AP Psychology Reviews

Wish I had a time machine to do the class all over again! (but maybe it's never as good as the first)

This class is honestly the best and if I could do it all over again, I would. I've never wanted a time machine more than ever. Unfortunately we don't have any now, but at least I get to be a TA next year...so I kinda get to go back. This class is so amazing that it's like the first ever time you listened to your favorite song, and since it's your favorite you don't ever get tired of it. ......Honestly I was not expecting to take this class at all but when I was put in it, I found it to be the best surprise ever! At first, I was really worried I was not going to understand much since I've just never been so great at science, but after this class, my interest in science has gone up and I'm not as afraid to tackle labs or hard terminology anymore! Mrs Gonzalez truly makes things less scary and not a burden. In fact, she actually makes you want to learn more and get the "needed material" down. I actually hated labs so much before this class...but now I think they are fun... and during my time in AP Psychology, I was really happy to see we could do a new lab! I've never had more character development in my life. 

I want to say why I think Mrs Gonzalez is a phenomenal teacher...and it has to do a lot with the way she teaches. It is definitely really hard to learn something if you are being taught by someone who just wants the time to go by so that they can just go home....yeah I've been to your typical public school and I'm not trying to put the blame on those teachers (this is probably me doing self serving bias), but maybe that's why I've hated anything science related for so long? Those teachers just made the subject boring and "something to get done"....rather than enjoy and savor. On the other hand, Mrs Gonzalez makes learning psychology the most fun thing ever! She speaks with the utmost enthusiasm and you can feel her love for psychology! With that, I think she basically instills that love for the subject into her students and that's why she's really the best. I've really never been happier and I think that everyone with a brain should take this class. 

She also replies to questions quickly and will help you understand a concept fully. She makes sure you do and that's why her class works. If you make an error, she will explain nicely what went wrong and help you out. I also really like how she promotes a growth mindset because I think one thing can really change the course of someone's life.....sometimes I've felt ...at least in public school....that the fact they don't give second chances much...leads some kids into feeling like there is no point to try. But, with Mrs Gonzalez, she offers everyone a chance to redo things if they are not happy with their score. To her, it's all about the learning and I think that's the most important part too. You really do learn from your mistakes and I think the fact she promotes this is a really great motivator to everyone. 

I also really like how she tells us to make examples for each concept for ourselves and try to relate it to ourselves. We learned in class that it is easier to learn something when we relate it to ourselves...and yeah that's totally true! I've found that through relating a concept to myself or something in real life, I understand the concept fully and know exactly how to identify whatever scenario given! We are given many assignments on certain concepts and we have to make our own examples a lot, so that's why I was able to get them down so easily. She allows a lot of creative liberty too (as long as it's relevant) and it's really so so so so so so^100 fun to make up your own examples. I've found that I've been able to relate those concepts in psychology to everyday parts of my life! I knew someone who was a classically trained pianist, but for his girlfriend's birthday he messed up while he was playing Moonlight Sonata, and so I said...."did your basal ganglia explode?" So AP psychology can also help you make snarky comments and witty comebacks.

I think my favorite units had to be the last two which were on psychological disorders and treatment. I loved learning about biomedical treatments too and the biological perspective behind why one may get a psychological disorder like schizophrenia or depression. I've been curious about DID for a long time, since a character from a TV show I used to watch had DID, but from the cases I learned about in this class, it's not real after all. It's really good to know! This class is honestly priceless....I've just learned so much and I want to learn even more after! It seems like most of my friends have therapists....and I'm curious about how therapists are supposed to be since I've never seen a session in action....but now I know and I used to think there was only one way to go about it......now I know that's not true at all and there are so many different types of therapy! I honestly had a funny view of psychology before....like Silence of the Lambs with Jodie Foster and psychoanalysis sort of stuff....but nope not at all! This class will help you see what psychology is actually all about! And it's many things! I loved learning about the many different perspectives. 

My favorite assignment was the TOPSS video because I've never liked being on camera and I hate making videos. But, I said this time was the time I should get out of my comfort zone and I finally did that! I never thought I would do that this year but it happened! It was really fun to learn more about one concept and apply it to an actual problem in real life. I sure did feel like I was problem solving. I also loved this other assignment we did on the Kohlburg stages of moral development. We had to use a scenario from a movie or book and apply it to the Kohlburg stages of moral development. I loved it so so so much because I had just finished a very sad book, The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair....and I've been dying to talk about it...and I was able to do that in this class. 

Overall, I've had a really positive experience and I've only had fun. Just put this class into your cart already!  I loved this class so much that I tried to apply it into other subjects, like English. I did my last paper for AP Language and Composition on intelligence and genetics. This class will leave a mark on you. 

TAKE THIS CLASS!! 10/10

• Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely!! Beyond the weekly classes and the unit structure Mrs. G has throughout the year, the last two weeks were particularly impactful for the exam preparation as Mrs. G set up an "AP Bootcamp," going through all the course material for every weekday for two weeks as part of a giant AP review marathon. It was immensely helpful and I walked into the AP exam hall feeling fully prepared and knowing every crook and crazy of the course material in my head. Mrs. G also encouraged us to form study groups, which got us preparing for the AP exam a good two months prior to the exam, so even before entering the bootcamp, we had a pretty solid foundation of the concepts and had gone through the earlier material again during March when the study groups formed. Mrs. G is an amazing teacher, she answered every one of my silly questions during class and had us practice the MCQs AND the FRQs every day during bootcamp and assigned us a multitude of CollegeBoard practice exams for us to take during the weekends  

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into this class?

I would say considering the class times on average a good 8 hours per week. Some of the assignments and weeks are undoubtedly more difficult or more easy than the others, but even the most difficult weeks didn't force me to push beyond 16 hours of a week (like the TOPSS video, where I spent a lot of time writing a script and cutting it down to match the exact time limit) - if a student doesn't procrastinate and dedicates themselves to the course material and understanding it fully, they should be well within their time limits while working on this class and will find themselves having ample time for other classes and assignments.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The APA TOPSS video!! I had so much fun writing, shooting, and editing that video - it was a perfect mix of research, writing, and filmmaking (if sitting in my room and editing the works cited slide on my iPhone counts as filmmaking) as it played into all my interests and I enjoyed it so much. I also enjoyed the memory map assignment very much, where we created a giant poster on Canva linking together all the concepts, theories, and parts of memory together, creating a giant interrelated map. I spent more time than I had to on that assignment and I enjoyed it so much. Beyond that, the unit test essays were also super fun - we had the opportunity to be creative with the examples we gave as we applied the listed concepts to the scenario given in the essay prompt. I think it also worked as a good way to prepare for the exam as it reinforced how exactly a theory, function, or concept of psychology interacts with the real world and that in turn both solidified the concepts in our head and gave us good practice for the real FRQs.

• Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

No doubt!! I have fallen in love with this subject. I took this class for very simple reasons - I wanted to understand how the brain worked and nothing more beyond that - and this class delivereddddd. Like so much more. I fell in love with psychology through Mrs. G's lectures, her supportive comments, the time she gave us when we struggled, and most importantly, her passion and love for the subject. Despite how approachable she is and how easy to talk to she is, Mrs. G is an endless wealth of knowledge that never fails to amaze me. Whether it's from her past professional experience or simply her vast knowledge of psychology, Mrs. G's teaching comes from a place of endless passion and knowledge of the subject. As I leave this class as a high school graduate, I am acutely aware of how much more I need to learn about psychology not simply due to my curiosity, but because I know the only thing limiting Mrs. G from teaching us more is the clock on the lectures. This class has convinced me to make psychology my double major along with my economics major and has sparked a new interested in the sciences. I have always joked that I'm a "social scientist at heart" but maybe I want to dabble in a bit of neuroscience now :p

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

As I mentioned prior, Mrs. G encouraged us to form study groups and I found that to be really helpful while reviewing for the exam. I also found the Discord server run by the numerous hard-working TAs to be a place where I could not only socialize with the other students, but also pose my questions about the coursework and get helpful answers back. The TAs frequently hosted Kahoot! sessions after every major unit and would share material on the server as the exam time came closer. It is also obvious that the TAs Mrs. G selects every year are passionate about the subject and are truly willing to help. When I asked a question on the server about the credibility of a YouTuber online, not only did one of the TAs answer my question, but also shared with me a lot of quality studies he personally found interesting, which led be down a very enjoyable rabbit hole. 

• What sort of student would do well in this class? Would you recommend this class to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I would definitely recommend it!! This is an amazing class - even if you don't expect to love psychology, you will because of the amazing teacher and class. If a student is hardworking, willing to put time to understand the concepts, and is excited to learn, I think they would do great!! There's no doubt that this is an excellent course and I think any student would benefit from taking AP Psychology from Ms. G. The course encourages the student to understand the concept, not associations between two works, and I think that emphasizes how much this course directs you to understand yourself. I looked forward to every AP Psych class, despite the fact that it was pretty late at night in my country. I think any student would do well in this class as long as they're committed to learning conceptually and truly embracing the process of learning. 

11/10, if I could give that rating :)

This Class Far Exceeded My Expectations!

• Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely! This class went beyond preparing me for the AP exam.  Mrs. G not only cared about her students doing well in this class, but also about them understanding the concepts in depth and how they apply to life.  Her enthusiasm was evident and contagious to her students. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into this class?

The amount depended on the week and time of the year. During the first half of the year, I spent about 1-1.5 hours each day; during the second half of the year (really starting in March), I spent at least 2 hours daily since I was reviewing extra for the AP exam and working on my research project. 

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I really enjoyed all of Mrs. G's assignments - every one of them was interesting and an effective learning tool.  My favorite was the Memory Map we put together using the memory chapter terms we had recently learned.  It was very helpful in mentally organizing the information and increased my retention of the terms.  I then applied this method of organizing Psychology terms to other chapters when I was reviewing for the AP exam. 

• Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes! - So much that I am now considering a major in a Psychology-related field.  Mrs. G was so passionate about teaching psychology. Each Sunday, I looked forward to receiving her email introducing the week's topic.  Mrs. G's lectures and chats were so engaging and full of new information that class time would pass by too quickly.  At the end of the year when class was over, I really missed Mrs. G's lectures. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Definitely! The students were fun, respectful, and hard-working team members, making the lectures, study groups, and review sessions interesting. The team of TAs was incredibly dedicated to helping each and every student succeed in the AP Psychology class as a whole.  They provided supplemental resources, practice tests, and took the time to host frequent review sessions.  

• What sort of student would do well in this class? Would you recommend this class to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Any student with an interest in Psychology who is dedicated would do well in this class.  I would absolutely recommend this class to other students who are willing to work hard.   

Mrs. G was kindly accommodating when I had a conflict with my schedule. I was thankful for how quickly she responded to my questions regarding the homework.  She was always sincerely caring and compassionate towards all her students.  This was my first AP course and it was truly a blessing.  : ) 

Here's to Mrs. G! 10/10 would recommend

Mrs. G was probably my favorite teacher this year and I would definitely recommend her class to anyone who wants to take AP psychology! She really cares about the success of each student in her class and provides many resources to help us thoroughly learn the materials. She is also so enthusiastic about her subject that while she prepares you well for the AP exam, she also lets you get excited to learn about the fascinating world of human thoughts, emotions, and behavior, so it doesn't just feel like you're cramming for an exam. 

I also found that there was an excellent sense of community in this class, with TA's available to host friendly and fun review sessions throughout the year. The TAs also provided a class Discord server that allowed us to ask them psychology questions at any time (with extra separate servers to chat away and be silly with new psychology friends).

This class requires that you work hard (I spent 1-2.5 hours on AP psychology most school days but I am a slow, thorough learner and the workload was not unmanageable), but Mrs. G is a gracious teacher who will give you as many opportunities to succeed in her class as possible and will provide help to anyone who asks for it. Her daily live boot-camp review sessions at the end of the year were especially helpful, and I was able to go into the AP exam feeling well prepared even without a lot of extra review time on my own. 

If you are interested in learning more about how our brains work and why we do some of the things that we do (and you're willing to do a decent amount of reading and writing), this is the class for you!

Thank You

Mrs. G is the most memorable teacher any student can have. Her ability to excite the class and funny stories has me looking forward to her "lectures" (too fun to call them lectures). She understands the needs of every student and sets up fun assignments that makes content memorable. If there is something any class could have its happiness and a sense of community. Even though everyone was around the world, we all shared jokes which allowed us to really encode and retain important concepts. It is not a doubt you will be successful in this class. 

AMAZING Class!

Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely! Mrs G is an amazing teacher! Her classes are super interesting and I love all the stories that she shares with us, it really connects the topic that we're learning about with how things apply in real-life. The TAs are awesome too, they are super supportive and are always there to answer any questions. They even host Kahoots and essay reviews before our tests. And of course, we cannot forget to mention BOOTCAMP! Mrs G hosts a 2-week long before the exam and covers all the units Hank Green-style. She goes through everything that we would need to know for the exam, including all the strategies to write the FRQs.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into this class?

It really depends but usually, I spend 2 hours attending the live lectures, a couple of hours reading the assigned textbook readings and an hour on the assignments/ bi-weekly test. (Approximately 7-8 hours a week) 

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The TOPSS essay!! For our final project, we got to choose between a research project and participating in the TOPSS competition. I chose to participate in the TOPSS competition and it was so fun. I got to do research about my chosen topic and even make a short video about it. It was a little daunting because it was my first time making a video but I learnt so much. Mrs G also helped to clarify the questions I had and was super patient with helping to review all my drafts and giving me feedback. 

Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! I signed up for the class because I was interested in psychology and through Mrs G's classes, I got to learn so much more. Mrs G's enthusiasm for psychology is definitely contagious and it made every class more fascinating and enjoyable. It has definitely inspired me to continue learning more about the subject in the future. (I also love her emails!!)

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Mrs G got us to form our own study groups (a few students led by a TA) before the exam and for my study group, we met weekly on Wednesdays for reviews and a lot more during the week before the exam. I got to make new friends who crammed for the exam with me and it was a great experience ^^

An Amazing Class, Highly Recommend

AP Psychology was my first-ever AP class. Because of that, I was a little nervous heading into the school year. Mrs. G's AP Psychology class, however, was phenomenal! While it did require effort and hard work, I thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience. From the human brain, to motivations, personality, history, social interactions and dilemmas, psychological disorders, and memory, I gained so much interesting knowledge from this course. Sure, it was geared towards preparing students for an end-of-the-year exam, and it certainly did, but the process to arrive there was so enjoyable, especially thanks to Mrs. G! She has been one of my all-time favorite teachers. Her passion for this subject was evident in every single lecture. The amount of time and effort she puts into helping her students is unbelievable and such a blessing. If you are unsure of whether to take this class, I would highly encourage you to do so!

• Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

While the AP test was difficult, I felt confident going into it. The TAs were also very encouraging and provided a number of wonderful study resources and tips for success. Additionally, Mrs. G's two week boot camp review at the end of the year was super helpful!

• Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

One of the amazing things about Psychology, is that there are so many aspects and careers that fall under its large umbrella. Although I did not enjoy every single unit we covered equally, certain chapters really sparked my interest. Now, I feel inspired to look into jobs within those particular fields!

• What sort of student would do well in this class? Would you recommend this class to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

In order to do well in AP Psych, you must be disciplined and manage your time well. Since there are many terms to cover, cramming would not be a useful strategy. As long as you are steadfast and work hard throughout the year, you will succeed and have a ton of fun! :D

Where do I begin?! SO MANY AMAZING COMPONENTS!

