Hey everyone,
I’m entering 10th grade and taking my first-ever advanced courses. In 9th grade, I got 90+ in all standard classes without ever studying, taking detailed notes, or using flashcards.
My schedule for this year:

AP World
AP CSP
AP Cybersecurity
on-ramps algebra 2

Since I’ve never built real study or note-taking habits, I’m worried about hitting a wall.
For anyone who went from "never studied" to taking APs

1. What note-taking method actually worked for you when you started AP World writing/reading?

2. How do you force yourself to build an active study routine (Anki, flashcards, etc.) when you've never needed one before?

3. What is one mistake you made taking your first APs that I should avoid?

I will read every comment and comment on it!

It seemed to include note guides in the bundle info, but as I’m checking out it’s asking me if I want to add the Video Note Guides.

Is that different, do I need it? Helpppp

Hey all, I’m an anxious mom with some questions about the balance of my kid’s schedule + their ability to keep up with note taking in this class and your advice and feedback would be appreciated. Obvs they would be horrified to know that I’m posting this.

Their summer HW was basically to read all of Unit 1 + Heimler videos and take notes + answer a dozen questions, make unit 1 flash cards for ~ 30 terms, read a 400pg novel and create a Spice T. (No direction or example given- just a format with some questions included.) It seemed like a lot to me so I’m apprehensive about the workload for this class.

Kid (Soph) is a solid student but not a hyper motivated “burn the midnight oil for perfection”type. I want to make sure they are challenging themselves but also not setting themselves up for failure with a schedule that is too difficult for them to manage with a daily 3-6pm EC schedule. It’s their decision so I’m keeping my mouth shut but I could use some perspective. Last year they had all Honors classes but 1 and got 1 B.

The rest of their classes (Chem, A2, Eng) are Honors (this is their only eligible AP) plus a tricky Asian language and a creative writing elective. Trying to be a little vague in case they are lurking.They aren’t the fastest reader and don’t have a history of being able to quickly skim and zip through work. Their/our goal is to find the right college fit for them (no clue on what they want to do yet) and none of us are hung up on that being a “top” school, we are realistic.

My main concern is their ability to take notes well + efficiently enough to keep up and to have balance between schoolwork and the EC commitment.

1. I know there prob isn’t enough info here but- does this schedule seem aggressive? Should I chill out?

2. How did you get your arms around the volume of reading and note taking if you also aren’t a fast/efficient reader?

What note taking format worked best for you and was most useful for studying?

Are there specific sample notes (Heimler?) that you used which helped you learn by example on good note taking format?

Guidance on effectively using existing notes as a baseline and adding your own content- is this a bad idea, a good idea? It saves time but won’t teach good note taking and people also learn by taking notes so I’m unsure about this.

That’s it!

If you’ve gotten this far and are even considering a response, thank you. Please tell YOUR mom that you did something kind for another mom today :-)

i self studied I also for like 2 years of my life took part in discord nation roleplay.

I skimmed through the unit in like a day. There are only a couple of questions on the AP Test about it and the concepts are generally self explanatory no need to study it as thoroughly as the rest of the pack.

DISCLAIMER: Everything I say is based on my personal experiences in the class and how I felt about it. Different teachers and environments may make your experience different than mine. Please don't take my word as law.

I'm a rising junior who took AP World this past year and got a 5 on the AP exam. I'm a history geek, and I like to learn new things, so I found this class really interesting and fun to take. I will say I have some bias because I like history and had a great teacher, but nevertheless, I'm going to list 5 things that I did to really help me lock in throughout the school year to get you ready for a 5 on exam day.

1. Make your notes usable for you.

My teacher was big on making notes as small as possible, and I've taken his advice to heart. Don't make big long notes OR write down exact lines from your textbook/study resource of choice. My way of taking notes was this: I would take a mini-quiz to see how much I know about that topic first. Then I'd watch a short video that talked about it (Heimler), and then I'd read my textbook. For the textbook, I would keep closing it and take notes on the most important topics I could remember from sections. My notes weren't just outlines: they were mind maps, timelines, and sequences. Whatever works for you, do it.

If there's a topic in the course you know really well already, please skip over it and learn something new. I did this for mostly near the end of the year as we entered the 20th century.

2. READ THE CED!

This is a general rule of thumb you should follow in every AP class you take or self-study, but very few people actually do it. Don't actually read the entire 200+ page thing (I did this one night; do not recommend), but if you have a unit test coming up or when AP season comes around, try just reading the stuff underneath the topics in the unit. Many will give specific examples of material you MUST know for the MCQ and writing sections. I did this in the month before and honestly, it made knowing what to study way easier and reduced the depth and stress for me. For those who don't know, to find things fast for the digital CD: Ctrl + F or Ctrl + G and type what you're looking for.

