<p>Part I:Success in the classroom!!</p>
<p>Step 1:Buy or checkout these must haves!
I know that alot of you might be apprehensive about buying study guides (especially if you’re taking ALOT of AP’s) but these are worth their weight in gold.
AMSCO’s United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination [Amazon.com:</a> United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination (9781567656602): John J. Newman, John M. Schmalbach: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/United-States-History-Preparing-Examination/dp/1567656609]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/United-States-History-Preparing-Examination/dp/1567656609) or REA’s AP U.S. History Crash Course [AP</a> U.S. History Crash Course (REA: The Test Prep AP Teachers Recommend): Larry Krieger, Advanced Placement, US History Study Guides: 9780738608136: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/U-S-History-Crash-Course-REA/dp/0738608130/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373917300&sr=1-1&keywords=rea+crash+course]AP”>http://www.amazon.com/U-S-History-Crash-Course-REA/dp/0738608130/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373917300&sr=1-1&keywords=rea+crash+course)
You’ll want to use the latter if you’re cramming a few days before the test (if you’re an especially expert crammer, by all means use AMSCO, its a bit thick).Feel free to contact me if you’re in need of either one for real cheap!</p>
<p>That was easy!</p>
<p>Step 2: Notetaking; do all the chapters assigned, you’ll regret it in May if you don’t!!!
If you’re new to the whole note taking thing, doomed with a notetaking grade (like I was), or you’ve avoided it like a plague, this step is probably going to be especially helpful to you.</p>
<p>With all that comes with APUSH (tests, debates, essays trench wars (if your teacher’s that cool)) a major component that will attribute to your success in AP US Hisory is notetaking (groans) and your ability to learn the material. With AP US History especially, a special emphasis is made on key event, figures, and general vocabulary, an emphasis of which separates those that score in 3-4 range and those that score 5’s.</p>
<p>With this in mind, a method that I found especially helpful (if your teacher’s cool enough to let you devise your own note taking method) is the Question, evidence, and summary method (attributed to academic demigod Cal Newport). I’ve detracted a bit from his method since I’m a bit neurotic when it comes to notetaking (thus my especially long notes) and you can do so too.
The all powerful Question, evidence, and summary method in review
- [li]Step 0: Skim without a second thought[/li]skim the book chapter, looking over sections for a quick overview of what you’re taking notes on/ If you’re blessed with the privilege of taking notes on a laptop WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF SUBHEADINGS</p>
<p>[li]Step 1:Read, not power reading, not drooling all over your book, read.[/li]Read each section, take note of any big ideas that pop out at you/contribute to summarizing the chapter as a whole . You’ll need this for the next step.</p>
<p>[li]Step 2:Write general questions to general ideas that appear to you.[/li]Now when I say write a question, I don’t mean a really detailed, mundane one like “what color was Robert E. Lee’s shoes when he surrendered at Appomattox Court House” or anything vague like “what happened in 1941?”. Obviously you won’t be getting any silly questions like that on the AP exam, just relatively taxing questions that ask for details on general concepts/events. The questions you DO want to write down however are “what is (X) about?”, “How does (X) contribute to (main idea)?”, “what is (X) an example of”. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that more answers you can make up to a general question, the more important it is.</p>
<p>[<em>]Step 3: Write down the evidence (make every thought count!)
With this step, you’ll want to write in a bulleted, short hand format (the shorter each bullet the better) so that when you’re studying, you can answer the questions (that you already have ;D) in a rapidfire manner that’s both quick and efficient. Try to reserve a term for each bullet if possible. Remember, the reason why we hate textbooks is that they’re long, dry, and dull, we don’t want our notes to mimic them.
[</em>]Step 4: Write a summary
Write a general summary at the end of your notes (I personally don’t do this since I summarize while I’m cramming but again, make the method yours)
Here’s a basic format that you’ll probably want to do for each chapter section:
Section 1: The history of history
Question[ul]
[li]Quick answer to the question[/li][list]
[li]supporting details to that answer[/li][/ul]
[/list]
Summary: In the history of history…history was made.
If you’re especially curious, here’s an example of my notes that I did for AcDec. I know that the bullets seem pretty detailed but alas, if you’ve done AcDec, you KNOW that the test questions warrant details (shudders) <a href=“http://oi39.■■■■■■■.com/2a6uiq0.jpg[/url]”>http://oi39.■■■■■■■.com/2a6uiq0.jpg</a></p>
<p>Step 3: Studying for tests
Here’s the good thing about using the note taking method above, YOU HAVE PRACTICE QUESTIONS TO STUDY OFF OF! Try to recite each bullet under the question by memory. Extract the key vocab terms if you want to.</p>
<p>Step 4: Essays “perfect practice makes perfect”
As mentioned before, there’s an emphasis on key terms, events, and figures in AP US History. This is especially true in the essay portion of the exam (and hopefully any essay you take in class). </p>
<p>General rules of essay writing</p>
<p>1.ANSWER THE PROMPT (thesis). Disobeying this rule will automatically guarantee a low scoring essay. Here’s an effective thesis outline that I was forced to commit to memory
Y. However a,b,c. Therefore X
X represents the strongest point against your argument.
A, B, and C represent the three strongest points for your argument (the main ideas for your paragraphs)
Y represents the position you will be taking in other words, your stand on the prompt. (Thesis!)</p>
<ol>
<li>Use information within the period
Honestly,this should be obvious though its easy to use information a few years early or too late, it happens to the best of us (including me)</li>
</ol>
<p>3.Be as specific and concise as possible.
Don’t make a sweeping generalization on the human condition. GET TO YOUR POINT, PROVE IT, AND MOVE ON.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Don’t use personal pronouns (essay writing 101)</p></li>
<li><p>If you can write a conclusion under time constraints, do it, just try not to introduce new ideas.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’ve done AP World History, GOOD NEWS, the essay types you’ve had to do (compare/contrast; change/continuities over time) can be used to add leverage on your analysis. If you haven’t had AP world,search them up, learn basic concepts behind them, use them.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t forget to analyze (relate evidence to thesis)
brownie points go to information relatively unknown to the average APUSH exam taker, a very well organized essay, again use the AP World History Rubric.It’s VERY helpful, not to mention relevant to APUSH</p></li>
</ol>
![http://oi39.■■■■■■■.com/2a6uiq0.jpg[/url]](http://oi39.tinypic.com/2a6uiq0.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