Admittedly, AP Psychology was the first class I registered for on PAH Homeschoolers, and I would make that choice again in a heartbeat. For reasons that extend beyond a simple course review, I can't even begin to describe how amazing this class is -- from the teacher to the TAs, to the course content, it's more than anyone could ask for! For as long as I can remember, it has always been my goal to pursue medicine when I was older. Now, 'being older' is just one year away as I enter my last year of high school - senior year. Neurology and Psychology were always on the top of my list as far as fields go, and let me tell you, the teacher, Mrs. Gonzalez, really strengthened my love for psychology more than I would've thought. Being surrounded by a family whose professional career paths are centered around the brain, I really didn't know what would be "new material" or simply "review" having a mom who's a behavioral therapist and a brother who's a chiropractor. Boy was I wrong. It was all new material, and the method to the madness in this class is well worth the time and effort. I mainly took this class because hey, it's psychology -- it's everywhere and why not take it if I want to consider being a doctor of the brain!? Reading the course reviews before registering, I had set initial expectations of the class and after taking it and thinking as I write this review, I'll tell you the class blew those expectations out of the water. Mrs. G is beyond considerate, caring, encouraging, preparing, and beyond incredible to each of her students. We had quite a few people in this class, and I think I speak for all of us when I say she made sure every single one of us was prepared and nurtured with the different aspects of psychology! If you ever need help or you're stuck because of a family emergency or another situation, she is very accommodating and supportive of your time and efforts. In addition, the TAs, were incredibly helpful, supportive, guiding, and comforting throughout the class journey. Whenever we'd have a question, there would be an instant answer. If there was any need for homework help, there would always be a TA on deck to help you out. Not to mention, the abundance of study resources is absolutely incredible -- I never felt ill-prepared for any test, assignment, essay, or most of all, the big AP Exam! From the first month that I met the TAs and became acquainted with the discord system, that is, their method of communication, fun, and help, I knew I would want to be a TA the following year. Well, here I am, a rising TA for the 2023-2024 school year because of the incredible community and amazing influences on our team! The TAs made some big footprints in the sand this year, but even with big shoes to fill, we will provide you with the same level of enthusiasm and preparation as this year! I am beyond excited to be working with the returning/new TAs, and most of all, Mrs. G again!

Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

Without a doubt!! I entered this class with a firm foundation of psychology and a strong love for the entirety of the brain and I walked out somehow obsessed with everything about it and wanting to share everything I learned. Every week there would be two 'live' components of class time with the teacher, and each time we met, another question would arise in my brain -- "How does this work?" Mrs. G always comes to class with a neat story or a fun intro to bring curiosity to her students and pique their interest, and her method was honestly foolproof. It always worked! By the end of the course, I couldn't come to a direct conclusion about which unit was my favorite because I could remember the various stories and memories that Mrs. G would share with us! The units of AP Psychology are diverse and various, too. However, it goes without saying that even the most entertaining units can be the most boring without the proper method of teaching backing them up. This was never a concern. I was always one of those students EXCITED for Monday when class would roll around and I knew we'd cover another fascinating topic, building on the last, and finding that each part of the brain was connected in one way or another. The assignments were never "routine" either -- there were different, interactive sessions and assignments that changed for each unit that really honed in on specific topics and allowed students to drill those concepts into their brains:) Overall, however, I would confidently say that this class heightened my sense of interest in psychology and I regret nothing in registering for it-- it was really beyond fascinating. So, if you think you already know a lot about psych, don't let that stop you from taking this course! 

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into this class?

Couldn't give ya a definite answer! There wasn't really a 'set' amount of time given every single week of the course. On a 'normal' week per se, you'll have some reading, video watching, and a fun, in-depth assignment to help you learn the material and build that information into your brain. If I had to say, averaging the course hours I spent beginning in August, I would say the student should generally prepare for about 12 hours per week, INCLUDING live lectures with the teacher. It really depends, though. The spring semester will generally be busier than the winter one, just because of increased studying and a formal project that may add a little bit of time-consuming work to the 'normal routine.' There are two options for the formal project in spring -- the student may choose to do an independent research project on a topic of their choosing or create an informational and analytical video for the American Psychological Association (TOPSS). Combined with the gradual increase of studying for the looming AP Exam ahead, time per week will certainly increase a bit, but still doable. 

Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

For sure!!! Even in the beginning, months before the AP Exam, there were plenty of resources suggested by the teacher and the TAs ahead of time to help reassure students and prepare them. As I'm sure you'll find out in the other course reviews, Mrs. G dedicates the final two weeks of her class to the famed "Boot Camp" of AP Psychology, which essentially covers every single unit, every term, and every strategy you'll need to know in order to succeed!! After attending the boot camp lectures, I walked into my exam smiling and beyond confident to nail that test. The 'Boot Camp' sessions were fun, interactive, intensive, and memorable for each student. Not to mention, the teacher interacts with all her students to make sure they are all on the same page and feeling the same amount of confidence across the board. The TAs were also a big help. They went out of their way to provide study sessions, such as Kahoots and essay writing workshops to help students develop and perfect test strategies for both Mrs. G's tests and the AP Exam. Not to mention, one TA designed practice tests that were actually harder than the actual questions provided by the college board so that students would be comfortable when the exam rolled around. These sessions are designed to help students navigate college board questions and teach students the process of quick thinking and recall. Mrs. G provides multiple-choice tests and essays at the end of each unit to help students demonstrate their knowledge and test their abilities. I found these extremely helpful and certainly prepared me well for the exam ahead of time. All in all, between the resources provided by the TAs, Mrs. G's sessions and materials, and just the students' input, I felt beyond confident for the exam, and walked out just as confident!!

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Ooooooh this is a tough one!! I think my favorite assignment was honestly the research project. Yes, I did decide to do the independent research project at the end of the day. This assignment really allows students to show what they know -- they form hypotheses, attempt to find correlations, and really MAKE their own research study with participants and variables!! It teaches students to find connections and demonstrate their understanding of psychological statistics and graphical figures from certain units of the class. Not to mention, it's FUN!! The teacher provides a very lenient timeline for students to complete this assignment, working to construct their projects piece by piece in order to submit a full draft that is orderly and well done! This assignment is honestly a close second to another, however. I was a big fan of the development unit at the end of the class, and we were assigned to perform our own "mini-interviews" with a toddler or two to decide which "moral stage of development" they would be placed in. I got to interview a little pumpkin that I coached last summer who had grown so much! This assignment was AWESOME! We were asked to give little kids some basic questions and it was so fun to see how they reacted and would attempt to 'think through' the questions and likely give hit-or-miss answers depending on their stage of development. This was such an eye-opening time of the year, and combined with the research project, it was a blast!

In short summary, this class is the best : )

I entered Mrs. G’s class excited for  several reasons. First, my older brother had taken it a few years prior and loved it. And second, I find the human mind fascinating and was pumped to learn as much as possible about why people behave the way they do. Third, I plan to major in nursing in college (I’m a rising senior), so I knew this class would help me prepare for that. What I was not ready for back in August is just how much I would cherish this class and all my interactions with Mrs. G, my TAs, and my classmates. It would be very difficult to summarize this class in a couple of words without sounding a bit cliché. So, saying “this class is the best” cannot encompass how much you will get out of it. Every session, I came ready to take notes, hear Mrs. G’s stupendous stories, and soak in her wisdom and everything AP Psychology consists of. The Psych community is also fantabulous. TA Om created a server on Discord that has everything from the sometimes outrageous “one-word story” to the “school-help” channel. This server is a lot of fun (though best in small doses to avoid wasting time, hehe) and really helped shape my experience of Psych. The TAs were fantastic—always ready to answer questions and encourage us. They conscientiously looked out for us, helping us stay afloat and making sure we had the resources we needed to succeed. I am a TA for the year 2023-24, so I and my peers will be working hard to continue the mentorship the past TAs (some of whom are sticking around : )) have initiated.

• Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

I walked into my testing room much more excited than nervous, which is extraordinary on two levels. First, I have experienced not-so-nice testing anxiety with past APs, so it was amazing that I felt as calm as I did with this one. And second, because of how well laid out this class is (and how beautifully Mrs. G teaches the material—in a way that keeps the info firmly in memory, so long as you study and review amply), I had no reason to fear because I knew I was prepared and felt assured that everything would go okay. And it did!! The exam went excellently, and without bragging, I feel confident that I did well.

The two weeks preceding the exam are called “Boot Camp,” during which Mrs. G recovers all the essential material we have studied throughout the year. These sessions are really fun and interactive, with a selection of related multiple-choice questions and free-response questions examined during each one. Furthermore, Boot Camp really got me ready for the test, helping me relearn material while ensuring that, if I was fuzzy on some topics, I could make a note of what I needed to review and go after that in personal studying. So, if you take this class (and you should if you’re able!!), know ahead of time that Boot Camp exists and do your best to attend as many sessions as possible to perform on top par when exam day rolls around.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into this class?

Oh goodness, that’s tricky. It often varied, depending on how focused I was and whether it was a week with a test or not. I put a lot of work into this class as a whole, though, so I would say I spent a minimum of six hours on Psych every week in the fall semester and around 10-12 weekly in the spring semester. Note that these *include* lecture + chat times. Also, on weeks when I had a test, I naturally studied more, so regardless of the semester, that increased my time expenditure by a couple of hours. So, if you’re considering this class, know that you’ll need to have a sizable amount of time to do well in it.

Also know that in the spring semester, every student must complete an independent research project or one from the American Psychological Association called the TOPSS competition. I took on the research project, which in my case involved formulating a hypothesis, creating a survey, having fellow students take it, collecting the data, and writing a report on my findings. I briefly considered the TOPSS project (a video for 2023) but ultimately opted for independent research because it would allow me to go at my own pace and study what I was particularly curious about.

Finally, students should naturally be doing more work in the spring semester for review purposes. The TAs provide lots of excellent resources, so students can easily use Quizlets, practice tests, and the like to review and practice the previously covered topics.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I really, really enjoyed the short interview we were assigned to do when studying cognitive stages of development. I got to interview my nephew and some friends to determine what stage of cognitive development each was in, so that was really enjoyable.

I also loved the *moral* stages of development assignment which challenged us to come up with an example from a book or movie that exemplifies each of Kohlberg’s three moral stages. It was definitely a challenge because the examples I discussed had certain nuances that made it somewhat difficult to ascertain which stage characters were in, but I really appreciated the assignment as a whole because it mixed several of my favorite things: psychology, literature, and films.

After writing about these two, however, I should note that there are SO many wonderful assignments in this class! I know that sounds kind of weird because, you know, who would think that coursework could be fun??!! But in all honesty, Mrs. G’s are—they make you think, they provide enjoyment, and they ingrain their focal topics in your mind, so you’ll pretty much not forget them, assuming you put in the work to get it down. Also, Mrs. G’s assignments weren’t too difficult generally speaking. The group project from the fall was difficult as was the research project, but each one really allows students to explore particular topics in solid detail and helps crystallize the information in your brain.

• Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

Oh my word, yes! As I described at the beginning of this review, I came in interested and trotted out fascinated. I’m now considering psychology as a possible career (though not specifically sure what that would entail xD), perhaps combining it with nursing to blend my two interests.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Definitely! As discussed, the Psych community is wonderful. It’s so fun to interact with people from all over the country and the world and to all share the love of our class. I had a fantastic study group in the spring, which really helped me make closer connections with people I’d been talking to almost all year.

• What sort of student would do well in this class? Would you recommend this class to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I think it’s a requirement that students interested in this class really *are* interested and are motivated to succeed in it. I realize that’s tricky to know if you’re applying in the spring and are months away from beginning the class, but if you’ve done the numbers to determine whether you physically *can* take on this class, absolutely do it! If you’re not sure what you want to do in college (or if you want to go to college at all), this might be the class for you. I say that because, even if you don’t decide to study psychology in the future, this class is massively helpful in shaping people for the better. It has made me more self-aware, cognizant of others, and motivated to help other people in the future. In addition, a few of my TAs have decided to make psychology their focus in college, so once you’ve gotten into it (necessarily putting in the work, of course), you aren’t going to leave it unchanged. And that’s a really good thing.

For one thing, you get to learn from Mrs. Gonzalez every week, and seriously, what better teacher to soak up such a fascinating topic from? I may sound like a fangirl. I am. ; ) But in all frankness, this class is amazing and life-changing and you will benefit from it so much, SO PLEASE TAKE IT!!!!!!!! You will most certainly not regret it. : )

A Wonderful Class!

I have learned so much from AP Psych this year, and I really appreciate all the work Mrs. Gonzalez put into making this class fun, interactive and interesting! As an AP class it was rigorous, but it was also packed full of fun assignments, discussions, and videos. I learned so much and really enjoyed the classes and homework! Even though my time zone meant that I wasn't able to attend many of the classes, I had fun watching the recordings; Mrs. Gonzalez's enthusiasm is contagious! I felt very prepared taking the exam, and felt very calm while answering the questions. All in all, I highly recommend this class because of Mrs. Gonzalez's dedication, enthusiasm, and passion in teaching this fascinating subject!

Review of Mrs. Gonzalez's AP Psychology Class

When starting out this class, I was very nervous about how I would do in it because I had never taken an AP class nor the AP Exam before, although when I got into it, it was a truly amazing experience. Mrs. Gonzalez is, in fact, the best teacher I've ever had out of all the classes I've taken outside of my at-home curriculums, and her energy and positivity add on so much more to the learning experience. As for the class itself, all of the information from the Canvas website and in Mrs. Gonzalez's Sunday emails are extremely easy to understand. Her Lectures and Chats also are extremely informative, and also adds a great sense of communication which you wouldn't be able to have without doing online lectures. The assignments on Canvas are wonderful and can help you learn by asking you to reason out questions like the questions you may find on the AP Exam. Tests and Test Essays also do a great job a reflecting how well you did at the end of each Module. Nearer to the end of the year, you're given the option to either do a research project, or compete in the TOPSS Essay competition hosted by APA. I chose the essay, and Mrs. Gonzalez gave everyone an extremely comprehensive and detailed explanation of how we were supposed to write our essays and what to include in them, including a guide on what days to do each part. In conclusion, for anyone interested in Psychology, this class is a MUST. Mrs. Gonzalez will prepare you thoroughly for the Exam, and at the same time, leave you with a great class experience all around.

One of my favorite classes ever!

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

I felt very confident and prepared while taking the exam. Through the year, we covered each topic in detail. Mrs. G also provided a comprehensive boot-camp review in the 2 weeks preceding the exam. There was always a large supply of materials and resources presented each week to solidify understanding, including videos, paper lectures, and the live zoom sessions. These materials and resources made sure I was very prepared for the exam.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I put around 5-8 hours a week into this course depending on the week's requirements. There was a bi-weekly multiple-choice test and essay. Often, there were weekly homework assignments or optional assignments.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely! I entered AP Psych with an already blooming interest in psychology. This course allowed me to explore the many aspects and topics within the field and increase my love for psychology even more. AP Psych was definitely one of my favorite courses I've taken during high school. After completing this course, I am considering a major in psychology. Mrs. G was a phenomenal and upbeat teacher who had a clear passion for psychology and for her students. She was always willing to answer questions, discuss interesting psychology topics, and give additional resources. Mrs. G was dedicated, always prepared, experienced, and knowledgeable. She always brought support, interest, and liveliness to the class. I woke up each morning excited to work on AP Psych homework.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

One opportunity that I found particularly valuable was the TOPPS essay competition. This was an optional (there was a choice between either the TOPPS Essay or a research project) essay competition through the American Psychology Association. This research paper was both challenging and interesting. I was allowed to choose my own topic to write about. Learning to correctly and successfully complete a research paper within a certain word limit was a challenging but fulfilling learning experience. Mrs. G and the TA's were extremely willing to give advice and in-depth critiques throughout the process. In facing future research papers, I know I will have a solid reference point and increased confidence.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Mrs. G gave many opportunities to interact with other students including weekly live zoom sessions, group projects, discussion boards, practice AP essay discussion boards, and study groups.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Though there were a few vocabulary-heavy sections (ex. neuroscience unit) and a couple of concepts that were harder to understand, most of the concepts were easy to grasp. The course material was fascinating and I think anyone willing to use their interest to fuel their dedication to this course will do very well.

Interesting Class, Good Teacher

This class was one of my favorite classes that I took in my four years of highschool. Mrs G. is passionate about psychology which shows in her teaching. She also cares about her students and is always willing to answer questions. TAs were helpful.