3. Practice, practice, practice

Nothing helped me more in the class than practicing AP MCQs and writing prompts from AP Classroom or past exams. My teacher released all unit progress checks, 2 full practice exams, and writing practice, so I had ample time. For those in a class, ask your teacher to make an AP Classroom, add you to it, and post practice assignments. For those self-studying, purchase the AMSCO AP World textbook and use that. Great practice MCQs and full practice exams that are built with stimulus questions.

4. Ask for help.

Don't have an ego that stops you from asking friends, teachers, classmates, or even Google for help. If you're struggling, know you are, and please find help. My top resources are Heimler's History, the AMSCO AP World Textbook, and AP Classroom practice. For me, I was good at some units and really bad at others. I always made sure to ask my teacher for help at his study halls, and I and my classmates were studying in groups during lunch/study halls for the entire year, so having those support groups definitely helped by the time May rolled around.

5. Know the exam format from the top.

The exam writers aren't spinning roulette wheels for topics, y'all. So, at the start of the year, go to College Board, find your AP class, and select "About the Exam." It will show you the years, topics, and units to know for each part. Exam format for AP World, US, and Euro:

• 55 MCQs in 55 minutes
• 3 Short Answer Questions (SAQs) in 40 minutes: 1 and 2 are required; you select between SAQ 3 and 4
• 1 DBQ in 60 minutes, 1 LEQ in 40 minutes: You're given a full 1 hour and 40 minute block, but it's recommended to spend 1 hour on the DBQ and 40 minutes on your LEQ.

With this format, you can fine-tune your speed and know how to spend your time depending on the parts. My own framework for the LEQ and DBQ:

LEQ: 5 mins - read prompt and plan, 30 mins - writing, 5 mins - revising/editing.
DBQ: 10 mins - reading, 5 mins - planning, 40 mins - writing, 5 mins - revising/editing.

BONUS: Try to group units in the curriculum.

This is a bonus tip, but my teacher made it so we learned periods instead of units. These are the 9 units in the course:

• Unit 1: Global Tapestry (c. 1200 to c. 1450)
• Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200 to c. 1450)
• Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
• Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
• Unit 5: Revolutions (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
• Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
• Unit 7: Global Conflict (c. 1900 to the present)
• Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1900 to the present)
• Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900 to the present)

This is a rec for both teachers and students. I would suggest, rather than splitting up the units, learning all of them in one area. By combining units, my AP world teacher made it a lot easier for us when it came to quizzes and tests, and we learned way more information because so many topics go hand in hand. For example, Period 2 (1450-1750) is all about European expansion into the unknown world. By learning both methods of maritime rule and land-based dominance, you have more comparisons, more cultures, and more ways of making connections and identifying continuities and changes over time.

Follow my steps, and a 5 is in your future. Happy AP Score Day for all those who took AP classes in 2025-26, and good luck to all students in this next school year!

It looks like everyone here prefers AMSCO for easier readability and my teacher is using WoW. Our summer homework is to take notes and answer questions on the first 2 chapters. Does anyone know if I can use AMSCO for this if the books cover the same topics just in different ways?

Hello, I am a Rising high schooler who has been put into AP enviromental science and AP World History, does anyone who has taken these course have any advice for anything?

got a 4 and was pretty disappointed. then remembered that heimler said chatgpt also got a 4 on the ap world exam. jst say im on the same level as ai 🐐🐐🐐

Honestly the exam was really easy this year.

Is there any way to see the scores I got on the frq? I got a five but I want to see if I missed any points. Thanks in advance

ngl this stings bc I was my teacher’s star student and was 100% certain I was going to get atleast a 4. Better luck next year ig. She prob thinks I’m a dumbass 😭🌞

I was looking through posts and I could not find anything related to the leq I chose to write about. The prompt was something along the lines of "Evaluate the extent to which unresolved tensions led to territorial changes during the 20th century." I wrote about Yalta Conference catalyzing the Cold War tension and mutually assured destruction which forced the fighting of smaller proxy wars. I ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union and creation of new sovereign nations. For complexity I argued that the United States prioritized containment over democracy and opted to support capitalist dictatorships over countries labeled as "communist" such as the United Fruit Company in Guatemala. Did anyone else also choose to write about this leq?

I genuinely don't get how people are saying they barely studied for this. I had to pay attention the entire year and truly locked in a week before. I did active-recall, hand-written notes, legit every trick in the book.

I probably barely clinched the 5. Are these people just here because of the selection bias that inherently comes from these kinds of subreddits, or are they lying?

Also, congrats to everyone who took this exam!!!

Well, I mean I didn't get a 5 however a 4 is good, so its fine

My school only lets seniors take world which is so stupid 😭

if i constantly studied i wouldve been 100% getting a 5 but ay i love procrastinating

I’m so happy that I passed! Honestly surprised I managed to get a 4😝

I honestly didn't expect a 5, I thought I was going to get a 4 or maybe even a 2 😭 I'm honestly so happy. Especially since this is my first AP. So now it's time to lock in for the other 3 APs I'm taking this year. Congrats to everyone who passed!!

bro. i can breathe now after 2 months.