Back to School Shopping for AP Psych

I hope this message finds you enjoying a pleasant summer. However, according to virtually every retail establishment I’ve visited during the past two weeks, it’s time for back-to-school shopping. Whether that thought excites you or makes you cringe, I figured I’d give you a heads up about what you’ll need for AP Psych. That way, we can streamline your shopping trip (whenever it happens). 

Required:

• Be sure to pick up a 3-ring binder for use throughout the year in AP Psych. You’ll need this to keep your notes and handouts organized by topic area. Look for one 1.5 to 2.5 inches in width (3 in is usually too unwieldy to carry in a backpack daily). By spring, when you’re reviewing for the AP Psych exam, you’ll be SO GLAD you kept all of your notes/handouts organized this way!

• You’ll also want paper for note-taking (loose-leaf or notebook, your choice). Student preference is the key here: some folks like to use loose-leaf paper so they can insert notes into the binder by topic area, others like keeping their notes all in one notebook (post-it tabs to mark chapters/units can be helpful if going that route). If you like notebooks, be aware that many students fill up their notebooks by spring in AP Psych, so having more than one on hand will help. Also, some students prefer to keep their book notes and class notes separate (not a bad idea), so you’ll want to think about your “system” when shopping.

• Pens and pencils are going to be necessary. Perhaps this is obvious, but I thought I’d be thorough. 

Optional:

Strive for a 5 Study Guide (approximate cost $30; accompanies the textbook). This workbook helps students process what they read in the text and practice skills in preparation for unit tests and the AP Psych Exam. The district provides each student with a copy; HOWEVER, because the district’s copies will be reused from year-to-year, students cannot write in them. That is a bummer, because they are set up like workbooks and would be much easier to use if students could write in them.  

If you would like to purchase your own, the easiest way to do so is to order via an online seller like Amazon or Ebay. (This is also likely to be cost effective, since our textbook is no longer the newest edition of this book, so people will sell the older copies for cheaper.) Product details are below:

Title: Strive for a 5: Preparing for the AP Psychology Examination, 2nd Edition

Authors: Alison Herzig, Laura Brandt, and Nathaniel Naughton

ISBN-13: 978-1464156052

ISBN-10: 1464156050

Home Office Supplies?

While we’re preparing for in-person instruction, it is entirely likely that there will be periods during which we may have to shift to remote learning this  year. If you have the means to do so, it might be worth thinking about what home office supplies you might need in your at-home learning space to make it productive. Some ideas:

• Printer & ink? While you will not be required to print anything from home, last spring many of my students preferred to print out some electronic resources and handouts for ease of use and to get a break from all the screen time.

• Stapler and 3-Hole Punch - again, not a requirement, but if you regularly use these things at school you might find yourself missing them as you try to stay organized at home.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or ask when you come in to pick-up your textbook in August 17-20! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and happy shopping!

Mrs. Welle