Same Stuff, New Domain

Hello you all!

I would like to inform you all that I have moved domains! You can still find my old posts here if you would like, but all of the new (and amazing cool fantastic) stuff will be at my new domain

emilyxie.com

I promise you won't regret it

AP Score Reports

First, I was just at camp, and did not have any internet, so I couldn't update my blog!

Second, this will probably be my last post regarding AP tests and scores. Sad, I know.

To all of those who have received your scores, congratulations. You didn't die of impatience before your scores came in the mail. On the off chance that you didn't do very well, it's okay. Do not fret. Whether you cancel your score, withhold it, or keep it. Odds are, if you are a good student, one bad score won't really hurt you too much.

No matter what your score is, you should be proud that at least you pushed yourself to work hard and achieve at a college level. That in it of itself is something to be proud of.

Painting

Again, my absolute "hatred" (I guess you could call it a love to hate relationship) of the AP Art History test has sparked a new love of art. In fact, I have decided to take up painting as one of my newest hobbies.

So, a few days ago, I went to Michael's and bought a few more canvases and painted a few things, but my favorite was of two cactuses (cacti) in front of a sunset. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Again, by no means am I an artist

Finally, Scores at Last

Today, I woke up at the crack of dawn, again. However, this time it was not a fruitless endeavor! I actually got my scores and I was quite pleased.

I know my previous blog posts my have eluded to the fact that I did not feel particularly confident after a number of my tests. Now, I can tell you with full confidence that you can have no fear if you feel that way. There were many tests (Art History) that I definitely did not feel very good about. I remember walking out of the test and thinking that I would be lucky to even get a 2! Let me reassure you that those thoughts happen to even the best of us. Now, I won't get into the actual scores of my tests, but I will tell you that I didn't do half as bad as I thought I did on any of them. In fact, that 2 that I thought I got? I didn't even get a single one.  AP tests aren't designed to kill you, and I promise that you will do better than you think you will. The curve for most tests is a lot lower than the tests you are used to taking in class, so chances are you will walk out feeling pretty bad about your test, thinking you got around 70%, but in reality, that 70% could translate into a 4 or 5! So just don't sweat it.


However, if you did receive your scores yesterday, today, or some day in the future and you aren't pleased with them. Have no fear! You can always withhold your scores from colleges for a small fee paid to the College Board or you can just cancel them all together for no fee. Don't feel like one bad AP score is going to ruin your chances of getting into college or anything like that. If you are a good student, one AP score shouldn't change anything. 


Good luck to all those getting their scores back in the next few weeks! I'm sure you all did wonderfully! 

College Board Woes

Yes, I am an utterly insane, sleep deprived, hopeless nerd. Please don't judge me, but I may or may not have stayed up for the majority of the night, waiting in anticipation for my AP scores. Trust me, you would do it too if you took so many and were as impatient as I am. However,  my efforts did not pay off; I was sorely disappointed this morning for a plethora of different reasons.


First of all, the scores were supposed to be released by phone at 7:00 AM EST, so, 6:00 AM CST. However, upon opening my tired eyes at 6:00 AM, there was no news of scores being released. Upon calling the number for the score reporting service, there wasn't even an option to hear my scores. Unaffected, I checked Trevor's twitter (Trevor is the head AP guy). He said "I will send out a tweet as soon as the AP Scores by Phone system is turned on." So, I just continued to wait and frantically refresh the page until 20 minutes later he said, "Sorry for the delay, as soon as I have confirmation the score by phone system is up and running I will post.". I again waited (quite impatiently) until about 7:30 AM CST. By then I was significantly more sleep deprived than I would have ever liked to be. I was also extremely frustrated, but just wanted my scores.


On top of waiting for an hour and a half to just have the score reporting service open at all, I had one other major problem. As soon as Trevor had announced that the score reporting service was live, I quickly called and provided all of the information that was requested, only to hear a very solemn message at the end that went something along the lines of "we have located your score report", okay, that's great (I was overflowing with joy and excitement at this point), but then it took it turn for the worse when it continued by saying "a customer service representative 'may' be able to assist you with hearing your scores, you may call AP services during regular business hours Monday through Friday, sorry, goodbye!". 


So, in the end, after spending hours awake in anguish over receiving my scores, after being delayed for an hour and a half, after frantically punching the refresh button over and over again, after dialing and redialing the AP score reporting service number, I am no further to receiving my scores today than I was yesterday.


It astounds me that a standardized testing service as strict on time limits and dates as the College Board can't even get scores released in a timely and complete matter.

Alaska

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while; I was in Alaska!

I went on a cruise to Alaska for a week. Some people may think that going on a cruise to Alaska is the last thing they would want to do. Why go to the land of snow and tundra (also known as the last frontier) when you can go to the Bahamas or the Caribbean and rot in the sun?

I'll explain why you should pick Alaska over any warm place in the world. Let's be honest here, you will be able to go to the beach almost anywhere warm. To be honest, beaches are nothing new or unique (discounting those that are, like the black sand beaches in Hawaii). However, in Alaska you can see glaciers among other amazing things, including bears, whales, porpoises, bald eagles, etc. You may say that you don't care about seeing a giant piece of ice, but if you think about it, that giant piece of ice may disappear before your children get to see it, so why go sit on a beach and rot away in the sun (and probably get skin cancer) when you can go see sights and smell smells you have never experienced before, and may never experience again?

If you say that you are "more of a rot in the warmth" kind of person; Alaska has something to offer you. Why sit in the sun on a beach when you can sit in the warmth of a hot tub under the cool beautiful Alaskan sky?

I mean, if you really want to go rot away on another beach wherever you go, do it, but if you want to experience life, go Alaska!

If my somewhat abrasive commentary did not lure you away from your spot on the beach, maybe these pictures will.

By no means am I an artist

After taking AP Art History, I've developed a new found love for arts and crafts. I went to Michael's and bought miniature canvases and have been obsessed with them! They are too much fun to paint, and they were super cheap too.

I decided not to paint any mammals. I am quite the amateur. Last time I tried to paint a dog it ended, let's just say, not so well. So, i painted a lady bug instead. I've had a pretty laid back day today; I just did some cleaning and attempted to paint. I have got to say, I quite enjoy the dandelion though. My painting adventure did not do a complete nosedive, I guess.

Thing that makes me happy #6

Wireless vacuums may actually be the best invention ever. They completely eliminate the need to maneuver around the cord and find an outlet.

Writer's Block

Every time I have something to write I have a problem, writer's block. For those of you folk who are unaware of what this is, it is the complete lack of any idea what to write about. I swear, I've been staring at a blank word document for about ten minutes now.

