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How to Succeed in an AP History Class

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

If you’ve been struggling in an AP history class this year or are currently deciding whether to take one in your class schedule next year, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to be providing a few tips that have helped me get through AP European History this year and AP Human Geography (I know it’s not really a core AP history class, but it fits more into the history category than anything else) last year. Each AP class is a different level of difficulty at every school, but at may school the history APs are definitely some of the hardest/most complained about, so keep that in mind and keep on reading if you want to hear my tips!

  • Understanding the writing format is key. My AP Human Geography teacher was super clear with us on how to write an FRQ from the get-go, and we did two as a part of every unit test. In AP Euro, writing has been a lot less clear; we didn’t fully go over LEQs, DBQs, and SAQs until the start of second semester. Practice using old AP test questions found on the College Board website, and study the rubrics. It’s easier if you do this towards the beginning of the year, but it’s possible to cram and sort of fake your way through as long as you know the actual historical information.
  • Do the reading. Depending on the way your class is structured, this may be less useful, but for me it’s a great way to refresh on the information. You have a textbook for a reason, and it’s also helpful in cramming for the AP test if you want a slightly more in-depth review of everything.
  • Get a prep book at the beginning of the year. If you’re ever confused on a certain historical event or concept, or you’re just unsure how well-versed you need to be in it for the AP test, you can always refer to a prep book to explain it in simpler terms/a condensed format. I’m partial to The Princeton Review books because I love that they include practice tests, but I’ve heard the AMSCO prep books are really good for the history APs- my Euro teacher has a set and I’ve looked over them from time to time.
  • Take detailed notes, and revise them later. This is another thing that’s helped me a lot. My Euro teacher has structured the class so our main way of learning is his lectures where we take notes- I try to write down basically every fact or detail he says, but then I make my own typed notes for each unit as a study guide for the test, only including key events and people with a timeline. In the end, you have a neat version of your notes, and you’ve already reviewed the information.
  • Use your resources! This is key for any AP class, but I think there’s often a lot more resources and opportunities for the history classes. Watch Crash Course videos on YouTube/any review videos, find Quizlets that review key terms, and ask older friends how they succeeded in your particular class, since every teacher/class is slightly different. For example, my teacher offers 5 points of extra credit each unit if we make flashcards for around 50 key terms from the unit- it’s a ton of work, but I do it since the extra credit builds up and it’s another way to study.
  • Make the connections. As I’ve learned, pretty much every concept and event can be connected to others, especially because of the cause and effect relationships that occur in history. Remember that you can’t forget the earlier dates/events, but try to break things up into more general/larger categories and the major things to make it more manageable.
  • Practice, practice, practice! I mentioned this in my How To Get a 5 On AP Human Geography post (go check it out if you haven’t!), but it’s honestly the best way to do well. Even if you haven’t been doing well in the class at school, you can still turn things around and do well on the AP test if you put the work in. For me, practice tests were the most helpful.

I hope these tips help you finish the semester strong in whatever history class you’re in, and do well on the corresponding AP test! History is one of my favorite subjects, but I’ve definitely still had my struggles with keeping up with the workload of AP Euro this year. Let me know what history class you’re currently in, and what history you’ll be taking next year (APUSH for me :))!

Brooke

Clarification About My Poetry

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

This is sort of an apology, sort of a question, sort of just me acknowledging something I didn’t realize before. If you’ve been reading my blog for a little while, you’d know I’ve been posting a lot of poetry and creative writing lately. If you’ve been thinking my poems seemed oddly formatted, you’re probably not alone, and this was something I just became aware of.

Earlier today I was looking at my blog page as if I was a viewer, and I realized that my poems have been posting weirdly/in a different format than I intended. I guess it’s because the width of the paragraphs and text is different once published than it is in the WordPress block editor, but it definitely made the structure of my poems look different and divided the lines at weird spots.

