AP Success Advice

The Advanced Placement Program®: 

The Advanced Placement Program®

What students: 

What students Do to achieve success in: Advanced Placement courses University work

Presented by: 

Presented by Mark Cruthers

Information source: 

Information source

Student: 

Student Real students study hard Are you a real student?

Students in the Advanced Placement Program®: 

Students in the Advanced Placement Program® All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP® courses. The College Board encourages the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP courses for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the AP Program.

Advanced Placement Program®: 

Advanced Placement Program® AP® teachers use college-level materials and course descriptions developed by a committee of college faculty and AP teachers. AP Course Descriptions reflect courses taught in colleges and universities throughout the country.

AP® Examinations: 

AP® Examinations Administered in May Approximately three hours long Composed of multiple-choice and free-response questions Free-response questions graded by college professors and AP teachers in June AP Examination grades range from 1 to 5

Words to the Wise: 

Words to the Wise

Take Control of HomeworkSo It Doesn't Control You: 

Take Control of Homework So It Doesn't Control You You may not realize it when it's 2 a.m. and you are memorizing a chapter, but homework is a good. It helps you: Practice what you've learned during the day, Establish study habits that will be critical in college, Prepare for your classes, Get a sense of progress.

Homework Tips: 

Homework Tips Set the Mood Create a good study area with all the stuff you need (for example, a dictionary). If you don't have a quiet place at home, try the school or local library.

Plan your Work: 

Plan your Work Make a prioritized list of everything you need to do, so you can't use 'I don't know where to start' as an excuse. Just don't over-schedule yourself. Without some flexibility, you'll set yourself up to fail.

Study at the Same Time Every Day: 

Even if you don't have homework, use the time to review notes. If homework is something you accept as part of your day, you'll approach it with less dread. Plus, you'll become a pro at using time productively. Study at the Same Time Every Day

Organize the Information: 

Organize the Information People process information in different ways. Some people like to draw pictures or charts to digest information, other people like to read out loud or make detailed outlines. Try to find the best methods that work for you. Ask your teacher for recommendations if you're having trouble.

Take Advantage of Any Free Time: 

Take Advantage of Any Free Time If you have a study hall, or a long bus ride, use the time to review notes, prepare for an upcoming class, or start your homework.

Celebrate Your Achievements: 

Celebrate Your Achievements Make goals for yourself When you reach your goal Reward yourself

The Common Motivational ColdAchoo! I'm Bored: 

The Common Motivational Cold Achoo! I'm Bored Does the idea of starting that History worksheet give you a headache? Does the thought of doing one more page of Kennedy make you queasy? Don't worry. It happens. Everyone catches the occasional motivation cold.

Make a list in two columns: 

Make a list in two columns Column 1: What are your most important tasks? Column 2: What's on your to-do list? If your items in column 2 have little to do with your objectives in column 1, you have a problem. To solve it, you may need to rearrange your time and devote more energy toward what counts. This will help you build momentum.

Create New Challenges: 

Create New Challenges When you start to feel bored with something, try changing your approach. Say you've been given an assignment similar to one you've done in the past. Think about how you can solve this problem in a different way or improve upon your previous work.

Set Attainable Goals: 

Set Attainable Goals Lots of people have big dreams but have difficulty translating them into concrete steps. The key is to think short-term, not only long-term. For example, if you're having trouble reading a long chapter for class because it seems too large, don't focus on all the pages. Consider each section of the text individually. Now you're dealing with a familiar task, not unlike chapters you've read before.

Find a Social Support Network: 

Find a Social Support Network In almost any setting, there are mentor figures who can give you guidance and help you develop new skills. Plus, there are peers who can motivate you by listening and exchanging ideas. Both mentors and peers are important elements of a support network, which is also a great resource for information and for new ways to challenge yourself.

Acknowledge Your Accomplishments: 

Acknowledge Your Accomplishments When you've got momentum going, it's tempting to jump from task to task. Sometimes, though, this can make you feel stressed, like you're not getting enough done. Instead, pause after you've reached a goal or give yourself a quick reward. Take a walk, send an email, get a snack -- whatever works for you.

How to Take on AP/College Studying?Your Cramming Days Are Over: 

How to Take on AP/College Studying? Your Cramming Days Are Over With AP, a college level course of study, you may be shocked by the workload you suddenly face. Read a whole book for the next class? A test on three chapters when the semester has hardly begun? Think of AP as a part-time job, in which you spend about five hours a week per AP class. And you're largely responsible for deciding exactly how much time to allocate to each task. Getting organized and using your time well are key to succeeding academically. T i m e M a n a g e m e n t

Decide Where and When to Study: 

Decide Where and When to Study Come up with a specific plan for where and what you'll study during any gaps in your schedule. In addition to making use of transitional times during the day, it's generally a good idea to avoid studying too late at night, when you tend to be tired, work inefficiently, and forget much of the material you cover.

