<p>I'm planning on self studying a couple of AP courses, some of which correspond to my IB classes. </p>
<p>Possible AP self-studies (I will be a sophomore next year, and no this is not too many AP tests):</p>
<p>AP Stats
AP Calc AB (corresponds with my IB Calc 1 class)
AP World (corresponds with my IB World History class)
AP Euro (kind of corresponds with my IB World History class)
AP Lang (IB LA 11/12)
AP Lit (IB LA 11 and 12 classes)
AP Macro (IB Econ)
AP Micro (corresponds with IB Econ class)
AP Government
AP Physics (IB Physics 1 and 2)
AP Music Theory
AP Bio (IB Bio 2)
AP USH (IB USH requires you to take this at the end, so I want to get a head start on it early)
AP Chem (IB Chem 2)
AP Art History</p>
<p>Most of the books recommended on CC are for those who have taken the class and need a bit of review. </p>
<p>I am asking for books that are more detailed and mainly teach rather than review, since I am self-studying these, not taking a class. If you've self-studied a course I've written down below, can you please reply with what books you used and your experiences with them? Would you recommend self studying, or do you recommend a class? I'd rather self study because my schedule does not have room for AP classes; it's filled with IB classes. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p><a href=“AP Biology Study Help - AP Pass”>AP Biology Study Help - AP Pass; </p>
<p>Which ever AP class you end up self studying, go to this website since it can help majorly. I am becoming a sophomore this year too! I plan on self studying AP Bio, AP stat. since people say they are pretty easy and I will be taking a regular biology class, but the most popular, easy AP classes that I found out are Environmental Science, Human Geography, and Psychology if you just want to get easy credit points. But in your situation, I would take Calculus, World, Euro, and US, Maybe even the physics classes, but I consider it easier with a teacher. Self study any you think will benefit you in the future and you are interested with a passion, that’s probably the best advice I can give.</p>
<p>If this is all one year:
Ridiculous Plan. Plain and simple. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how early you start studying. There is just not enough time in a 12 month period to learn this much information even if you are studying similar IB courses. Even then you have courses that are completely foreign like art history (you have to memorize over 600 paintings for this exam). AP exams are also very different and considered by many teachers and myself to be harder than IB exams, they are not easy 5s like many people on this site may indicate.</p>
<p>If you’re taking them over three years I would still say it is too much. You’d have to split up to 6 a year while juggling IB coursework along with CAS and the EE and TOK. You probably have never taken true college level coursework yet except maybe one gen-ed class. You don’t have time to truly study for these exams and get 4s and 5s.</p>
<p>This brings me to my final point which is this: You really need 4s and 5s to get meaningful credit at most colleges. You could get a 4 in calc AB and that’s great you got the credit, but it is meaningless if the school requires a 5 in order to go to Calc 2. Same goes for all of the “Core” AP exams like Chem, Bio, Lang, and Lit. </p>
<p>Unless if you have no sports, clubs, friends, or anything that makes life fun, there just isn’t enough time in the day even for super geniuses.</p>
<p>P.S. no gain for admissions and most schools cap their AP and IB transfer credits at 45. You would probably have well over 75.</p>
<p>P.S.S. If you provide a reasonable thought out plan of the next three years and what activities you plan to be involved in and it seems plausible to get 4s/5s I’ll try to help you out with books.</p>
<p>@jimmyboy23 This is over three years, and to me I don’t think it’s a ridiculous plan. Here’s why. </p>
<p>Some of these I might not do, I’m just listing them because some of my IB classes correspond to them. Since my school doesn’t offer certain AP tests, I might just not take them anyway, since I would have to drive to another school to take them. When I was writing this list I was just listing everything that I thought would correspond to my IB Classes.They’re possibilities, not plans. I just wanted to know if it was worth preparing for some of these and what books people used. </p>
<p>Sorry if I came across as rude or anything, I feel like I was a bit misunderstood. I could send you a reasonable plan later, only when I cut down my list. It’s certain that I’m not doing all of the ones I listed above.</p>
<p>It’s worth trying some but anything more than two to three a year I would say is unreasonable or overly stressful. That would leave you with 6-9 APs which is definitely a good amount for an IB student. If you cut down the list I would definitely like to give you advice on books at that point.</p>
<p>@jimmyboy23 </p>
<p>So I’ve whittled it down after doing a bit of research. Many of them are not self-study friendly, so this list is most likely everything that I will do:</p>
<p>Sophomore year:
APUSH (required by my pIB USH class anyway-not exactly a self study)
AP Stats (the only time I can take it-my school has some weird rule)
AP Calc AB (I’ve heard from people that the IB calc 1 class that I’m taking next year is basically the same and that it’s super easy if you take the class-not exactly a self study)
AP Chinese (I’m a native Chinese speaker and I have to take it this year, again with some rules with my school)</p>
<p>so just 1 actual self study, 2 sort of self studies, and Chinese is kind of BS to me. So 4 AP’s this year… but I have my reasons.</p>
<p>Junior Year:
AP World (IB World History mostly corresponds to it)
AP Calc BC (I have to take the class this year-not a self study)
AP Spanish (required for my IB/AP Spanish class)</p>
<p>3 this year, all of which are pretty easy for me, and junior year I have to focus on other tests too so…</p>
<p>AP </p>
<p>Senior Year:
AP Macro or Micro-I’m taking IB Business and IB Econ this year
AP Music Theory/Art History (UC art credit, also it’s required for my school to take a fine art class to graduate)
AP Physics (at this point I’ll have 2 years of physics-I think I’d be able to handle it)</p>
<p>So 3 this year.</p>
<p>Totalling 10</p>
<p>Outside of school: I’m a varsity cheerleader, which is a year round sport. However, last year I was able to manage my time extremely well even with cheer. I’m most likely not going to get accepted into NHS this year, but maybe later in life. I pretty much don’t have a social life (Me and Netflix till death do us part jk) so that shouldn’t impact me.</p>
<p>Anyway do you think that this is a reasonable plan? To me this definitely seems plausible. It is a bit more than what you wanted, but some of these I could get a 4/5 on without much studying (Chinese, AB, etc). </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Yeah, that seems like a pretty good plan. AP stats might be a bit much sophomore year plus I don’t think it will serve much good in terms of credit because you’ll already have two semester of math credit from calculus. Your plan does gradually increase in difficulty each year which is good. AP physics might be a lot different from IB physics (I’m assuming you would take physics 1 and 2). In IB physics the students usually have to learn topics outside of normal physics progressions like astronomy or quantum physics, but you will get the base that a review book can fill the holes.</p>
<p>As for Books:
APUSH: Amsco will kill the essays, but it is dense and should be used throughout the year. Barron’s is great for multiple choice and is succinct enough to use solely for review.
