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I keep on hearing about people self-studying for AP classes. How do you do this? Where do I get the books? When do I get tested? etc.

By Jason817 (Jason817) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 02:22 am: Edit

you would have to have a lot of free time. With an AP courseload at school, I wouldn't do it. But then again, I am not a genius like most posters here. You can get the books from any book store or site (barnes, amazon). You get tested at the nearist high school that offers the tests in May of each year.

By Aoe2guy (Aoe2guy) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 12:16 pm: Edit

How do you do this?
Do it for a class that you are most comfortable with or a topic you like: a particular science, a history class, etc. Self studying an AP that you like alot should make the process of finding time to study much easier (since you want to do it) and you will do great on the exam

What books?
If you are serious about this, try to borrow a textbook from your school AP teacher of that subject, and return it before the exam or right after you finish it. It's important to have a very thorough aid like a textbook nearby as you self study so that you understand things very thoroughly the first time through. In terms of review guides, it really depends on the particular subject, but i would recommend kaplan for AP chem or AP bio and PR for AP physics.

When do you get tested?
You get tested when everyone else who is taking the exam gets tested - on the given date for that testing administration.

By Clickspring (Clickspring) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 01:15 pm: Edit

I personally don't think it's a good idea to self study an AP, especially if you're studying for an exam that is in the field you intend to major in. Do you honestly think that a kid who self-studied AP Chem is better or even as well prepared for chemistry courses beyond Chem 101 than the kid who took Chem 101 in college? No. If you self studied AP chem, you would not have the opprotunity to do any lab work, nor would you have the opprotunity to even ask questions of a teacher.

However, if a kid decides to self study an AP that isn't in their field of interest, the effects of self-studying might not be as bad. If you wanted to be a journalist and self-studied AP Chem, sure, you might pass the test and acquire a decent knowledge of chemistry, but at the same time, your knowledge of chemistry would still be inferior to someone who took the first semester course.

If you really just want to get those gen eds out of the way so you can focus on your major, go ahead and self study an AP unrelated to your major. Just remember, it will be a lot of work and require a lot of time.

However, if you're someone who has been passionately interested in chemistry all your life, someone who already knows the ins and outs of first semester chem and much more, someone who would study chemistry independetly anyway, you might want to take the AP test if you are already ahead or are getting ahead anyway.

SO basically, whether you should self-study an AP and which subject you should study for is a very personal decision, but just make sure you won't be selling yourself short on your education by doing it.