Needless to say, there are ways to combat writer's block.

First of all, read other people's writings or read some of your own. This will help you gather ideas about style and topics. Don't be dumb and plagiarize though.

Next, if you have been staring and thinking for a while, just take a break! Odds are, staring at a blank screen is not going to lead to a big epiphany if it hasn't already.

Thirdly, when you are taking your break, try to see things in a new light. Think about how you could incorporate the snack you are eating or the lamp on the table into your writing. Use your surroundings as inspiration.

When you finally decide that your break is over and you realize that you still have absolutely nothing to write about, do something else that is productive. Don't waste your time idling over a paper that isn't going to write itself.

Finally, when all else fails, write about writer's block.

Don't ever give up on writing. Whether that big epiphany comes when you need it to (the night before your paper is due) or later, make sure you write about it! One day your memory will be fading, but you can always remember momentous thoughts through your writings. Writer's block or not, never stop writing (even if you are writing about writer's block).

Organizational Woes

I finally decided that it was time to clean my closet, my bathroom, and my room. It was quite the daunting task indeed. I would post before pictures, but I wouldn't want to embarrass myself that much...

I finished my closet first so I'll show you guys some pictures!

For a lot of my inspiration, I went on Pintrest, to be honest. There were so many cool ideas! I probably spent a total of $20 reorganizing everything with help from tips on Pintrest. One of my favorite ideas was the ring plate idea. All you need is a sharpie and a dollar (plus tax). 

Instructions:

1. Buy a plate at the dollar store, easy enough.
2. Write a quote (or anything else you want on it) in any color sharpie
3. Bake it at like 150 degrees, and it'll never come off!

Quick Tip: if you mess up, use rubbing alcohol to take the sharpie off.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer (whether it is productive or not).

Chicago Chicago

I never realized, Chicago is, in every sense, a second city. It is just like a miniature New York. I went on a tour of the architecture of Chicago today, and if I had a dollar for every time our tour guide said, "This building was inspired by another building in New York City", I'd probably be able to build my own giant building. Millennium Park is just like a little Central Park, both surrounded by tall buildings. I can't exactly say which city I love more; however, I can say that the traffic is terrible in both (another commonality between the cities).

I can't wait to visit UChicago and Northwestern tomorrow! I'll be sure to tell all of you about my tours!

(As you can probably see, I am still fawning over my new camera)

US Highways

I was driving through South Chicago on the highway, but then the highway was closed halfway down the way we were supposed to be going. We ended up detouring through a small city.

I sometimes feel like the US highway system sometimes masks the inner city problems that we have. We drove through an area where there were few cars on the road, and ones that were on the road were decrepit and old. We all drive on the highways and freeways blazing by the problems this country faces. We never realize the problems that some people have to conquer.

I hope you decide to take a back road some day.

Motivation Dwindling

There are three days of school left. It feels like only yesterday I was walking into the doors for my first day of junior year. I've come a really long way though. I made it through more paper than my entire recycling bin can handle; I'm slowly attempting to throw all of my old notes away.

I think the mere fact that I am getting ready to end the year, throwing away notes and books, is devastating to my motivation. It took me so much effort just to bring my notebook inside; I have yet to actually open it. Instead, I'm sitting at my computer blogging away.

I guess you could say that I'm definitely ready for summer. I can't wait to be done with homework, at least for a while. I don't know how often I can say this, but I honestly can't wait to clean my room. I have more school stuff and AP books lying around that I know what to do with.

It might be high time to start doing homework now though. Good luck to all you who are still working through those last few days! I know you can do it (even if I can't).

Thing that makes me happy #5

I just got a brand new camera, and if you ask anyone, they will tell you that I am obsessed with it. I got the Sony Alpha 5N Camera, and it is absolutely amazing. I love how focused it can get on such tiny minuscule objects. I'm just a little bit concerned about breaking it... Fun fact about me: I drop everything. I'm trying to be careful with my new toy (camera) though.

Fun Fact #9

There are all sorts of really cool things you can do on Google:

1. If you search "tilt" or "askew" the whole page will tilt/go askew
2. If you search "zerg rush" a bunch of little o's will start eating your search results (you can kill them if you click on them)
3. If you search "do a barrel roll" well, that's what the page will do
4. There is Google in Pirate language

There are plenty more if you search for them as well!

Beginning of the end

As this year winds down, I've realized, this is it, it's the beginning of the end. Middle school feels so far away, and elementary school even further; to think, one day, that's what today will feel like. It's been eleven long years of school, and only one left. This is only to be followed up with years upon years of college. But for now, let's relish the fact that senior year is almost here.

I remember when I was a little girl, I used to look at the high schoolers and think, "Oh my goodness, they're so big! When am I ever going to be that big?" Well, some how, I don't feel that old. I feel like that same little girl looking up at the "big kids" I can't believe that in one short year, I'm going to be in my cap and gown walking up on stage to receive my diploma after twelve long years that felt ever seemingly short. 

I know next year will be better than ever though. I won't have any major homework assignments to do; I won't have any teachers nagging me on and on; and I won't have the stress of 18 AP tests. Instead, I'll be able to go off and do research, do internships, and do my own thing. I'll be able to start going out into the world and really make a difference outside of school, and isn't that what life is really about? Sometimes we get too caught up in grades and numbers, but in the end, your 4.0 GPA and 2400 SAT aren't going to change anything in the world. Instead, your actions will. 

I'll really miss walking down the halls to see everyone I've known for the past 7 years though. I've been around basically the same people since 4th grade, and I wouldn't change one thing. It's going to be so different going to college and seeing all new faces in all new places. So while I'm here, I'm going to make sure all of the bridges that were burned are mended. I probably won't see a lot of the faces I have seen for the past 7 years ever again after I graduate next year and leave for college; so I want to make sure that last time is a good one. I feel like in high school, people get too caught up in the drama of everything and don't realize how much they are going to miss everyone, even the people they "didn't like". What's the point of it all?

So class of 2013, let's make it a great year.

Or as Conn McCartan would say, "or not, the choice is yours."

AP Test Ranking by Difficulty

Please see www.emilyxie.com for a more updated ranking

Note: this list is only based upon the tests I have taken, and how hard I think they would be/were to self-study

1. Psychology
2. Environmental Science
3. Human Geography
4. Government
5. Statistics
6. Language and Composition
7. Macroeconomics
8. Comparative Politics
9. Microeconomics
10. Literature and Composition
11. Physics B
12. Biology
13. Physics C Mechanics
14. Calculus
15. Chemistry
16. US History
17. European History
18. Computer Science
19. Art History
20. Physics C Electricity and Magnetism

How not to fail your AP tests

If you want to be successful and not fail your AP tests, there are a few things you should do:

1. Find the test that you want to study, and find it on my blog and then figure out if its a good fit before you go off and try to study for it. For example, if you hate history, you probably don't want to study Art History (don't make the same mistake I did).