If any of you guys know how to fix this or have any suggestions on how to fix it, please let me know. I’m considering just typing my poems into Word docs and then screenshotting it and posting it as an image into my post. I’m not sure if that would be a good solution or not, but I’ll figure it out before my next poetry post. I apologize for this oversight in the past, and now I’m even more thankful for the support I’ve received from my creative writing posts so far considering the formatting of my poems was off. Thank you all for being so supportive and kind as always!

Also, I would just like to say that I would LOVE your guys’ feedback on my writing. If you’ve been wanting to leave a comment or give me some suggestions on future topics to incorporate into my poetry, please let me know! I am always looking for suggestions from others and I also want to interact with the people reading my work. I’d also like to know if you guys actually liked the way my poetry has been formatted thus far- I haven’t really purposefully experimented with different formats for poems, but now it’s something I might look into.

Thank you all as always! Please let me know your thoughts on the issues I’ve brought up here, as it would be much appreciated 🙂

Brooke

How to Get a 5 on AP Human Geography

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I literally have had this post idea in my drafts since the beginning of August/the end of summer, and crazy enough, it’s finally about time to break it out! My AP Euro teacher has a countdown of days until our AP test, and when the countdown got to under 70 days last week, I figured it was a good time to get back to this post. Last year I took the AP Human Geography test and was lucky enough to get a 5 on it, so even though I’m not a total expert, I feel qualified enough to give you some tips.

  • Get a review book! I got The Princeton Review one because I liked that it had practice tests and I feel like that’s all you really need. If you don’t want to spend the money, ask your teacher if they have any you can borrow or ask people who have taken the test in the past if they have old ones they don’t want anymore. I also heard the Barrons review book is good for APHUG, but I didn’t personally use it.
  • Know the models. I feel like this is a crucial component of the class, and the models often come up on the FRQ questions. Funnily enough, the models didn’t come up too much on the version of the test I took last year, but any teacher will tell you it’s still essential to know them.
  • Don’t get intimidated by trick questions. At my school, APHUG was the only AP class freshmen could take so it’s most people’s first AP test, and everyone kind of freaks out. If it’s your first AP test too, don’t get thrown off by the trick questions that they try and give you. It might seem like something you don’t understand how to answer or something that’s impossible, but it’s all about applying the concepts you do know to these tricky questions.
  • Take practice tests! I feel like this helps for any AP class or standardized test. This is what I believe really prepared me for the test most, as practice tests help me a lot in general. If you get the Princeton Review book there should be two in there, and you can find more online from various sources as well as practice FRQs on the College Board website from all previous years of the test.
  • Watch YouTube videos for review. Not only can you find helpful videos of review concepts, you can also find other videos giving tips for the test. I remember Study for Success’s video on how to get a 5 on APHUG was really helpful and she had links to a website that had a lot of resources specifically for APHUG, so go check that out if you’re interested.
  • Don’t cram the night before. At that point, you’re not going to retain the information. If there’s a couple things you want to review or you just want to take one more practice test that’s fine, but don’t try to pull an all-nighter for the sake of cramming. I promise if you’ve already studied, you will be fine.
  • Work on your pacing. Again, this mainly applies if it’s your first standardized test/AP test, but it’s important to know your pacing! Be aware of how much time you have for the multiple choice section and the FRQs, and remember that guessing is better than leaving something blank- do not leave anything blank if possible!!
  • Use the identify, explain, example format for the FRQs. My teacher taught us this starting in the beginning of the year. Basically, when you’re answering each part of the question, identify your main answer/reason, then explain it, and give an example/connect it to something in real life or a specific country and situation that you know relates to the topic.

