<p>If this is in the wrong forum, I'm sorry, please move it. As for my question, I'm thinking of taking AP art history over a regular history class, but was wondering how hard it is, how much memorization there is, and how its seen by colleges (Do they see it as BS aka AP Psych or good aka BC calc). Thanks!</p>
<p>We just got this class in our district this year. All the new APArtH teachers have never taught AP before, but apparently, they all went to this workshop by a master APArtH teacher. They all got the same rubriks lol.</p>
<p>From what I can tell just from the first few weeks, it's definitely not as much of a blowoff class as Psych (from what I hear, I've never taken the class). I'm not entirely sure it's comparable to CalcBC, maybe more like European History, since it deals with a lot of the same areas/topics at times. And there's tons of reading and memorization.</p>
<p>We use the textbook Gardner's Art through the Ages, which is a HUGE book that is 3 inches thick. And it doesn't exactly skim on length or width either. There's been a WHOLE LOT of reading, very fast paced. And it sucks when you get random timed writings and haven't read over that piece of art yet...</p>
<p>Thanks, anything else important to know? Should I be artistic? History oriented? etc.</p>
<p>I'm currently taking AP Art History. You most definently do not have to be artistic, but it would help if you had some experience in drawing. You would actually know what they are talking about when she mentions the seven elements and how they can create a mood of the painting or piece of art, etc. You should have good memory, not necessarily history oriented, but just kind of look for common characteristics that the paintings share in each of the time periods, so that you don't get confused when trying to recall it.</p>
<p>I taking AP Art History too, in addition to AP World History. At what point does the course stop, like in modern art? I'm not sure how to word that... sorry.</p>
<p>I took AP Art History my senior year of HS...I got a 4 on the AP I am now a soph @ University of Michigan. The course runs from 3000 BC to modern art. I found it to be a lot of memorization, and i am by no means artistic at all (in fact im the oppostie artistically challenged). Colleges view it as a normal AP and in fact I received 3 credits for it!</p>
<p>The class isn't that hard. I took very good notes and class and I studied them well. I had 'Gardner's Art Through the Ages' but I only read one chapter (probably the shortest one in the book), and I got a 4 on the AP exam. The course stops at Art in the 20th century. There isn't a lot of Art in the 20th century on the exam.</p>
<p>Art experience is helpful in knowing some of the terms, but I had none at all. By the end of the year, your teacher should've talked about a few of the terms that you should know.</p>
<p>I never paid attention during this class, but at the end of the year my teacher spent a couple days going through a bunch of slides from all the time periods. I made a 4.</p>
<p>I think you should consider staying with regular history, especially if you're not a senior. And if you do take AP Art over a traditional history, I think you should add a social elective like urban studies or something to your curriculum.</p>
<p>When I was in a scheduling dilemma between French and AP ArtH, I was told by two people that AP Art History is not as important as advanced level French because anyone who's a halfway decent student can get into the class, and so it doesn't carry the "AP weight" that other AP's do. AP Psych and a few others have this same reputation that it's more of an elective than a serious course.</p>