2. Go buy the review books. Make sure you buy books that are going to be helpful for you. As a general rule of thumb, Princeton Review books are pretty shallow and don't really give you very in-depth information, so if you really want to learn, don't use Princeton Review, but if you have a general idea of what you are doing, Princeton Review is a good way to review and do practice.

3. Actually read the review books that you buy. If you are going to spend a ton of money on AP tests and a ton of money on books, you are going to want to actually read them and make sure you know what you are doing

4. Utilize all the resources that you can, there are plenty of them out there (here are a few of them), and do all the practice that you possibly can.

5. Go to the College Board website and do as many old AP questions as you need to. Once you consistently score high and know what you are doing, you should be fine.

6. Check to make sure the curriculum hasn't changed since the day the AP book you bought was published. The AP Biology curriculum just changed this year, and I'm sure a lot of others have too, so you are going to want to make sure you know what is different and what is the same. Also, many books say that you are penalized for getting questions wrong, just know that that's not true, you get as many points as you get right.

7. That brings me to my next point, even if you don't know the answer, guess.

8. Write all over your test: studies have shown that if you actually write on the test you think more about the questions and are more likely to score higher.

9. Dress comfortably, if you've taken a test before, you know that it's not going to be the perfect temperature. It could be freezing or it could be sweltering hot. So, just dress in layers. Also, don't dress in the nicest outfit you have, you're just going be distracted by what you're wearing. I swear, I wore sweats and a sweatshirt every single day.

Quick Tip: if you aren't afraid of people laughing at you, wear slippers! My feet always get super cold when I'm in cold rooms, so I brought giant fuzzy socks and slippers, they practically saved my toes from freezing off

10. Start early, if you start the night before, you will probably be exhausted the next day, and you probably won't do superbly. So, start early. A good time to start on the "easier" APs would be spring break, that way you have enough time to read the book and review anything you don't know very well.

11. Stay organized. If you aren't organized and don't know where any of your books are, you're going to spend more time looking for things than actually doing anything productive, so stay on top of things and make sure you're organized.

12. Get off Facebook. This is easy to say and hard to do, I understand, but trust me, Facebook breaks are not productive, you end up just going to Facebook for "just 5 minutes" only to realize your break ended up being 45 minutes.

13. Sleep more. If you don't sleep, you aren't going to be able to think. So, once it hits around midnight, realize that even if you continue cramming, odds are you won't remember anything and you will be falling asleep during your test.

14. Just guess and move on. If you are sitting at your test, and you hit a question, and you realize, "I have no idea what that word is, and I have no idea what any of the answers mean" just guess. Odd are, if you don't know in the first 30 seconds, you aren't going to know after 10 minutes of staring at it. Plus, when you only have so much time allotted to answer the questions, you might as well just guess, put a star or something by it, and move on.

15. Do the easy free-response questions first. You don't want to run out of time working on a very difficult question only to realize that there was an easy one you didn't even start yet. You want to pick up as many points as possible. If you actually know what you are talking about on the easy question, you will probably get more points than the stuff you made up for the one you didn't know.

16. Write as much as you know down. Even if you don't know the answer to a question, just write what you know. You never know if you'll score a few points... Just make sure you save difficult questions for the end.

17. Don't feel bad if you don't feel like you did well. You need less than 70% to get a 5 for some tests, and even less to pass. Even if you feel bad when you're walking out, you never know if you might have actually passed. Plus, you can always drop any very bad scores after you see them.

18. Only take on what you can handle; if you can't handle 10 AP tests, don't take them. Don't feel pressured by anyone to take more tests than you can handle, same goes for AP classes. If you want to take a lot of AP tests, by all means do it, but if you know you can't handle it, don't do it, you'll just end up stressing yourself out and not doing well.

19. Don't get behind in your normal classes. Trust me, I did it, and now I'm paying the price. Make sure you keep up with the classwork that you are missing, you'll be glad you did.

20. Bring pencils and pens. Honestly, the best pencils in the whole wide world are the Ticonderoga Tri-Write pencils are the best. They have super soft erasers and are designed to be easy to grip. Also, find some pens that are comfortable to hold in your hand, the last thing you want to happen is have your hand cramp up with 10 minutes left. Also, if you are taking a test that allows the use of a calculator, don't forget your calculator, and don't forget extra batteries.

Any other ideas? comment here.

Fun Fact #8

If you cut a starfish it can regenerate itself, as long as you don't damage the part it uses to "eat"

Don't believe me? Check out this study done by Davidson College

18 things I learned from taking 18 AP tests

1. I realized that procrastinating is very bad when it comes to studying for a ridiculous amount of tests. While you can learn a lot of stuff in one night, you can't learn enough for one AP test in one night (even though I'd love to argue that you can). I wasn't crazy enough to actually do that, but I got pretty close, and let me tell you, it is exhausting.

2. Highlighters are your friends. Although highlighting everything in the book will not help you, my APUSH book would beg to disagree. Honestly, I've come a long way. I used to highlight literally every word that was important in the book (in other words, I highlighted all of them).

3. Sleep is also your friend. There comes a point at night when cramming will not help you and staying up later will only make you too dumb to do well the next day. Keep this in mind if you do Macro/Micro and you learn about marginal cost and benefit.

4. You will become "famous". An example of this is: walking down the hall, all of a sudden some random person walks up and goes, "hey, you're the crazy girl taking like a million AP tests, aren't you?"

5. Taking breaks and taking naps is the most amazing thing ever. There were some days I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

6. I have more homework to make up than I thought teachers could assign over the course of the whole year. Needless to say, I'm exhausted, and still not done working.

7. A lot of the AP tests overlap. All of the sciences have some overlapping material, and so do all of the histories. By taking a lot of tests, I had to actually study less than if I took them all very far apart, believe it or not. Also, by studying for so many, I learned what was really important (the things that overlapped over many subjects) and I learned it well (especially after reading it about 50 times).

