for dbq's (document based questions, basically essays), you will be given the documents beforehand to analyze and prepare. make use of this time as best as you can. take notes when slightly impromptu lectures/the teacher just goes over notes/material, they will often elaborate and it will help if you retain at least some of that information. i recommend using a laptop to take notes instead of paper, while notes are always posted from presentations and such, and there are more than enough supplementary materials to read, if you choose to, but many things are just spoken so the faster your typing, the better. be sure to stay up to date with the work, and stay as attentive as you can during class (if you have trouble, i recommend chewing mint gum or having some sort of caffeine) there are a lot of group projects, do your part and stay on good terms with your classmates. be as helpful as you can.