This was off the top of my head so I easily could’ve forgotten some things- I will definitely go back and do another tips post as the test inches closer. Definitely start studying in advance, but don’t worry too much. APHUG is famous for being one of the easier AP tests since it’s relatively common knowledge/understandable topics being tested and a lot of underclassmen take it. I definitely didn’t expect to get a 5 even though I was really hoping for one, and I believe that you can all get a 5 as well. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Brooke

Why Do We Never Feel Good Enough?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As you can probably tell from the title of this post, today I’m going to be discussing the always relevant question of why us lowly humans never feel good enough in society, and why we are such an insecure bunch. Of course there’s both scientific and unscientific reasons for this, but the purpose of me making these posts is just to share my own opinions, so forgive me for the lack of official “research” in this post. I am by no means trying to be a psychology expert or make a claim that applies to everyone, I’m just opening it up as sort of a debatable topic.

People have always been insecure and there’s always been the issue of comparing one’s self to others, but this has all been amplified in the age of social media and everyone curating their lives to showcase their best selves online. It’s especially harmful to teenagers since we’re probably the ones that spend the most time online, and here we have a plethora of all-too-perfect seeming people to compare ourselves to as we grow up and are going through our puberty/awkward stages.

One of the stranger things is that a lot of the people us teens are comparing ourselves to are other teens, specifically influencers that have gone viral over night, usually look way older than they are, and get paid to promote brands and travel. I grew up on YouTube watching the definition of “YouTuber” and “influencer” change, and I’ve always idolized these girls my age who aren’t really doing anything that I couldn’t do, it’s just that they happen to be the ones who did it and got lucky enough to become successful from it.

However, I don’t want to spend this whole post talking about social media. There’s definitely a lot of other reasons why people have low self-esteem or don’t feel good enough. Sometimes it’s a lack of self-love that’s deep-rooted in whatever insecurities one may have, and sometimes it’s just a general feeling of failure. I know lots of times when I don’t feel good enough it’s just because I didn’t reach a goal of mine or do something as well as I wanted. I also put a lot of pressure on myself and I always want to make my parents proud. I hate disappointing people, so if I feel like I am then that will make me feel worse too.

Also, hustle culture has become a huge thing in post-grad life. I’m still in high school so I don’t know much about it, but I’ve seen lots of YouTubers in their twenties or in the end of their college years reference it. There’s this stigma where you always have to be doing something and working towards accomplishments and goals at a young age, when some people don’t really know what they want to be doing and are just trying to find themselves before they have to settle down.

Speaking of that, I’m surprised I didn’t mention the pressure to get into college first. In high school, especially at fairly competitive schools like mine (I can’t even imagine what it’s like at prep schools), there’s definitely the pressure to be in tough classes and performing well and getting high scores on standardized tests and eventually, getting into elite schools. If you’re not keeping up with all this, it can feel disheartening, especially if you still hope to get into an elite school. An important thing to note though is that obviously elite schools aren’t everything, and there’s a lot of people who don’t even go to college and are still successful- it all depends.

I think the reason you may or may not feel good about yourself varies a lot- there’s so many variables and a lot of these groupings/categories of stigmas that I mentioned also depend on your age group/demographic. The point is, there’s always going to be things and people trying to knock you down, so it’s important to know your worth and love yourself for who you are- then, you can’t easily be defined as “good enough” or “not good enough” based on other people’s criteria.

Brooke

My Plate – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I have another poem to share with you. I was originally going to do a post pondering the question “do we rise to the occasion when we have busier schedules?” but I didn’t really know how to answer that, considering that for me it honestly depends on what that “busier schedule” looks like and the mental headspace I’m in. I can still do that post in the future if anyone’s interested and I figure out how to approach it, but for now I figured I would tackle it as I tackle most things, by writing a poem.

My Plate

i divide my plate into sections, just like how mama taught me when i was young, how i needed to eat the rainbow and have a little bit of everything for each meal. she told me i needed to incorporate all the food groups, and to eat everything i was served. it would be rude not to.

i give slivers of myself away, not even realizing until i’m left with one tiny portion of the plate still filled. i twirl my fork and mash up the remainders of all the food that was once there. it’s not really a rainbow- it’s a brown pile of mush, and the texture is questionable.

no amount is too much for me. i load up on everything imaginable, everything available, whether i like it or not. it doesn’t really matter though, because i’ll give it away as soon as someone asks, only regretting it because of the sound my knife makes as i scrape it away.

all my utensils are still lined up perfectly on the table. sure, there’s a little brown mush on them, but who cares? certainly not me, as there’s no food left on my plate. they’re no use to me anyway.

