<p>Hello everyone! Well, I am becoming a rising junior and was considering taking the APUSH test but not take the AP class. I read in different forums that the APUSH classes tend to give a lot of homework, making it a tough class. So because of that, I thought of taking regular US History and study with this book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/History-Crash-Course-Advanced-Placement/dp/0738605603/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top%5B/url%5D">http://www.amazon.com/History-Crash-Course-Advanced-Placement/dp/0738605603/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top</a> .</p>
<p>I'm not really the smartest guy, but I just want to ask for opinions.</p>
<p><strong>tl;dr -- I am thinking of taking a regular US History class and also study with the book linked above</strong></p>
<p>EDIT: Ok. Just pretend that I cannot take the APUSH class for some reason.</p>
<p>Why don’t you just suck it up and take the AP class? (that sounds really mean, sorry)
I mean, the AP class is hard because you are studying and preparing for a hard AP class.
If you have the opportunity to actually take the AP class, do that and work hard. For AP History classes, it doesn’t come down to how “smart” you are, but more of how much effort you are going to put into the class. </p>
<p>But if you are still convinced on self study, then use the Barron’s AP US book</p>
<p>bumping for more answers :3</p>
<p>Having taken both APUSH and AP Euro, I’d say the classes are helpful for keeping you on track and holding you accountable for getting the reading done and being able to successfully synthesize the material into an essay. </p>
<p>Also, hearing things out loud helps you remember and contextualize them later. </p>
<p>However, if you really would prefer not to take the class (or even are not able to take the class) because of the work load–which I think is understandable–I would also suggest looking at the AP European History Crash Course review book in addition to the Barron’s one (I only have experience with the Barron’s AP Physics book, though that was very good).</p>
<p>It wouldn’t be on your transcript and colleges know that’s the easy way out of APUSH. Most can study for the ap, the hard part is living through the class lol good luck!</p>
<p>You should definitely take the class. The history of the U.S. is long and detailed. The class will help you space out the curriculum and will prepare you for the exam. I did well in the class and made a 5 with little additional studying for the exam. Many students who struggled with the class still made 4’s. </p>
<p>The class looks better on your transcript and (provided it’s a quality class) will leave you well prepared for the exam. It’s a win-win.</p>
<p>I used the book you suggested for a last minute refresher. It definitely helps with multiple choice but is not sufficient as a self-study book. If you decide to self-study, read “The American Pageant” by Thomas A. Bailey. It’s the standard APUSH textbook.</p>
<p>It all depends on how well you ‘get’ history. I had a horrible Honors History teacher (our school did not offer AP classes) who just wanted everyone to memorize dates. I like the ‘whys’ of history and read the whole textbook with that as my focus. Got a C in the class (cannot memorize cold facts) but a 4 on the AP test and 8 hours of credit from my college.</p>
<p>I would suggest not to because most schools (at least my state school doesn’t) don’t accept USH as credit. And seriously, why take a class when it’s not even accepted. The whole point of AP is to get the credit</p>
<p>UNLESS YOU LOVE HISTORY. Then take it :)</p>
<p>yeah, i am taking the class, i heard that it was a pretty tough subject, and i guess classes help keep you on track. Although my ap euro teacher made us self study the last two chapters in like 3 day, before the test. so not cool=(</p>