apush: a guide
hey y’all! school is just around the corner and I have decided to post a couple of tips for some of the classes i have taken in the past. this first one is going to be about apush because i did a lot to study for it and i also loved the subject!
general class tips
TAKE NOTES! TAKE NOTES! TAKE NOTES! Whether it’s on lectures or textbook readings, be sure you have a good system of note taking that is organized. The easier your notes are to read, the easier it is to study the material you learned in september for the may exam
PRACTICE WRITING! my apush course was very writing heavy, and that really helped me on the exam. make sure you take advantage of improving your essay writing skills and take criticism and improve upon it
IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT THE TERMS! the apush exam is very analysis based. so while it is nice to know a lot of terms to throw into your DBQs, SAQs, and LEQs, make sure you can analyze them. a great way to focus on the analysis is to read HISTORIOGRAPHIES. essentially, these are nice long essays that show different perspectives of history and are a great way to improve your analysis skills.
resources i used
ap central (lots of FRQ practice)
gilder lehrman (lots of historiographies and review sheets)
chapter outlines
cram packet (made by yours truly!!!)
khan academy
practice questions (lots of chapter quizzes linked here)
dbq guide
review packet
a sweet quizlet
review guides from tumblr
exam day tips
i’ll probably post a whole separate thing closer to the exam next year (lol it is a bit early!) but here are just a few things to remember
BRING SNACKS AND A WATER BOTTLE! this test is 3+ hours. make sure you have eaten and slept before you go to the exam
ON THE MULTIPLE CHOICE: remember it is mainly analysis based. don’t overthink anything and derive your information from what is given. again, it may help to study terms, but ultimately the analysis is what helps on this section
ON THE SHORT ANSWER: you do not have to fill up the entire page! make sure that you answer each part of the question (you can divide it out by A. B. and C.) and remember to analyze what is given. this is the section where the terms you study will play in, so make sure to toss the ones you know in
ON THE DBQ: this is the hardest section for everyone. answer the question before you read the documents and then figure out where they play a role in your arguments (at least that helped me). don’t forget to include POV, it can be as simple as saying “this person was conservative” or “he started this thing during this time”. you got this!
ON THE LEQ: phew! the final section. don’t give up! answer the question you can easily form an argument with. often times the essays on earlier time periods are less specific and easier to answer (my teacher told me this). this is another section where it is essential you have terms and analysis.
best of luck to everyone taking apush next year! let me know if you need any advice. get that made in the usa bread!!