There are two live meetings each week that are offered at various times. These never felt like a waste of my time. (Unfortunately I can't say the same for some other past classes.) Mrs. G. used these to clearly explain concepts with a lot of stories and examples which made it much more memorable and engaging. 

The two weeks of boot camp review leading up to the AP exam definitely boosted my confidence about taking the exam. Make sure that you attend those or watch the recordings. Taking the actual exam, I felt like I knew most of the material, except for a few areas that I knew I didn't know as well. Looking back, there are a few things that I would do differently now as far as studying and making use of resources. Mrs. G. provided plenty of resources, I just didn't use all of them that or as much as I could have.

Excellent class!

Of course, the principal purpose of this class is to prepare the students for the AP Exam. In this regard, Mrs. G. did a marvelous job. The homework was interesting and Mrs. G. provided us with extra tools to make the information memorable, such as by connecting it to our own lives. The homework did not take too long either, with me probably spending under an hour a week on assignments and a few hours reading the textbook (reading the textbook took longer for me because I made flashcards as I read). I appreciate the shortness of most assignments since I spent quite a lot amount of time studying the material outside of class. During the live sessions, Mrs. G. does an excellent job presenting the information in an enjoyable and understandable manner, with her own knowledge and appreciation for psychology shining through her lectures. Moreover, while the live sessions are not structured to be interactive, Mrs. G. is always happy to answer questions. Mrs. G.'s boot camp at the end of class also made sure that I felt truly prepared and allowed me to recognize the areas I needed extra practice on. By the time I took my AP test, I felt prepared and, although I haven't received my results yet, I am confident that I did well.

Beyond simply preparing me for the exam, Mrs. G. also instilled in me a deep appreciation and curiosity for the subject of psychology. I am even more curious to learn about psychology than I was prior to taking this course. The enjoyable homework assignments, such as writing a letter of gratitude, allowed me to learn the information while still enjoying the process. There were also opportunities to work with other students on projects, with Mrs. G. making sure that students who slacked off in group work did not get credit. It was also always a joy to communicate with Mrs. G., whether because I simply was curious about the content or was confused about a question on a quiz. Mrs. G is quite simply a wonderful teacher, and I thoroughly enjoyed being her student.

a parent's view

As a parent of a student who took two of Mrs. Gonzales' classes, I wanted to let others know how impressive her classes are. Her lectures are engaging and her assignments foster a penetrating exploration of the material. Her deeply nuanced understanding and love of psychology is apparent and this positively influences how students internaize the material. I appreciated her regular memos to both students and parents about the subjects being covered and upcoming timelines. She is always very prompt in responding to questions and did so with remarkable kindness. Both she and her TAs provided plenty of comments and suggestions on the assignments and projects. The way she conveys the subject matter, her enthusiasm, and her helpful guidance throughout the year most certainly prepares students for the AP exam! Most importantly, I appreciated the encouragement she provides to her students which I believe inspires students to challenge themselves even more.

AP Psychology was my favorite class!

AP Psychology was one of my favorite classes of all time. Mrs. G taught the material in an engaging way that was easy to understand, and her love of psychology was evident in every lesson. Despite the large number of students in her class, she answered my questions and emails quickly and demonstrated concern for everyone's individual ability to learn.

About the course specifically, I spent about 5 hours each week (an hour a day, plus a little on the weekends) on homework and lessons. The course is structured with 2 live sessions, each an hour long (which were recorded if you couldn't attend them live). I usually attended them both on Monday each week. In addition, there were several lectures/documents/articles to read, along with two or three videos to watch, and the assigned pages in the textbook. After I had completed these, I moved on to the homework assignment. There was 1 of these a week, and sometimes an optional assignment (these weren't too difficult, and boosted my grade). Finally, there was a biweekly exam (usually 20 multiple choice questions and 1 free-response).

The course was very dense in vocabulary terms that had to be memorized, but I didn't find any concept particularly difficult to comprehend. Compared to other APs that I have taken, it is on the easier side, mostly because of this reason. However, it is still a challenging class, and you need to be prepared to put in the time and effort. If you have any difficulty in the class, Mrs. G and the TAs are very receptive to emails. Another thing I would recommend is to not hold back any questions! If you don't understand something, ask, whether in the live lectures or by email. Mrs. G answers questions in a way that is detailed and thorough, and will enlighten your understanding of any difficult topic.

Around the end of the first semester, we were given the opportunity to either write an essay for the TOPSS competition or conduct a research project. I chose to write the essay, and although it was daunting at first, by breaking it up over many weeks I was able to finish it without being too overwhelmed. In addition, the TAs and Mrs. G were VERY helpful in this part of the course, editing my essay, giving suggestions, and readily responding to any questions I had.

My favorite part of the course was the group projects (there were 2 of these) and the bootcamps, which were held every day for 2 weeks before the exam. In addition to Mrs. G's fast yet efficient reviews of each of the chapters, we practiced MCQ and FRQ questions together. I really felt a sense of camaraderie with the other students, and going into the exam I don't think I could have felt more prepared.

Taking this course not only prepared me the best it could for the AP exam, it also reaffirmed my love for psychology and broadened my knowledge of the fascinating subject that it is. I recommend this course to anyone interested in psychology, or looking for a good introduction to the AP exams. You could not have a better teacher than Mrs. G!!

Great Class, Great Teacher!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?
  • I felt extremely prepared for the AP exam. There is so much to cover in AP Psych, especially because you don't know what will be on the exam. Mrs. G did a fantastic job preparing the class for the exam, and didn't leave it up to the individual student to review/study like some teachers do. She structured the review so it was over two weeks, and it covered every single chapter, plus multiple choice questions and free response questions from previous exams. I felt very prepared going into the exam.
• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?
  • There are two live classes per week, which last about an hour each. The assignments differed on how long they took, but the average was around 1-1.5 hours. At the end of each chapter, there was a quiz and exam, which took longer.
• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?
  • In this class, students have the option of writing an essay or doing a research project. I chose the research project, and it was super fun! At first I was worried because I didn't exactly know how to go about doing it, but Mrs. G offered lots of resources, including a couple live session on how to complete the project, that were super helpful. I really enjoyed doing this assignment. She also provides many short written lectures and reviews from outside sources that are very helpful and fun to read/watch.  
• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?
  • It definitely did! It also introduced me to an aspect of psychology that I didn't know I was interested in. Mrs. G was very kind and wrote me a letter of recommendation for a camp I am going to do in the summer in that subject. 
• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?
  • Yes. We did several group projects, which were a fun opportunity to communicate with other students outside of the live classes. In the live classes, there was lots of communication between students and with Mrs. G. 
• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?
  • This class covers a lot of material (because any of it might be on the exam), so you have to be diligent and take lots (lots!) of notes during the live classes. Taking notes, then looking over them with Mrs. G's written lectures is very helpful to study. I cannot recommend this class highly enough! Mrs. G is a really amazing teacher who is always engaged with her students. She has a very large class and she still responds to emails as fast as she can, she does extra research and finds extra materials when someone has a question, and this was definitely my favorite class and Mrs. G was my favorite teacher this year. 

Take this class!

Mrs. G is one of those rare teachers whose enthusiasm for psychology is so great you can't help catching some of it as well. The course does a great job of preparing you for the exam, especially with the "Boot Camp" in the last two weeks. There's a strong social element in the class, and there are weekly live sessions with a lot of student-teacher interaction as well.

If you're interested in psychology, I can't recommend this course more! For all the reasons above and more, it prepares you well, covers a lot of interesting topics, and, unlike a lot of other classes, has a very real community. The class isn't a lot of work, and it's *very* flexible in terms of assignments, deadlines, live sessions, and learning (resources in the class include written summaries, the textbook, and videos from various sources, so it's very easy to find something that works well for you!). There really couldn't be a better psych course than this.

PS If you've taken AP Statistics (shout out to Mrs. Driscoll's AP Stats class!) or a similar course, you'll find it very useful in psych because graphs and experimental design are an important chunk of the course, and a lot of AP Stats carries over to AP Psych in that regard.

Very interesting class, awesome teacher!

This has been a great class. The material was very interesting, there wasn't a huge amount of homework, and Mrs. Gonzalez was a great teacher. She was super flexible, taking each individual's needs into account with her many Zoom sessions, flexible due dates, and just her constant attention to everyone's emails and specific circumstances. She never blew questions off during Zoom sessions even if they were beyond the scope of the course, either answering them there or assuring us that she's one email away and would be happy to discuss any tangential or more advanced content privately. The research project was a great opportunity that isn't commonly available in high school or even college classes. We got to choose our own topic and had complete reign over every aspect of them while still being able to get help from her along the way. It was a great experience overall.

Finally, the most important part of the class to me was the Boot Camp Review at the end. Yes, we did have Zoom sessions every day for two weeks. While this may sound tedious, Mrs. Gonzalez put so much effort and purpose in it that it was both fun and invaluable as a review. She went over practically the whole course in two weeks, giving us a great refresher of all the material and answering any lingering questions. But the best part was she went over College Board MCQs and FRQs with us to make sure we could answer their specific questions. She would have us type in our answer to the FRQs and would check each one, showing us the CB rubric and helping us immensely with our specific FRQ approaches. This was extremely important since the AP exam is not just about content, but really about the skills necessary to demonstrate knowledge of the content, and she covered both thoroughly in her review. My test experience went very well, and I felt confident in my knowledge of the material and the correct approach for FRQs during the test. Overall, a great class, very interesting content, and a super dedicated teacher!

The Best Psychology Class Out There!

This class is amazing! There wasn't a single moment where I regretted taking this class. Mrs. Gonzalez's passion for the subject and for you has no bounds. 

For the first time in your life a teacher will answer all your emails and questions as soon as she can (usually the very same day you emailed your question to her) and she won't just answer with halfhearted responses but will flood you with knowledge to answer your question, leaving no stone unturned.

This course will definitely prepare you for the test. You will leave the exam hall feeling like you are a genius because Mrs. Gonzalez prepared you so well. This course will not just prepare you for the test but will also make you grow as an individual with assignments like studying how you manage your time and using a growth mindset to change your own thoughts and behavior.

My favorite assignment was the summer reading assignment. You had to read a book about psychology (Mrs. Gonzalez gave you a list of books you could read, but she was open to new recommendations), and you wrote a book review and two insights you had on particular quotes. I had so much fun diving headfirst into a book of psychology. Like many of Mrs. Gonzalez's assignments, I felt like I was able to have my own thoughts and opinions. I was even applauded for questioning parts of psychology because it meant I was really learning. I wasn't just trying to pass the test, but I was there to completely soak myself in the wonderful subject of psychology.

There were two group projects we did in Mrs. Gonzalez's class, and in both I felt like the class body was ready to learn and work with me, and if there was any social loafing Mrs. Gonzalez would be there to help me work with those individuals. I never felt like I had to figure everything out on my own. Especially compared to the usual group assignment experience Mrs. Gonzalez's class made them transpire without the typical amount stress. I didn't just suffer through working with the other students. In fact, I found their comments and conversations helpful and enjoyable.  

I worked on psychology for roughly two and a half hours a day. When it came to the second semester of class, the amount of time I spent doing psychology jumped up to three and a half hours a day. This class is no joke. You will be thinking about psychology all the time, whether in the classroom or just in normal life, and you will catch yourself labeling people's actions all the time with psychological terms.

The best student for Mrs. Gonzalez's class is a student ready to meet a new challenge every week. You must be a more disciplined student who can push themself to do the extra hours to finish the work. Mrs. G will run through your free time with a ten-ton bulldozer, and you will thank her for doing so. There is a reason so many students do well in this class, and that is because you work harder than you ever had before.     

Overall, Mrs. G's class is one of the most fulfilling classes you will ever have the pleasure doing. Don't hesitate! If there were ever any prizes bestowed for the best classes for psychology, Mrs. Gonzalez's class would win first place every time.  

The Perfect Course!

Choosing to take this course was one of the best choices I have ever made! Everything from the teacher, the assignments, the lecture and chat times, to the other students was perfect.  There was nothing that I would change! Psychology was the first course ever where I was truly sad that it was coming to an end. 

Mrs. G's passion for psychology and teaching clearly shone through during every class. She knew me personally even though there were 60+ other students in the class. She was very supportive, and she was always available to answer any questions I had. Her feedback was always helpful, and she made it clear that questions were always welcome. It was obvious that she cared about all of us and wanted to help all her students succeed.

The course was structured so that we met live as a class for two hours every week, once for a live lecture and once for a chat. There were many times offered so there was something available for everyone. Every week there were paper lectures posted on the website for us to read with extra information on the topics we covered, some textbook reading pages, and a couple of TED Talk, Psych Exam Review, or Crash Course videos to watch. Just about every week or so throughout the year we had an assignment. All the assignments were fun, and they helped to solidify everything we learned. There were also tests and essays every two weeks to help us practice for the exam.

The live lecture and chat times were so much fun! I attended the Monday live lecture and chat time throughout the year and by the Christmas break I recognized the names of most of my Monday classmates. We almost always made Mrs. G stay late answering questions and discussing things in more detail than we needed for the exam. It was so nice to be able to learn with other students who were passionate about learning too!

I felt like there was a sense of community between me and the other students in the class. Towards the end of March Mrs. G encouraged us to form our own study groups. I had never been a part of a study group before, and I wasn't quite sure how it would work out, but it was a complete blast! We came up with a bunch of stories and mnemonics to help us remember complicated theories and laughed—a lot.

The last two weeks of class (AP Exam Bootcamp) was such an amazing resource! Together as a class we utilized the concept of relearning and reviewed everything that we had learned throughout the year.  I cannot believe how much I retained! Now, even after I have taken the exam, I still want to learn even more about psychology! I felt very prepared for the exam, but just as important to me was the fact that this course never felt like it was being taught just so we would get a five.

Best Class You Will Ever Take!!!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

This course did an amazing job of preparing me for the exam! Mrs. Gonzalez hosted lectures every week that were easy to follow, comprehensive, and detailed; and in the last two weeks she held daily review sessions so that we were completely prepared for the exam. During these classes you're encouraged to ask questions, and there is always an outline for you to follow. There are multiple time slots for you to attend lectures during the week as well, so there will always be a timeframe that will work with your schedule. The assignments, instead of focusing on memorization and mindless busy work, created meaningful ways to apply and learn psychological concepts. Every two weeks there was also a short test and essay portion to review your work, which was a great way to prepare for the free response question and multiple-choice section on the exam!

Mrs. G was the best teacher I ever had, and probably will ever have. She was so willing to help you understand the work and put herself out for each of her students. She answered my emails super quick (usually minutes later!!!) and made sure that she answered my question(s) completely. She was so fun and lively every single day and really brought the class so much happiness, focus, and passion.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I would say you do need to know how fast you work and how diligent you are before committing to any AP class. I personally spent on average around 2-3 hours a day on the course (including weekends which was when I wrote tests and finished up outstanding homework). Some days I spent a lot of time on the work, and others I was done in an hour. The class is structured so that you spend around two hours a week attending lectures/chats and maybe 45 minutes to an hour and a half a day reviewing and completing assignments. I would also say that this course is the perfect amount of time for you to completely grasp the concepts and still have plenty of time left for other courses as well. 

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes!

Psychology, an already interesting topic, and it was brought to life in Mrs. G's class. She started almost every lecture with a real-life story to help explain concepts fully and give you a tool to remember what you've learned. Every assignment was fun, interesting, and related to the topic.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Two of my favorite assignments was creating a comprehensive memory map and the mid-year assignment. The memory map really helped me grasp how all the terms related to memory in an almost family tree manner. In the end I had an aesthetic way to actually learn about memory in an interactive way. During the mid-year assignment, I was able to write the TOPSS essay, which was a rewarding, yet demanding assignment. I was able to pick my own topic and discuss an issue that I hold dear to me. As a bonus, this is one of the few courses where assignments occasionally cover self-development. We were able to create a growth mindset in ourselves and complete assignments that could elevate us as students.  