The best places to study have the following qualities:: 

The best places to study have the following qualities: Good light, Comfortable temperature, Good desk space. Beyond that, different environments have their own pros and cons. Ultimately, the decision of where to study depends on two factors: the environment in which you are best able to concentrate and the type of work you are planning to do. For completing problem sets or brainstorming possible test questions, you may want to study with a group or at least in a setting where others in the class are available for discussion. When you are reading Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil or working on a research paper, by contrast, you are probably better off in a less social environment.

Develop Good Study Habits Early On: 

Develop Good Study Habits Early On Have a routine for where and when you study. Decide in advance what you'll study, choosing reasonable and specific goals that you can accomplish. Do things that are harder or require more intense thought earlier in the day. Take breaks so that you stay fresh and don't waste time looking at material but not absorbing it. Make use of 'dead' time right before and after class and in breaks between other activities. Get to know students whom you respect and can study with or call and ask questions. Keep up with the workload and seek help at the time you need it. You don't want to become paralyzed by stress or get so far behind in the work that it is too late to begin studying the material you've skipped.

Do the Reading: 

Do the Reading There's a big difference between reading effectively and merely skimming the text without thinking about your relationship to the material. Read assigned materials before class so that you'll be able to ask questions about the material and have a context for understanding the material. Take notes on the reading instead of highlighting the text. It's a more active form of learning, because it requires you to think through and rephrase the key points. Later, you can highlight the important ideas from your notes on the reading and your class notes. Having written notes apart from the text will also be a great help when it comes time to review the material for tests.

A Reading TechniqueHow to Hit the Books: 

A Reading Technique How to Hit the Books SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. It is a proven technique to sharpen textbook reading skills. In college, you'll frequently be assigned multiple chapters for several different courses in books that can be quite complicated. SQ3R helps make reading purposeful and meaningful, so that you use your time most effectively.

Survey: 

Survey Get an idea of what the chapter is about by reviewing the highlights: Read the title, headings, and subheadings Take note of words that are italicized or bold Look at charts, graphs, pictures, maps, and other visual material Read captions Read the very beginning and end of the chapter

Question: 

Question As you survey the text, ask a question for each section. Ask what, why, how, when, who and where questions as they relate to the content. You can create questions by: Turning the title, headings, or subheadings into questions Rewriting the questions at the end of the chapter or after each subheading in your own words Write down your questions. Questions help you pay attention, understand the text better, and recall the information more easily later on.

Read: 

Read Read one section of a chapter at a time, actively looking for an answer to your question for that section. Pay attention to bold and italicized text that authors use to make important points. Be sure to review everything in the section, including tables, graphs, and illustrations, as these features can communicate an idea more powerfully than written text.

Recite: 

Recite At the end of each section, look up from the text and in your own words recite an answer to your question for that section. Then write down your answer. Be sure to provide examples that support it. Now repeat Question, Read, and Recite steps for each section of the chapter or assigned reading. First ask a question for the next section. Then read to find the answer. Finally, recite the answer in your own words and jot it down. The written questions and answers will help you study in the future.

Review: 

Review After completing each chapter or reading assignment, review your notes. Identify the main points of the reading by looking for the most important idea in each section. Recite, or write, a brief summary of the chapter or assignment. Review your study notes every week to help you remember the information. When it's time to study for your tests, you'll find you've created an invaluable guide.

Note-Taking StrategiesHow to Get Your Class Notes into Shape: 

Note-Taking Strategies How to Get Your Class Notes into Shape Getting the most out of high school and college means studying hard and using your time in class wisely. Make the most of your time in class and out with an effective note-taking strategy.

Stay Organized: 

Stay Organized It may seem obvious, but your class notes can only help you if you can find them. Keep all your notes for one class in one place. Date and number pages to keep them in order and make it easier to refer back to them.

Before Class: 

Before Class Review the materials assigned for that class period thoroughly. Bring a list of questions you may have from the reading and be sure to get answers.

During Class: 

During Class Make the best use of your class time by having a note-taking method. The Cornell Note-Taking System is one that has been proven effective by countless high school and college students. Start by using the main section of your notebook page to take down your notes during class. Be sure to leave space on the left side of the page and the bottom. Things to keep in mind: Get the speaker's main points. Don't write down every word you hear. Leave blanks in your notes to add explanations later. Organize as you write. Pay attention to cues such as repetition and emphasis. Indicate main points and supporting points as you go. Jot down key vocabulary, important facts, and formulas. Ask questions. If you're confused it's better to ask while the material is fresh in your mind.

