How do you study/self-study for AP? Answered
Hello everyone, I just finished my freshman year. This summer, I plan to begin studying AP European History and AP Macroeconomics. These are courses that are not offered at my school. Since this is the first time I've come across any AP curriculums. I'd like to benefit from the experiences of upperclassmen. How do you self-study for APs? What AP textbooks, prep books, and review books do you use? How do you take notes? What is your learning and memory system? How long does it take you to learn one AP?
I'll be having AP Computer Science A, and AP World History next year in the 10th grade. Should I be learning these courses before the year begins or wait until to learn with the class? How do you prepare for an upcoming AP course?
Also, the cost of these textbooks, particularly the next edition, is exorbitant. So I'm wondering if it's necessary for me to always buy the most recent edition of the textbook. Or can I get one that is late behind one version and thus less expensive?
I know it's a lot of questions. You may respond with what you know.
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1 answer
Most of the course material is available for free on AP Classroom(along with previous years' free response questions). Strangely, previous years' multiple choice questions are not available.
If you are really keen on purchasing books, getting an older version won't make much of a difference. I myself compared two years' versions(2021 and 2022) while preparing for my APs this year and there was hardly any change. If you buy books for practice tests, don't expect them to be 100% relevant to the actual AP exams. In my case, I found some of the actual AP exams harder and some easier than the practice exams in books. To find the best prep books, ask someone who has given the same APs as you.
As for the learning time, it depends on your efficiency and prior knowledge about the subject.
The key to success is consistency. Be regular in your studies and you will excel.
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To add to that, I heard Princeton Review books are generally easier than the AP exam and Barron's are generally harder. Also, the Advanced Placement YouTube channel has review videos/sessions recorded from when they were prepping for the AP exams (I think they record them every year). Here's the link to those https://www.youtube.com/user/advancedplacement/playlists