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)

If you've ever taken an AP class before, you know that this IS college level curriculum, and inherently is a huge leap from standard, and even honors programs. In this class you are required to complete 1-2 assignments a week, attend both lectures and chats (around 2 hours), and take tests and essays every two weeks. If you enjoy rigorous work, writing (you do need to like to write, which I loved!!!!), and a collaborative student environment this is a perfect class for you! The course is intense (like any AP class), and you have to be prepared for that, but you honestly cannot have a better teacher and curriculum for the subject. As long as you're willing to work hard and attend class this is the perfect course for you! Even if you're not avidly considering a job in the field of psychology, this is a subject that will help you understand how people think and interact with one another, which is vital for any occupation you might be considering.   

Parent Review of an Excellent Course

I have two sons who were students in Mrs. Gonzalez's AP Psychology class, one in 2017-2018 and the other in 2020-2021.  Mrs. Gonzalez is very dedicated to her students' success in class as well as on the AP exam.  She also makes each student feel accepted and appreciated as part of the class.  Both of my sons thoroughly enjoyed her class and learned how to become better students through her course structure.

Mrs. Gonzalez organizes her course so that students are learning in a variety of ways that will help to prepare them for higher education.  Of course, they read a textbook as guided by her with assigned chapter readings.  She also offers weekly live lectures and chats (one of each per week required).  For lectures, students are emailed an outline ahead of time, print it off, and practice their note-taking skills during the lecture.  These student notes, along with additional handouts Mrs. Gonzalez send them, are reviewed for chapter tests.  The chats are very interactive sessions where they watch related videos and discuss concepts as a group.  My sons made friends through this and enjoyed working with his classmates on the several group projects that were assigned throughout the year. We really appreciated Mrs. Gonzalez's "no social loafing" policy in groupwork which ensures that each member of the group was productive in creating the final product.

Mrs. Gonzalez is also flexible.  She offers several lecture and chat times each week to meet the schedules of her students.  She grants extensions for students if needed and allows them to retake their chapter tests to improve their scores.  All of this helps foster student success and enjoyment of the class.  I highly recommend this course for any hard-working student.

An Outstanding Course and Teacher

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely!  Each chapter test had mulitpule choice questions and essays that were structured like the AP exam.  In the beginning of the year, Mrs. G clearly explains how to write a high-scoring essay and reinforces these qualities each time she gives detailed feedback on the chapter test essays. Throughout the year. Mrs. G stresses which topics are commonly tested and important to understand. She goes into further depth and give examples of each of these topics, helping students to have a greater understanding for these topics.  At the end of the year, these is an intense bootcamp review in which Mrs. G all of the information necessary for the test.  This bootcamp consisted of live daily videos that Mrs. G held on Zoom, lasting from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  These review sessions were immensely helpful in refreshing the students of the concepts learned throughout the year. I felt very comfortable with the AP Exam and contest because of all of this practice.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I generally worked between 2 to 2 1/2 hours each day (including Saturdays and Sundays on the weekends in which I took the chapter tests and essays). favorite aspects that you found especially valuable?

• Describe a favorite aspect of this course.

My favorite aspect of this course was Mrs. G's teaching methods, which were varied and highly interactive.  Each week, Mrs. G had three time choices of both live lectures and chats, giving each student multipule options incase he/she was not able to attend the first lecture/chat.  Each of these lectures and chats were very informative and allowed the students to interacts with each other about the content discussed in each session.  There was always an outline that Mrs. G created for each live session that had all of the important subjects/topics listed so the students could take notes on them.  Along with this, Mrs. G posted a multitude of printed lectures and a wide variety of crash course and TED Talk videos each weeks to enhance the textbook's chapter.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely.  Before taking AP Psych, I had a very narrow understanding of the subject.  After taking Mrs. G's class, I am able to analyze my own and others' behaviors much more accurately and thoroughly.  

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes.  Mrs. G had us working together and sharing ideas in a variety of ways.  For instance, Mrs. G would post a written or video prompt on the disscussion board and have us share our own ideas and then comment on one anothers thoughts.  This allowed the students to interact with each other and learn concepts at the the same time.  Also, there were 2-3 group projects throughout the year in which students were able to collaborate in ways not possible in live sessions or Discussion Board posts.  Through Google hangouts, we were able to structure our work and get to know each others' personalities better.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students

If the student in willing to work hard, make it a point o attend video lectures and chats, and interact with their peers, I would highly recommend this course.  It is very informative and will change the way you view each person and society as a whole.

A.P. Psychology Class- Mrs. Gonzalez

Hi! I am Claire Donner and I participated in Mrs. Bonnie Gonzalez's A.P. Psychology course online. Although it was challenging and tough at times, it helped me to strive and be a better student, plus establish a better work ethic. There was a conflict with getting registered for taking the A.P. Exam and Mrs. Gonzalez helped me day in and day out, until it was solved. She is an amazing teacher, who is willing to answer all your emails and be there for you. Not to mention she is an amazing teacher. The hard work paid off because I got to my exam and felt overprepared and left the semester feeling like I actually learned. She provides wonderful resources that anyone who is in her class should take part in.

I am so grateful I took this class!

I have a new favorite teacher, class, and subject. Mrs. G's passion for psychology is contagious and makes every chapter exciting and interesting. I would highly recommend attending the live online classes where Mrs. G will get to know you better and you get to interact with the other students. Mrs. G is always prepared, great at communication, understanding, and really wants everyone to succeed in her class and enjoy psychology. She does a great job of preparing you for the AP class and has a very thorough two week boot camp before the exam to refresh your memory. She is always available to answer questions. Her tests for each chapter include a super short essay which is like an AP exam free response question, so if you are a little scared about frqs you will be practicing them all year. Plus Mrs. G is great about giving positive feedback and critique. This was my first AP class and it definitely requires commitment and hard work. However, it was much easier for me to be dedicated because of how fascinating it is to learn about human behavior and the excitement Mrs. G brought. I would recommend this class for students who are already interested in psychology. This class will teach you things that will help throughout your whole life and may even spark your interest in pursuing a career in psychology like it has for me. This class is a 10/10 and greatly exceeded my expectations.

Best class ever!

You won't regret taking this class! This has been my favorite class that I have taken in high school and Ms. Gonzalez is such a wonderful, patient teacher! Classes are always exciting and engaging, and she almost always has a story to tell that relates to the subject, which really helps you remember the material. At the end of the year, Ms.G hosts a review of the entire course, and she really goes above and beyond to make sure we feel prepared for the AP exam. If you are interested in Psychology, then definitely take this class, it has made me want to further explore the world of Psychology! One of my favorite assignments was the Neuroscience Group Project. My group's project was on OCD, and it was interesting to look at OCD in depth and understand the stigmas surrounding the topic. Students interested in Social Siences would definitely enjoy this class, but there is really something to love for everyone, including statistics, chemistry, and even history. No matter what you are interested in, you will definitely learn something of value and find a topic in Psychology that you enjoy! Typically, I worked on AP Psychology for about 1 to 2 hours a day. In my opinion, the work load is good if this is your first AP class, and you are dedicated as well as willing to work hard.

BEST TEACHER EVER!!

Essential to a *wonderful* PAH experience!

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP Exam? 

• Absolutely! Mrs. Gonzalez ensured to keep all information relevant throughout the year and provided us a plethora of practice resources. I found Mrs. G's two-week "boot camp" in late to spring be particularly helpful in my exam prep, as we were able to discuss, in detail, all the units we've learned and practice free-response and multiple-choice questions in real-time. Mrs. G ensured that *everyone* grasped the material and was always happy to answer any questions, whether in live sessions or via email. I feel extremely confident I did well on the exam! 

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? 

• On average, I put about 1.5 hours a day into this course, not including the two, 1 hour live sessions I attended each week. During weeks where we had tests/essays or projects, I put around 2.5 hours per day. 

Are there any particularly favorite assignments you found especially valuable? 

• YES! We did several group projects throughout the year, including a "brain project," where a group of 3 classmates and I conducted background research, a PowerPoint, and a Zoom presentation about how Schizophrenia affects the brain. It was a fascinating integration of the biopsychology behind mental disorders. Our class also had the opportunity to design our own intelligence tests, where we honed in on a specific kind of intelligence (ex. mathematical, musical, emotional, etc.) and created questions/scenarios that corresponded with our area of focus, which was great fun! By far, however, I found the research project we completed mid-winter through spring to be extremely interesting and solid preparation for the exam. Mrs. G let us pick an area of interest (ex. I explored how biological gender affects short-term memory) and design an experiment to carry out, interpret, and present. We learned how to think inquisitively through this assignment, analyze data, utilize summary statistics, and write scientifically while following proper ethical research guidelines. Initially, I was a bit overwhelmed by this challenging assignment simply because I had never carried out a research study before. However, Mrs. Gonzalez provided much encouragement and made the experience enjoyable and productive!

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? 

• DEFINITELY. This was my first psychology class, and I couldn't have loved it more! I *really* enjoyed our biopsychology unit, and I am now signed up for Mrs. G's neuroscience summer course through PAH and am heavily considering neuroscience as a major in college! Whether you're learning about Freud's theory of unconscious mind, psychopharmacology, or what your nervous system is doing when you stub your toe, I can guarantee this class will spark some sort of deep interest in you! Whether you're a science, humanities, or even a math person (Yup! We do cover a bit of statistics), this class offers something for everyone's interests. 

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? 

• Yes, especially through the weekly live lectures and chats. I was also able to make meaningful connections through our group projects. Contrary to popular belief, virtual group-project collaboration was quite effective as groups could communicate quickly and easily via Google Hangouts or Skype. I also found the TAs jeopardy sessions towards the end of the semester to be very fun and a great way to enhance a community feel. 

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)? 

• This class covers a lot of content, so if you are a diligent worker, who has good time management, you will do well in this course. Along with having a good work ethic, be curious! You'll learn so much about yourself (and humankind!) during the year. Being excited to learn will increase your enjoyment in this class. Do yourself a favor and take AP Psychology! It will be an experience you will not forget. 

Best class ever

This class is by far the best class I have ever taken in the history of any class, ever. I've taken a ton of incredible classes, but this one hooked me like no other. It is not only an incredible subject matter/topic, but the way it was taught was truly fascinating and ignited a fury of passion to want to major in psychology in college. Though sitting through an hour and 15-minute online lecture may sound yawn-inducing to some, I can assure you that this class was never that. I laughed more in this class than I ever thought I would. The videos and materials that Mrs. Gonzalez shares with us never fail to keep the class engaging and, because I'm a visual learner, Mrs. Gonzalez's (sometimes crazy) analogies helped me cement more perplexing, or fuzzy topics in my mind.

Mrs. Gonzalez is an incredible teacher. At one point, when I found myself struggling or falling behind, when I communicated my struggle with her, she was be more than willing to help and was incredibly flexible. She's also wonderful grader: she doesn't let you get off with only part-answers and will tell you exactly what you're missing, or what she would like to see you include more of in the future, which is a crucial element that many (non-PAH) classes lack. Knowing what I needed to improve upon specifically really boosted my confidence by the time I was to take the exam.

The class of 2020 got the lovely task of taking online AP exams, structured completely differently from any AP exams from the past. Though the overall situation (COVID-19) is quite dismal, we were lucky enough to have a whole two weeks of intense preparation for the exam and Mrs. Gonzalez was great. She took complete control of the new and uncertain situation at hand and hosted review sessions and was there with us through it all. (Have I mentioned how much I love this class?) I did approximately an hour to an hour and a half of work each day. However, the assignments themselves were at most only an hour of work every day, I just have trouble with vocabulary so I invested a lot of time into that.

You need to work hard if you want to succeed in this class: constant studying, reading, and practice. If you're the type of student that likes to push everything to the last minute (*ahem* I am occasionally) this is likely not the class for you. Consistent practice is key, and if you want to know why consistency is so important—take the class! To leave you with a psychology joke...

Pavlov? It rings a bell...

Loved this class so much!!

To everyone wanting to possibly go into psychology in college (or even just enjoy and learn about it!) this class is perfection. This course enhanced my interest on psychology so so much and I enjoyed the lectures and chats every single time. There are so many assignments in this course that are valuable to ever day life and have helped me gain perspective. I believe that many students could do well in this class if they remain dedicated and work hard enough (maybe 6 to 7 hours a week). This course prepared me for the AP exam extremely well

Amazing Teacher and an Amazing Class!

Mrs. Gonzalez is an amazing teacher! She is so organized, engaging, helpful, knowledgable, and dedicated. This course definitely prepared me for the AP exam. I highly recommend this course to any students interested in Psychology!

AP Psychology

Mrs G is one of the best teachers I've ever had and it was a pleasure to be a part of her class.

AP PSYCH IS AWESOME!!

This is hands down the best class that I have ever taken! I enjoyed it so much. Mrs. Gonzalez is an awesome teacher. She covers the material very thoroughly, and there was never a chapter that I felt like I was not able to comprehend. If there was a specific chapter that was more difficult for me to understand, Mrs. G. provided a lot of extra lectures and videos. I was definitely well prepared for the AP exam despite all of the hiccups that were caused by COVID.  

This class is definitely rigorous. The schedule is set up so that you receive all of your assignments each week. They are not divided for each day, so it is a very flexible schedule to work with, but there is a lot of material to cover and to understand. There are multiple live chats and live lectures each week. These are very beneficial to attend. These are recorded, so these are super helpful to go back to when it is time to prepare for the exam. I would say that you should work on this subject for 2.5+ hours each day. At one point, I was doing 3+ hours of work for this class just because I wanted to make sure that I fully understood what I was studying. Creating extensive notes as I would read the textbook and lectures benefited me quite a bit when it came to studying for the exam. I was able to go back to the detailed notes of each chapter and already have available to me all of the information that I needed to review. 

Taking this course really solidified my desire to study psychology and psychiatry. I learned so much, and there is still so much more to know about the mind. My classmates were incredible! It was so great to be with other like-minded students who are very passionate about what they were learning as well as succeeding in the class. I would highly recommend this class for anyone who is interested in studying psychology or medicine in college. If you are not interested in pursuing something medical, this is still a fun course to take!

An Amazing Class! I recommend it!

While PAH has many amazing classes, this one along with Mrs. Richman's APUSH have been two of my favorites! The teacher is engaging, cares about you, gets to know her students, and promotes a class community of growth and fun! 10/10, would totally recommend it! :)

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely! Even with the AP exam changes this year, Mrs. G worked hard to make sure that we knew what we were getting into and how best to attack it. I wouldn't be surprised if I got a five, and the class structure really facilitated that growth and flexibility to the test. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

That depends. Some weeks I put in about 7 hours, other weeks it was closer to 15. I'd say, with studying, an average of 12 hours a week or so is a fair bet. :)

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Yes! Designing our own research projects was loads of fun, as was working with everyone else to help them complete their study! It was an incredibly valuable project that not only applied what we were learning, but gave us something special to create and design as well. I really enjoyed all the creative freedom we got with this project, and running my experiment was a blast.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes! We had our own Skype chats, study groups, group projects, and we talked a lot on the site, too! Whenever I needed encouragement, there were a bunch of students ready to work with me, and I enjoyed helping other people out as well!

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

An amazing class!

While PAH has many amazing classes, this one along with Mrs. Richman's APUSH have been two of my favorites! The teacher is engaging, cares about you, gets to know her students, and promotes a class community of growth and fun! 10/10, would totally recommend it! :)

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely! Even with the AP exam changes this year, Mrs. G worked hard to make sure that we knew what we were getting into and how best to attack it. I wouldn't be surprised if I got a five, and the class structure really facilitated that growth and flexibility to the test. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

That depends. Some weeks I put in about 7 hours, other weeks it was closer to 15. I'd say, with studying, an average of 12 hours a week or so is a fair bet. :)

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Yes! Designing our own research projects was loads of fun, as was working with everyone else to help them complete their study! It was an incredibly valuable project that not only applied what we were learning, but gave us something special to create and design as well. I really enjoyed all the creative freedom we got with this project, and running my experiment was a blast.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes! We had our own Skype chats, study groups, group projects, and we talked a lot on the site, too! Whenever I needed encouragement, there were a bunch of students ready to work with me, and I enjoyed helping other people out as well!