AP stats: Barron’s has like 8 practice test and good review chapters. A cheap version of Princeton Review would also help with gaming the test and calculator tricks.
AP calc AB: If you feel the IB course will prepare you then just get Princeton Review and look to see if there are any topics that you missed. Then use released AP exams from collegeboard and free response from their website.
AP chinese: For a native speaker, all you will probably need is to get acquainted to the test. Read the course description on collegeboard and know exactly what you’re going to have to do going into the exam.</p>
<p>AP world: Barron’s is good for this one an I hear their recent editions have even more helpful aspects. Princeton review is helpful if you need help seeing trends across time periods or how stuff fits together.
AP calc BC: just use whatever you used for AB, both exams are usually covered in the same book.
AP Spanish: Really hard exam and really hard to review. Nothing really good in terms of review books. This is an exam where you just have to live for it. Just focus hard in your spanish classes over the years and it should be fine.</p>
<p>AP Macro or Micro: I used Kaplan for this one because I needed something very short and only hit the critical points. The exam is not bad and Kaplan will help you get a 3 or 4.
AP Music Theory: Tough exam if you are not an actual music person. Barron’s helps but really this is like spanish where you have to live it by playing instruments and attending lessons
AP Art History: Very heavy on information for this exam. You have to know 600 artworks. Barron’s is very dense but if you read through it a couple times you should be all set for the exam.
AP Physics: I think Princeton Review is good for this one because Barron’s does get very elaborate for their science books. Barron’s is okay with their science books but their history books are much better.</p>
<p>Thank you so much! @jimmyboy23 </p>
<p>AP Music Theory is borderline suicide in a self-study environment–as a solid half the test is based on aural mastery, books alone will only cover so much. I’d highly recommend doing Music Theory in a formal classroom environment of some sort.</p>
<p>AP Art History is my first and only AP course I plan on studying alone, so I’ll go ahead and give you my own textbook specs–Barron’s of course is a must, and for textbooks covering the entire width of art history itself, I’d go with Gardner’s Art Through The Ages: A Global History, Vol. 1 and 2. </p>
<p>Some people on this site make self-studying sound like a cakewalk, but I’m pretty convinced you have to be inhuman to self-study in such large quantities.</p>
<p>By the way, enjoy the curve on AP Chinese–practically everyone who takes it is a native speaker and the average is a 5. Easiest possible credit for native speakers, I swear. </p>
<p>@PhazonFire My school used to offer AP MT but then they stopped offering it this year because only like 4 people signed up for it. They’re trying to get it back as a semester long course rather than a year long course because there’s not that much demand for it. Because of this I wanted to self study, but after everyone’s opinions, it seems kind of impossible.</p>
<p>AP Art History- my school doesn’t offer it, but I have to take it for UC art requirements and also I need art credits to graduate anyway, so I have to either take AH at another school, or MT at my school when they offer it again.</p>
<p>Haha yeah the curve for AP Chinese is the best. My AP class is actually full of non-native speakers, but the teacher isn’t the best teacher, so most non native speakers get a 2 or a 3, but native speakers get mostly 4s and 5s, but I know a couple native speakers who got a 2 :(</p>
<p>I’d gladly help you study Art History, as I’ll be self-studying that this year as well and I’m pretty decent at pulling important info out of textbooks.</p>
<p>Music Theory, despite being music, can actually be an awfully difficult class. If you have perfect pitch (which, thank the Gods, is the reason I’m sure I passed the exam), the aural portions of the exam/class are a cakewalk. While the theory portion can be learned (it’s basically just musical math), the aural portion takes training and conditioning of your ears and how you perceive notes.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, I’d retake that course over and over if I could–you’ll definitely learn a lot in a standard classroom environment, and if you have musical interests the course broadens the horizons of your abilities infinitely. </p>
<p>If you know you’re skilled with aural listening portions and identifying notes/chords/keys/intervals nearly instantly, go for it. The theory portion is definitely self-study-able. </p>