Howdy! I'm Nicole, and just like you and the others before me, I made the wise decision to take AP Euro. As one of the 'survivors' of this class, I'm here to pass on my pearls of wisdom to enlighten you on the full details of what goes on in the class. No matter if you like history or not, Euro was probably one of my best decisions of AP Classes to take in high school, and hopefully it is for all of you. Regardless if it's your first AP or not, I really believe that Euro is an amazing class to take as a starter AP Course. If you survived the summer work (Machiavelli's The Prince was an absolute KILLER) and the first few weeks of school, then you'll be fine.
As some of you have probably heard, the class goes from the 1400's all the way to present day, but the material isn't as hard, or difficult as it seems. Although the course material is rigorous, it's doable. Mrs. Salz makes sure that you all go over the general concepts and themes to make sure that you can pull the main ideals that you'll need from the AP Exam anyway. (Speaking of the exam, that's not too bad either.) In the long run, it's extremely rewarding to see all of the dates and time periods that you covered. In a regular history class, you sort of skip around, miss some chunks, but never really get to see the full picture. In Euro, the entire puzzle comes together, and it's really astounding to see how everything comes together into what we have today. Also, the course material is different than what you've done in other history classes. Yes, some of the topics gone over have been talked about, but it's interesting to go further into detail and see how everything comes together and in order to get more information about it.
Mrs. Salz is an amazing teacher and lays down all the expectations for her students to follow. As long as you follow the expectations and guidelines that she lays down for you, you'll really be all set. Salz is an outstanding teacher that won't leave you hanging for the AP exam. She fully prepares you for the exam, no questions. She makes sure that you know how to bank out SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs for the exam. Although the idea of taking the exam can be super intimidating, don't worry. Mrs. Salz is there to help, and she does her best to make sure that every student has what they need and is prepared for the exam. She's a fair teacher, and has high expectations for all of you. She has the high expectations because she knows you can do it, and that you're all disciplined students that can push yourselves. She is understanding, and as long as you talk to her about things, she can help you in the best way that she can. Mrs. Salz and the rest of your classmates really become an AP Euro family, and it's just really nice to know that you're not there for the long haul, all of you are.
Just some overall advice for the class itself. Just because the class doesn't seem as difficult as AP Chem or AP Bio doesn't mean that it's not going to be a wild ride. After all, it still is an AP class, so that means that there will be times where it gets challenging. Mrs. Salz gives you a calendar to make sure to help you all get organized for each month. It has all of the information on it that you'll need for each month, what you'll be doing in class, and more. USE IT! It's a super handy tool to see when things are due, and to get a jump start on other projects. For some of you, Euro might not be your only AP, and on top of everything else that you do, it's probably a good idea to plan ahead.
DON'T PROCRASTINATE! I know, coming from me and probably a lot of my other peers isn't saying a whole lot, but, just don't do it. It'll set you up for not only good life skills, but it'll help keep you from stressing and having to cram your work. No one likes doing that, and it's not fun having to do loads of Euro work on top of work for other classes.
This is going to sound weird, but, expect FAILURE. EMBRACE IT. Because, trust me, you'll be getting a lot of grades back that you really don't like to see. Assuming that you're all amazing students, you're all probably used to getting in the high 90s on quizzes in tests. In Euro, that rarely happens. You take reading checks, and the occasional test, and trust me, there will be times that you'll get grades in the 50s, 60s, or even lower. Although they can be disheartening to see, know it's not because you're a bad student, know that it's because the material is HARD. You're here to push yourself, don't expect to skate by. For these kinds of quizzes, they're timed, and they're structured to be like the AP Exam. So, yeah, it's not going to be easy. No need to panic, because Salz does allow for you to correct your mistakes so your grade isn't absolutely awful. But the point is, don't panic. Although your grades might not be as high as you want to see, know that you're pushing yourself, and that's all that matters. As long as you try, then you're doing something right. It might be difficult at first, but it looks better to have an 80-84 in an AP class than have a 93-97 in a regular honors class.
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the ride! Although you might not always like the class, it really is overall an amazing experience, and probably one of my favorite classes that I've taken in high school. Salz is an awesome teacher that makes the material fun, and you really have a bond with your classmates. So, always realize that taking Euro was the best choice. I know that for sure, I'm going to miss this class.
As you'll be hearing plenty of times this year, good luck, and Godspeed!
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