8. It's easy to get burnt out, and hard to get motivated.

9.  I probably learned more "fun facts" than I ever thought I would. I'm not very passionate about history. In fact, I've always struggled with history classes more than any other class/subject. I am terrible with names of living people, and even worse with names of dead people. I can't remember what today's date is. How am I supposed to remember what day the French Revolution was? That being said, after hours upon hours of reading and memorization, I can tell you that the French Revolution began in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille. How helpful will this be later in my life? I guess I'm not really sure, but I'd rather be informed than be dumbfounded when someone is talking about historical events and I have no idea what is going on.

10. Having an open hour helped more than anything else. It was so nice having one less class to worry about and an extra two hours to cram and study and do homework.

11. It's not that abnormal to leave an AP test and feel pretty bad about it, but you learn to deal with it (Art History and Physics C E&M). Plus, usually when you feel like you failed, everyone else in the room did too. Odds are you didn't do as bad as you think you did, and even if you did, you can drop your score and pretend it never happened.

12. You start to have a favorite spot to take tests and favorite position to do so.
My favorite spot: right in front of the clock on the comfiest chair I can find (no matter how squeaky it might be)
My favorite position (not that kind of position, gross): sitting criss-cross-applesauce on my chair in my big fuzzy socks and slippers

13. Taking APs gets lonely, you learn to meet random people and make new friends.

14. It's hard to stay comfortable and awake for hours upon hours of testing. It's also hard to drink coffee and not have to leave to go to the bathroom halfway through the test.

15. You memorize your AP student number after you run out of labels. Writing it in is rather unfortunate; however, having it memorized is helpful. You also memorize the entire script that the proctors have to read before every single test.

16. Taking tests becomes second nature to you. After taking 18 AP tests, I feel like I learned more about test-taking and bubbling in sheets than I did about the stuff on the tests.

17. There are like a million resources to help with self-studying (here's one of them). Self-studying is a lot easier than you might think, because there are so many resources to help, especially the released College Board questions.

18. You learn not to regret anything. I took 18 tests and some of them I felt fantastic about, some of them I felt a lot less than fantastic about, but at the end of the day, I learned more in the past few months than I have ever learned in my life. Even if I failed every single test I took (which I honestly hope I didn't), I learned more about life and about all of my tests than I ever expected to, and I don't regret it one bit (even though I didn't get any sleep for about three weeks). Even after Art History (which did not go so well), I have a new love for art. I never really thought art was that interesting, even after going to the Louvre in Paris. I just thought it was "boring" and "pointless", but now I realize the history and meaning behind a lot of the pieces and it gives art a whole new meaning. I'll definitely be back at the Louvre sometime in my life, and I know for a fact I'll appreciate it a million times more, because I actually know about the pieces.

Should you take 18 AP tests?

If you are wondering whether you should take an obscene amount of AP tests, I have a few things for you to consider:

First of all, self-studying for an AP test will take a lot of work. Self-studying for a lot of them will take more work. Don't expect to be going out every day and having fun with your friends. Expect to make new friends, with your AP books.

Next, chances are, you are going to be buying a lot of books; I know I did. You are going to need somewhere to put them all. Unless you have an extra sturdy bookshelf that will not collapse under the strain of all of your new found "friends" (AP Books), you are going to need a bookshelf, or a very good system of organization. This is vital, for two reasons: one, if your bookshelf collapses, you will get hurt, and it will be sad. Trust me, I know from first hand experience; second, if you are not organized and you have a ton of books, you won't be able to find any of them and you will spend more time looking for books than actually studying. Again, trust me, I did that too a few times.

Thirdly, you are going to have to remember a lot of random information that you probably won't care too greatly about. There is no way that you will be passionate about all of the AP tests you decide to take; it's understandable. However, you are still going to have to retain information so you can take the tests on them, and if you are just memorizing facts and dates, etc. please do your college professors a favor and actually take the class instead of just "testing out". A lot of college professors complain that students who test out of classes don't actually understand conceptual things, they just piece together the formulas and plug and chug. Don't be dumb. Self-studying AP tests is good to "beef up" your college app, but if you are actually planning on testing out of a class and going to the next level, make sure you understand what you are learning on a deeper level.

Finally, people might judge you for being insane. Don't mind them, they're just jealous(;

AP Physics C

Mechanics

I didn't think that mechanics was that bad... Honestly, if you have taken Physics B and AP Calculus AB,  you should be just fine with Mechanics. The only new learning material that you will really need to do is rotational physics which isn't too hard.

As far as preparation goes, I used Princeton Review AP Physics C, it has the material for both AP Physics C tests and has practice material for all of the chapters. I'd really recommend doing all of the practice questions that are at the end of each chapter, they are pretty realistic to the real test.

Otherwise, just make sure that your Calculus skills are still sharp and make sure you have all of the formulas memorized for the multiple choice section. 

Quick Tip: If you don't understand something and think that you need more conceptual development, head to Hippocampus and watch some of the videos on the topics that you don't understand very well.

Electricity and Magnetism

Electricity and Magnetism was an interesting experience to say the least. I really thought that AP Art History was going to be the hardest test I took this year, but I stood corrected.

As far as preparation goes, I used Princeton Review AP Physics C. If I were you, I would head to the College Board website and do all of the old AP questions.

Make sure that you know when to apply calculus and how to apply it correctly, that's probably the most important thing.

You should also make sure you understand things conceptually. The test tests you more on the conceptual knowledge of E&M rather than just plug and chug and formulas.

Thing that makes me happy #4

Sharpie Clickable Highlighters are the most amazing thing for studying for AP tests. I practically color my entire book with them. Plus, you can click them with you're bored (warning: people may get kind of annoyed). I'm not a big fan of the red, purple, or dark blue ones though. Half the time I use them I can't even tell what I highlighted underneath them...

Fun Fact #7

You can actually take late late AP tests. They offer another week of AP tests for "extenuating circumstances". In other words, if you decided that you just weren't ready and you needed another week to prepare, the College Board would probably ignore your request for a late late test.

AP Chemistry

AP Chemistry is not something you would ever want to self-study. Just keep that in mind before reading on.

If you are planning on self-studying Chemistry, please don't. There is so much lab work that you need to do, and so many random things that you need to learn for Chem. It's not something you want to try to learn the night before (or review the night before... trust me, I'd know).

If you are really bent on self-studying, you are going to want to buy the Zumdahl Chemistry textbook. Trust me, you will need it.

