<p>I'm a rising sophomore and I was wondering how i can prepare for these subjects over the summer or any advice is good :).</p>
<p>AP World History
- I really enjoyed learning about Greece and political systems. I personally didn't enjoy learning about reformation :/. I know there are a lot of writing to do for this class, but I'm not a great writer. How can i improve my writing skills over the summer?
Also, the ap teacher told me that the whole course is changing next yr. idk what else to do besides doing vacation hw for this course. I hear the teacher doesn't really teach but has a good personality. my friend's global teacher said she is a very good teacher. but idk yet since i only met her once for the vacation assignment.</p>
<p>AP Computer Science
- I have no background of java, programming, or computer. I know my teacher does not give hw and gives out easy 90s. So I'm a little worried about the ap exam and basically have to self-study it. How can i prepare for it? also, what kind of prep book should i use?</p>
<p>Honors PreCalc
- I find math very easy. As long as i get the concept and pay attention in class, i do very well on the exams. But i still want to get prepared over the summer because i need 95 or above in this class for ap calc bc in junior yr :/ and i hear it is hard. I read somewhere that its helpful if i study sat math 2 (i'm planning on studying it anyways over the summer. as well as sat2 bio). idk if its true..</p>
<p>Honors Chem
- Our school has this program for science and you basically learn sat2 materials for each science courses. I'm not talking about getting prepared over the summer for this class but doing well in this course. For bio, i bought barrons and pr sat2 bio review books and studied those along with the class and did great (ended up being top1 in class). but idk if it would work for chem. I just want to know any strategies or anything :)
*i know a lot of ppl who got 80s in that class & very few who barely got low 90s.</p>
<p>I'm also planning on self-studying AP Envirn and AP Psych. My school offers these courses but I would rather take other ap science courses (bio, chem, physics).
- I personally don't find ecology interesting. I'm more into genetics and anatomy.
- i find psychology very interesting! always wondered how human mind work.
Since I know i'll be busy next yr, I was thinking about studying them over the summer and review the materials couple weeks/months before the exam.
So my questions are:
Do you think its a bit too early to study them?
When should I start studying them?
Are there any helpful prep books or online materials?
How do i register for the exam?</p>
<p>For your info these are the courses imma be taking nxt yr:
Honors precalc
AP World
Honors Chem
Spanish lv3-4
AP Comp. Sci.
Gym
English
Art
*Science Olympiad after school.</p>
<p>Do you think its just too much work? :/. My friends told me that looking at me now, i will be able to handle it and i feel that i can do this but yeaaa. i just wanna get prepared over the summer :)</p>
<p>Thank you! :)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have never taken AP World History or AP Computer Science, so I am unable to help you there. For honors pre-calculus, if you find Algebra II very easy, there is no need whatsoever to prepare over the summer. Algebra II and pre-calculus essentially covers the same stuff - MAYBE pre-calc takes it a step further, but if you find one easy, the other should be cake. For my pre-calc class I only did my homework and barely studied for tests, and I walked out with a 114%. Math class is always like that - if you find math easy or are naturally inclined towards mathematics, there is no need to prepare in advance. I advise, however, that you take the June 2012 Math II exam - the best time to take Math II is right when you are fresh out of pre-calculus. But even THAT doesn’t need preparing in advance - just pay attention in class and around February/March/April/May, start taking practice tests.</p>
<p>If you are not interested in ecology - that is to say, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - then I say don’t self-study. Why do we self-study? We self-study because we enjoy it and want to take our interests further. Self-studying takes a great deal of self-motivation. If you are not passionate about what you’re studying, it’s harder to find that motivation. Do not just do it for the college app. If you are currently enrolled in honors chemistry, perhaps you could self-study for the AP Chemistry exam in May 2012 and then take the SAT Chemistry II in June 2012. If you like psychology, though, by all means, go for it! </p>
<p>I have taken AP Environmental Science, Honors Chemistry (which I used to self-study for SAT Chem and AP Chem) and honors pre-calculus (where I then received an 800 on the SAT Math II). Your post was a little convoluted, so I’m not sure if I answered all of your questions. If you have any more questions, please, let me know! Good luck next year!</p>
<p>I can help on the AP Psych part. I self-studied that this past year as a senior. It’s a very easy one to self-study. It’s all memorization of various terms and of which-psychologist-did-what stuff, so easy. The test is also one of the easiest AP tests. For preparing as self-study, start early, like you could even read some of it this summer and get a handle on the information and then review it later for the test. I did that last summer. For a prep book, I’d recommend 5 Steps to a 5 and Barron’s flashcards. I loved both of those.</p>
<p>@cherrysunsets2
i was thinking the same about self studying environmental science because i knew i wont enjoy the topic. But i wanted to know what exactly environmental science is about and what ppl mean by an “easy” ap class. Also, im a little confused about registering for ap exams.</p>
<p>For honors precalc, im just okay with algebra 2 but loved geometry and trigonometry. i hated algebra for a long time because of this awful algebra teacher i had in 7th grade. All he did was give out worksheets with corny jokes. whenever i asked him for help, he just gave me the paper with all the work w/o explaining the steps. 
