Worried about you AP European History Grade? Think a euro study guide could help you out of your troubles? Even if you’re doing great in AP European history, you can always use a study guide. When looking for such a resource, always keep three things in mind: Detail, Scope and Background. I’ll discus each in the following paragraphs.
First up: how detailed should a European history study guide be? Answer: very detailed, although you don’t have to read all of it. You need the extra layer of detail if you want to focus on any one subject area or time period, and area which most euro guides fall short. You probably don’t need to remember how many signatures the Chartist movement got for its reform proposal, but you might need this information for a paper or short essay. You don’t need to learn every detail when studying for a test, but an extra level of complexity helps you gain a deeper understanding of the events, a crucial skill for success in AP Euro.
Second, an AP European history study guide should discus all the different periods and countries covered by the class. Euro isn’t just about Europe (unfortunately) and you often need to know what’s going on in the rest of the world. Look for scope both in terms of time periods and geography; if a study guide isn’t long enough to cover everything it won’t be too useful for a final exam or the AP test in May.
Finally, you have to consider background. How much do you know about the writer of the resource? Did they do well in the class or on the AP test? Obviously, smart people do well in European history, and therefore generally write good review guides.