As far as preparation/review/whatever you are going to want to find a good review book. I bought the Five Steps to a Five AP Chemistry book, the Barron's AP Chemistry book, and the Princeton Review AP Chemistry book, along with a Five Steps to a Five AP Chemistry 500 Questions You Need to Know book. Personally, I really hated Barron's. It gives you so much useless information, and it reads so slow. I felt like I had been reading for a million years after just one chapter, so I would definitely not recommend getting Barron's. The Five Steps to a Five book was on the other side of the spectrum; it didn't have quite enough examples and information. One thing I really liked was the fact that it had very realistic questions though, that's why I bought the 500 Questions You Need to Know, which I would definitely recommend. Finally, the Princeton Review book was pretty shallow as well, but if you have already taken an AP Chem course, you should be fine reviewing with Princeton Review and just refreshing yourself on the stuff you have forgotten.

Quick Tip: You don't get to use a calculator or formula sheet on the multiple choice portion, so don't forget to memorize your formulas and sharpen your mental math skills.

AP World History

AP World is really not too bad. If you have some general knowledge of world history, you should be beyond fine.

The only thing I would really suggest is that you try to keep the theme of "continuities and change" in the back of your head while studying. One of the free-response questions focuses on that theme, so it would be best if you actually knew it.

Quick Tip: Make sure you don't dwell on ancient civilizations, they are a very small portion of the test, and it would be better to focus on the things that actually matter, check the College Board website for more information on the different things that are important that you will need to know!

As far as preparation goes, I just used the Princeton Review AP World History book. I also used the Barron's AP World History book, but I didn't have enough time to finish it. My suggestion would be to use Barron's though. I really thought it was helpful and it gave a lot of insight into the continuities and change themes. However, the Princeton Review "blurbs" were also extremely helpful. So, if you are only planning on reading one book, read Barron's, if you are extra dedicated, read Princeton Review too.

As always, feel free to ask if you have any questions!

AP Computer Science

AP Computer Science is definitely self-study-able. There are a few things that you will need for sure though.

First, you will need a friend or parent who knows how to program. This is probably the most important thing you can have. My dad really helped me through all of my CompSci woes, and it was really helpful to have someone to help that actually knew what he/she was talking about.

Next, if you have never programmed before, you will need to textbook. Yes, a textbook. You can't just start programming right out of an AP review book, because it won't teach you any of the basic things that you will need to know for the AP test, it only tells you the hard stuff you'll need to know (and won't understand at first). I used Java Software Solutions by Lewis and Loftus. They make a lot of comparisons between programming and everyday things, and the way things are explained is absolutely superb.

You will also need an AP review book. I used Barron's AP Computer Science. It gives you everything you need to know and more than enough practice. In fact, the practice is arguably easier than the test...

Quick Tip: Make sure you practicing programming! I can't stress this enough. You will start crying on the free-response section if you have never programmed before, and only read the book. Download Eclipse and do as many programming projects as you can!

It's almost over...

I didn't think that I would ever say this, but I'm a little bit sad to say that AP tests are almost over, and it's not just because i get to miss class.

For the past few weeks, going to test has been so normal for me, and it's going to be weird trying to get over the change, but on a happier note, I only have a few days of school left! I'll be a senior soon, and I'll be in college soon. I guess time really flies, doesn't it?

Thing that makes me happy #3

I have an abnormal obsession with Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. I especially love the Dixon Ticonderoga tri-write pencils. They are like the single most amazing thing to ever be invented, just saying. They are a must have weapon to beat any standardized test.

Post AP Catch-Up

Let me tell you one thing, being behind sucks.

I have more to make up than possible for the last like 14 days of school. Plus, I'm going to be gone another week... (this week). Good thing for nice teachers though! My teachers are beyond understanding, even if they do think I'm going a little bit crazy.

Let me tell you one bit of advice, if you ever know you are going to be gone for an extended period of time. Plan ahead. I wish I would have planned further ahead and actually done all of the stuff that I needed to get done. Instead, I just crammed AP's (which I also should have studied for earlier). So, I guess the moral of the story is that I can exactly complain about the boat I'm stuck in.

I seriously cannot wait for this summer though. I'm beyond over school and ready to go do stuff on my own! Plus, I cannot wait until senior year, then college!

Thing that makes me happy #2

Ferrero Rocher chocolates may actually be the single best thing in the entire world.

NACAC Space Availability Survey

If you are still thinking about college, and have waited (procrastinated) until now, or did not get into the college that you were hoping to get into, have now fear: the NACAC Space Availability Survey has just been released. This will allow you to search for colleges that are still accepting transfers and freshmen student applications.

Make sure you look at the columns to make sure you don't get transfer availability mixed up with freshman admittance availability.

Thing that makes me happy #1

This probably makes me a huge bookworm, but I think leather bound books are so cool! Ever since I was little, I always pictured myself sitting in some fancy chair reading a leather bound book. Now, I just sit in my squeaky office chair and read my books for English, not exactly what I had in mind...

AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography ranks among the easier tests you can choose to take.

If you are planning on taking AP Human Geography and self-studying, there are a few classes I would suggest you take first. AP Comparative Politics covers a lot of the vocabulary used in Human Geography, so if you don't do any other prep work, I would at least have a firm backing in APCP. I would also suggest that you have knowledge of world/US/European history. It's always helpful to know about places and know who went there and why they did before you walk into the test only to be blind-sighted by names of places you have heard nothing about.

Otherwise, I would suggest that you purchase a review book. I used Princeton Review AP Human Geography, and it wasn't very in depth, but it had enough information to be able to figure questions out. The practice tests are not extremely realistic though. If you get around a hundred percent on the practice tests in the Princeton Review book, you still need to do a little more studying than you think. There are a lot of names of places on the test, so it would do you justice to just look at a map for a little bit and determine where exactly things are (even the tiny countries that you "don't need to learn").

Overall, the test isn't all too difficult as long as you can conjure up something to write on the free-response questions when you have no idea what is going on. I would suggest taking AP Human Geography as a self-study if you aren't up for a very big challenge.

Fun Fact #6

College Confidential has the answers to like every question you could possibly have about AP tests, college apps, etc.

AP Microeconomics

AP Micro is definitely harder than AP Macro. That being said, if you have already studied for Macro or if you have already taken the class for Macro, Micro will be a lot easier.

The first unit for each class is essentially the same. You just learn about the basic laws of supply and demand and the basic laws of economics. Once you have these down, you delve into the specifics.

As far as Micro goes, you need to make sure that you know all of the key graphs and types of competition. This is probably the most important thing you will need to learn. Without that,  you're pretty much a fish out of water on the free response section.

For preparation, I would suggest you use the Five Steps to a Five AP Economics book. It is pretty detailed as far as AP books go and it really helps with tips on how to draw the graphs (which is arguably the hardest thing to do, because the graphs are curvy). I would also suggest that you invest in the REA Crash Course to Microeconomics. There is a section in the back with all of the key graphs and formulas; even just reading over that right before the test can be a real lifesaver (it was for me).