i bascially didnt know anything about algebra. but when i took alg2/trig this yr, i loved it. the teacher was great and everything was so easy. though its still a little confusing. so i guess i might want to review algebra materials over the summer, but idk how. Also, what exactly is precalc? Is it basically just algebra2 stuffs but step further?</p>
<p>Do you know any other aps that are better self studying than taking the actual course?</p>
<p>Anyways, Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>@iluvpiano
Thank you! I should study it over the summer and review later for the test.
By the way, I really want to know what ppl mean by an “easy” ap exam. Also, do you know if there are any other ap that i can easily self study for or if not, is better to self study than taking the actual course?</p>
<p>Also, i really want to improve my writing skills over the summer. I know i suck at writing so yea. Any advice/suggestions?</p>
<p>AP Environmental Science encompasses quite a few topics. It starts by giving you background on the Earth we live in - what are the different zones of the atmopshere, what are ecosystems and what types of ecosystems are there, what are the zones of the ocean… you know, the kind of stuff that you brushed up on in grade school, just a tad more into depth. We then zoom in on how human activities are affecting the environment, and how we can progress towards an environmentally sustainable society. We examine the advantages of disadvantages of different sources of energy, such as biofuel and nuclear power plants. A major part of APES is advantages and disadvantages, the good and the bad. Personally, I enjoy it a lot. If you don’t really know much about enviro, try it out! Maybe you’ll like it after all. But if you “know you won’t like it” and you try it and you DON’T LIKE it, then please, don’t do it. Do what you enjoy. I know lots of people say it is easy, but still, do not underestimate the time that one should put into an “easy” class in order to get a 5 (that is your target score, yes? If not, then drop all the APs you plan on self-studying for sure and make it your target score for all the other exams. Quality over quantity! :P)</p>
<p>You register for AP exams through your school. Speak with your AP coordinator.</p>
<p>Right, pre-calculus is just algebra II and trigonometry, just a little bit more in depth.</p>
<p>The best way to improve writing is through practice and, more importantly, reading! (I should practice what I preach though, honestly XD)</p>
<p>AP Psych is the only one I did self study for, but I’ve heard that Enviro, Stats, World History, and a few others are really easy too. Psych is easier than most AP exams, and those others I just mentioned are known to be easy exams too.</p>
<p>@cherrysunsets2
Of course im aiming for 5 on the exam! :)</p>
<p>I guess i should try environment then. because learning about the advantages & disadvantages weren’t THAT bad and actually made me think/realize how serious these problems are.</p>
<p>Once again, Thank you!</p>
<p>@iluvpiano
Thank you!
How long did you self study for AP psych? As in how many hours per day… etc.</p>
<p>I started studying it last summer. I read through a textbook and a review book, highlighting important info to study later. Then I just reviewed it during breaks (christmas, spring, easter break, and the weekend before the AP test) It wasn’t a daily thing; it was in chunks, and then not for a while, then again, etc. so I don’t know how many hours, sorry.</p>
<p>Ohh thanks anyways. Which textbook did you use?</p>
<p>here’s the citation for my textbook: Morris, Charles G., and Albert A. Maisto. Psychology: An Introduction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. Print. So I read that over the summer, then prep materials I used 5 Steps to a 5 book and Barron’s flashcards, plus you can search random things throughout the internet too.</p>
<p>@iluvpiano</p>
<p>That’s exactly how I’ve self-studied for AP test. “Daily studying” just never happens. (except for the 2 days before the AP test, I suppose)</p>