Advanced Placement United States History is a highly-challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a freshman college course and can earn students college credit.

The experience of taking a college course is immeasurable.   However, to succeed in this course, solid writing and reading and skills as well as the willingness to devote CONSIDERABLE time to homework and study is needed. The first couple of months are the toughest (because of the transition to a college-level course). This course goes beyond simple memorization of facts.  Critical and historical thinking skills, essay writing, and interpretation of original documents are emphasized.  A college textbook is used in the course, along with a college primary source book.  Throughout the year, students will be introduced to typical questions used on the AP Exam which is administered in May. 

For many,  AP courses come down to spending the necessary time to read the text. In many discussions with other AP teachers through the years, it still surprises many of us that many students who sign up for AP do not choose to read the assigned chapters.  Many are overextended for a number of reasons (and it is not their fault in many ways.)   However that being said, former students that have taken the AP exam year after year, have emphasized the importance of reading the material in the textbook. 

Since this might be the first time a student might be exposed to such a rigorous curriculum, it is very important to have my students understand that even if they study very hard and still "fail" a difficult test or essay, or are not accustomed to not receiving a grade lower than an “A” on an assignment, they are still learning.  They are laying the foundation for a successful career in college, in life, and to succeed on the APUSH exam. Taking an A.P. class is like running a marathon - there will be hills and valleys along the way, but the goal is to finish strong (and yes, they will survive).   Students are not only learning history but learning how to deal with tasks that are not easy or expect an immediate solution.  And one of the pleasures of being a teacher is to see those students who have struggled from time to time to see their hard work pay off at the end of the year and acknowledge that they are capable of handling a rigorous curriculum. 

Inspired and borrowed from Ms. Kathleen Krall, Spring Grove Area High School.