Quick Tip: Make sure you know how to label your graphs! Even if your graph is wrong, if it is correctly labeled you will pick up at least one point!

AP Macroeconomics

If you are planning on taking either Micro or Macro, I would pick Macro. If you are a pretty concrete sequential thinker you should enjoy Macro actually.

I really didn't think the class or the test was too hard. Most of it really boils down to logic. Even without the graphs you need to be able to realize that an increase in demand will increase price. Some of the stuff is a little bit nit picky like the difference between change in demand and change in quantity demanded, but overall it is not too hard.

As far as review goes, if you took the class, I would strongly suggest the REA Crash Course to Macroeconomics. I used it and it was a good refresher for right before the test.

If you are planning on self-studying, I would urge you to use the Five Steps to a Five AP Economics book. It is also very helpful for Micro. It goes far more in depth than a lot of other books and I felt like it was really helpful.

Make sure that you know the course of action things take when they change! You will need to write out how each event affects the next on the free-response portion, and these are easy points that you do not want to miss! You also want to pick up a few other easy points by just learning how to correctly label your graphs then doing that on the test!

Quick Tip: If you aren't sure about something, always draw the graph for it!  You can check almost any cause and effect question with a simple graph; so if you're unsure, you'll always have something to fall back on.

Disclaimer: some people do find Macro to be one of the more difficult classes. It all depends on the way that you think, so try some questions out and look it over before you commit to self-studying if that is your planned route.

AP English Language and Compostion

I self-studied for AP English Language and Composition. Honestly, it was very similar to the  SAT Critical reading section with the addition of several new literary terms.

You need to practice multiple choice questions and make sure that you master all of the different literary terms. I would suggest using the Princeton Review AP English Language and Composition book for practice questions and preparation; however, I would caution against using it for actual learning. The book has pretty realistic questions, but it doesn't really delve into a lot of information.

If you are self-studying, I would suggest (and always suggest) getting an REA Crash Course to English Language and Composition book. They are absolute lifesavers and help you review everything that you need to know.

As far as preparation goes, you should have gotten a lot of experience over the course of your high school career. Frankly, your high school curriculum should have almost fully prepared you for this test. You will need to write three essays; two of which you can do without a terribly large amount of AP Lang knowledge. The first is known as a synthesis essay. This is very similar to the research papers you do in school except for the fact you have to write it in 40 minutes and you have to use the sources given. Overall, if you have written research papers in that past you should be well prepared. The third essay is an opinion essay. You have to take a side on an issue and then write about it (very similar to the SAT Essay section). Finally, the last essay you will need to do some learning for. You have to analyze a work by probing for various rhetorical strategies. The essays are worth 55% (more than half) of your total score, so it would be wise to pick up as many points as possible on the essays.

As always, if you have any questions! Please feel free to ask me!

Fun Fact #5

There is a plant that moves when you touch it, it's known as the Mimosa punica. A plant's movement or growth in response to touch is known as thigmotropism.

AP Comparative Government and Politics for EPHS

If you are taking APCP right now, congratulations. You are among the minority of people in the US. APCP is one of the less popular tests (along with Art History and Computer Science), but it is not one of the hardest, don't worry.

As far as class work goes, make sure you watch Hollenbeck's jings if you don't understand what is going on. They are like the most amazing thing ever, just saying. The best part is, you can rewind and re-watch them over and over again until you understand them. Also, make sure you pay attention during the intro unit. I know that learning the stuff is kind of hard at first, and you get new definitions for words you thought you always knew (like "government"), but if you pay attention during the intro unit,  you will be set for the rest of the class. Oh and, don't just blow off the readings. I know it's easy to just either procrastinate reading or just not do it at all, but it's there for a reason. You will be expected to know it in class, but you will also be expected to know it on the AP test.

Tests in APCP are generally not that hard as long as you study and listen in class. I would really recommend that you buy the Ethel Wood AP Comparative Government and Politics sometime either before you take APCP or during the class. Reading it will really help you understand key concepts for in class tests. Reading it through once during the units in class will also help you jog your memory when you read through it again before the AP test (assuming you study that is...)

Quick Tip: Hollenbeck gives you the free-response questions for his tests. If you study them and make sure that you actually know them, you'll for sure pick up like 15 free points on every test!

The AP test is not like all the tests you take in APCP. You need to know how to compare the AP 6 (note: it is called comparative government and politics). It's not about whether you know one fact about one country, but rather it is whether you can remember facts about multiple countries and be able to compare and contrast them.  Also, make sure you know selection methods and term limits. These are easy points to pick up, and when there are only 55 questions, you want to get every point that you can.

Finally, as far as test taking tricks go, make sure that you read the question and answer it as soon as you can. You are only given 45 minutes to answer 55 questions, and face it, if you don't know it after staring at it for a minute, you won't know it after staring at it for five, so save yourself the time and do all the questions you know before you try to tackle the ones you don't know!

AP US Government and Politics

In comparison to many of the other tests, the AP US Government test is not very hard. If you watch the news/stay informed about life, you should be able to answer at least 40% of the questions already. 

If you are planning on self-studying Government, it would be very helpful to have taken a US History class, and perhaps European History (not so much Euro, but definitely US History). Euro would help you with the Enlightenment thinkers and what the constitution was really born out of, but US History really helps with all of the acts and amendments that you need to know about.

As far as prep work goes, I used the Princeton Review AP Government book, I thought it was fairly helpful. It was a little bit shallow and lacked information at times, but it tells you what you need to know. I really liked the practice tests though. I felt like they were very similar to the real thing and were quite helpful when it came time to practice.

Otherwise, I also used the REA Crash Course to AP Government which was beyond amazing. I cannot sing my praises loud enough. I absolutely love the REA Crash Course books! Try not to rely on them as your only study method though. They will often times help you rake up multiple choice questions if you read the book right before your test. I think the best part comes at the end, the book lists the top thirty court cases, acts, etc. that you need to know for the test. So in other words, there is a crash course inside the crash course. 

Just a final word of advice, don't stress out about the free-response questions on AP Gov. This is probably the only test that they give you way more time than you actually need, but at the same time, I caution you to actually write coherently and well, and most of all make sure you answer every single part of the question!

AP Physics B

As far as Physics goes, as long as you have some background knowledge of physics, it wouldn't be too hard to self-studying Physics B either.