I hope you enjoyed this poem. Thank you for all the support in my writing endeavors 🙂

Brooke

How to Deal With Mental Hiccups in Your Day

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’ve been going deep into my drafts for inspiration, and the idea of this post came to me in November. It’s crazy how time has been flying this school year, and there are so many post ideas I had from the end of 2019 that I still haven’t been able to write. It’s kind of fitting that I waited to write this one until now, because I’ve definitely experienced a lot of obstacles and challenges mentally in the past few months, and it’s crazy how much things have changed this year so far. If you’ve been having a rough time lately and are just trying to get through day-to-day life, here’s what’s been helping me lately.

  • Breathe. I know it sounds cheesy, but seriously. Taking a few deep breaths takes only a couple seconds, but it can completely calm your body. Having your body physically de-stress and alleviate tension is just as important as doing so mentally.
  • Think about the big picture. Often times I’ll be dreading a certain event or day throughout the week, but the reality is as soon it comes it will be over. If you think this way, you might actually look forward to things you’re dreading (that’s a nice little paradox) because as soon as you have to face them, they’ll be done and over with. And once something’s in the past, you can’t worry about trying to fix or change it, because what’s done is done.
  • Get a good sleep. I know this is challenging depending on your schedule or if you just have trouble sleeping, but it’s crucial and can also shift your mood a lot. I need my sleep or else I’m even more of a hot mess, so staying up late to study and do work usually isn’t worth it. If you feel like you’re falling apart, it’s time to take a little rest, no matter how busy you are- you won’t be productive if you keep working anyways.
  • Treat yourself when you can. This also looks different for every person, but that’s why it’s so great. Depending on what motivates you and what you’re able to do at the moment, find whatever nice little things you can do for yourself. Eat your favorite food, or give yourself ten minutes to read a book or watch your favorite TV show, and then get back to whatever grind you’re on.
  • Talk to someone who can relate. If you’re struggling with a certain challenge such as extreme stress from school or work, family problems, or grieving the loss of a loved one, find support in people who are going through similar things. It’s so therapeutic to talk to someone who actually understands, because you can go more into detail and you won’t feel like you’re annoying the other person because everything is mutual.
  • Talk to someone close to you. The reason I put this as separate from talking to someone who can relate is because often you’ll have to go to more external sources to find someone who can relate, but talking to someone in your inner circle of friends or family is still important. It’s the best when someone who’s seen you struggle and already knows how to cheer you up can listen to you and guide you, and you know they have your best interests at heart.

These are just a few of the easiest and most crucial ways to help yourself get through some tough times in daily life. Obviously they’re not cures for whatever is going on, but it’s important to build your set of coping tools and learn to express your emotions in a healthy way. I am always here if any of you need to talk as well.

Brooke

Doubting You – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I have another poem to share with you. Per usual, it’s another topic I considered discussing on my blog in a more opinion, sharing-my-thoughts type of post, but figured I could express better in creative writing. I’m so thankful that my poetry has been well-received on here, so thank you guys again for being supportive and allowing me to feel comfortable posting my vulnerable thoughts on the Internet. It’s like a tiny corner of support and I love it 🙂

Doubting You

it’s Friday night and I’m in my room, waiting for you to call it’s getting late and I don’t really expect to hear my upbeat ringtone play and see your face light up my screen anymore. I’m always ready for the worst, ready for you to let go but I get that way with everyone. it’s not you, it’s me. a classic cliché, I know- it’s used differently here though. I’m not breaking up with you. I’m assuming you’re breaking up with me. and it would be my fault, right? because in this world everything is. I’m doubting you because I doubt me. when you even doubt yourself, who can you rely on?

