<p>I've had ap prep books but I don't use them much (only when I'm screwed= sports/clubs). I think using the ap prep books takes away from my personal learning. I like to derive information on my own. When I read textbooks I try to understand what it's about (that's the whole point of the book) and come to my own conclusions. These conclusions that I have (kept as a mental note in my brain) match exactly what is in the ap prep books- worded differently but same meaning. It takes longer to study from the textbook but I think it's a lot better than the prep book which takes away the process of analysis.</p>
<p>What do you guys think of prepbooks and does anyone here think the same way as me?</p>
<p>I think they do somewhat… The thing is that textbooks teach you all of a subject that the writers think you should know, which is a lot more than the AP books cover… I mean, most science classes for example don’t finish the textbook during the year, but rather finish the parts that the teacher deems most important. If you finish a whole textbook on your own and really did comprehend it then you probably learned a lot more information.</p>
<p>The inherent flaw with AP tests is that there is a lot of information that needs to be covered in 9 months and because teachers struggle so hard to get that ingrained in their students’ memories, it would just be overload if they taught you everything in the book… So AP teachers study what has been on tests in the past and only ask you to learn what is absolutely necessary. I can’t tell you how many times my World History teacher would tell us an anecdote from history to help us remember about some event… We’d all start writing and then she’d quickly tell us not to write it down because it wouldn’t show up on the exam.</p>
<p>I’m studying for Biology this coming May, and while I have an AP prep book that I study from so that I know what all I need to know for the test, and how to write the essays, I also have numerous Biology textbooks so that when I feel something is underemphasized in the prep book I can learn it in more detail.</p>
<p>I think that study guides take away the process of learning too. That is why I buy textbooks to prepare for the AP. I use prep books to review and prepare for the exam. From reading the prep books, it’s not as satisfying to learn as from the textbooks since textbooks are bountiful in information. That is why prep books are meant for reviewing, in my perspective.</p>
<p>Personally, I think AP Prep books don’t take away from the process of learning. It’s very possible to still understand the material from reading prep books. </p>
<p>Not trying to sound arrogant, but I know for a fact that for the stuff I’ve self-studied, I’ve understood the material to a greater depth than if I had taken a class on them. It’s still quite possible to do quite a bit of analysis with prep books. For example, if I read the study guide first and then I read a textbook, I don’t learn much more from the textbook (assuming they both cover the exact same topics).</p>
<p>Not Barron’s, because they always include WAY more than is really necessary. That’s why I always choose them :)</p>
<p>EDIT: With that said, a GOOD textbook is by far the best way to go. However, many of the “traditional” intro texts are no better than a study guide (things like Stewart or Larson for calculus).</p>
<p>Yeah, I do believe that. With review books it’s like you’re just memorizing the material instead of actually learning it. Exams like Physics/Chem are “tough” because you can’t memorize your way into a 5 with a review book like you can with so many other subjects.</p>
<p>Most people just use Review books (they’re the core, without much description/detail/pictures for supplementary learning) and memorize the hell out of them. So yes I agree it does detract from learning, if you’re not learning in different ways.</p>
<p>Haha… I’m sure a lot of people, like me, don’t just memorize the whole review book and forget everything right after the exam. I remember the stuff I self-study in a review book way better than the stuff I study off a textbook or in a course. </p>
<p>Look at it from the other perspective. In school, I “learn” just for marks. I pretty much regurgitate everything the teacher says and know nothing outside of that. Period. How is that learning? If I was self-studying something, I actually try to learn the material because I initiated the learning. I process the information better because it’s different when the learning is totally voluntary. Plus, I actually learn the subject as a whole, not learn the stuff the teacher thinks is important and leave everything else out.</p>
<p>For me, as long as the information gets in your brain, you’re learning. That’s how a lot of people look at it. But school is pretty much all about learning how to learn. As long as you get that out of the course, a review book or textbook shouldn’t make a difference. If the class you are in is a good one, it will force you to read the textbook and think about what you are reading. Then the review book just comes naturally after that when you’re reviewing to reinforce the material. I guess it just depends on the subject though, because some APs are easy enough that it doesn’t matter if you’re learning out of a textbook or a review book, you’re learning the same way.</p>
<p>^ I don’t think you can generalize like that. In today’s world of high-stakes testing, many districts purchase textbooks that pretty much just teach to the test and order the teachers to follow a very rigid, test-based curriculum.</p>
<p>Well, AP is in-depth enough that you pretty much have to know the stuff. If it’s not on the AP, you probably don’t need to know it for college, either.</p>
<p>It depends on how they are used. If you use a prep book as your sole source for preparing for the test, then you don’t really learn anything, they are designed to help you review.</p>
<p>The thing is, from the way I see it, study guides don’t take away the process of learning much more than classes do. </p>
<p>Teachers make you memorize the stuff they teach… you only only learn the stuff they teach and you only the way how they teach it. How is that better than memorizing a study guide?</p>
<p>I actually feel that prep books can be <em>harder</em> to understand than textbooks for certain subjects, simply because they’re written for someone who’s already studied the subject and just wants a review. All in all, they generally have a TON of info in condensed fashion. I self-studied for AP bio using Cliffs (exclusively) last year, and I knew the material way better than a couple of friends who were actually in the class, with the textbook, etc.</p>
<p>^I agree that it’s so possible to learn better by using study guides. Self-studying can help the material sink more. Also, study guides stresses on important points, whereas in class, important stuff = stuff that the teacher thinks is important a.k.a. stuff that’s going to be on the test.</p>