I wouldn't really suggest any preliminary work to be honest. If you don't have any background in Physics, then you need to work a little bit harder. The test is really just plug and chug minus actually understanding the concepts.

The main thing you need to do is make sure you know what the formulas are and what they mean. Do not forget that you do not get your formula sheet or a calculator on the multiple choice section. You can't just type them into your calculator and wing it (I know that's what you were thinking about). So make sure you know the relationships between different variables! Also, on the free response section, you need to know exactly what formulas to use and what the letters stand for and where to put what numbers.

I can never stress this enough, use your logic! If you don't do anything else, just read the question twice. Sometimes you just need to read the question to figure out exactly which variables you need and which ones the test is trying to trick you with.

As far as review goes, just do practice tests and then explain why the right answers were the right answers. If you don't know, read the explanations! I used the Princeton Review AP Physics B review book. It has in-depth explanations into why things are wrong and how to get the right answers. The questions are also pretty similar to the ones that are on the actual AP test. You should also head to the College Board website and look at the past years free-response questions for extra practice. On the real test you will only be given about 15 minutes per question (and that goes by pretty quickly) so when you are practicing, make sure you keep an eye on the clock!

AP Biology

Note: I actually took AP Biology through my school, so most of what I learned, I learned in an actual classroom environment.

I honestly don't think that it would be terribly difficult to self-study for AP Biology. Having said that, I had an amazing time in the class and I really enjoyed all of the labs that we did. If you enjoy science classes, I would certainly take the class, but if you're only in it for the credit, then you would be fine self-studying.

All you really need is the Barron's AP Biology review book. It's practically like the Bio Bible (I might be exaggerating a little bit... but it really is). You will learn just about everything you need to do (fairly) well on the test. I mean, there are always some detail questions that you won't be able to get just skimming/reading an AP review book. 

If you really want to study and really want to learn, you should get the Campell Reece Biology Textbook. I'm sure your school will have one so you won't have to pay like $200 for it. There is everything you would ever need to know about Biology (at an AP level).

Another tip, if you are planning on self-studying, and even if you aren't: you should really have some Chemistry under your belt. I don't think I can stress enough how much Chemistry is on the AP Biology test. Without Chemistry, we wouldn't even be alive. So learn your Chemistry; I promise it will help you on the AP test.

Also, if you take AP Biology, you might as well take AP Environmental Science... A lot of the material overlaps and honestly, it wouldn't require much more work if you're already studying for AP Biology... Click on the Environmental link for more information on the test (which I highly recommend that you take)

Finally, for just a little bit of practice (because practice is very important), you should head to the Sparknotes AP Biology Test Center; if you take a practice test, it'll tell you everything you need to learn and review and tell you where on their website you can find it! It is amazing!

Amazing Senior Pictures

I just got my pictures back from Jess! Let me tell you, they are simply gorgeous! I had such a great time! Jess is so funny, I couldn't even get any serious pictures, because I just could not stop laughing! We only shot for like half an hour, but it seriously felt like 5 minutes! If you want gorgeous senior pictures, go to Olive Avenue Photography!

Also, let me know, because I can get you a pretty sweet discount or gift(;

AP European History

Again, just like Art History, unless you are amazing at memorizing dates and names, don't try to self study Euro. Granted, it is not as hard as Art History, but it is still heavy on the memorization.

The key thing that you need to know is trends. You need to be able to understand what happened and why. It's not so much about exact days and names, but about a general idea of history and how it panned out. You should also know days and times, because those will most definitely help you.

As far as preparation goes, I would recommend the Princeton Review AP European History book; it gives you a thorough idea of what is going on along with side notes on what is important for the AP test. I also used the REA AP European History Crash Course Book for right before the test. It gives you a good idea of what you need to know in the order to do well.

Note, I also used the Five Steps to a Five AP European History review book, but I felt like it focused to much on specific events and less on the themes and trends you need to understand to do well. However, I really liked how it wasn't as casual and "friendly" as the Princeton Review book. Princeton Review is often too casual and doesn't seem like a serious study-aid. However, if you have difficulty paying attention to review books, it can be easier to read something that is a little more friendly and casual.

I've also heard that using SparkNotes is very helpful! I've used it from many other tests, but not Euro. It tells you what you need to work on and the most important stuff.

Mini shoot

I just had a mini shoot with Olive Avenue Photography! It was so much fun! I had a great time with the photographer, Jess! It was also a super cool new experience to get my makeup done! I felt so pampered!

I'll be uploading pictures super soon, but here's a sneak peek at my amazing makeup job!

If you're considering senior pictures, consider Olive Avenue Photography! Plus, if you get pictures through me I can get you a super awesome discount, just let me know if you're interested!

AP English Literature and Composition

If you think you are a decent writer and "like"/can tolerate the reading part of the SAT, then the AP English Lit and Comp test is for you! (with a few exceptions which I will discuss in a moment).

The bulk of the test is the essays. You are given two hours to craft three essays, not too bad? think again. Remember, this is an English Lit and Comp test. This means that you have to spell correctly, use big words, and use them well; don't forget about grammar too. The first two involve analyzing a work that is given; the first will be a poem and the second will be a passage from a book or something like that. The last one is a general prompt, and you are to write about it using a work of literary merit. This means you can't use Doctor Seuss or Twilight. Keep this in mind as you are picking books to read, because the more books you have under your belt, the better you will be on the essay.

Next, practice your timing on the multiple choice! Most people read pretty slowly especially when they need to answer questions on the readings, but you can't afford to this on the Lit and Comp test! You need to make sure you read and answer questions as quickly as possible, but not if that will sacrifice your score. You should also make sure you have a general idea of poetic and literary terms, because they will sometimes show up on the test.

Moving on to review! Do not get the Princeton Review book. It doesn't give you any information at all. Again, do not get the Princeton Review book. I used the REA Crash Course to AP Lit and Comp and a Five Steps to a Five, 500 Questions to Know Before Test Day. I thought they were both very helpful, especially the 500 practice questions (never ever underestimate the power of practice), and I would assume that the REA AP Lit and Comp book would be too, but I've never used it. If you have any feedback let me know!

Besides that, it's really up to your writing skills to get you a good score, but if you are a confident writer, you should be just fine.