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Best Class Ever!

Mrs. G was the best teacher I've ever had. She gave us an excess amount of information in live classes and modules (The place where we students see when assignments are due and links). The feedbacks Mrs. G gave me were really helpful (They're extremely specific, such as telling me which few definitions I should specifically study more). Mrs. G was always encouraging to us, helping us de-stress, and preparing us more than needed for tests (And that's a good thing). The TAs (Teacher Assistance) were extremely helpful too! A few Kahoot tournaments were hosted to help us with the definitions. Overall, Everyone (Teacher, TAs, and classmates) are super friendly and the teacher provides more than enough for you to know everything.

Wonderful AP Psychology Course!!!

This was such a fun and engaging course, and it really went beyond my expectations! Mrs. Gonzalez was AMAZING! She put so much time and effort into creating assignments, sending out emails, conducting live classes, answering questions, and preparing us for the AP exam! Even though the online format of the AP exam was new and there were some unknowns that went along with it, I felt extremely confident and prepared! Mrs. Gonzalez not only spent extra time explaining to us the best way to answer the new application based questions, but she also spent an extra two weeks beyond the original course schedule to help us review for the rescheduled AP exam. She also held separate meetings where she discussed all the information the College Board was releasing on the new AP exam so that we felt fully prepared to take the test at home. 

I think I spend two to three hours per day on average (plus weekend work) with some extra time spent on review towards the very end of the year. 

I really enjoyed all of the assignments we had to do this year! I especially liked the group intelligence tests we had to create, and I also really enjoyed our boot camp review at the end of the year. Even though we had review classes every day during the final two weeks of class, they did not become boring at all! Mrs. Gonzalez's style of lecturing is really fun to learn from, and I looked forward to those daily review sessions. 

This course definitely enhanced my interest in psychology. Even though school is now finished, I still find myself thinking about things in terms of the psychological concepts I learned throughout the year, and I know that what I have learned will benefit me for years to come!

I really found the communications with other students to be engaging and valuable, especially during our group intelligence assignment. It was fun to be able to collaborate with others on how to create a test that would accurately evaluate someone's intelligence in a given area. 

I think anyone who is willing to work hard and ask questions will do really well in this course! Even if you aren't a science person, I would still absolutely recommend that you take this class! If you never study psychology in the future, this course will still be really beneficial to you, and you will not regret having taken it! Mrs. Gonzalez in a wonderful teacher, and I am so glad that I was able to take this class!

AP Psychology, 2019-2020

This was such an interesting and engaging course; I learned so much about the mind and the different ways that people behave in different situations. I already wanted to pursue a career in psychology and this course strengthened that desire. The workload was a bit more than I expected, as there was a lot of reading to complete each week in addition to the submitted assignments. All in all, though, I felt this class did a good job of preparing us for the AP exam and was fascinating in and of itself. I'd highly recommend this course for anyone who's ever wondered how the mind works or why people act the way they do!

Enjoyable class, relevant concepts, and fun teacher!

Mrs. G's class is so fun to be apart of, from the live lectures and chats to the creative assignment ideas she gives out. It barely felt like I was reviewing for the AP exam with how engaging and enjoyable the class was, but in the end, nothing on the exam came as a surprise to me because of how well Mrs. G prepared us. This course is not as rigorous as some other ones, so 30mins-1 hour a day of work in this course would be enough. My favorite assignments/activities would be the research project and the FRQ study groups! Psychology is very applicable and relevant to anyone's life, so yes, learning about its concepts was quite intriguing and enhanced my interest in it. Communications with other students was pretty valuable, such as from the live lecture and chats, or the boot camp and study/discussion groups. I think an inquisitive and motivated student would do well in this course :)

Mrs. Gonzalez's AP Psychology Review

Mrs. G's Psychology class was quite intensive and it required a lot of commitment, which, in my opinion, was wonderful preparation for the AP Exam. There was certainly a considerable amount of information to encode, but the way Mrs. G went about giving this information to us was probably what made me learn it as easily as I did. 

I did about 1 to 2 hours of AP Psychology work a day, which is about 7 to 14 hours a week. The work ranged from graded assignments, optional assignments, projects, additional videos and additional websites to bolster our learning. 

My favorite assignments (I can't pick just one!) were the gratitude assignment (which just confirmed in me how good it felt to appreciate other people), the brain presentation (learning about the specific structures of the brain that were responsible for specific functions was so captivating) and the memory map (I enjoyed this quite a lot)! These assignments were valuable and likely the most memorable that I completed this school year. 

Mrs. G's class DEFINITELY enhanced my interest in Psychology. I would say it was her live lectures and chats during the social psychology unit that definitely made me ask myself, "Should I minor in Psychology?" I have always wanted to be a doctor, but after AP Psych this year, I definitely want to study something related to Psychology (preferably social psychology) in university. 

The other students and I were part of a Skype group chat and this was a valuable outlet in which I could communicate my worries and doubts, but also relate and share laughs with my fellow classmates. The frequent communication with my classmates only made this a greater experience. 

Any student willing to work hard would do well in this course. Students should show up at each live lecture and chat (they were so helpful) and shouldn't be afraid to ask questions, because Mrs. G is amazing at answering them!

AP Psychology--2019-2020

AP Psychology with Mrs. Gonzalez is truly an amazing experience. She is incredible, the coursework is fascinating, the class is well-run, and the students are engaged. I love that I am seeings applications of what we are learning in my day-to-day life without even thinking about it. I feel that AP Psychology is a course that is so applicable to life, whether you are wishing to enter psychology as a profession or not. Personally, I had an interest in the subject and chose to enroll in the class, and I do not regret it! This is, I believe, my favorite course to date!

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)

This is one of the only AP classes I would recommend to anyone and everyone. I believe that psychology is an amazing course to take for anyone, no matter their career pursuits. I think it's a great entry-level AP class, but I also think it's a great class for a more experienced student who wants a challenge. This course accomodates for all different appetites, and so much can be learned. This course might just be my favorite course I have ever taken. 

What was your impression of the instructor? 

Mrs. Gonzalez is truly amazing. She is responsive to emails, she loves the subject, she wants us to succeed, and she wants to prepare us well. She is passionate about psychology and students, and I love how she lets her light shine through teaching!

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Without a doubt, I feel it did. I have never seen another teacher go through such efforts to ensure we had the kind of prep we wanted. Mrs. Gonzalez had review chats every day during the weeks leading up to the exam, study groups, discussion boards, the best textbook, and recomended readings. She provided many practice questions and talked us through how the tests worked. She was truly phenomenal at providing the resources necessary to feel confident entering the AP exam. Of course, whether a student chooses to engage in these review sessions and resources is up to them, but she did everything she could have as a teacher to make the review process accessible, fun, and worthwhile. 

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

This was a light class for me. I would say that I probably averaged 2-4 hours a week in this class, although a couple weeks I spent upwards of 5, due to projects or essays. I will say, however, that they were some of my favorite hours of the week. I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Mrs. Gonzalez provides bonus assignments for extra credit if you have extra time. The mandatory assignments were all worthwhile and rewarding. Her tests involved essay portions and multiple choice portions, much like the AP exam. I enjoyed all work I put into this course. 

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

There are so many assignments I loved from this course. I loved the TOPSS essay competition.. It's a competition for high school psychology students in which you write a long paper about an assigned topic; this year it was political polarization. It was a daunting task, but it was extremely worthwhile. Mrs. G gave great feedback on the essay, and it was an assignment I was proud of when completed. 

I also really enjoyed group intelligence tests. In one project this year, we were in a group and given the task to design a test measuring a certain type of intelligence. My group did musical intelligence, and it was quite fun. I loved collaborating with the other students, talking about the reliability and validity of our test, and getting to know my classmates!

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Undoubtedly! I loved this course.. It made me think, wonder, and question the world around me. I learned concepts and names for biases that I saw all around me and hadn't previously been able to label. It has encourage me to think about the world around me, no matter where I am. 

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

I did! I loved getting to know my classmates. We had several group projects throughout the year in which we specifically worked on a task with a group. We also had discussion board controverseys, debates, and discussions on various topics including nature/nurture and addiction. Most of all, I loved getting to know my study group, group 7, during the review time. We worked together on an FRQ every week and I loved getting to know my classmates! It was so cool that we were from all across the country and world. 

A Review of AP Psych!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes! Even with all the changes to the exam, Mrs. G worked hard for us, finding out the newest information as soon as it hit the streets. Even though the exam was in a radically new format this year, I felt prepared, capable, and completely ready!

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I would say (although this is not a complete estimate, I lose track of time very easily xD) about 10 hours a week with studying, although sometimes it did jump to 12 or more when we had big assignments. :)

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Yes! We got to design and carry out our own research project. It was really awesome, because there were basically no limits on what topic we could choose, and we were able to really dig deep and explore psychology. Not only this, but the project really gave us a hands-on way to remember the methods of research chapter!

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes!

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Also yes! We had a Skype chat, and the classes were always loads of fun!

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll do really well and have a great time! :D I would totally recommend it: 10/10! Take this class! xD

Also, I would just like to point out that Mrs. G is a great teacher who really cares about her students, and she really cares about helping you learn the information and score high! She doesn't just teach a class; she helps you learn how to win when it comes to the test, when it comes to the course, and when it comes to life in general! :)

AP Psychology EXCEEDED My Expectations

AP Psychology has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken in high school. Not only was this class extremely interesting content-wise, Mrs. Gonzalez did a fantastic job of explaining each topic, including the students in discussion in and outside of class, and providing an encouraging learning environment. One of the things that I loved about this class was that she was more concerned with students understanding the material than having copious amounts of exams and tests: she wants to set her students up for success both in their personal life and on the AP Exam. Every assignment she had was purposeful and meaningful. I never felt like the assignments I needed to complete were a waste of time or "busy work". I learned so much more about myself and psychology in the world around me by taking this class. 

My favorite assignment in this class was the research study at the end of the year. This was a wonderful chance for me to learn how to do real research for future science opportunities in college. This was a priceless opportunity to be able to conduct my own project and have a teacher look over it.  This was the most valuable assignment because I feel prepared to pick up a project in college and have an idea of where to start and what the format should look like. I cannot say enough good things about this project. Very rarely do high school students get the opportunity to ever complete any type of formal research. 

This course thoroughly enhanced my love for the subject of psychology. Mrs. Gonzalez went beyond my expectations with her weekly "chats" where we watch videos related to the topics. This really solidified the concepts down for me and helped me understand it better, seeing that I am a visual learner. 

To top all of this off, Mrs. Gonzalez had two full weeks of AP exam review at the end of class which totaled at around 10-12 hours of a full review of the course. In addition, she had practice AP questions that we completed in groups and then we went over them in class. This was crucial for me to perform well on the AP exam. When I took the AP exam, I felt confident and prepared. This was extremely beneficial! 

I would definitely recommend this course to a hard-working and dedicated student who is willing to stay on top of homework, motivate themself, and has a good attitude about learning. Mrs. Gonzalez truly wants her students to succeed and do the best that they can: she is rooting for you through the entire class! 

AP Psychology with Mrs. Gonzalez gets a 10/10 from me. 

MOST OUTSTANDING TEACHER AND CLASS EVER!!!!!

Great Class!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes! I felt very confident about the AP exam, except for a couple tricky MCQs. Mrs. G is really enthusiastic about psychology, which is obvious during her lectures and chats. All the important topics were covered in detail. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I'd say I spent about 6-8 hours per week on this class. Every week we had 1-hour live lectures and 1-hour chats (which often went overtime), and then we had lectures to read, videos to watch, and assignments to complete. We had tests once a week or once every two weeks, depending how much time we took to cover a chapter. 

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Of all the assignments, I particuarily enjoyed the Summer Book Review and the Research Project. There were also two group projects, but don't worry, Mrs. G makes sure everybody contributes.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! Before this class I was interested in psychology, but I knew very little about it. Now I can understand myself and other people better. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

For sure! Discussing psychology topics with other students during live lectures and chats was fun, as was participating in group projects together. We also had a Google Hangouts chat for occasional study sessions and chatting about psychology.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I'd recommend this class to anyone who is passionate about/interested in psychology and who is able to stay on top of this class. I personally am a STEM person who was mainly interested in the subject. There was a touch of memorization which I didn't enjoy, but that's just me. Lots of the material is fairly logical and down-to-earth. It's definitely less time-consuming than some other APs (i.e. APUSH in my case).

Please, please, please, take this class!!

My favorite class ever!

This class is amazing! Thank you Mrs. G and all my classmates for making AP Psych such a memorable class for me.

Overall, I felt very prepared for the AP exam. There were a couple MCQs I was not quite sure about, but I knew almost all of the terminology. In the FRQs, I recognized all the terms and was able to answer them comfortably.

On average, I spent 6-10 hours a week on this course. I'm a slow reader, so I spent around two hours reading the text every week. I spent one hour participating in the live lecture and another hour in the live chat (both of which were very helpful). I spent 1-2 hours studying/reviewing the weekly material for the chapter tests and then about one hour on the actual chapter test. In the 2-3 weeks leading up to the AP exam, I spent about three hours a day reviewing, doing practice FRQs and MCQs, and attending the live review lectures hosted by Mrs. G.

I loved working on the project for the APA competition. It was a way for me to put together and synthesize what I had learned so far in the class and also introduced me to new information that piqued my interest in the field. It was also my first time making a video, so the project itself challenged me to go above and beyond my comfort zone. Throughout the entire project, Mrs. G was very enthusiastic about helping me improve and better understand the competition topic.

This course definitely enhanced my interest in the subject. Before taking AP Psych, I had a vague idea of what psychology was, but this course introduced me to the deeper and much more interesting aspects of it. It also encouraged me to look more into social and clinical psychology and possibly anthropology.

The communication with my classmates was definitely valuable. The live lectures and chats were always entertaining and educational. My classmates would share interesting stories related to the material we were studying and raise challenging questions that prompted me to think more deeply about the topics. Working with them also encouraged me to work harder (social facilitation, anyone?). It was a great experience communicating with them and exchanging ideas.

Any student who is willing to put full effort into the class will do well in this course. The workload is not too heavy and Mrs. G always presents the material in a way that is easy to understand. I enjoyed being part of this class and would highly recommend it :)

Best Online AP Psychology Class

This class was stupendous! Thank you Mrs. G for being such a wonderful teacher!

Mrs. G's class prepared me very well for the exam in May. Amidst all the class lectures and chats and the like, I was given a lot of concise information about the course material. Mrs. G is very quick to respond to any questions you have and always has a great answer. She gave great attention to each of us and was eager for our questions. I think the wonderful thing about having Mrs. G as a teacher is that she teachs the course material with a passion and from experience. That made the class so much more engaging and enjoyable. Mrs. G really flows when she teaches.

I probably spent an average of two hours per day for this class. Mrs. G held two different lectures each week. Each was an hour long. I also had a group with which I would study with. Those can be...distracting...sometimes, but it makes the class so much more fun.

For the chapter on memory, Mrs. G had us make a memory map. We were supposed to map out how we form memories and how they are stored. For example, you first have to have some sort of data to put into memory. This sensory information is first stored in sensory memory which lasts only a very short amount of time. A lot of information is then sifted out from sensory memory and the remaining information reaches stage 2 which is short term memory. Then, if rehearsal is practiced, the information will be placed in long term memory. We had to map this and all the details of it and give a description of what it was. I would like to point out that all the assignment Mrs. G had us do were very fun. It was hard to choose. They were all very interesting and made remembering the material so much easier.

Yes, my interest in psychology has hightened after taking this class. There are so many fascinating theories of how we experience emotion and what motivates us. Of course that is only the tip of the massive iceberg of pyschology. 

I found the interaction with the other students to be very valuable and very interesting. It was very valuable because hilarious stories would be told that we could relate to the course material, and it was very interesting to meet so many different people with different world views. If you decide to take this class, do NOT hurt yourself be working on it alone. It makes the class so much more fun to have a group you can talk about the material with (OK, and a bunch of other off topic things, but that is part of the fun.)

