At first, APHG may seem scary, but it's really not. For me, it is my favorite class I've taken so far at Park Hill, and Mrs. West makes it really interesting. Try your hardest throughout the class and never ever slack, because you never know if you will be looking for a grade promotion at the end of the year.
Make sure you ALWAYS do the reading. This isn't a class where you can skip every reading and still do well. Also, if you can, try to read it at home and don't try to cram a 20 page reading into homeroom, late start, or another class because it will not help you at all. Additionally, always do every reading guide. They weren't required, but they were the most helpful resources to prepare for quizzes. They help point out the most important parts of the reading and point out the concepts that are more than likely going to be covered on the quiz. I cannot stress how much more prepared I felt for quizzes once I started doing the reading guides. Always know every model, theory and theorist because they are all extremely important. Also, make sure you always know key terms. Do your vocab as you are reading, not the night before it is due. This will help you prepare for quizzes also. Always make sure you know key terms, and go with your gut on the quizzes. Don't be scared by the map quizzes, just use lizard point to study for them and don't try and learn all of the countries of Africa in the first 10 minutes of class. As long as you study for them, they are a good way to easily boost your grade a little. Use your interteaching time wisely. Usually during this time, Mrs. West will say, "Make sure you know..." and whatever she says is something you need to know for the quiz so listen to her when she says this.
During class, TAKE NOTES. IT WILL HELP YOU. Also always be paying attention during lecture because you never know when you will miss something important. Lecture may sound boring, but Mrs. West makes it pretty interesting. Again, don't just rely on lectures to get you through the class; always read. And please don't be "that guy" and sleep during class. That will get you nowhere.
You're going to have to study for tests, even if you have been able to do good on every test in every class without studying like me. This may be the first class you have to take a significant amount of time to study for, and that's ok. Make sure you know key terms, go over lecture notes, and manage your time during the test well so you're not doing half of it in 15 minutes at the end of the block.
For the AP test, start studying at least 2 weeks in advance, if not more. (I started 4 weeks in advance). If you can, buy one of the study books and actually read them. If you find yourself crammed for time, go over the chapters you struggle the most with. When taking practice tests, go through and see which ones you got wrong and what chapter they correspond to and that usually shows what you need to study the most. Re-watch the midterm review video, re-watch lecture videos and go to all the review sessions--even the Saturday ones. The review sessions help a ton. Definitely make sure you know agriculture, political geography, and chapter 13.
Just make sure you always do your best. Read every reading, do reading guides, never slack off, always know key terms, model/theories/theorists, and always do your vocab. The first chapter is going to be boring, and the first reading is the worst of the whole course, but every other chapter can be pretty interesting. Also, I suggest getting a binder and staying organized. Never hesitate to ask Mrs. West questions, even if they seem stupid. Mrs. West is the best and she really cares about your success. She posts a ton of extra resources on d2L, like the lecture powerpoints, videos, flashcards, etc. so USE THEM!!! And take advantage of any extra credit opportunities. It's a great class, so make the best of it!
-Daley
Make sure you ALWAYS do the reading. This isn't a class where you can skip every reading and still do well. Also, if you can, try to read it at home and don't try to cram a 20 page reading into homeroom, late start, or another class because it will not help you at all. Additionally, always do every reading guide. They weren't required, but they were the most helpful resources to prepare for quizzes. They help point out the most important parts of the reading and point out the concepts that are more than likely going to be covered on the quiz. I cannot stress how much more prepared I felt for quizzes once I started doing the reading guides. Always know every model, theory and theorist because they are all extremely important. Also, make sure you always know key terms. Do your vocab as you are reading, not the night before it is due. This will help you prepare for quizzes also. Always make sure you know key terms, and go with your gut on the quizzes. Don't be scared by the map quizzes, just use lizard point to study for them and don't try and learn all of the countries of Africa in the first 10 minutes of class. As long as you study for them, they are a good way to easily boost your grade a little. Use your interteaching time wisely. Usually during this time, Mrs. West will say, "Make sure you know..." and whatever she says is something you need to know for the quiz so listen to her when she says this.
During class, TAKE NOTES. IT WILL HELP YOU. Also always be paying attention during lecture because you never know when you will miss something important. Lecture may sound boring, but Mrs. West makes it pretty interesting. Again, don't just rely on lectures to get you through the class; always read. And please don't be "that guy" and sleep during class. That will get you nowhere.
You're going to have to study for tests, even if you have been able to do good on every test in every class without studying like me. This may be the first class you have to take a significant amount of time to study for, and that's ok. Make sure you know key terms, go over lecture notes, and manage your time during the test well so you're not doing half of it in 15 minutes at the end of the block.
For the AP test, start studying at least 2 weeks in advance, if not more. (I started 4 weeks in advance). If you can, buy one of the study books and actually read them. If you find yourself crammed for time, go over the chapters you struggle the most with. When taking practice tests, go through and see which ones you got wrong and what chapter they correspond to and that usually shows what you need to study the most. Re-watch the midterm review video, re-watch lecture videos and go to all the review sessions--even the Saturday ones. The review sessions help a ton. Definitely make sure you know agriculture, political geography, and chapter 13.
Just make sure you always do your best. Read every reading, do reading guides, never slack off, always know key terms, model/theories/theorists, and always do your vocab. The first chapter is going to be boring, and the first reading is the worst of the whole course, but every other chapter can be pretty interesting. Also, I suggest getting a binder and staying organized. Never hesitate to ask Mrs. West questions, even if they seem stupid. Mrs. West is the best and she really cares about your success. She posts a ton of extra resources on d2L, like the lecture powerpoints, videos, flashcards, etc. so USE THEM!!! And take advantage of any extra credit opportunities. It's a great class, so make the best of it!
-Daley