#apwh tips

apwh: tips and advice

hey everyone!! so last year I took APWH and I absolutely loved it!! it was a very interesting class and the amount of learning that is condensed into one year is just... wow. that being said, I know the test is changing this year, so I’m doing more general studying tips that can be applied to this year’s exam, rather than test-specific tips. I did get a 5 last year on the exam, so here’s what I did.

general tips:

don’t slack on your notes. if you teacher has required, weekly notes, DO THEM! and if they don’t, try to do your own weekly notes on the chapter.

keep all of your notes. ANY and I mean ANY notes you took during the year will be helpful as you begin to revise. at the beginning of the year, buy notecards holders like these and an accordion file folder like this.

do any required primary source readings - if your teacher doesn’t assign them, find them. if your teacher assigns you primary source readings, read them carefully and understand them. then, do a quick SOAPSTone before answering any questions about the text. here is an in-depth guide on what a SOAPSTone is. THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! the collegeboard will give you hella points for SOPASToning each source. here are the prompts from last year. in the DBQ, the collegeboard gives you points for acknowledging bias/position. that’s where SOAPSTone comes in handy. i’m 90% sure this is part of the reason I got such a high score. during the 15 minute reading period, my pen was flying across the paper writing SOAPSTones for each source. for every resource you have on the exam, you better be SOAPSToning the HELL out of them. you’ll thank me later!

pay attention in class. this probably seems like common sense, but you would not believe how many kids I know that would just sit around and play on their phone when my teacher was giving a lecture. if your teacher has slides - copy them. if your teacher just talks, maybe draws things out on the whiteboard - COPY THEM! understand the material. if you are confused, ask a question. if your teacher is pretty cool, make comments about the material and offer your interpretation of it. the kids who might laugh at you for actually being engaged, well, they’re probably gonna get a 2.

know what SPICE is. SPICE is the overarching themes of each period. they can even apply to events, such as the Columbian Exchange. here is a great powerpoint that explains what SPICE is and has an awesome printable at the end. 

revision tips:

start 2-3 months in advance. I started around a month and a half in advance and let me tell you, I was cramming by the time test day rolled around. I’ve learned my lesson and this year for apush I will not be doing that!

have a buddy to work with. this is, in my opinion, one of the things that helped me succeed on the exam. my friend and I facetimed a couple of nights a week before the exam. we went over each period in detail and asked clarifying questions of the other if we were confused. also, my teacher wasn’t able to fully cover ww2/the cold war, so we taught each other that material.

buy a review book (if you can). my review book helped me so much!! I had the Barron’s book. when my friend and I were facetiming, we both had the book and managed to do the full practice multiple choice section together. he would ask a question, and then we would both answer. if one of us or both of us were wrong, we would try to work through the answer together. 

understand how the test is split up. in apwh, you have different periods of history that are rough estimations of eras. for example, last year period 2 was the golden age. so, ancient greece, egypt, etc. each period is a chunk of the test. so, one period might be ~8%, while another might be ~15%. understand how the test is split up and you can study smarter, not harder.

focus on the big chunks. focus on what will have the most impact during the test. so yes, review the smaller periods. but really breakdown and understand the major events, people, places, and things during the larger periods. barron’s review book has an excellent guide in the back of each period that breaks each period up into the SPICE categories, so you know what’s important.

attend saturday sessions, lunch sessions, etc. if your school has an awesome teacher that does saturday sessions or lunch sessions like mine did, ATTEND THEM. yes, it sucks to get up early during the weekend or spend your lunch learning about the cold war, but this extra review WILL help you on the test. if you can, give your teacher something to show your thanks, like a gift card or sweet treat. remember, it’s their weekend, too.

exam day:

don’t cram the night before. what’s actually best is to review your most worrisome areas a little then take some “you” time. eat some fruit, have a little dark chocolate, do a face mask, watch your favorite show, read a good book. relax and go to bed early!

bring hella snacks. the test will take a long time (~3 hours) and you’ll probably have to get to school early for registration. snacks are allowed and encouraged. if you have a favorite treat, fruit, chip, etc. BRING IT!! you will love getting to eat something familiar and comforting when you take a break. also, BRING A WATER BOTTLE!! if you’re thirsty or dehydrated during the test, that does not bode well for you. make sure all your needs are filled.

go in with a confident mindset. know you’re gonna ace this test. your mindset is everything on test day. understand that you’ve done everything you can to prepare and go in there knowing you’re gonna crush this test and give the capitalistic collegeboard a piece of your mind!! $95 to sit in a room for three hours and read about old white men complaining about their problems? hell yeah, get a 5 and tell the collegeboard to go to hell, baby!!

resources:

mrs. oz’s apwh review

crash course playlist

apwh in 3 pages (good overall review, forget period #s)

varsity tutor’s practice tests (GREAT REVIEW, will tell you in-depth problem spots)

freeman-pedia 

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