Anybody who is willing to work hard will do well in this class. Just don't procrastinate like I did sometimes... It really is a fun class. You will be self motivated to learn the material.

Wonderful class!

This course definitely prepared me for the AP exam. There were multiple times during the exam where I heard Mrs. G saying something in my head, or remembered a clip of a video she gave us. Those memories really helped me on the exam, and made me feel more confident in my answers. 

I put about five hours of work a week into this course. Two+ for the required lecture/chat, one+ for reading the textbook, and an hour to two hours for the test, essay, and any other mandatory and optional assignments.

My favorite assignment was the research project we did. I found it interesting and incredibly useful. It was just so hard to choose a topic...:)

This course definitely enhanced my interest in Psychology! I wanted to learn more about Psych after reading some behavioral economics books, and this course made me realize that Psychology is not a) an easy course, or b) a psuedo-science. Instead, I learned much more about Psychology and the various psychological perspectives, along with the studies that've been done to back up the concepts.

I found my interactions with other students to be very valuable. I was in a Psych study group with some other students, and "we" collaborated on the Quizlet (I didn't actually help with the Quizlet, I mooched off my more dedicated, note-taking classmates), as well as having various discussions, psych and non-psych related. All were usually hilarious, particularly when we began competing to see who could answer the most MCQs as we approached the AP exam.

 Anyone who's interested in Psychology and willing to put in a reasonable amount of work will do well in this course. Mrs. G is a wonderful teacher, responding rapidly to questions and giving you some flexibility if you have other obligations. Her lectures and chats were fun and entertaining, as well. I'd highly recommend this course!

Absolutely fantastic class!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely. Although of course I was going into the test, I found that I was very well prepared for virtually all material on the test, and experienced enough to write the essays with ralative ease thanks to Mrs. Gonzalez exelent teaching style and exercises.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I cant say for sure, but probably 1-2 hours a day on average. However, I work and read fairly slowly.

• Are there any particular favorite assignments that you found especcially valuble? 

There are are a couple that are especially memorable, the first being the assignment regarding classical conditioning where I got to anoy my siblings by blowing air in their eyes with a straw and they couldnt stop me because it was all in the name of science! (Just kidding :P) And the assignment regarding the gratitude letter, because although it was difficult it turned out to be pretty meaningful.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Exponentially! Going into this class I didnt have all that much interest in psychology (or at least what I thought was psychology), but through this class I have learned that the field of psychology is a very far reaching, interesting, applicable, involved, aaaannd occasionally strange (*cough*Freud*cough*) field of science.

• Did you find your communications with other student to be interesting and valuable?

Yes, especcially in the chats and live leccures commmunicating with other students and Mrs. G was encouraging, helpful, and often quite funny.

•  What sort if student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I think that any student who is willing to work hard would do well in this class thanks to the exelent teaching, design, and flexible structure, and i would recomend this class to anyone who likes to know more about how things work, how the brain functions, and why we act and think the way we do. 

Overall this class is just really amazing, mostly thanks to Mrs. Gonzalez who  really knows and loves what she is talking about, and is flexible, understanding, and will work hard to make sure every student really grasps what they need to get an exelent score on the exam and develop an enduring love for the diverse field of Psychology.

Thank you Mrs. G!!

Amazing class!!

I absolutely adored this class!! It was by far my favorite!  I would highly recommend it to every student looking for a fun but challenging class!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?  Yes!! Mrs. Gonzalez truly cares about each of her students and wants us to succeed with as little stress as possible.  She gave us many practice exams and websites, lectures on the review materials, sheets with definitions, and much more!  I felt very prepared for the exam even before I studied!
• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? I generally did about an hour and a half a day, with maybe 2 or 3 over the weekends depending on the material and if we had tests/quizzes/essays.
• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? I loved everything!  All of the experiments especially, as we applied our AP Psychology knowledge to ourselves and the world, to help us comprehend the material to have a much deeper understanding.
• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? Most definitely!  I am now considering a career involving Psychology!
• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?  Yes!  From our study groups to project partners to experiments, speaking with the other students was fun and also helped me to learn how to study better among other things, considering this was my first AP class.  Overall, talking to the other students helped me do better in the class!
• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)? Any student can do well as long as they put the effort in!  If you do what you are supposed to for each week, you will do well!

Review of AP Psychology

This is my favorite of any class I have ever taken!(and that's saying something because I've taken a lot of classes) Mrs. G is a very knowledgable, friendly, and helpful teacher. The chats and live lectures she hosts really helped me in this class. This course definitely prepared me for the AP exam, so much so that I didn't even need to use a review book to do well on it. I probably spent around 10 hours on average on this course, but it didn't feel like that long because I really enjoyed learning the material. My favorite assignment was the research project. That really helped me understand more about the components of a research paper and was just plain fun to do. Prior to this class, I was not particularly interested in psychology but now I'm reading psychological articles for fun I find it that interesting. This class showed me how interesting psychology can be. I liked interacting with the other students over the chats and live lectures and participating in their research projects. This class requires a student to be motivated and work hard but the effort is worth it. 18 out of 10 would recommend this class.

AP Psychology Review

Mrs. Gonazalez's AP Psychology course was very fascinating and engaging! She did an excellent job of making the material interesting and fun to learn while also requiring a high level of interaction with other students! Mrs. Gonzalez also taught in a manner that made the material easy to learn and retain, making it very easy to review and study for the AP exam. Compared to other AP courses, the courseload was refreshingly light, with maybe five to seven hours per week of studying, lectures, chats, and tests. One particular assignment that was especially valubale was the research project during the second semester, which helped me to understand how to conduct research, calculate statistics, and write up my results in a formal research paper. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am planning on majoring in Psychology now during my undergraduate years! 

Highly recommend this course!

I loved taking AP Psychology with Mrs. Gonzalez. Before taking the course, I was mildly interested in psychology, but didn't have a good understanding of all that the field entails. I now have useful knowledge about psychology and its various subfields. I also have a better understand of myself and the people around me. On top of that, I am now driving my friends and family crazy by spouting psychology terms at them for anything they say or do. 

This course, and Mrs. Gonzalez, prepared me excellently for the AP exam. I went in feeling confident in my knowledge and ready to tackle anything the test threw at me.

Out of all the assignments over the year, my favorite was the research project, hands down. I think it is valuable to have experience designing and carrying out research experiments before college. I also loved that the research could be on any aspect of psychology that interested me, and it was great to hear about and participate in all of the different projects other students came up with.

One of the things that made this class stand out from other APs I have taken was the live interaction aspects. It was great to be able to attend lectures with other students, as well as Mrs. Gonzalez, and be able to build relationships with them. The personal aspect of a class can be lost when it's taught over the internet, but Mrs. Gonzalez did an excellent job making sure that wasn't the case in this class. 

Lastly, I would recommend this class to ANYONE and EVERYONE!!!!! It is so valuable to learn about the human mind, development, and all of the other amazing topics covered in this course. Mrs. Gonzalez is an excellent teacher who instills a bit of her love of psychology into every one of her students. I am so glad I took this class and quite honestly, I wish I could take it again next year!

Great Class!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes, yes, and yes! Did I mention yes? We took tests in semi-AP format the entire year and then spent the last two weeks of class reviewing for the test. We reviewed practice tests, released questions, and strategies for test day.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I would say it took about 7 or so hours a week.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The research project was especially valuable. Each step required learning a new set of rules, gathering/processing information, and keeping the end goal in mind. This was a valuable experience in personal development.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes, most certainly.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

The group projects went very well; everyone in the group was willing to work their fair share.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I would recommend this course to other students. I think an interest in the subject is a definite plus, but this course would be great for anyone. This is a good introduction to APs. It was neither overwhelming nor too easy.

Awesome class and teacher

AP Psychology was by far my favorite class that I took this year. I can confidently say that it was largely due to Mrs. Gonzalez's teaching, explanations, and positive attitude. She is a wonderful teacher and prepared us well for the AP exam. The assignments were not overbearing, and I typically spent 7-10 hours a week on this class. When I first signed up for this course, I was excited but also a bit skeptical of whether or not it would be interesting or if I would enjoy it. I soon found that the brain is absolutely fascinating and the concepts and theories could be so easily related into my life. It has broadened my thinking and reactions as well as some of my interests! Talking to other students was a valuable part of this course. As we were all studying for the midterm or the AP exam, students would post encouraging messages or answer questions that other students had. I believe that any student would do well in this course as long as they are willing to work hard, participate in lectures and chats, and learn new things. 

Mrs. Gonzalez's Psychology Class

Did you feel that the course prepared you for the AP exam?

I felt that the course prepared me incredibly well for the AP exam. When I opened my exam booklet and saw the questions I felt perfectly capable of answering all of them. Out of all 100 multiple choice questions I only encountered three or four that I did not feel confident on.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generaly put into the course?

During the general school year I would say that I put in one to one and a half hours a week for reading and videos, about forty-five minutes for the mandatory assignment, a half hour for the optional assignment and two hours for the live chat and lecture each week. In total I would estimate about 5 hours a week for weeks without tests & essays (every other week). Adding those in would increase the total to about 6 hours for the school year. I put in more time before the exam and in the week reviewing for the midterm.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The most valuable part of the class to me was the two weeks of review before the AP exam. The live lectures and chats helped me so much in preparing for the exam. During the chats, we practiced multiple choice questions, and during the lectures we worked through FRQs. I think that botarly favorith of these were incredibly helpful to my understanding how to answer the questions both efficiently and correctly.

In terms of assignments throughout the year, I think that the research project was especially valuable for my understanding of several concepts in psychology. I loved that it was a hands-on project, and also felt that it helped me learn about designing experiments, carrying them out, writing a paper on the experiment, and developed my passion for psychology as well as helping me learn about the subject that I was studying in my project.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes, this course greatly enhanced my interest in the subject!

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students?

I think that any student who has a passion for learning, is self-disciplined and is not afraid to work hard would do wonderfully in this course. I would DEFINITELY recommend this course to other students!

Thank you Mrs. G for all that you did for us this year!

A Wonderful Class and a Highly Accessible Teacher

My experience in Mrs. Gonzalez's AP psychology class was definitely a postive one, and it made me wonder why anyone would ever consider self-studying for an AP exam.  In addition to preparing us well for the exam, Mrs. Gonzalez made the learning process exciting through her lecturing and unique assignments.  Even though the class was extremely large this year, she interacted with students a lot and was very willing to help whenever I asked her questions. 

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam? Yes, it definitely did.  There were very few topics mentioned on the test that the course did not cover.  I felt very comfortable with my knowledge of the concepts on the test since we discussed them in detail throughout the course of the year.  Learning the material through many different sources (the texbook, written lectures, recorded lectures and chats) got repetitive at times, but I probably learned the concepts more solidly through this process.  The essays I wrote for the tests during the year also prepared me well for the free response questions.  Although they were slightly different than the essays on the test, the emphasis Mrs. Gonzalez placed on relating terms to the situation made it very easy to transition into the essays for the AP test during the review weeks.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? I generally spent between two and three hours each day - sometimes more while I worked on my research project during the winter semester.  The amount of time spent on this class can vary slightly depending on whether you decide to complete the optional assignments and attend the chats.  When the workload became heavy I would often skip these assignments. I still attended the chats since I found the websites we visited to be very helpful.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? I would have to say that my favorite assignment was the dinner party near the beginning of the year which involved researching a famous psychologist and presenting their theories through a class discussion (well, it might have also helped that I picked a rather controversial theorist from the 1930s who conducted unethical experiments on monkeys).  This assignment was a very engaging approach to learning about specific theories in detail.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?  I was interested in the subject of psychology before taking this class, so I can't really say that it increased my interest.  Since this is an introductory psychology class, we did not cover some of the topics in as much depth as I would have liked, but it did definitely help me to determine which topics in psychology interest me most.  Mrs. Gonzalez's teaching made the topics that I don't enjoy quite as much to be more interesting since she includes many specific examples and reasearch studies in her lectures. 

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? It was a pretty big group of students the year I took this class (over 50), so this made student interactions a bit more difficult.  Still, I did find it helpful to be able to discuss some of the material with other students during the weekly chats and live lectures.  The questions students post on the class board also help with the learning process.  I also found Mrs. Gonzalez to be very accessible when I asked questions even though the class size was so large.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students? Yes, I think that anyone who has an interest in psychology and has some experience with answering essay questions should do well in this course.  A good memory for terms can also help, since psychology is full of them.  Having never taken an AP course before this class, I found it to be a good one to start with.

A satisfactory class

This class did a good job of preparing me for the AP exam.  The weekly reading, lectures, and chats reinforced my knowledge of the psychology terms which paid off when it came time to take the exam.  I felt confident in my understanding of the psychological terminology for the test.  The concepts we learned throughout the year were fascinating and also very practical.  I would often learn about something in class and then see that phenomenon in myself or my family and friends.  I spent about 10 hours a week on psychology.  I think the least I ever spent was 5 hours and the most was 13 hours.  My only caution in recommending the class is that it seemed a bit disorganized, which was sometimes frustrating.  I would recommond the class to someone who is patient and willing to be self-disciplined in learning the concepts--Mrs. Gonzalez will not hover over you to make sure you get done, you must make personal effort.  You also may wish to be aware that there is a required research project in the spring which does take some extra time apart from the regular class time.  It is certainly manageable, but you may wish to plan accordingly.  Best wishes!

One of my very favorite classes with an amazing teacher!!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Definitely! Nothing startled me on the AP exam and I feel that this class prepared me extremely well. I felt very confident and at ease the entire test! Mrs. G is very helpful the "final two weeks" of class and offers live chats and Q&A's to prepare for the exam. I found this extensive review very helpful and it really helped me feel calm. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

About 10 hours a week, not including chats or Q&A's. 

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The research paper. A lot of the AP exam essays focus on designing and conductioning an experiment, and the best way to learn about doing experiments is to do one! It was also facinating to write and research about a psychological topic that I personally found interesting (although everything with pyschology is facinating). :)

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely! I found myself applying psychology principles to my other classes, espcially those on memory. I'm pretty sure I drove some of my friends crazy by constantly talking about pyschology stuff. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes!I found the converstations during the chats particularly beneficial. A lot of the students brought up some really stuff - from questions to memory tips to funny stories. 

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Obviously, someone who is willing to give 100% effort will do well in this class. I know AP Psych is considered an "easy" AP class, but don't let that get to you. This class requires a lot of memorization and participation in order to do well. If you are willing to give all your effort, then you will do well. 

I would absolutely recommend this course to other students! I had little to no knowledge of pyschology before this course, and now (a month after the exam) am still thinking about the concepts I learned. This was definitely my favorite class of the year. Also, Mrs. G is a GREAT teacher. She genuinely cares about her students doing well and is very nurturing and kind. 

Mrs. G is an amazing, kind, and engaging teacher! I LOVED this class!!

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

                Yes! Everything that we did in this class was very helpful and applicable to the exam. Especially after the 2 weeks of review that we did leading up to the exam, I felt prepared and ready to walk into the test room.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

                Any AP class requires quite a bit of time, but this class wasn't too overwhelming. I mainly spent more time on this course because I enjoyed the material and wanted to really study and understand every topic that was covered. On average, I'd say I spent between 9-12 hours a week on this class (not including the weekly chats and Q&A sessions). During the weeks of the research project, I spent a few extra hours working on that. A couple of weeks out from the exam, I spent significantly more time studying and reviewing (and we had chats/Q&As almost every day). All of the hours that I put into AP Psych were worth it, though!