After Class: 

After Class As soon as you can after class, review your notes and fill in any blanks. Underline, highlight, and use symbols to sort through the information. If you don't understand something, get help from your teacher or classmates. After you've reviewed all your notes from class, in the left-hand area of the page write down key words and questions your teacher might ask on a test. At the bottom of each page write a summary of the notes on the page. This helps you digest what you've learned, and will improve your memory of the notes in the long term, for tests down the road.

For Review: 

For Review Once you've done all of the above, you'll find you've created your own personalized study guide. Cover the main section of the page and use the key words and questions in the left margin as a quiz.

The Keys to Effective WritingTips for Tackling Your Essays and Papers: 

The Keys to Effective Writing Tips for Tackling Your Essays and Papers Writing skills are essential for succeeding in high school, college, and at a job. If essays and papers stress you out, keep in mind, writing is not just an end result, but also a process that helps you develop your ideas and think logically.

Getting Started: 

Getting Started Begin by brainstorming topics, collecting information, taking a lot of notes, and asking a lot of questions. Keep your notes and sources organized as you go. When developing your topic, look for patterns and relationships. See what conclusions you can draw. Try discussing your ideas with classmates or your teacher. A new perspective can help shake up your thinking, and keep your momentum going.

Organize Your Writing: 

Organize Your Writing Develop an outline to help you stay on track as you write, identifying your main points and what you want to conclude. Keep in mind basic essay and paper structure: The introduction should give your reader an idea of the essay's intent, including a basic statement of what the essay will discuss. The body presents the evidence that supports your idea. Use concrete examples whenever and avoid generalities. The conclusion should summarize and make sense of the evidence you presented in the body.

The Rough Draft: 

The Rough Draft You may find as you write that you end up with a different idea than the one you began with. If your first topic or conclusion doesn't hold water, be open to changing it. If necessary, re-write your outline to get yourself back on track. Other important writing tips: Keep your audience in mind. Write for the general reader, unless your teacher tells you otherwise. 'The general reader' refers to anyone of average intelligence with a fairly sound, basic education. Get acquainted with the vocabulary. Become familiar with the vocabulary of your subject. For example, when writing about fiction, drama, and poetry, critical writers use words such as: syntax, tone, attitude, voice, speaker, and thesis.

Be specific: 

Be specific Word choice is very important Many students are lazy writers. Because they don’t want to take the time to think of the right words that say exactly what they mean. They write with ambiguity (unclear) and use. Be precise about your word choice.

Refine and Proofread: 

Refine and Proofread When you're done, take a break so you can come back to your writing with fresh eyes. Ask yourself: Is the writing clear? Do the ideas make sense? Are all of my requirements fulfilled? Did I avoid repetition? Have I used proper grammar and spelling? How does it sound read out loud? Leave enough time to show your draft to others -- use your school's writing center, if possible. A fresh perspective can help you polish your paper, and catch inconsistencies and mistakes.

Read More: 

Read More What you read influences how you write and can become your teacher without you being aware of it. For example, if you read Great Expectations before writing a paper your writing will probably start to sound similar to Charles Dickens'. Of course the same goes if you read 'Teen People.' Not sure what to read? If you liked a book you read in class, ask your teachers to recommend others like it, or read more by the same author. For ideas on great reading check out our 101 Great Books list. Reading is also a great way to conquer writers' block. Reading helps exercise your mind and get your ideas moving again. Of course, a great way to prevent writers' block is to write more.

Write More: 

Write More You've heard it before, but this advice never gets old: practice makes perfect. The more writing you do, the better you'll get. And as your skills improve, so will your enjoyment. Here are a few ways some students write outside the classroom that you might want to consider: Keep a journal of your thoughts and the events of the day Write letters to the editor of the magazines and newspapers you read When you're in the habit of writing -- no matter what kind of writing it is -- papers and essays won't seem as difficult.

Proofread and Format College PapersPresentation Matters: 

Proofread and Format College Papers Presentation Matters While the originality and organization of your ideas are the most important aspects of any paper you write, the way you present your ideas says much about the care that has gone into your work. To ensure that your paper appears well written and well though out, thoroughly proofread and correctly format your final draft.

Proofreading: 

Proofreading It's absolutely essential that you go through your final draft and check for spelling, grammar, and readability -- even if you feel you can't bear to look at the essay one more time. As you proofread, resist the temptation to rewrite a section here, or move a paragraph there. Before you know it, you'll be up all night tweaking the paper. While editing and rewriting are important, you need to focus on the task at hand.

Use Spell-Check Wisely: 

Use Spell-Check Wisely These programs miss lots of mistakes. They may catch a blatantly misspelled word, but not a misused word. Whether or not you use a spell-check program, you must check your copy for spelling errors yourself. Read through your entire paper, paying special attention to your use of its/it's, their/there, you're/your, and other homophones (words that sound the same, but that have different meanings and sometimes different spellings).

