Alrighty guys
So, as you may have noticed, May is right around the corner and quickly creeping up to us.
And that means AP Tests. Oh boy.
I’ve got a few messages requesting some classes, so I am going to do a broad generalization for a few courses.
AP SCIENCES
Whether it be chemistry or bio, remember not to get overwhelmed with the insane amount of info in your textbook. DO NOT REREAD CHAPTERS. Skim, read chapter summaries, look at chapter notes online (coursenotes is a great website for this). Rereading the book will over stress you and discourage you from your objective:
Get the big picture, focus on important details, and move on. We only have a week, so do NOT get caught up on these things. Watch Bozeman videos or Khan Academy. If you find you are spending 6 hours on a topic, thats your sign that you are taking too long.
Also: get used to the multiple choice format (for bio kids) and learn how to skim/take notes on the test. Its ok to make your paper look crappy with tons of pencil marks.
AP HISTORY
Again, do not forget the big picture-- they like turning points, how events affected civilians and other countries around them, and comparisons. Get a few dates memorized so you can slap them on your test. It looks good on an FRQ. For DBQ’s my best advice is to try to get through the reading fast and jot down notes. These things will slow you down and suck up all your time, so use it wisely.
AGAIN: Get the big picture, focus on important details, and move on.
AP MATH
Get used to the format. You may know the subject material really well, but that doesn’t mean much when their choice of words is abstract and confusing. Take FRQs. Practice multiple choice. Learn what graphs mean when relating them to other functions (I’m looking at you, derivatives!!). Master the ‘hint’ words like rates, average, accumulation etc that will help guide you on the test.
AP LIT
LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS FIRST. They will reveal what the passages are about. Read fast, take notes, read it again. Answer some questions. If they take too long? Move on and the next question may help you answer your previous question. For essays, ADDRESS ALL PARTS OF THE PROMPT. That is extremely important. And for at least one passage, they will recommend that you use the given literary terms so USE IT AND EXPAND ON IT. Review some literary terms for some books you read during the year and then relax. You can’t really study for this test, just trust in your abilities and get used to the time limit.
To all AP students: I wish you luck on your studying! Breathe, drink lots of water, and change environments. Sometimes studying in one place will suck out your soul. Reward yourself. Take small breaks. You can do this and will do this!
Now go study!