Set your goals high!
You can do it.
Common Reasons for Low Test Scores
• Lack of adequate preparation.
• Not reading the questions thoroughly. You must read every word and every option.
• Careless errors caused by overconfidence. Again, read carefully.
• Not understanding what the question is really asking (usually a result of careless reading)
• Failure to master the vocabulary, important names, and research (use those flashcards!)
• Not listening in class and not taking notes (test questions/answers are ‘leaked’ every day!)
• Not keeping up with the reading – the lectures will make more sense and you can ask
clarifying questions if you’ve done the reading.
• Lack of adequate preparation (this bears repeating!).
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| Straight from our chapter on Motivation & Emotion |
Active engagement, and tenacity. Sitting at your desk with an open book in front of you and looking at the words on the page does not constitute learning. Cramming Does Not Work: Reading the material for the first time the night before the test is an ineffective, unproductive way to “study.”
There are only a handful of individuals who can cram the night before and be successful. Most students need to pace their studying so all that is necessary the night before the test is a review of the material.
For each chapter and suggested vocabulary for each unit can be found on this website.
These provide a great overview of the AP Psychology concepts to know for the AP Test and they are great practice for the chapter tests and quizzes.
There are often 20+ review questions at the end of each Target Sheet to review.
Read Weiten:
Set aside 30 minutes each night to read a few pages in the textbook.
Key Learning Goals, approximately 30 per chapter, serve as advance organizers that focus students' attention on important ideas and topics to be covered. The consecutively numbered goals are paired with a Review of Key Points at the end of each section to reinforce key takeaway messages.
Illustrated overviews combine tabular information, photos, and diagrams to provide a coherent synopsis of key ideas in the areas of research methods, sensation and perception, history, learning, development, personality theory, psychopathology, and psychotherapy.
Each chapter of Weiten ends with a 15-item Practice Test that should give you a realistic assessment of your mastery of that chapter and valuable practice in taking multiple-choice tests.
These are excellent ways to review for quizzes and tests. Most test questions are former AP Test questions.
Take notes from the text book, Duez's presentations, and from class discussion are excellent ways of learning and review. My big suggestion is to read ahead, take notes, but use something like Cornell or Dialectical Journal so that you have room on the page to add to what we do in class. This is a fantastic way to stay active in and out of class and review the notes you have already taken.
Mr. Duez's Presentation: The Importance of Note-Taking
Make flash cards for vocabulary contained in the reading. Use them.
Quizlet - Quiz Yourself:
You can also create flash cards on Quizlet. Or use the millions that have already been created for you. Many test questions are on this site. It is extremely helpful and there are great apps for your phone as well.
How to use flash cards on Quizlet
Crash Course Psychology with Hank Green:
These are great videos and stick to the AP Psychology curriculum quite closely.
"We here at Crash Course are really excited to spend the next several months delving into the world of psychology -- how it applies to our lives, our minds, and our hearts, and how it deepens our understanding of each other, our world, and ourselves."
Purchase one of the AP Psychology review booklets and use it to supplement the text – these booklets are NOT a substitute for your textbook or the lectures. Remember, we learn best when the material is presented in context, not in isolation. Your textbook and the class lectures provide invaluable explanations and examples.
Use the graphic organizers for each unit in the text and those provided by the instructor -- these provide a great summary of important info.
After reading and answering the questions, discuss the information learned with a family member or friend. If you find you are having difficulty relating the information to another person, go back and reread the section until you feel comfortable with the material. The best way to test your understanding is to try to teach the information to someone else.