I didn’t see one of these started yet, so here it is! I’ll be taking this class next year as a sophomore and I’m kinda nervous… I took APHG last year (got a 5), but I hear World History is a lot more to memorize than HG was… Anyone else taking it next year? Let’s discuss! 
I’m taking AP World next year! I heard it was hard, too, but I’m still super excited because the class sounds like fun 
Not taking it this year, but just thought I’d offer some advice! I took the class during my sophomore year and I took the subject test this year (weird timing, I know…I should’ve taken it after sophomore year xD).
First of all, WHAP is an extremely reading-intensive class. Everyone has different methods of learning, but for me, reading the chapters/chapter in the textbook that we were assigned per week 2-3 times worked wonders! There was this method my teacher employed - the first read would be a skim of the chapter, just reading headers; the second read, you would skim the first paragraphs of each section; the third read would be a full read of the chapter. Although it takes a while to get used to, I still use this method with my other classes.
Second - DATES DATES DATES. Unlike US History - at least in my experience - dates in world history are a lot more important, though spread out. You may already know important American dates when taking US, which makes it a lot easier to remember them, but with world history there are usually key years - such as, say, 476 CE - that need to be memorized. You can give ranges (such as “2nd to 3rd centuries CE”, etc) when you’re discussing an event on a test, but it adds so much more accuracy to your work - particularly your essays - when you know the correct date to at least a decade.
Also, world history is very conceptual. Throughout the year, you will need to be able to compare different cultures and societies with ease, so it’s always good to keep a list of some basic traits that societies have in common, and conversely, what makes them unique, as they come up throughout the year. On the bright side, it is pretty general, so the amount of detail you will need to know about the societies that you learn about is usually minor. Usually one or two definitive traits will suffice, unless it’s a huge civilization such as the Byzantine Empire or the Ottoman Empire, in which case political structures and economic contributions become of note as well. (This sounds like a lot, but I promise it WILL get easier!)
For prepping, I consistently watched John Green’s Crash Course World History videos. In my opinion, these are the best history videos he’s offered - the US history ones did not help nearly as much, in case you’re taking the class the year after WHAP. They cover the material in a rapid-fire manner without being boring, and correlate well with the general world history curriculum. Plus, the graphics are just fun In terms of prep books, I used Princeton Review and Barron’s - well, a more accurate word would be “bought”, because I bought both not knowing which was better. Barron’s was definitely better with helping prepare me for the subject test - since I hadn’t studied the material in a year when I chose to took the test at the end of my junior year, the sheer amount of detail about each society Barron’s had helped a lot. However, Princeton Review is much better when preparing for the AP exam because it’s a lot more general and matches up with the course’s AP themes. (These are just my opinions, though! Feel free to explore other options - I hear Crash Course (the book) is good, but I’ve never picked it up; scores for both exams, if this adds merit to what I’m saying xD: AP - 5, SAT II - 800.)
Lastly, the class seems like a lot because there’s so much material to cover. However, it remains one of my favorite classes that I’ve ever taken, because taking it will introduce you to so many different cultures; the curriculum shows how different cultures have synthesized to create those cultures that we see today, and provides ample room for both analysis and comparison. It makes you feel like a more informed and responsible citizen of the world you live in and sparks your interest in the events going on around you (although, this again may just be me :’). Going through WHAP was hell in the beginning for me, because I started off with a C - my teacher was insane (but eventually, I learned to appreciate her insanity because it also made me insanely motivated and curious) and doled out amounts of work I have never known before or since (and this is even after taking 3 other AP classes junior year…). My advice to you is to tough it out, but don’t forget to enjoy the material, because it really is thought-provoking and worth learning about! You can do it! If you ever have any questions or need help, feel free to PM me
Thanks for all the advice, @desideratum, it’s very helpful. Yes, I agree, world history genuinely interests me, and I’ll definitely have fun while learning :).
Dates might present a slight problem for me, however. I can remember events in chronological order, but not the exact dates in which they happened, and I’m really bad with remembering decades and centuries and all that. Sigh. It’s a great idea to keep a list comparing different civilizations/time periods. I’ll have to try that. I’ll probably end up getting the new version of Barron’s (because the test changed for the 2016-2017 school year) for my prep book. I love John Green’s videos too! They’re visually appealing, humorous at times to keep me from falling asleep from boredom, and incredibly informative.
