Week 9 - Dear Future AP Psych Student...


Dear Future AP Psych Student,

My experience in AP Psychology for one semester has been an eye-opener for me. This course has made me realize what potential I have in non-social-science AP classes. Over the course of one semester, I have learned many interesting things about how the brain works, how we think, what happens when we sleep, what makes up our personality, what motivates us, and so much more.

Taking this class, I would like to offer you guys some useful advice to help you prepare for the class with Mrs. Halfen. In this course, there is just so much information that you learn for the AP exam, and by so much, I mean a lot! Everyday in class we are always doing something that will prepare you for the test such as content digs where you use the textbooks provided to find the answers to the questions. I am not going to lie, I dislike content digs; we do about 2-3 per unit and the packets are quite heavy information-wise. However these content digs are very useful to prepare us for the unit test. Also there is a whole lot of vocabulary you have to know for both the unit tests and AP exam... A LOT! I am going to approximate about 200 terms per unit, maybe more. It can be very time consuming doing vocabulary especially if you do it last minute, but doing it will help you big time on the tests. If you know the vocabulary and can apply the terms to real world examples, you are on the path to do well in the class for sure. Also, there are so many opportunities to get extra points on the test if you do mind maps before test day as well as participating and winning during the review games. 

My favorite activity in this class is doing Quizlet Live before test day. My favorite project is the blog project because if you have everything that is required in the blog, it is an easy 100 as a major grade. No worries there!

As a suggestion, I think Mrs. Halfen should be more engaged in helping students prepare and review for the test a day or two before the test in addition to the game reviews we do. For example, she could provide time for the students to ask questions about topics or things they are confused about. Also she could help students better prepare for the AP exam by working on the FRQ portion more with students practicing under pressure.

I encourage you guys to take AP Psych. What motivated me to take this class was other students telling me the class was a blow-off. But I am telling you now, it's not. There are actual assignments to do during class and even outside of class. But if you push yourself to study well, I believe you guys can definitely ace the class. 

Sincerely, 

Mary Nguyen
2019 AP Psych Student


 



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