Advice on Advanced Placement courses?

Question

Next school year, I am taking AP psychology and AP US Government & Politics. I have a few questions.

1. I want to get a head start and study over the summer. I have seen a lot of different books on various AP courses - which ones are the best for the two APs I have chosen? How should I study?

2. What is the US govt. & Pol course like? I haven't taken US history. Is this likely be a problem? I am aware that it has the potential to be a tedious class, and it may put me off politics all together. However, I am trying to remain positive, so please don't just go "Oh yeah you're gonna hate it. Poor you!" That isn't very helpful. Be gentle!

3. I am hoping that AP classes are more interesting because they are full of motivated, interested students, and are taught by interested, motivated teachers who know their subject really well. But I'm worried that the teacher will think that an AP course have an unrealistic work load and be as difficult as possble. What are your experiences?

Answer 1

Both of these courses will be a broad overview.  AP Psych in the school where I teach is considered not as difficult as other APs, and it's highly interesting.  AP US is heavy on material.  Well, both courses will be heavy on content.

You're going to be touching on major topics in these courses.  For AP Psych, it will be people prominent in the field (e.g. James, Skinner, Jung, Freud, etc.) and movements that impacted the field (behavioral psych, psychotherapy, etc.) so any published overview (AP or not) will cover these.  You might want to pick up a used text from any Psych 101 course (or Poli Sci 101) on Amazon (see what a local college uses).  This will give you a non-AP take on both fields, which is a good idea because you'll broaden your exposure and not be so "AP-spoon-fed", yet they will still prepare you for the courses.

As for students in the course"  the reality is not everyone will be as motivated as you.  Some will be there to boost their GPA with the heavier-weighted grade and some will be there because their parents are making them.  But generally, the students should be more engaged than in other classes.  The teachers, in my experience, are also the more engaging teachers on staff.  They want to see you succeed.  I can tell you something else a student can't:  in my department office at AP test time, the teachers of the courses being tested spend the time pacing the room, nervous as to how their students are doing, genuinely concerned and acting like worried parents.  (They're not allowed to be in the room while you're taking the test.)

You can try emailing the teachers of those courses to get some idea of who they are.  Once summer starts, teachers generally don't check their email, but you never know.

Good luck!