AP Courses for Next Year

So, next year I will be taking four AP classes, and I’d like to know the general community’s opinions and advice about each class and their exams.

AP Statistics - I love mathematics, so I am looking forward to this class.

AP Spanish Languages and Culture - I am really good at Spanish, and my teacher personally recommended me to take an advanced Spanish class.

AP English Language and Composition - Not too confident about this class, but I want to improve my writing skills and my teacher recommended me for it; any tips for before I take the class?

AP United States Government and Politics - I am coming from APUSH; does that background help?

So, in general, I just want some advice on things I should do prior to taking the class and during the class so I can succeed in these classes.

Thanks!

AP Statistics: Certainly, this class is considered as part of the math department. However, keep in mind that it is different from standard math classes like Algebra I/II and Calculus. A lot of it is simply understanding mathematical concepts, and then using them to analyze data. In other words, there’s a lot of writing, with the actual “math” mostly calculator-based. Not to say it isn’t enjoyable. Math is a subject I’ve always enjoyed and AP Stat, though different from what I had expected, was still a good class to take! The content isn’t terrible. A lot of it is memorization and following formulas, so I personally do not believe that any preparation is necessary. Just make sure to stay on top of things! Concepts in this class tend to build on top of each other, so if you don’t understand or make an effort to remember the initial content, you might experience difficulty later on since they’re definitely things you will continue to see throughout the entire year.

AP Spanish Language and Culture: Unfortunately, I haven’t taken this class. Though generally speaking, once you reach the AP level of a language, a lot of the class is based more on culture and becoming more comfortable conversational wise. I doubt this, but if truly wish to prepare for this course in advance, there are summer immersion programs available. Otherwise, just continue what you do. I find that once you reach this level, you pretty much know what you’re doing. If you want to actually become fluent, I suggest immersing yourself! Listen to Spanish music, watch Spanish television, etc. You’d be surprised at how much you can pick up by doing this.

AP English Language and Composition: So, the structure of this class is typically different from your standard English 9 and English 10 classes, as you are analyzing language specifically in texts, particularly American literature. You start to go into concepts such as ethos, pathos, and logos, while also stepping away from more figurative literary devices found often in old English texts and poetry. Instead, you are often examining specific diction, looking at how the language used portrays or illustrates a certain theme, and how the techniques utilized by the author helps to do so. Even if English isn’t your strongest suit, there’s a ton you will learn in this class. I found that by analyzing the techniques authors used, your own writing, in turn, becomes stronger, particularly if you can successfully incorporate the same techniques. Again, not much to do in terms of preparation. If anything, just read! If you’re that much of an overachiever, there are tons of websites/pdfs available online if you google AP Lang book list. Some books many read include Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, Outliers and more.

AP United States Government and Politics: An APUSH background will definitely help. Some of the content may overlap, but AP Gov focuses on what is says - US government. However, with an APUSH background, you are already well-versed in AP History language, with MC wording and FRQ strategies. Personally, it was actually a fairly easy class and AP exam. Just make sure to read the textbook and to not get behind on them. Otherwise, the FRQs are straightforward and uncomplicated. I really don’t think you need to worry about this course.

Thank you so much! I actually decided to drop AP Lang; I don’t want to overload myself next year. But I will definitely keep this advice in mind!

AP Stats:
Have you taken Alg/geo/alg2/precalc/calc? Those are more important than AP stats.

@bopper

I took Algebra I last year, I am currently taking Algebra II (I have an A+, nearly 100% every test), I am taking Geometry this summer, next year I will take Precalculus and AP Statistics concurrently, and the following year I will take AP Calculus (Haven’t yet decided on AB/BC; any recommendations?)

@inkydustin it’s hard to recommend which calculus to take before you’ve taken precalculus. Typically, honors precalculus courses would be more likely to prepare you for BC and regular precalculus would be better at preparing for AB. It sounds like you’re a strong math student. If you keep it up, you could probably take BC, but I’d wait until you’ve gotten a feel for precalculus before making a more definitive decision.