Not trying to cheat or anythign I've got the 17 book and I think the school dept although AMSCO is not a textbook decided not to order for me. I'm willing to buy it off of someone as long as its not falling apart...)

I'm doing well in a rigorous honors USH class due to stupid collegeboard AP mark has been dropped. test average is ~94-5 w/o studying I haven't really studied for the tests actually. So I suppose taking the APUSH would do me good. I also have a final to study for regardless so w/e. Hopefully I can knock out the SAT II, AP and final. lol. But that's just wishful thinking.

[touchthesky]

I use course-notes.org. I know that sometimes there are some mistakes in there, but for the most part, they're really helpful because they summarize everything that's important in the book. And if you use the American Pageant book, you know how much useless information that book has addition to the important stuff.

yuppers course-notes is pretty great. i read the chapters in the book at first but i nearly died and didn't absorb any of the material, and course-notes is basically whats in the book but more straightforward. i always read through their outlines and the sections i don't understand i reread in the book. and yea we use the American Pageant books which does have some pretty useless info

also in my class we have to do key terms where we write down all the important dates/people/acts/etc and define them on notecards. helps a lot. and don't just try memorizing things..make sure you actually understand them and how they relate to each other

i think i have test anxiety though. i honestly understand the material but i always do bad on the multiple choice=/ essays are gettin better though at least..and we're writing our first DBQ this Wed

[xboredguy]

LOL

i have the unique gift of being really good with history
slept through my class and still got a 5 and 2 As
teacher occasionally woke me up just to ask me a question and then later told me to go back to sleep

[mct2dj]

^ LOL. Lucky! I wish I have that ability!

And thanks you guys! I didn't even know such books and websites existed. I'm such a failure

Anyways, now that you guys mention it. How do you write a good dbq? I seriously can't seem to get the structure down, and i don't understand what the readers are looking for. Can anyone help me with that as well?


Please and Thank you in advance! ^^

[hylxbabo]

i actually used the barrons SAT II book which was really helpful. i was studying for the sat II us history too which was a week before my ap exam. using that book i got a 780 and a 5 on the exam :]

when i study i usually read a section and then summarize it on a different sheet of paper. or i make outlines or read it out loud to myself. good luck!

[xboredguy]

^ LOL. Lucky! I wish I have that ability!

And thanks you guys! I didn't even know such books and websites existed. I'm such a failure

Anyways, now that you guys mention it. How do you write a good dbq? I seriously can't seem to get the structure down, and i don't understand what the readers are looking for. Can anyone help me with that as well?


Please and Thank you in advance! ^^

to write a good DBQ, our teacher gave us this formula to follow:
for the thesis be very specific and mention up to three or four topics.
for the each body paragraph be able to support the topic with two or three supporting details
conclusion is only important if your essay isnt that great since it might help you boost your grade up

readers arent looking for how articulately or flowery the essay is written
they are simply looking for the examples you used to prove a thesis

simple breakdown of points:
thesis-3 points
each topic-2points

if you follow this format, it will exceed what the readers are looking for and you will get a high score

if you need an example, give me a question so i can show you how its done

[xgotzzricex]

^^ Ooh thanks.
I'll keep that in mind.



As for studying, you can buy that AP U.S. ap exam book thingy
It basically sums up the important details.

[_0423]

What helps me the most on tests, etc. for APUSH is listening to the lectures.
Listening helps me more than reading.
Honestly, i'm really good at cramming the chapters into my head and acing the test..but that isn't going to help in May.
Like in Euro AP, the reason I did so well on my AP exam wasn't because of the textbook/review books, it was because of listening to my teacher, she was pretty awesome.

[wonderfullness]

Are you using the American Pageant? Haha, I love that book...
Anyways, for normal class tests, I just read the chapter and take notes (we have to do that for hw) & then the night, or a few nights before the test, I read over the chapter. I've only just realized that when you're reviewing for a test, you have to be focused & read the chapter like it's novel--really take the information in & try to picture everything cohesively--you can't just read it blindly. My friend reads the chapter 2 times before the test (so a total of 3 times including the notetaking) & almost always got a 100 last year. I don't know if that'll work for you, but good luck!

[I.said.hi]

for us.. our teacher is rather very structured...

as in..


every 2 weeks we have a test, and within that time, we have 2 weeks worth of hw due on the day of the test. there are american pageant notes (usually 2-4 ch), american spirit notes (25 + articles to choose from), essential questions, and key terms..


oddly, i just study using the key terms because we have to define a certain amount of defs, but yeah, it was actually pretty okay.

[x_MiSSANN]

Are you using the American Pageant? Haha, I love that book...

you must be kidding me? that book smells big rotten apples. i hate that book. anyways i tend to read the chapter a few times and then pick out easy to remember stuff that reminds me of other stuff. does that make any sense? i read a few different version of the same thing also. it totally help stick in my head, since i don't have to read the same thing over and over again..but it still the same materials.

[h3yjeenE]

ohh i took AP US history last year as a juinor&it was so hard O_O
we used this big brown book called the american promise or something&it wasn't a very good textbook. anyway, i got a solid A on both semesters in this class& i just studied 2-3hours everyday&took good notes.. that's pretty much it.hahaha >_<

[adorkablexasian]

We get these horrendous packets that are due every week and take more than 5 hours to do, if you want to do it well. What I do is finish the packets, and then a couple days before the test I review a chapter a day. The test is usually every 2-3 weeks because we go over more than one chapter and there is a packet for each chapter. It helps a lot, and I also try to remember people's names as I'm reviewing because since I was exposed to the names while finishing my packet, I can remember it faster later on.

[trabia-wind]

APUSH (I took it my last year, jr year) was horrible... >_< Doesn't help that I hate US History... most boring subject ever

I survived APUSH with an A by skimming the chapters the night before the test and scrambling to write bs for the reading outlines we had to complete. I got a 4 on the AP exam.. my only 4!!!

So yeah, don't learn from me. Split all your reading into chunks and just force yourself to go through it!! Or if you want, you can pay attention carefully in lecture and then you won't have to read. Unlike me, I was always too tired from other hw (AP Bio...) so I always slept in that class..

[a&k*]

im using the black book called the survey or something.
for us, we read 10~20 pages a night and memorize the names.. key facts.. events.
basically cramming every night just for class cus our teacher gives a pop quiz if nobody participates.
we're all way too paranoid to NOT study our butts off every night.
cramcramcramm.!

i'm procrastinating right now ):

[Candy Beat]

I'm not in APUSH, but I'm taking IB History of the Americas, which has the same curriculum except no novels and a bunch of reading packets and textbooks xD;

I'm reading CLEP History of the United States I. It's aimed at AP students, and it like translates history into something easier to understand and analyze . And it's organized by units so you're good to go for tests