AP European History is synonymous for "studying". That's all your homework is... reading and studying. You will be assigned to read approximately 10 pages a night for your homework. The next day in class you will spend the majority of the time talking over the 10 pages and discussing any questions that you may have. At the end of the class you will take a 5 Question Quiz (Multiple Choice) and then be assigned another 10 pages of homework for the night. You will do this for an entire chapter (about 30 pages) and then you will usually have a day or two to study for the Test that consists of approximately 50-60 questions (AP Multiple Choice Questions... 5 Answer Choices). You will have one class period to complete the test because remember, the AP Exam also has a tight time restraint. After the test you will usually be assigned another 10 pages and begin the next chapter. On some occasions you will cover 2 chapters (60 pages) on a single test. There are a couple "Take-Home Tests" that you can use your book for and there are some chapters that you will not be tested on at all but will still be responsible for on the AP Exam. In addition, a few practice essays will be written periodically throughout the year.
The class is quite fast paced and come May you will usually have anywhere from a couple days to about a week or two to review for the AP Exam so it's important you retain the knowledge as you progress throughout the year. The quizzes are worth almost nothing compared to the test grades. Quizzes are worth 5 points while a Test is worth 100 points. (*This may have changed now due to the 80/20 grading system*). So don't stress on getting a bad quiz grade here and there. After the AP Exam is over... it's a cake walk from there reviewing for the Global History Regents Exam. The Regents Exam is graded on a great curve and most AP Euro students earn a score of 99 (100 is extremely tough... but doable). So below is how I personally studied, and then how I recommend that you should study:
On a "Quiz Night" (10 page assignment) I would type my notes in detail first (approximately 1-3 hours per night). Then I would study my notes that night (approximately 1 hour per night). The following day I would bring in my notes and study them whenever I could before Euro class whether it was in a lunch, study hall, or even in Spanish... oops. Now this is where everyone thought I put way too much work in... on a "Test Night" I would reread the entire chapter (30 pages) which is not uncommon, but then I would retake my notes too (both taking approximately a total of 6-8 hours). Then I would study them (approximately 3-4 hours). Also on Test nights a few of my classmates and I would form a study group and review the chapter via Skype. I found this very helpful. The earliest I've gotten to bed on a "Test Night" was probably around 1AM. Then I'd study the next day before Euro class anytime I could along with the rest of my classmates. I would continue this study cycle throughout the year.
Come final exam time I purchased an AP Exam review book which I also took detailed notes on. The problem, come the exam, for me was I spent way too much time on notes and didn't have the time to completely study them. As I'm sure you know, AP Exams are grades on a scale of 1-5. A 3 by no means is a bad grade, in fact it is the average grade of the class. I believe one or two people got a 5 in my class. There were also some 4's, and some of my classmates had used my notes throughout the year. I am confident that if anyone were to completely and thoroughly study my notes, they could get a 5. In fact, I receive multiple emails from people around the country every year who are excited to tell me that they earned a 4 or 5 by utilizing my notes.
Now how do I recommend that you study? Well, first off you HAVE to read the book. There's no way around it. If you want to do good in the class you need to read the book. Then I either recommend taking your own notes, using my notes, or both. The notes I have uploaded on here are the notes I've taken on "Test Nights" which I believe are the most reliable. Only you know which study methods work for you best. If you use my notes it will probably save you some time rather than taking your own, but again that's completely up to you. Honestly, if I were in your position I would probably take my own notes and then look over the notes posted here. My notes are extremely detailed and I maintained mid-90's throughout the school year using these notes. Study until you feel confident in the material and don't take the quizzes too seriously. Now on "Test Nights", I recommend you reread the chapter (Yes, all 30 pages) at least once. Then either use my notes, your notes, or both to study for the Test. Take the Tests very seriously because these are what make up a great portion of your average for the class. (*This may have changed now due to the 80/20 grading system*).
REVIEW FOR THE AP EXAM STARTING FROM MONTH 1!
Now here's my biggest recommendation to do well on the AP Exam. Start reviewing for the AP Exam little by little starting from the very first month of AP Euro. Use my AP Exam Review Notes (which are different than the notes I took throughout the year) on this website. If it's on the exam, it's in the notes! These are the best notes out there when reviewing for the AP Exam. People have told me I should publish and sell these. Now I'm not saying this to brag, I'm saying this to save you a boat load of work. Use the notes periodically throughout the year starting September so when May comes you will be on top of your game and won't have to cram everything in last minute. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! I can't stress it enough.
This is just how I studied and my recommendations for how you should study. I also want to add that it is very important that you don't just memorize the small facts, but also the bigger pictures and how each century differs from one another. Again, everyone is different and has their own personal preferences. Just find what works best for you and stick with it.