I know this was a short one, but you can probably tell most of my poems are pretty short. I wanted to touch on the topic of self-doubt and how insecurities can prevent you from having genuine relationships with others. I think it’s funny how I write a lot about love and relationships and I could not be more single, but it’s what pops into my head. Typical teenage stuff, I guess.

Please, please, please leave suggestions for future creative writing or feedback on this poem/any of my writing I’ve posted in the past. I would love to get some inspiration from you guys since you’re the ones reading it here.

Brooke

From 0 Interests to Lots – Find Yours!

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Are you looking for a hobby or a new activity to fill some empty space in your life, but can’t seem to figure out where to even start? Have you always passed your free time without any structure and are looking for something more outside of school or work? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, you’ve found the right place! I was in your shoes not too long ago, and since then I’ve found plenty of hobbies and interests to occupy my time. Here’s my tips on how to figure out what you actually like spending your time doing, and how to get started pursuing it.

  • Think about who you admire. Sometimes, thinking about the people you look up to can remind you of your personal goals. If you’re constantly keeping up with girlboss YouTubers who have their own podcasts, maybe you want to start your own YouTube channel or podcast. If you’re obsessed with certain fashion designers maybe you want to get into making your own clothes. It can be something simple or something complicated, but your idols can say a lot about you.
  • Consider the things you do when you have free time. What do you do when you’re not busy and no one’s telling you what to do? Yes, even TV and scrolling through social media can count. Whatever you generally lean towards doing, find a way to channel that into a hobby. Sometimes, these things actually already are hobbies- I know a lot of people who claim they don’t do anything but are amazing artists who make these beautiful drawings in their free time. That’s definitely a super cool interest/hobby! If you’re looking to do something more with it, you can make a social media account and share your art with the world or do commissions though, for example.
  • Take advantage of opportunities around you. What’s available at your school? Go to club rush, go to interest meetings, pick electives that sound interesting- these all might lead you down a path of something you end up loving. Talk to teachers or your counselor about possible things you might like or activities you should join based on what your favorite subjects in school are, and always look at bulletin boards around your community for opportunities outside of school.
  • Think about your future goals. This only applies if you’ve set long-term goals for yourself, but I know in high school a lot of people have, so I’m hoping it applies to a lot of you. If you’ve always said you want to be a lawyer when you grow up, get involved in debate or mock trial. If you want to be a teacher, start tutoring people or join some other academic groups. Sometimes looking at the big picture can point you in direction of what you want to do now- it’s a win-win because you can test out if you’d actually like to go into that field when you’re older.

These are just a few ways to find some new interests; I know it can be overwhelming. I went from feeling like I wasn’t interested in anything to being interested in so many things I couldn’t commit to joining an activity dedicated to each of them. There really are so many opportunities out there- you just have to find them and take advantage of them, and if they don’t work out you can always make your own. I’m no expert on finding your passion, but I’m always here to help or offer what advice I can, so please let me know if you have any questions.

Brooke

The Perfect Trip – Poem by Me

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I have another poem to share with you all. It’s inspired by a faux-camping experience I had earlier in the school year with my friends, and I thought it would be a funny/interesting thing to write a poem about. Regardless of the background behind it, I hope you all can find something to relate to within the poem.

we pitched a tent as fast as we became friends; people say that these experiences bond you like nothing else can, i didn’t believe it until now. this tent is our friendship, we litter it with blankets and snacks and all the things that make life comfortable. we shower each other with compliments, it’s all about making ourselves comfortable. as we make a campfire and roast s’mores and do all these stereotypical “camping” trip things, i look across the fire and see your faces, smiles flickering along with the shadows. i realize i’ve never been camping with anyone else before. we watch the stars and talk about life, we laugh until 3 a.m. while eating dry cereal straight from the box. i feel like a kid again, i feel like it’s easy to be myself, i feel comfortable. i don’t care about being comfortable in the tent anymore, and i don’t care about having the perfect trip. with the perfect company, the destination no longer matters.