Fun Fact #4

You can actually measure the width of a piece of hair with a yardstick and a laser light with some simple knowledge of physics. All you do is shine a laser at a piece of hair which will diffract the light, and if positioned correctly, you'll get an interference pattern (see picture) and you can measure the spaces in between each of the spots of light and calculate the width of a piece of hair using:

 [(wavelength)(distance from hair to wall)]/(distance between center and one point of light)=width of hair

AP Calculus BC

If you have heard of Mr. Thomas, then you must go to EPHS and you should read this paragraph. If you have no idea who in the world Mr. Thomas is, proceed to the next paragraph. Overall, if you had Mr. Thomas you should be very well prepared for the Calculus BC test. You'll be extremely nervous and think that it will be harder than the tests and quizzes we take in class, but you will be mistaken. Trust me, I did it too. As long as you understand all of the concepts, even if you don't actually have any formulas memorized, you will be just fine. Just take a deep breath and try to get some sleep before the test.

Now, if you are attempting AP Calculus without a teacher as awesome as the one I had, I sure hope you had a teacher that was nearly up to par. I only have a few bits of advice for those taking Calculus BC. First of all, don't get hung up on memorizing formulas; in the end, the AP test will test you on whether you understand things conceptually, not whether you can memorize a formula and plug some numbers in. They want you to understand what a derivative tells you and what it can do for you. They want you to understand what a second derivative tells you and what it can do for you. They don't just want you to be able to find it. Next, do a lot of practice! The old AP questions are all available on the College Board website, so why wouldn't you do them? The more practice you get, the more likely you will be able to recognize questions on the test (and most importantly, get them correct). One final piece of advice, when you do practice questions whether its in an AP review book (I'd highly recommend getting one if you aren't doing a lot of review in class, my teacher used the Princeton Review book) or just online somewhere or wherever, you should know and understand why the right answer is the right answer. I don't know how many times I guessed right while doing practice questions and  didn't take that opportunity to learn why until my teacher pointed it out later! When you're practicing, you have the opportunity to figure out what you did wrong and how to improve on it. You don't have the same opportunity to do that during the real AP test, so do it now while you still can!

I'll have some extra tips for AP Calc BC up sometime soon so check back later!

AP Environmental Science

If you are planning on taking AP Environmental Science I don't have too much to say to you. The test is easy relative to many of the other AP tests that are offered, but don't just blow it off (completely). I do have a few words of advice though.

If you are planning on taking AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and/or AP Physics, you should do that first or take them the same year. A lot of the material tested on Environmental Science overlaps with those tests, and it will make your life a whole lot easier if you already have some background knowledge. Even if you don't take any of those AP sciences, you should have a general background knowledge of all of them or you will find yourself learning a lot of new material.

As far as books go, I used the Princeton Review AP Environmental Science review book. I only have one complaint that they were a little bit too casual at times, but otherwise it was very helpful and helped fill in all the holes and all the information I had not yet learned. I also used the REA AP Environmental Science Crash Course book which I read the night before the test.

All in all, I probably spent about 5-10 hours on studying for Environmental Science. I started reading the book about one or two weeks before the AP test.

Also, on the test, use your common sense. There are always a lot of questions that you can get by just using your common sense and reading through the question carefully.

Otherwise, I didn't really do much other preparation besides get a decent nights sleep the night before. I don't think you should worry too much about it; you should be able to do relatively well without as much effort as many of the other tests (not that I'm saying you shouldn't study...)

Again, feel free to comment if you have any questions what so ever at all!

AP Art History

If anyone out there is thinking about self-studying the AP Art History test, I have a word of advice: unless you love art and you are good at memorizing names and dates, don't take it.

However, if you have decided that either you are good at memorizing names and dates or that you just won't heed my advice, I have some helpful studying tools.

First of all, I would buy the Barron's AP Art History review book, it has a wide variety of different works and will help you score as many points as you can while learning as little as possible. I would also suggest doing some other research or work on the side for Art History if you are serious about getting a good score. It's not an easy test, and you really have to know your stuff (which is more than what's covered in the Barron's book).

One key thing you should take away from studying Art History is less the actual memorization (which is very important) but an ability to look at a work of art and determine the period that it is from, its artist, and its meaning. If you are planning on doing well without memorizing everything, you should make sure you know what distinguishes each period from the next and what makes each artist unique from the next.

For those who actually want to learn the pieces and get acquainted with them and actually analyze them, you should also buy the REA AP Art History review book. It comes with a CD with all the works referenced in full color. Personally, I liked using both of them. I read through the REA book first and learned about the history behind each piece and carefully looked at them, then I read the Barrons book and reviewed information in the REA book and learned about pieces from around the world (which you will need knowledge of for the free response questions). With those two books and a good enough memory, I'm sure you'll get a 5.

I also purchased the REA Crash Course AP Art History book, I didn't think it was terribly helpful, but if you're late getting started it can be. There's a lot of images that accompany it, but if you don't already know anything, it's not helpful. So either way, I used it as a review guide right before the test, but I don't feel like it gave me very much extra information that I didn't already learn from cramming the Barron's book. So, in my honest opinion, I wouldn't buy it for this test.

Quick tip: If you really really hate art, and can't get into the textbook style of the Art History review books, the Annotated Mona Lisa is definitely the book for you. It's a really quick read and gives you a quick run through of all the art movements and major artists without boring you to death. I read it before I even picked up an AP review book and I thought it was fascinating.

Otherwise, feel free to comment if you have any questions on AP Art History!

P.S. I'll be posting more info on the rest of my AP tests as they come around

Fun Fact #3

On the AP Calculus test, you are allowed to have two calculators and they both must be graphing calculators.

So, in other words, you can have two graphing calculators that will practically do calculus for you, but you can't bring a scientific calculator that probably won't help you in the least...

Fun Fact #2

The word iconoclast was coined during a phase when christian icons (paintings of Jesus, Mary, etc) were being destroyed by iconoclasts.

Today, iconoclast means someone who destroys faith or tradition.

Fun fact #1

Contrary to popular belief, rain forests have very nutrient poor soil, and are not able to support agriculture for an extended period of time.

Flowers

I absolutely love flowers and I love painting them too. (even though my artistic abilities are a bit lacking)

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "the world laughs in flowers"

AP week(s)

On Monday, I'll start two weeks of AP tests...


My schedule is going to look a little something like this (italics denote self study tests)


Week 1:
Environmental Science
Art History
Calculus BC
English Literature and Composition
European History


Week 2:
Biology
Physics B
Government
Comparative Politics
English Language and Composition
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Human Geography


Week 3:
World History
Computer Science
Chemistry
Physics C Mechanics
Physics C Electricity and Magnetism


After AP tests, I'll try to put up a list of all the books I used and liked for all those taking tests in the future

Sunset nails

I painted my nails a few days ago. I tried a sunset design with gold glitter on the bottom (not sure if you can see that)

I'll try to post some nail tutorials sometime if I can!