Is taking AP European History a big challenge?

Hey there. I'm considering taking AP European History next year, but I'm worried about the difficulty. Can anybody share their experience with the course? Would you say it's hard?

Whether AP European History is challenging can depend greatly on a number of factors such as your academic strengths, your previous exposure to history classes, and the teaching style of the person who would be instructing the course at your school. Generally, it can be considered a rigorous course but it's one that many students find very enriching and valuable too.

To provide some general insight, AP European History can be challenging due to the breadth and depth of the material. You'll be studying and analyzing key events, trends, and individuals that span several centuries of European history. This can mean a lot of reading and memorization and requires students to be able to think critically about the connections and impacts of these events on broader historical and socio-cultural contexts.

Additionally, the course is also likely to involve substantial amounts of reading and writing. This is particularly evident in the exam which has a document-based question (DBQ) and long essay question (LEQ) that require students to analyze historical documents and themes comprehensively.

However, difficulty often goes hand-in-hand with reward. Studying AP European History can also be very valuable. You could gain a greater depth of understanding of the world's history, the development of political and social structures, cultural shifts, and more. Plus, skills like critical thinking, essay writing, and analysis of sources are widely applicable beyond the class and can benefit you in your future studies.

Everybody learns differently, so what may be challenging for one person may be less so for another. If you find history interesting, are prepared for the workload, and ready to develop your analysis skills, you could find AP European History to be a very rewarding course despite its challenges.