APUSH is taken even more than both calculus exams combined. It is by far the hardest class I have taken in my life (I have been through World History AP, Chemistry and Biology Honors but essentially AP in terms of workload and preparation for the AP test, Calculus AB and BC AP (BC in the summer), Honors Multivariable Calculus, Computer Science AP, and a whole bunch of others.). I am currently also taking English Language AP, Spanish Language AP, and Physics B AP, as well as Advanced Computer Science Honors which is somewhat like the former Computer Science AB AP, but covers even more advanced topics. Honestly, I’ve found all these classes and AP tests (I got 5’s on all 8 of mine by sophomore year) really easy, to be honest, without studying for classes pretty much at all and without studying that hard for AP tests. I have a whole bunch of other academic achievements that I won’t list here. Likewise, I am finding my current classes easy so far. </p>
The glaring exception is AP US History. This class as humbled me, and is extremely hard. I have been working my butt off since the very beginning, and studying for tests for 10+ hours (which is ridiculous for me, since I usually don’t study at all). Despite this, I am not doing well in the class. What confuses me even more is that, not only is it way out of the league of all the prior classes I have taken, it is the most taken AP overall! I have found AP’s ridiculously easy prior to this, and even my post-AP classes and current AP’s weren’t hard for me (at least so far, besides AP USH). For example, I had a super-easy time in Honors Chemistry - I finished all my work at school the day it was due and got 100% on all the tests without studying, and without a curve (although at the end of the course, my teacher gave me an A- due to an error but later fixed it to an A+). And this was a basically AP Chemistry course as the same teacher teaches both classes, but sophomores are not allowed to take the AP Chem class for some stupid reason, but he literally gives the same assignments and most kids in Honors Chem take the AP test and get 5’s. I’ve heard that AP Chem is really hard but for me it was laughably easy and I feel like I could have passed it in seventh grade. And it’s not just because I am a math/science person - I aced English and Spanish honors classes too and did well in AP World with a similar lack of effort. So, you’d probably consider me decently smart right, at least smart enough to be able to handle APUSH with some work? But now, in eleventh grade, despite my actually being as diligent as possible, a class that more people take in my school than don’t is murdering me. Not only “smart kids” but also kids generally considered to not be academic achievers in any shape or form - in short, people whom other people refer to as “dumb” - are taking it. Frankly, I am shocked. I mean, I don’t think I’m bad at history - I did well last year in AP World - and I know quite a bit about US History. It’s just the insane workload and the insane difficulty of the tests that is getting to me. What is going on? Is everyone, even the jocks who have never even taken an advanced course of any kind before, for some reason a supergenius when it comes to AP US History except me, who is an imbecile at it?</p>
Okay, calm down. Before you can resolve your issue, you have to first tell us what your main points of difficulty are in the class. Are you having difficulties with just the multiple choice tests or are the FRQ/DBQ questions getting to you? Maybe you should focus on analyzing cause and effect relationships and try getting the big picture in addition to memorizing little facts and tid-bits for hours on end, but that’s just a suggestion. Until we know what your weaknesses are, we can’t fully address them.</p>
I think that APUSH is the most popular because most (if not all) high schools in America require some sort of US History class in high school. So, APUSH classes are pretty popular.</p>
I honestly don’t know why everyone labels APUSH as the most difficult AP class. History is far from my forte and I was able to achieve a 5 on the test with a lack-luster teacher. It seems that APUSH is the most taken AP course because people feel most familiar with the subject matter and that they can do well on the exam.</p>
This statement and the OP’s post confuse me. I have never heard of APUSH as the “most difficult” AP class, let alone a moderately difficult one. Save APES and Psych, it is definitely the easiest AP I have taken (or am taking) of 16 tests. It’s probably just your teacher, OP. Some classes in my school are known for having teachers that give a LOT of unnecessary work.</p>
AP US History is so common because Americans only care about Americans and lack the insight to look abroad. I hear many different things about AP US History. I loved the class and thought it was fairly easy. I guess it depends on the teacher.</p>
every college student has to take us history in order to graduate. Its part of the general education and usually it has its own specific requirement.</p>
If you want to do well in APUSH, copy your notes down in the Question-Evidence-Conclusion form that Cal Newport talks about on his blog. I haven’t lately been able to keep up with the readings…at all…(sports) but I write my notes like this and I can see connections/cause and effect much better, and it’s very helpful for the frqs.</p>
Guys you have to understand it’s simple statistics. If APUSH is the most taken AP exam there is a greater amount of talent in the test taking pool that would potentially score higher on an easy exam. College board only wants to pass slightly over 50% of the kids each year. To do this they make it knock your shorts off hard. On my test they gave me a picture of a Campbells chicken noodle soup can and asked what kind of art form it represented? <em>**? I’m thinking, “am I in an AP art history class”? Still managed a 5 but still </em> college board, a soup can? Still managed a 4 with 0 minutes of review and was one of 76 kids with an A in the class both semesters.</p>
don’t memorize trivial facts. Some people try and treat is like cramming for a vocab quiz. “OK, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison…Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison…” Instead, try to read it like a story, because that’s what history is; a chronological story. You’ll be amazed by how much more you are able to remember, and how you’ll be able to see how everything ties together. I’m taking APUSH right now. I’m far from a history/literature person (I got 2 Cs in 9th Gifted Lit, have been taking regular since then), which is typically the case for math people like me, but I’m actually doing very well in APUSH, and find it very interesting. And not because I’m an egocentric American necessarily (Anonymous 1993 :D), but because it helps understand the problems we go through today, as many of them have happened before (eg the Tea Party is slot like the Know_nothing Party IMO). Better than AP World IMO; it felt that we were all over the place and it was too hard to remember what happened where.</p>
I am taking APUSH at one of the most competitive high schools in America (consistently rated between 40th-60th). We use the “Enduring Visions” textbook, and most test questions are released AP questions from the many (60) years of the course’s existence. I have never found APUSH to be hard (I maintain an A), but that is because I love American History. I find myself asking a majority of the questions in class, and although they may be outlandish, any questions you ask will enhance your understanding of the topic. </p>
You may be experiencing a problem because you are forcing the class upon yourself. If you don’t like history, then APUSH may be a difficult task for you. </p>
Just my 2 cents. </p>
PS: APUSH was founded to breed American leaders, by instilling anti-communist sentiments among our best and brightest students. :D</p>
(I know liberal != communist but technically it is closer on the political spectrum to communism than libertarianism is, which is what I identified with beforehand)</p>
Well, my APUSH class is mixed with “stupid” people, and very smart people, pretty much half and half. It’s kind of funny too, the left side of the classroom is populated by the popular people while the right side contains all the smart people. Although, I’d much rather call them average instead of stupid. My teacher seems to think that guys choose it because they think they are going to learn about war and other manly stuff. I agree that we take APUSH because U.S. history is already required so we might as well take the AP class and receive college credit. At my school, specifically, the APUSH teacher is also a 10th grade world history teacher and she is an absolutely magnificent lecturer. She’s absolutely hilarious and of course all her sophomore students who actually liked her very strong personality recommended the class to other students at the end of sophomore year. 165 students chose APUSH, and only 66 people actually got picked for the class…since I am in APUSH now, I have no idea why so many people chose the class. It is absolutely hard and I regret the decision regularly! But…when I go in to the class, and listen to my teacher lecture like she’s in a play, I completely forget that I have two hours of homework for that class the following day.</p>