Five Tips for Success in AP Classes

Here it is: your first day of school, and you’ve signed up to take an AP class (or two or three!). You’re understandably intimidated as the teacher launches off into a diatribe about DBQ’s, FRQ’s, how fast the class movies, how much material the course covers, and of course, the all important AP Exam in May. But don’t worry. I’m here to walk you through and introduce you to the tools for success you’ll need in an an AP class.

1. Always, always, always pay attention in class.
This is, in essence, your first college class, so try to do your best in it. The best way to do that is to listen to your teacher’s lecture–he or she is covering valuable material and will let you know what, in particular, you need to remember for the exam at the end of the year. And to help you pay attention in class…

2. Take Notes!
With so many things going on (juggling classes with extra-curriculars and even possibly a job), it’s important to write down the points your teacher makes so that you can review them later. It’s easy to forget things, and not only will these notes help you study for tests throughout the year, they will help you prepare for the APEX at the end of the year.

3. Do the reading assignments.
It sounds simple, right? You’ve had teachers in the past who told you to read a few pages from the textbook every night, and you could probably skim through them that evening or just flip through the pages the first five minutes in class. Sorry to tell you, but that just won’t cut it in an AP class. First off, your reading assignments will typically range from 10 to 20 pages. That amount of material isn’t something you could skim through and expect to retain. Secondly, you’ve got to remember that to truly learn something, you’ve got to cover the material three times. In an AP class, your instructor doesn’t have the time to do that, so the remaining two times are up to you. (Perhaps reading the material before class, listening to the lecture, and then reviewing your notes after class would be a good way to cover all of your bases, hmm?)

4. Don’t fear the DBQ/FRQ!
The DBQ is a Document Based Question, typically found on AP History Exams. Basically, it’s an essay in which you must incorporate information from a series of historical documents. The FRQ is a Free Response Question, which is your typical run of the mill essay–you are given a prompt to which you must respond using only your own previous knowledge. FRQ’s are found on all AP Exams. Sound tough? It’s really not. Your teacher should give you rubrics for these early on in the school year, and should also give you practice essays throughout the year. By the time the APEX rolls around in May, you’ll be ready to tackle the DBQ/FRQ head on.

5. Get a Review Book.
I highly recommend that you get a review book, and that you get it early. Your teacher will be able to tell you which title is the best for your AP class. Review books are essential, because they cover all of the material included on the APEX, and they provide practice tests with multiple choice and essays. They are the best way to review the material and prepare you once the exam draws near. And, if you can’t afford to drop another $20-$25 on a book after paying the $86 APEX fee, your local and school libraries should have a few copies of these books in their test prep sections.

So there you have it! Hopefully these 5 tips will help to quell the butterflies in your stomach as you begin an AP class, and if you follow them diligently throughout the year, it’s entirely possible they’ll help you land that elusive 5!