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

                While the research project wasn't necessarily geared toward preparing for the actual AP exam, I did really enjoy doing it. It did help to solidify some of the statistics and research methods that do come up on the exam, though. I also enjoyed doing the gratitude letter and the classical and operant conditioning experiments.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

                Yes! This class confirmed my desire to study psychology in college in the fall. Mrs. G also inspired me to later pursue a degree as a marriage and family counselor. Everything about this class was interesting, fun, challenging, and exciting.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

                Out of all of the online AP classes that I have taken, Mrs. G's AP Psych class definitely had the most beneficial, valuable live chats! One of my favorite parts of this class was the lively discussions with other students and with Mrs. G. I especially found the live Q&A sessions helpful, as Mrs. G would be on a webcam talking to us and answering our spontaneous questions.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

                Whether or not you are interested in psychology, I can guarantee you that you will love it after this class! In order to feel prepared for the exam and do well in this class, you do need to be responsible and self-motivated. Those who were most involved in the class (those who went to the chats regularly, turned in assignments on time, commented on other students' essays, participated in discussions by asking questions and giving suggestions, etc.) probably got the most out of the class and did the best on the exam. I absolutely recommend this course to any student!!

I truly loved this class. Mrs. G is an AMAZING teacher! She is friendly, warm, and engaging, and it is obvious that she cares about her students and wants to help us learn. This is a wonderful class!!!

Amazing, interesting, and applicable information and class!

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes!  All the information was thouroughly covered and I feel confident that I did well.

How many hours of work per week did you generally put into the course?

I put in about 6-9 hours.  It depended on the the type of assignment due or whether or not there was a test.

Are there any particularly favortie assignments that you found especially valuable?

The research project was very fun and interesting!  You get to explore a topic that you're interested in and see how it relates to psychology.  It also helped me better understand some important concepts.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes!  The topics (especially at the end of the year) were fascinating.  I am considering majoring or minoring in psychology now.

What sort of student would do well in this course?

Someone who is interested in psychology!  Since it is kind of an "extra" subject it would be good to have an actual interest in it.  A few things that I would recommend doing from the beginning of the course are:

1.  Make flash cards.  You will not regret doing this.  You will die if you don't do this.  Don't start the class thinking you don't need them and then figure out that you actually do once you're at chapter 6.  Then you will have to go back and catch up when the midterm comes around and that is a nightmare.   (Yes, I made this mistake.)  There are alot of definitions so just know that from the beginning you will be doing a lot of memorizing.

2.  Don't expect the class to be easy.  This class is a lot of work.  It is easier than most other AP's, but it is still work.  Don't take it lightly.  Then if it turns out easy you will be pleasantly surprised.

3.  Know that the most interesting topics are at the end of the year.  There are alot of biological concepts at the beginning.  These are interesting, but hard to get through.  Just know that the most interesting topics come at the end.  The best is last!

One of the BEST classes I have EVER taken!

One of the most interesting courses you will ever take

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Absolutely! As long as you complete the assignments, participate in discussions, and do a lot of practice essays/multiple choice questions, you will do well.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I put in about 7 to 10 hours a week between discussions, assignments, and reading.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The discussions and practice essays were absolutely invaluble to me as practice for the actual AP exam essays. The discussions were great in helping me understand so many complicated concepts that I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. The practice essays helped me actually hash out those concepts into the important ideas. Both helped me with multiple choice and free response questions. 

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

This course really opened my eyes about the complexities of human behavior. I could not believe how much there was to know about why we do the things we do - I cannot wait to take more psych classes in college. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Absolutely! The discussions helped me really understand complicated concepts, which is absolutely vital for the essays on the exam. The ability to participate in discussions about certain phenomenon will make it much easier to do well on the essays. Furthermore, there is was much insight I gained from my interactions with my classmates! I learned a lot from the readings and assignments of course, but the discussions helped me make connections between our everyday lives and the course material. 

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Students who are interested in the subject of psychology and willing to put in the correct amount of time and effort will do very well! The content is pretty straightforward, so if you study correctly and utilize all available resources, you will do very well! I have, in fact, already recommended it to several other people interested in the class!

AMAZING CLASS and an OUTSTANDING TEACHER!!!

Mrs. Gonzalez's AP Psychology class is awesome, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you are interested in "science" or neurology. Although psychology seems like a science or unknown, abstract field, the concepts and phenomena that are learned from the study of the mind and behavior are crucial to understanding that world that exists around us. From individual behavior to group conformity to intelligence and cognition, psychology encompasses nearly every aspect of human life; I have seen very frequently how various psychological concepts such as the door-in-the-face phenomenon, social loafing, Barnum effect, tip of the tongue phenomenon, etc. all have relevance and pertinence to everyday life. 

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

This course definitely prepared me for the AP exam. I was very confident in my testing abilities, thanks to the extensive involvement of Mrs. Gonzalez, participation by other classmates, and attendance of the weekly chats and Q&A sessions. All sixteen chapters of psychology were covered extensively; I found the review segments at the end of the school year to be especially helpful in preparing for the May exam.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I spent approximately 8-10 hours per week on AP Psychology every week, with increased time (10-12 hours per week) as May approached.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I found the research study to be the most fascinating of all the assignments. In November, Mrs. Gonzalez begins to instruct students about creating a research study that is due in March. During this five month period, students brainstorm psychological concepts, formulate a hypothesis, conduct research/experiment/study, organize data, and compose a research study write-up. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience not only because it was hands-on and interactive; it gave me a deeper understanding of the subject which I was studying as well as an increased interest into the aspects of human behavior that very often go unnoticed. I performed my research study on Recall vs. Recognition: Why Do We Forget and Remember?

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

This course definitely enhanced my interest in psychology. As stated previously, almost all aspects of psychology are applicable to life and are observed in human behavior. I am considering a major in neuroscience because of the skills and knowledge that I have gained from this course.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

As Mrs. Gonzalez will probably tell you, participation is definitely integral to success in this course. The weekly chats and Q&A sessions are crucial to fully grasping the material. Though weekly meetings sounds hectic or undoable, Mrs. Gonzalez usually schedules multiple chats per week and records sessions if students are unavailable to attend. I am an independent learner; to be honest, I was hesitant about attending these sessions at the onset of the course. However, as I began to interact on the online web board and read through the psychological concepts, the urge to join these chats was irresistible. Quite frankly, these weekly meetings are essential and significant to a student's success in this class. While it does take time out of your schedule, if you are dedicated to doing your best and doing well academically, these meetings won't even be "time of your schedule." You'll wish the chats were longer :)

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

AP Psychology is not an easy class, nor is it inexplicably difficult. It is certainly doable for juniors and seniors in high school. While it may not be suitable for high school freshmen, I think accomplished sophomores are able to do well. This course requires participation and memorization of many theories and concepts. While it can be challenging at times, Mrs. Gonzalez does an excellent job to ensure that students understand various concepts. The most important thing to remember about psychology is not to overthink it, a very wise AP Psychology teacher once said :) If you think too much about it, you will end up not understanding it. Go with your gut – stick with it. If you've learned your material well, interacted with others, followed Mrs. Gonzalez's lead, attended meetings, finished assignments, and most of all, enjoyed this marvelous study of the intricacies of the mind and human behavior, you won't have a problem in AP Psychology.

I do have to interject before ending – Mrs. Gonzalez is one of the best teachers that you'll ever meet. She responds to emails promptly and sends out reminders on a weekly basis regarding material that will/is being covered. Her wealth of knowledge as well as her dedicated experience in counseling prove her to be an accomplished educator. One of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Gonzalez always possesses an optimistic attitude and gladly shares her life, time, experiences, and knowledge with students. If you haven't considered taking this class, I would highly recommend that you consider taking AP Psychology because it has been such a benefit to see how this study has enhanced my understanding of the world around me right now as well as the significant implications that it will have not only on my future education and career but also on my life down the road as well.

die hard psycho-gist (aka i would love to be a psychologist)

good preperation?

I did, very much so, and the feedback and tips I got from teacher and TA's alike really boosted my confidence (read ego, lol) so that I felt really excited and relaxed and optimistic but realistically so when I went to take the test.

hours studied

Oh... phhshshhhhhhh I don't know.  I studied until things were done, but probably upwards of 6 hours a week.  Closer to nine, if you count listening to lectures and doing chats.  (-shrugs-  thats totally a guess I really have no idea)

Favorite assignments

-all of it?- the quizzes, because I got instant feedback for what I did right (operant conditioning) and when I got somethnig wrong I could learn from my mistake because it was clearly spelled out, and that was really nice.  I really liked playing cash cab for the reviews.

(and the dream diary was fun)

enhanced interest?

can I become a psychologist already?  no?  I have to do college and maybe grad school for that?  Oh well.  It'll be worth it!!!

so yes.  I took this course to see what psych was like and I loved it and I really want to pursue it-- heck, I AM going to pursue it.

student communications?

Yea, mostly because I could kind of cheat off their notes ^^  I learned, don't worry :)  It was fun hearing opinions and thoughts on chats, and hearing questions and veiws I hadn't thought of but learned from.  It definately gave the class a life of its own.  I didn enjoy it (because it was fun to watch)

What kind of students would do well?

Those with a thick hide (some of te stuff in class was sad, some disturbing, like Milgrams stuff.) who have an open mind, and a desire to learn for learnings sake, not just for a grade.  Someone discerning, I would say, but mostly someone who wants to take psych so that they can learn it.  someone forced to take this course probably won't do too well (until they warm to the fascinating subject material!!!)

I would definitely reccomend this to everyone, certainly in part because I enjoyed the teacher and her methods.  This class needs to get out there, it's amazing and I feel really lucky to have discovered it!!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Definitely. The material was covered in depth and with a variety of media (textbook, written lectures, video lectures, articles, youtube videos). This was also the easiest exam I've taken (compared to Lang, Lit, Comp sci, and Spanish): it's only two hours, the multiple choice is simple if you can memorize the terms and concepts, and the essays applying concepts are also very easy if you have the material memorized (though I was already used to timed essays).

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

About 1.5 hours a day. I probably could have done less, but I loved it so much.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The research project. My career goal is to do research in cognitive science, so this project taught me a lot and confirmed my desire to keep doing this. Here's my abstract, which summarizes what I did and how it went:

People think in a mixture of words and images and consider both reason and emotions, but most have some degree of preferences. Although a key aspect of autism is difficulty processing emotions and Temple Grandin's work describes the visual thinking common to many autistic individuals, anecdotal evidence suggests a correlation in non-autistic people between thinking in words and processing logically and thinking in images and processing emotionally. A survey assessing preference for thinking in words vs. images and processing logically vs. emotionally was given to 109 people, many of whom were homeschooled, high school aged students on the east coast. Each participant received a score between -20 and 20 for the words-images and logic-emotions spectra, and the scores were graphed on a scatterplot. Due to the flawed nature of surveys, especially when analyzing thinking patterns, results showed no correlation. Despite inconclusive results, the study was educational and built interest in the ideas to be explored after taking more advanced coursework and connecting with the resources to conduct better research.

Mrs. G was a huge help: I was apparently the most ambitious student she'd had in spreading my survey, and I started getting people questioning whether I had IRB approval (I now know that's EXTREMELY important. It regulates research on human subjects to make sure they are confidential and ethical). Mrs. G did a lot of research with me to confirm that since our goal is only to learn how to conduct reseach and we aren't publishing our work, we're exempt. Although this was the most notable instance, Mrs. G has been a very connected, helpful, and encouraging teacher.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely! I'm going to University of Rochester this fall to major in cognitive science (with a double major in English and a minor in computer science), which is interdisciplinary study of the brain using psychology, neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, and philosophy, so this course was fascinating and great preparation.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes, and this has been true for all my PAH classes. Group projects are actually group projects, not just one person being excpected to do all the work. My classmates here have been motivated, interesting, and talented, and so in our interactions we learn much from each other (in contrast to just "Can I copy off you?").

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

In addition to general motivation and time management, AP Psych does require a lot of memorization. If you struggle with memorization or are not interested in the topic, studying and test-taking will be torture. If you enjoy, though, you can cite a psych concept or famous study for practically any life situation :)

Overally, this has been one of my favorite classes, and I am excited to return in 2014-2015 as TA!

AP Psychology 2013-14 with Mrs Gonzalez

Mrs Gonzalez's AP Psychology class was a pleasure to take and gave me a great understanding of fundamental psychology. Each week during the course, Mrs Gonzalez would direct us to readings in the psychology textbook (Exploring Psychology by David Myers), and provide us with a number of lectures written by herself. Additionally, she recorded video lectures every week that consolidated all the material in the other media (written lectures and textbook) as well as adding new information. Myers' psychology textbook was interesting and not difficult to read, but not always comprehensive, especially in regards to the AP curriculum. Mrs Gonzalez's written and video lectures filled in the gaps of the textbook to ensure we had a complete understanding of the material.

Mrs Gonzalez also held online text chats via Gmail chat, wherein she would provide us links to online information relevant to the material we were currently studying, and we would discuss the information. These sessions were very useful for clarifying and deepening understanding of information. Mrs Gonzalez repeated these chats multiple times a week, making accomodating a chat in my schedule easy. 

In addition to multiple choice quizzes and exams, Mrs Gonzalez had us write essays from the very beginning of the course. The prompts of the essays were interesting and often involved application of psychological knowledge to a hypothetical real-life situation. The large number of essays I wrote during the course of the class prepared me well for the Free-Response portion of the AP exam. 

After we had covered all the material, Mrs Gonzalez led us through a comprehensive review of the material. She sent us review sheets she had written with overviews of the material, as well as practice free response questions and an entire practice test. She also held multiple chats on Gmail to help us test our knowledge. This review helped me ensure that the material was fresh in my memory when I took the AP exam.

When I took the AP test, I felt adequately prepared for all the questions. 

AP Psychology with Mrs. Gonzalez

I really enjoyed AP Psychology. I'd been interested in psychology, so this class gave me a clear perspective of what studying and being a psychologist is like.

I felt very prepared to the AP exam. Mrs. Gonzalez is very good in summarizing the important points that appear on the exam. Our biggest project, which was to conduct a study and write a paper on it, helped me with questions on the exams (because I knew the terms and process) and also gave me the experience of being a psychologist.

I'll definitely continue studying psychology. I really enjoyed the class. I'd especially recommend the class for students who are interested in psychology and want to understand if it would be the career for him or her.

AP Psych 2013-14

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

I haven't yet recived my scores, but overall, I would answer yes. Although, as is the case with many classes, a lot of the preparation for an exam comes from personal motivation on specific term and such, but Mrs. G also helped us a lot! In our frequent chats and Q/A sessions, we went over key terms and principles. She also often asked us if we had questions.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

This depends on the day. I'd say you would have to spend maybe half an hour (give or take) to read half of the chapter from the textbook, and then also 30 minutes to an hour for an essay of it's due that week (the time for the essays would lessen as it gets closer to the exam). Plus, two one-hour group sessions per week plus other things related to the course would generally add up to maybe 4-6 hours per week. This would increase for special weeks where we had bigger assignments (like the research project).

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I enjoyed the powerpoint presentations we had to create with our team. I did my slides on the amygdala, and from then on, I felt like I had a good remembrence of how it functioned. The research project was also great. I enjoyed it mostly because it took a lot of initiative, and required follow-through and dedicated work.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely. I'd say that out of all of these questions, this is the one I can affirm the most. This course *defintely* sparked an interest in me in the field of psychology, and although I may not specifically go into it as a college career, I am highly impressed by the subject as a result of this class. The material is fascinating. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes, to an extent, but we didn't communicate all that much, at least from my point if view. We worked together to create powerpoint presentations, and weekly participated in chats and Q/A sessions, but largely I felt like we were not neccisarily involed with eachother much other than in those things.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

A student who would do well in this course would be a student who is ready to learn, retain, memorize, and retrieve (all of which are psycholoical terms!! :) ) fascinating and incredible information. As long as they are ready to perform at a college level (which is not to intimidate anyone!) in this course, I think they will learn things about the mind that sparks curiosity and causes them to appreciate the intricacies that comprise the study of psychology.

Thanks to Mrs. Gonzalez for being a helpful, lovely, and knowledgeable teacher.

So Happy I Stuck With It!

• I took the CLEP exam, actually, but I never would have done as well as I did without this class.
• I just flipped back to two weeks and rounded them (as for the hours) and it came out to abotu 8 per week average (:
• I found the project pretty fun and helpful for solidifying information into my head. Even weekly DQs and Vocab questions were nice.
• If anyone is interested in psych, I would definitely recommend this class! It was very helpful in giving an idea of what Psychology really is and what all is involved.