Wow @desideratum thank you so much for all of that advice!! My HG teacher last year suggested a reading method similar to that but I never did it. Since I’m hearing how WH is much more reading intensive, I might take up the reading method. And also, we watch some of John Green’s videos last year, and I loved them! They are very informative and interesting at the same time. I’ll be sure to binge them all lol
History isn’t my best subject and memorization is not my forte, so we’ll see how I do (I’m more of a math/science kind of gal)… Most people I know who took it last year got 4s on the exam, so I guess that means the WH teachers at my school are pretty good. I’m looking forward to the challenge, even though it’ll stretch my abilities!
Oh, and to add on to what @desideratum said about making a list of basic traits of societies, I found a bunch of charts summarizing the regions of the world at various time periods after every chapter in the AP World 5 Steps to a 5 prep book from 2015, in case that helps. It isn’t the updated version for 2016-2017, but the content should (?) be the same.
Hi everyone!
I took WHAP last year and got a 5 on the exam. I think that @desideratum covered most of what you need to know to ace the class, but I just wanted to add in a couple of things. Yes, the Crash Course book is AMAZING!! I think that the Crash Course book along with the Princeton book are perfect for studying. Like @desideratum said, the Barron’s has a LOT of detail, a bit too much for the AP Exam. If you already have a textbook for the class,then I honestly think that you won’t need Barron’s.
http://www.teacheroz.com/apexamreview.html- This is the BEST online resource I’ve found for WHAP so far and it helped me a LOT for the exam. Coursenotes is also a great website. It has outlines for all the chapters of textbooks, and I used them to help keep all the facts straight in my head.
Good luck!!
Thank you so much @blackandpink13 for your added advice! I think I’ll definitely buy the crash course book, and possibly the Princeton book as well.
Does anyone have WHAP summer hw? I surprisingly don’t… My HG class last year gave me summer homework so I’m a little concerned (but relieved that i don’t have to do anything lol).
I think I might just start watching John green’s videos to get myself familiar with the content.
I didn’t have summer homework for this course; I started this previous Monday.
How is the course going for everyone so far?
I just started this past Monday… It’s already my least favorite class.
Day 1, my teacher was trying to scare us out of taking the class. She said it’s insanely intense, and if she had a the choice, she’d only let seniors or older take it (we’re all sophomores). Yikes.
Yesterday she told us we need to read a chapter every other night or every night (it varies). Chapters range from 12-45 pgs. Ugh. She also wants us to take extensive notes on each chapter. Even in 12 pages, there’s still a lot of crazy info in there, much less a 45 page chapter. I can’t wait (sarcasm much?).
Today we had a reading check on chapter 1. I got 100, though it took me like 2 hours to read a 20 page chapter. I’m finding out that I’m not quite as good a reader as I’d thought. This afternoon, I read a 22 page chapter. Well, not really… I skimmed the second half of it cause my head and eyes are hurting really bad. Frickin migraine, now is not the time to show your head. Tomorrow we’re having a quiz on chapter 2, and Friday there will be another quiz on chapter 2.
Already had anxiety attacks over the amount of work in this class… Not so fun. Just hope this all pays off and I get a 4/5 on the exam.
Those of you who actually have an AP World class, what unit/ era are you on?
AP world is the best! It totally depends on the teacher, though.
This year’s exam has MUCH more writing. The multiple choice isn’t too hard in my opinion.
I’m almost done with period 3. Our test is on friday.
For SAQs, try to be as short and thorough as possible. My teacher grades SAQs and LEQs very harshly, so I think that the best way to improve your history writing is through practice. It may seem like the time pressure will never get easier. But soon, you’ll be able to write an LEQ in your sleep.
Just remember to say “because” a lot and always, ALWAYS link back to your thesis
Btw I have a 96 in AP world, and It just takes hard work and practice. Nobody aces everything in this class. Though i’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
@cocasal6, same, the writing (DBQ, FRQ, short answers) will be the hard part for me. Multiple choice I enjoy - for some reason, I love the challenge of trying to cram a bunch of facts into my head 
Personally, I like the writing side more. I’m pretty decent at arguing a point (for dbqs) and idk, the writing portion just excites me.
However, I SUCK at multiple choice q’s in this class 
Most of the difficulty on the writing section for me will be the stress that comes before it. MC I can be confident about my answers, but I never know what to expect from DBQs.