^Is the 2010 Edition the one you linked to in your first post or can you only get the 2010 Edition off of AMSCO’s site?</p>
^Yeah, if you order it new from Amazon, you get the 2010 edition.</p>
^I guess we’ll find out as we go along! 
I’m not liking the fact that the AMSCO book won’t be much help for my in-class tests though…</p>
I’m taking APUSH next year and have a question for anyone who has already taken the course: where does it start? Which time period/era? What’s the most stressed time period (what did you spend the longest time on in class?)?</p>
Thanks!</p>
We basically started way back with the indigenous people in America, but spent VERY little time on it since that’s basically not part of the test. Then we moved onto “discovery” and more w/1500s and 1600s etc. We spent a lot of time on the period after the civil war (excluding reconstruction areas-taht was pretty fast) through the progressive era. then the 1920s went kind of fast and so did the rest of the course, except for the Vietnam War which we spent a fair share of time on.</p>
What was most stressful for me was everything after WWII or so because the year was kinda ending and I stopped paying attention, so i had to learn a lot of it by myself before the exam Otherwise, it’s not too bad.</p>
In my class, we spent the most time on the years leading up to the Civil War…this time period was pretty important on the exam, one of the FRQs covered it.</p>
Well, in my school, we do US History I sophomore year and then you have the option of doing AP US History or just US History II. AP US History starts during the end of Reconstruction and it continues until the 1990s, but we really don’t talk about the 1990s in detail, just the collapse of the USSR. Basically, up to George H.W. Bush.</p>
Aww…it’d be cool if there were some Obama questions.</p>
Wow, this thread actually makes me miss APUSH (one of the best classes I’ve ever taken, and definitely the hardest class I’ve ever taken… my teacher was <em>brutal</em> but amazing. =D)</p>
For self-studiers out there, you guys could also use The American Nation by Garraty as your textbook. We used that and it was <em>excellent</em> and actually hilarious. Love, love, love Garraty (people at my school even started a facebook fan page for him!)</p>
Here are Amsco answers, btw: [Amsco</a> Answer Key](<a href=“http://teacher.ocps.net/stephen.hansen/APUSH%20Documents/Amsco%20Review%20Questions%20Answer%20Key.htm]Amsco”>http://teacher.ocps.net/stephen.hansen/APUSH%20Documents/Amsco%20Review%20Questions%20Answer%20Key.htm)</p>
I never actually had to use that though. I hardly ever did the practice quizzes except when studying with friends before the midterm/AP, and then we usually came to a consensus anyway so… But Amsco is amazing. I’m keeping mine forever. =)</p>
Got my results today and I achieved a 5 on this exam! AMSCO and Crash Course are the way to go!!!</p>
My teacher kind of ignored the official textbook and instead had us study out of AMSCO books. Most of us bought our own but she let those who couldn’t buy the book borrow a copy. Our reading was mainly from the book with a few accents from our textbook to cover whatever AMSCO skimmed over. That said, reading AMSCO from cover to cover was basically a necessity to do well in class. I’m insanely thankful she chose to teach us this way because I probably couldn’t have motivated myself to read AMSCO on my own. I nearly bashed my head in re-reading near the end of the year to review for the AP exam. I don’t think it’s the most interesting piece of literature (not boring, just tedious) but it is extremely helpful.
For those of you self studying, make sure you practice writing essays. If you take no other APs and are unfamiliar with essay writing for the exam, it can really bring you down. Know how to write a clear and concise thesis. In fact, know how to write a clear and concise paper. Be ready to quickly come up with support for your essay and organize thoughts (this was he hardest part for me, I had a mini freak-out before every essay and it took me a minute or to to calm down enough to think clearly; DBQs were the worst). Don’t fluff. History wants the facts, your analysis and your conclusion. Style isn’t really a necessity for APUSH essays - though that doesn’t mean you can skip on grammar and spelling.
Knowing your history will get you pretty far though. MC was always my favorite part of the exam. I flew into a panic the morning of the APUSH exam (it was my first). I stressed out even more afterward. However, it actually isn’t that difficult. I think it has a pretty nice curve. One of my FRQs was factually incorrect (not just a wrong name, the ENTIRE essay centered around a thesis that was wrong) and I still got a 5.
Fear not, APUSH isn’t going to kill you. It’ll make you stronger :)</p>
I’m so excited i Just got my scores back and got a 5!!!
I started studying in late february, slowly
but I used The 5 Steps to a 5 (great), the Barrons Notecards were a godsend and also the Green prep book that teachers give you (Ethel Wood?)
good luck guys!!</p>
I’m taking APUSH this year. It’s actually said to be pretty easy, because the teacher is the nicest man alive and it’s coming after Euro, where the test average was usually around a 60. I’m supposed to be outlining the first few chapters of the American Pageant… yeah, about that.</p>
I’m taking it a year early than the rest of my grade, I’m so excited. xD. I have the Kaplan, McGraw-Hill, and Barron’s review books (All from a friend who had the course last year). Which one of those is the best? Is there another book that’s better than all of those?</p>
6 chapters of reading and outlining of Alan Brinkley’s “American History: A Survey” over the summer, questions and one DBQ to boot. </p>
How many of you guys plan to take the SAT II for US History as well?</p>
^ As everyone have already said, AMSCO is the best prep book along with Crash Course. I can’t really say for Crash Course because i’ve never used it, but AMSCO alone can substitute any textbooks. AMSCO saved me from reading an entire textbook. </p>
My advice to you future APUSHers : If you’re required to take notes, do them ahead of time! Do not procrastinate! Or else it’ll literally be sleep deprived hell. :)</p>
^^I’m probably going to take the SAT II if I feel that I’m comfortable enough with the material.
^I don’t remember much from information-dense courses like this (biology, history) without taking notes (hours and hours studying for biology freshman year :(), so I’ll definitely be taking notes as I read.</p>
Is there an answer key for the 2010 AMSCO revision? Or are the multiple choice questions the same in both the 2010 and the earlier version?</p>
[AP</a> US History | AP Exam Review Course](<a href=“http://www.apexamreview.com/]AP”>http://www.apexamreview.com/) is also a pretty good place to go. The practice exams are better than anything I’ve seen before.</p>
I took APUSH and got a 5. IN my case, the teacher was no help and I had to rely on myself and reading the book to succeed.</p>
Here’s my recomendation. Take the SAT Subject test in USH offered right b4 the APSUH (like the week b4). I studied really hard for that SAT, got an 800, and didn’t have to stress out on AP week since the information was fresh in my mind. That SAT II can really serve as a motivator to start studying early (if ur like me who doesn’t study till the day b4 the test).</p>
Hey! Im a sophomore next year and im taking a regular US HISTORY COURSE…
I bought the BARRONs and my friend is giving me McGrawHill Prep courses for the AP US history! Do u think its possible for me to get a 4 or 5? Anyone has advice to give?
Thanks</p>