Handling APUSH
- Drew Carcellar
- Oct 30, 2020
- 2 min read
AP Classes can be intimidating, but they're definitely worth the try! The second AP that I would like to write about is AP United States History, better known as APUSH. This course is feared by many, but trust me, it is a great learning experience. Getting an A for the class and a 5 for the exam is not impossible! Just be prepared to take tests every week, write numerous essays, and have additional work.
ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES
Your notes will save you! People may say that these notes are time-consuming or not effective, but I think that they're really helpful. APUSH has a lot of facts, events, names and explanations that you need to understand. Writing these notes at first will help you learn at your own pace and save time (less reliance on your textbooks).
REMEMBER KEY EVENTS AND YEARS
You'll need to remember a lot of these. Each teacher has a different technique of making sure that students know these key elements. From my experience, my teacher would give us tests every Friday, presentations at least once a month and A LOT OF ESSAYS. You'll encounter questions like: "What event in 1929 led to the Great Depression?" "Why was the year 1800 iconic for American politics?". You'll save your grade and prepare for the AP Test.
PRACTICE WRITING DBQs
DBQs... They may seem daunting at first, but over time, you'll slowly get the hang of it. The best tip I was given was to analyze each document (taking note of what side they support) before constructing an outline (for reference) and writing your claim. The DBQ is timed, so you should know how to pace yourself and use the time effectively. Practice makes perfect.
HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT PRESIDENTS DID
I cannot assert how helpful this is. Both the multiple choice questions and the writing portion of the test focus on these. This practice is not just helpful for exams, you're going to need it for class as well. You don't really need to memorize the presidents in order (you could if you really want to), but you should at least know these things: political party, unit and key events.
FOCUS ON EXPLANATIONS, NOT FACTS
This tip is the same as the one I put for APES. Remember that you are supposed to answer the "whys" and the "hows". Teachers and test graders focus on your knowledge on why such events occurred throughout the course of US History. In order to get a high grade for the class and the exam, you need to be able to explain these well.
These are just my personal tips for APUSH. Always maximize your resources, write effective notes and clarify things you don't understand. In this time of virtual learning, APUSH would be more challenging. Keep in mind that YOU HAVE A GOAL for to pass both the exam and the class. Good luck!
Check out these sites as well!
I put a meme below so you get motivated :)
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