So you’re taking ap us government & politics!! It can be a lot of work at times, but with some effort + dedication you’ll be doing well on the exam in no time. I’ve put together a few resources + a couple of tips which I’ve found useful that I hope will help you succeed!!
HOW I STUDY FOR GOVERNMENT
barron’s- i did most of my revision from this hulking monster of a book. i created a revision plan and made notes on each chapter before compiling them into flashcards, although this method definitely doesn’t work for everyone!!
rea crash course- (this links to a free pdf of the book btw) tiny, but i love it. i read a chapter or so on the bus each day on the way home, or between my classes or whatever, and did a lot of annotating in it. super useful resource for when you need fast facts or just the basics, and it was very helpful in addition to my textbook when studying for tests!
detailed notes- i found notes to be the best way to study, and took notes from my textbook, the Barron’s book, and a stellar video series i found online. they’re my favourite method of revising + what I typically do before compiling info onto flashcards!
flashcards- i know they’re not everyone’s favourite, but i utterly adore flashcards. i broke mine down by topics (for the most part following the layout of the crash course book), and included key words. i love them for this class because they’re so versatile + easy to adapt!
quizlet sets- better than actual flashcards for simple vocab! i build oodles of quizlet sets to help me out. there’s a lot of straight memorization involved in government, and for things like knowing court cases i found quizlet sets to be particularly useful!!
graphics- because government is so interconnected, i found that diagrams and other graphics really helped me to learn the material. you can make flowcharts, colour coded venn diagrams, and if they work for you, then the more the better!! for instance, here’s my ‘branches of government’ chart :D
crash course us gov (so cute + helpful)
super informative videos (although a little boring, these were the ones i used most)
how to write an ap gov frq
supreme court cases for dummies
links to ap us gov review posts by @scholasticwhimsy
vocabulary from apstudynotes.com
branches of government diagram
flashcards by topic from varsity tutors
gov jeopardy!!! for fun with friends :D
how 2 study politics + government by @studyei
huge archive with notes, FRQs, and even practice tests
all released FRQs from the college board
know your court cases! sometimes they come up, sometimes they don’t, but they’re really helpful in the frqs and there’s no reason to lose points on easy court case questions in the multiple choice.
iron triangle!! just know it back to front, upside down, inside out, and doing yoga. the iron triangle is your friend!
plan! if you have a study plan from the outset, you’ll be better able to keep yourself on track and going exactly where you need to be.
get started early! gov is quite content heavy— although most of it’s just memorizing— so getting started in advance will really get you through everything you need to cover. Just keep working at it and you will get there.
focus + have confidence! sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Don’t give up on government and keep on working to the best of your ability.
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