In the end--when the CLEP exam was over and the class had ended--I was so happy I didn't quit in the middle of the year (something I was seriously considering). I've been able to apply the information learned in this class to much more than just the exam questions.

First of all, I will say that this class was definetely my favorite of the year. I was already semi-interested in psychology before I took the class, and afterwards I am even more interested in the subject. As this was my first AP class, I was a bit worried about the exam at the end of the year. I found myself happily surprised as I felt completely prepared for both the multiple choice and essay portions of the test. I really enjoyed the wide variety of assignments that we were given in this class. A lot of my other classes fell into the same rhythm of reading, questions, test, repeat, but this class wasn't like that. There were a few things that stayed the same throughout the class - paper lectures and textbook reading every week, video lectures, and a test and essay every other week, but there was also some variety. Weekly assignments varied, from taking online personality tests to designing intelligence tests to participating in lively debates. While I enjoyed most of these assignments a lot, my favorite assignment was definetely our research project. It was a lot of work, but I learned so much from it that I definetely feel it was worth every bit of the effort. From designing our study, to gathering a population, to analyzing results, to writing up the final report, this project was awesome and extremely rewarding. 

As far as the time I spent on the class, I spread my work out throughout the week, so it is kind of hard to figure out about how much I spent on it. Also, as the class progressed, I found myself completing the work a lot quicker (especially the essays!). For a hardworking and efficient student, this workload should definetely not be a big challenge. I never felt overwhelmed by this class (except maybe when I had procrastinated and spent an entire day working on my research project or studying for the exam!).

After taking this class, I have to say that I am very interested in minoring in psychology. I had been hoping to pursue a career in engineering (most likely majoring in computer science), and am glad I took this course to pursue my interest in psychology so that I know I am interested in it for college.

As far as recommending this course, I would do so wholeheartedly! Mrs. G. is an amazing teacher and was always there to answer questions and give assistance. Hardworking students that are interested in psychology should definetely take this course!

FABULOUS introduction to psychology!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes! Mrs. G's class was very thorough; we covered many, many topics, and I felt very well-prepared and confident as I began the AP exam. The textbook is very good, and Mrs. G supplements this with paper and recorded lectures. We practiced essay writing and I felt very familiar with the material on the test.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Mrs. G has each student do an independent research project during the year, and this is a great way to be able to learn how to do psychological research! Mrs. G also gave us various worksheets and smaller assignments that gave me a great, broad overview of psychology's different aspects. 

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely! After taking this class, I now want to major in psychology (with another degree(s) if possible). I knew very little about psychology coming into this class, but now that I've taken AP Psychology, I love the subject and really want to know more. Mrs. G knows a tremendous amount of information about psychology, and is willing to share so much of that with her classes! She's always willing to answer questions, find you more information, etc. This class has sparked my interest so much in psychology, in a way I couldn't have imagined! 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

I did! We had a couple group projects throughout the year. I've really enjoyed getting to know Mrs. G and what she does with her knowledge of psych, but it's also been great to get to know people who are similarily interested in psychology. 

The bottom line: This class is absolutely fabulous; it's an AMAZING introduction to psychology! I enjoyed this class so immensely, and I wish it wasn't over, but it's sparked my interest so much that I'm excited about the possiblity of diving deeper into this subject in the futue! This class will help you learn more about people, about yourself, and about the way the world works. 

Fascinating AP Psychology Class

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

This course left me feeling incredibly prepared for the exam, and gave me the confidence to perform smoothly on test day. All the preparation I did in class really paid off in the exam. 

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes, very much! There are so many different aspects and opinions of psychology that I hadn't known about that now fascinate me. If this is a subject that interests you, be ready to learn all about the inner workings of the mind, and how it interacts with those around it!

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

If you are willing to put the time and effort required into this class, you are sure to do well and learn a lot. I'd recommend this to anyone who thinks they would enjoy the subject matter, and is a hard-working student.

Highly Enjoyable Class

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam? Yes. The lectures that were sent out were extremely beneficial when it came to understanding concepts that the textbook was sometimes a little bit fuzzy on or didn't mention. Weekly quizzes and tests made sure that I studied the course material regularly and that I understood it well. There was also at least one essay to be completed with each test, which was an enormous help when it came to understanding how to write the essays on the AP Exam. Weekly chats and lectures were also good for answering any questions I had and learning in a more interactive way.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? I probably put an average of five hours into this class per week, including studying for tests and quizzes, completing any class work, and attending chats and lectures. In the latter part of the year, about the last three or four weeks, I put much more in as review for the AP Exam kicked into high gear.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? Every assignment in this class helped me a great deal, but I think my favorite was the Nature Vs. Nurture debate that we had in class. I had many friends in the public school system who were very vague on this concept, but because of this assignment I understood it very well.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? I've never taken a psychology class before and I'm not going to pursue this subject in college, so I'm not sure that it would be appropriate to say that the class enhanced my interest in this subject; however, this class and the subject matter itself was very interesting and I greatly enjoyed it. This was one of the only classes I took this year where I was actually excited to read the textbook, attend lectures and chats, and generally learn more in the subject.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? There wasn't a great deal of individual communication among the students in this class simply because many of the topics needed to be memorized and there wasn't much to discuss about them. The discussions we did do for chats, lectures, and a few assignments such as the dinner party assignment and discussion questions were very enjoyable. Other students could often offer simpler ways to remember things that stuck well, thus making studying and remember these terms much easier.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)? I think any student willing to work hard would do very well in this class. There isn't a great deal of skill or aptitude required for this class, just an interest in the topic and a dedication to learning the material (though a student with a good memory will have a far easier time in this class than one who has to work very hard to memorize things). I would definitely recommend this class to other students!

Mrs. Gonzalez is a great teacher who truly loves Psychology. She made my studies this year very enjoyable by always explaining any concepts I was having difficulty understanding and presenting examples of topics instead of just definitions of them. The beginning of the year felt a little bit disorganized and chaotic as schedules for chats and lectures were finalized and students adjusted to the way assignments needed to be completed. This feeling faded quickly though and the class ran smoothly after the initial set up. I would highly recommend this class to anyone interested in the topic or wanting to take on some extra studies.

Fun, educational class!

AP Psychology is a great course!! It was never boring and I learned so much. One thing I loved about the course is that I can apply so much of it to my own life. A lot of people think about schoolwork, "But I'm never going to use it in REAL LIFE! It's just not applicable!" but this course is a break from that. So here's my "real" review…

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam? Oh goodness yes, it definitely did! I'm the kind of person who is always nervous over huge tests and will spend the last 15 minutes before it reviewing random concepts haha, but for this AP exam I was only a little apprehensive. The two-week (SUPER INTENSIVE!) review Mrs. G led was so valuable (though be prepared to spend at least four hours a day on Psych) for the exam, and the bi-weekly essays we wrote were very similar in style to the AP exam's FRQs. We also had weekly quizzes that kept us on top of our work. ;)

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course? I usually spent about an hour and forty-five minutes on Psychology per day. That probably sounds like a lot, but I reviewed as I went and took my time reading since there's a lot stuffed into each chapter. That also includes a weekly assignment which varied each week and weekly psychology chats. Also, that time includes studying for the quizzes/tests that we had each week. I did psychology on weekends too to get everything done and understood well, but for probably only half an hour both days.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable? My favorite assignment would definitely be the research project. We had to design our own scientific study to investigate some aspect of psychology and create, carry out, gather data, and write a scientific report about it. Not only was it very interesting (and time-consuming), but it also taught me a lot about what to do – and what not to do – in designing a study and it felt pretty neat doing a semi-professional writeup at the end. :)

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject? Haha yes it did – before this course I didn't know anything about psychology principles except reverse psychology (which we didn't even study haha). While I'm not going into psychology, I absolutely loved learning about it – it was NEVER boring, there was always something new and interesting – and I enjoy applying psychological principles to my family's behavior now – and making my little siblings crack up when I say they're showing the foot-in-the-door phenomen or the door-in-the-face phenomenon (and yes, those are actual things haha). It's really quite fun. :P

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable? Well, there wasn't a whole lot of classmate interaction in this class. Those of us who came to the weekly chats interacted and had a good time, but there wasn't a lot in the class overall. We would post on the class wwwboard and hold little discussions but I can't say that I know my classmates well. However, one of my other APs was AP English with Mrs. Inspektor and by the very nature of the class it's SO interactive, so perhaps I'm comparing it to that!

What sort of student would do well in the course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they're willing to work hard)? I would definitely recommend it. I learned so much, and Mrs G is an amazing teacher. She really cares, will respond to any questions – whether they're about a concept or an assignment – usually fairly quickly. Oh, and while I spent a lot of time per week on the class (probably 12 hours, and about 28 per week for the 2 weeks before the exam) you definitely don't need to spend that much time on it. You could probably do quite well with just an hour a day or so. The only thing I'd say about the class is that toward the beginning I was a little confused about what I needed to do and Mrs. G seemed a little disorganized, but that faded quickly as I realized what was expected and as the first month wore on. And of course, when I wasn't sure about things, I wouldn't hesitate to email Mrs. G and she'd patiently answer my questions.

GREAT class! :)

A Great Psychology Overview

Overall, this is an excellent class. I was very ready for the exam, and learned so much over the course of the year. If you decide to take it, be aware that Psychology does take lots of time-expect to spend at least an hour a day on the work, not counting extras such as the Web Board and chats, along with random assignments. If you are a student who enjoys reading, and can learn well from this medium, you are a good fit for this class. Should you find that you do better with face-to-face interaction, obviously an online class such as this one is not for you.

Mrs. Gonzalez has, overall, been a very good teacher. She will reply promptly to any questions you have, and help you work through any difficulties you encounter. Her lectures are interesting and informative. However, at the beginning of the year, the class was not organized or consistent. It was very frustrating trying to figure out what to expect, and the assignments would sometimes change without warning. This did not last however, the class became more organized, and you will learn to enjoy it.

All in all, if you are interested in Psychology, this is a great opportunity to learn it in an fascinating way.

Inside the Human Mind

Enjoy AP Psych!

AP Psych is a great class!

AP Psychology is a great class.  Mrs. Gonzales is a very committed teacher who cares a lot about each of her students.  She is easily available to answer questions, offer encouragement or clarify material.  She also is great about scheduling weekly chats that highlight supporting websites and concepts.  The text book used for the class is excellent.  It is one of the more readable texts I have ever been assigned and I always really enjoyed reading it.  The work is nicely managed—I didn't ever feel overwhelmed by the work load, although at times, it did seem there was quite a bit of memorization.  I enjoyed the subject a lot and I learned many practical applications that I have constantly seem to use in everyday experience.  Mrs. G. also provides almost daily lectures to supplement the reading.  Sometimes I did find it difficult to keep up with those and maybe wish they could be condensed to more of a weekly guide than daily; however, the content of these lectures were always pertinent.  I would recommend this class to everyone!  Psychology should be a required course for all high school students as the material it covers can be beneficial in developing healthy relationships with others, as well as with yourself!  =)

Mrs. G's AP Psychology

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes I did. I believe that the class covered the material very well and thoroughly. I was acquainted with all of hte material on the exam.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I spent an average of a little less than an hour a day on this class

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Although I did not enjoy them, the tests and quizzes that we had to take every week were very good practice for the exam.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes. I knew hardly anything about psychology when I started out. This course was basically an introduction to all the different areas of psychology that are out there, and it certainly piqued my interest.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes. There were many times throughout the course when we needed to provide examples, ask questions, tell stories on the main forum. I learned a lot from the other students, and it was certainly an enjoyable part of the class.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

The sort of student that would do well in this class is someone who is willing to interact with the other students and the class regularly. You definitely have to keep on the ball, because our homework is sent to us on a day-by-day rather than week-by-week basis. I would certainly recommend this course to anyone, but especially those interested in psychology.

Great class!

I felt like the reading, chats, quizzes and essays, as well as the various other assignments prepared me for the exam.

2. What might have helped you be more prepared? More quizzes? More practice essays? Different assignments?

The weekly quizzes and essays were great preparation for the exam and although I wouldn't add any more I definitely wouldn't take any away. The research project and various assignments (medieval brain) were beneficial as well.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving the course for next year?

A little more web board interaction and more DQs.

4. How helpful were the chats and extra assignments (questionnaires, abstracts on the articles, web board questions)?

The chats were especially helpful and should be a part of every AP class!!

5. Were there any particularly meaningful assignments, ones that were your favorites?

I enjoyed working on the research project.

6. Is there anything else you would like to share with respect to this class: value of friendships, value of responses to the essays, value of the input from other students or from me?

My classmates were kind and helpful, I valued our interaction in the chats and was glad to share this class with such interesting people. Mrs. G is a wonderful teacher with a passion for pyschology. Thanks!

Lovely class!

Oh yes. Through lectures, activities, and weekly chats, Mrs. G makes sure we know everything pretty thoroughly :) We also finished the book a few weeks before the AP exam, leaving plenty of time to review.

[skipping next question because I didn't really keep track of how much time I put in, sorry.]

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

Am I allowed to say all of them? Well, the weekly chats were wonderful, though I don't know if they count as an assignment...Basically, a standard week would consist of reading half a chapter, doing an MCQ quiz, and writing an essay, and then Mrs. G would also often come up with some other assignment related to the material we were covering, which could be quite fun. One of them, for example, involved buying a bag of M&Ms, which we later got to eat ;)

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Hmm...Well, I went into the class thinking psychology would be fun, so there wasn't much room for enhancement, but...yeah, I think it managed it :)

Did you find your communication with other students to be interesting or valuable?

YESYESYESYESYES. I know I've already mentioned the weekly chats, but I'll say again, those were great both for learning and for interacting with classmates and having fun. This class's website is also unique in that, in addition to the WWWBoard they all have for discussion, there is also a "Social Board" where we enjoyed arguing about everything from politics to philosophy to Twilight ;) I definitely became closer to my psych class than I have to any other online class I've taken.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard)?

I would definitely recommend it to any student even vaguely interested in psychology. If you're very social, this is a particularly good pick for you. If you're not, though, you'll still do just fine, as the extra socialization is by no means required.

Ok, I know I've spent a bit too much of this review talking about the socialization and the fun, so I'll just repeat in conclusion that that's not all there is. Educationally speaking, it's also a wonderful class, and I've learned a lot.

Great class!

I usually spent between one to two hours per day doing the assignments. The workload was not overwhelming at all, but it didn't let me get bored either. My favorite part of the class was designing a research project and administering my own survey.

Great class!!!!

Mrs. Gonzalez did a thorough job preparing us for the AP exam. Anytime I had trouble understanding a concept, she immediately worked with me, sending me questions and examples until I felt confident.

Mrs. G also was very encouraging throughout the year with positive feedback on papers and kind words in her emails and psych outs.

Because the material is so interesting, I read the text as fast as possible, but with psych outs, essays, and projects, I probably spent 1-2 hours per day on Psychology.

My favorite assignment was constructing a brain website to aid myself and the other students in reviewing this part of the body. This course definitely enhanced my interest in the subject particularly because Mrs. G's love for psychology was so apparent and consequently contagious!

A superb class!

You will enjoy the on-line 'Psych Out' sessions because they show how the material that you learned in each chapter could be used in "real life". My favorite assignments were the experiment/interview project and the diagnosis paper. Now that I have completed both papers, I find myself reading and interpreting news articles from a different perspective.

To get the full benefit of this class, you must participate in every Psych Out and review session and answer each set of web-board questions: each helps to cement in the new (and old) information. You also must set aside at least 1-2 hours on the weekend to review the chapter, take the chapter test and write your timed (27 minutes) essay.

With all that said, I felt very confident and calm when I took the AP Psychology exam yesterday. I am convinced that Mrs. Gonzalez's thorough teaching, reviews, special test preparation and guidance throughout the year helped me immensely. Thank you, Mrs. Gonzalez, for making this such an interesting class!!!