<p>I'm going to be self-studying AP European History this year, and need some help. For books, I have only purchased "Modern European History" by Birdsall S. Viault, since it was highly recommended on these forums. What review book (Barrons, PR, etc.) is the best for Euro? I have looked on the threads, although see conflicting advice, and just wanted to get one definite answer before I purchase. And, in general, is there any other advice from past AP Euro takers? I know to look over past tests for FRQs, but is there anything else I should know? and should I read more than just the Modern Euro History and the review book? Thank you!</p>
<p>bump bump bump…</p>
<p>I’m just copying and pasting this from another thread I posted this in, so ignore the Viault part since you already got it.</p>
<p>jodessky’s 5 Steps to a 5 on Euro:
- Buy Modern European History by Birdsall Viault. Now. Now. Now. Memorize it throughout the year. You might already have a five just by doing that.
- Princeton Review is good and I used it, but when I actually went to the bookstore and looked at all the Euro books, REA was the best. If you have time, use the REA - if not, use PR.
- Use the resources from thecaveonline.com. This guy is one of the board members who writes the exam.
- If you feel like you need another prep book, get CliffsAP. It’s really awesome.
- Do the past essays from the CB website and then read completely through all the scoring guidelines. It really helps. Also, take past Euro practice tests from Free AP Practice Tests (ap.testfrenzy.com). These were the only accurate tests that I took all year.</p>
<p>On a side note, don’t bother reading a textbook. I tried for so long, and ultimately, it helped with nothing.</p>
<p>I walked out of that test feeling like I got a 90%+ on the MC and near-perfect scores on all the essays without having read more than two chapters of a textbook. I got a 5.</p>
<p>memorize cliffsAP and it’s practically a guaranteed 5. I just studied cliffsAP throughly and it was a pretty good book. </p>
<p>Also, I actually met the guy who made [The</a> CAVE](<a href=“http://www.thecaveonline.com%5DThe”>http://www.thecaveonline.com), Larry Treadwell I believe, because he gave the Euro seminar at our county’s ap review, and he is actually the head of the dbq scoring committee. He doesn’t help make the exam - just the grading rubric that the readers use for the dbq, and training readers as well.</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>I guess you’re a Broward kid, as well - Treadwell did the Euro seminar I was at this year. He told us that he is one of the exam writers every couple of years or so and in between he serves in the position you just mentioned, but nevertheless, The Cave is a very good resource.</p>
<p>Start studying early so you have time to review certain eras/regions that you find more difficult. </p>
<p>Viault is great. It’s concise and has everything.</p>
<p>I didn’t like Barrons cause I thought it skimmed over too many details. However, Barrons gives you these really nice sample FRQ responses and gives you pointers on what info to include in each essay at the end of each chapter, which would have been helpful for me if I had time to read them. </p>
<p>Whereas Viault is good for just straight facts, Princeton Review I felt was a bit more thematic. </p>
<p>Also, I strongly suggest you download the podcast “Hank’s History Hour” off of iTunes. Basically Hank goes through each chapter of his Euro textbook and explains the info in an entertaining fashion. When I was cramming Euro into the 3 weeks before the test, I listened to Hank when I couldn’t read, i.e. to/from school, before falling asleep, etc.</p>