I hope you guys enjoyed this poem. Please feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for future poetry I share on here- even though I’ve been writing poetry for a while, I don’t claim to be an expert and I would love others’ input since you guys are the ones reading it 🙂

Brooke

Youth and Government – 72nd MLC in Sacramento, CA

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’ve been waiting to post about this so I could collect my thoughts and reflect on this past year of Youth and Government as a whole (I can’t believe it’s over already), but the time is finally here. If you’re unfamiliar with Youth and Government, it’s a youth model legislature and court program through the YMCA. The California Y&G program has two weekend-long statewide training conferences and the culmination to the year is the statewide conference in Sacramento, which was a full 6-day trip (the actual conference activities are only 4 days). Whatever delegation you are in will meet weekly throughout the program to inform you on debate topics, politics, and other aspects of the program, as well as just have fun.

I joined my local Y&G delegation this year not knowing what to expect, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I became so much closer with a few people I’ve been acquaintances with at school for a while, and I met so many amazing and genuine people from other schools in my area. I’m a pretty shy person but I’ve always been interested in politics, government, and law, so it seemed like a great way to get out of my comfort zone- I was right. The Sacramento conference was absolutely exhausting and amazing in every way. I was in the Appellate Court program so I got to present a court case, and my partner and I actually won!

During the conference, you’re mainly going to sessions for whatever specific program area you’re in. You get meal breaks and you can eat with your friends wherever you want within the boundaries of the program (a few blocks in downtown, plenty of places to go), and you’re responsible for walking everywhere and getting to sessions and getting ready. It was so fun to be independent and wearing business clothes in the city- I felt so old! It also bonded my delegation together even more than I thought it would. 24/7 for basically a week with people really bonds you, especially when you’re having fun and making incredible memories doing something super unique that most kids your age don’t get to do. There’s also a few joint sessions, and it’s amazing to see people speak in front of the whole 4000 person program.

Another highlight of the week for me was when my delegation had elections for our officer team next year. Someone nominated me for president- I gave my speech and didn’t win, but someone else nominated me for campaign manager, which I ran for and won the position!! I was really hoping to get an officer position since I want to get way more involved in the program next year since I now know how much I love it, but I didn’t actually expect to get anything. I’m so thankful to have been elected since I’ve never had a real, concrete leadership position/title in anything before, and it made me feel a lot more confident in my abilities to be a leader in some way throughout the program.

This program is so inspiring and it really does change lives. I can’t say that I’ve completely transformed and become a different person who speaks in front of thousands of people easily, but I have witnessed it do so to others, and I can only hope to work towards that same transformation in the future. If you’re at all interested in debating, politics, law, government, or even just having fun and learning about all of the above a little bit to see if you like it, I highly suggest you join the program. It’s not just for people who are experts on these topics or overachievers or the loud ones in every room- there’s truly a place for everyone within the program and if you join you will find yours.

Sacramento’s also just a genuinely cool place. I haven’t been to Northern California since I was little and I’ve never been to Sacramento, so it was super cool to tour the Capitol and actually be arguing a court case inside of it. There were lots of good restaurants, and I loved the feeling of being independent in the city. It definitely affirmed my desire to live in a big city one day. My delegation got there a day early so we could tour Old Town Sacramento, and we had a lot of fun bonding times there.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my experience, and I hope you consider joining Y&G if you’re still in high school and it’s available near you. If you’re out of high school and this still sounds amazing, they also have intern and volunteer opportunities that sound amazing- I would totally consider being an intern for the program in college. Regardless, thank you to the YMCA and to Y&G for helping me discover a new part of myself and for giving me the best memories with the best people at conferences. I can’t wait for next year!

Brooke