Check Your Sentences: 

Check Your Sentences Be sure each sentence is a complete one. If you're not sure, read your sentence aloud and out of its context. This will help you to identify fragments, run-ons, and excessively-wordy constructions in your writing. Another helpful strategy is to have a friend read your paper. Although good mechanics by themselves do not make a good paper, poor mechanics will detract from your grade.

Grammar and Style for AP & College PapersOne Last Look...: 

Grammar and Style for AP and College Papers One Last Look... Here's a list of grammar and style points to watch out for when you're proofreading your papers. Some of these may seem a little conservative, but it's crucial to know all the rules, so you can follow them when necessary.

Reading and Understanding the Question: 

Reading and Understanding the Question The most common, and worst, mistake that you can make when writing with a time limit is to misread the question. You may feel that you need to rush and get started, but once you get your assignment, take a deep breath and slow down. An effective strategy is to underline, circle, or otherwise highlight the key words in the question. To craft an accurate response, you must know where to begin as well as where you're going.

Some of the common directions you will see: 

Some of the common directions you will see Agree or Disagree: Take a position and stick with it through the entire essay. Don't change your mind or try to argue both sides. Challenge: This term is a synonym for disagree. Compare: Outline the similarities between the two sides. Contrast: Outline the differences between the two sides. Compare and Contrast: The expectation is that you do both, not choose one. Debate: You can argue both sides of the topic. Ultimately, though, develop a specific position with one side coming out stronger. Define: Outline the topic's main points. Illustrate: Make a point and use specific examples to support it. Identify Parallels: This phrase is a synonym for compare. Discuss/Explain: These terms are vague. You may be expected to complete any of the tasks listed above. Look for other key words in the question to

Planning: 

Planning Again, you may feel the urge to rush ahead and put pencil to paper. Yet if you do so without devising some sort of design, you are almost certain to lose focus and end up with a jumble of words that leads nowhere. Take another deep breath and invest two or three minutes in planning.

Personal Strategies: 

Personal Strategies Outlining: This format is helpful for people who like clear structure. Brainstorming: Put the topic or thesis in the center of the page and then write supporting examples branching out from the main point. Listing: Similar to outlining but with a bit less structure, this method lets you get your ideas down easily. Weighing Pros and Cons or Similarities and Differences: When you are asked to debate or to compare and contrast two ideas, write a heading for each assertion, draw a line between the headings, and list the main points side by side.

More Writing: 

More Writing Once you've fully read the question and have spent a few minutes planning, you're ready to begin. You need to pace yourself because you'll have approximately four minutes per paragraph.

Word Choice: 

Word Choice Avoid colloquialisms, stock phrases, contractions, and unnecessary jargon in formal writing. Strive for clarity rather than fancy language. For example, instead of 'The imposition of augmentative taxation policies induced individuals to utilize sequestered monetary resources,' you could go with the less contrived 'Higher taxes forced people to use money they had saved.' Avoid the words 'clearly,' 'obviously,' and 'basically.' They alert your reader that you have forgone an argument and that what follows is likely to be unclear or confusing. The following words, among others, cannot be modified by adjectives of degree (such as 'more,' 'less,' or 'very'): equal, fatal, omnipotent, opposite, parallel, perfect, unanimous, unique, and universal. These are all presented in full or not at all. Instead, use the following options: similar, deadly, powerful, opposed, congruent, good, agreed, unusual, and widespread. Something can't be more unique than something else, but it can be more unusual.

Voice: 

Voice Generally it's a good idea to avoid writing in the 'passive voice.' That is, instead of writing 'Political turmoil was produced by King George's madness,' write 'King George's madness produced political turmoil.'

Quotations: 

Quotations Use a quote when the language of the quote is important to your argument and you intend to explain why. Don't use a quote simply because you think the author of the quote stated an idea more clearly than you could have. Set the stage for a quote's relevance to your argument by introducing it in your own words. Follow the quote with an explanation of what it means or demonstrates.

Parentheses: 

Parentheses Avoid parenthetical expressions. If you can't integrate a parenthetical expression's content into your prose, leave it out or put it in a footnote.

Your Words: 

Your Words Many students just rewrite what they have read instead of reading their source material, taking notes and then writing their analysis of what they have discovered through research. Your teacher or professor wants to know what your think not a reworded essay from an author.

Agreement: 

Agreement Watch out for subject/verb agreement and noun/pronoun agreement, especially when you're trying to write in a gender-neutral voice. For example, it's incorrect to write 'As a person who rebelled against King George, they were hung.' Rather, since the sentence refers to a single person, it should read 'As a person who rebelled against King George, he was hung.'