For My Studies

So you’re taking ap us government & politics!! It can be a lot of work at times, but with some effort + dedication you’ll be doing well on the exam in no time. I’ve put together a few resources + a couple of tips which I’ve found useful that I hope will help you succeed!!

HOW I STUDY FOR GOVERNMENT

REVIEW BOOKS

barron’s- i did most of my revision from this hulking monster of a book. i created a revision plan and made notes on each chapter before compiling them into flashcards, although this method definitely doesn’t work for everyone!!

rea crash course- (this links to a free pdf of the book btw) tiny, but i love it. i read a chapter or so on the bus each day on the way home, or between my classes or whatever, and did a lot of annotating in it. super useful resource for when you need fast facts or just the basics, and it was very helpful in addition to my textbook when studying for tests!

STUDY STRATEGIES

detailed notes- i found notes to be the best way to study, and took notes from my textbook, the Barron’s book, and a stellar video series i found online. they’re my favourite method of revising + what I typically do before compiling info onto flashcards!

flashcards- i know they’re not everyone’s favourite, but i utterly adore flashcards. i broke mine down by topics (for the most part following the layout of the crash course book), and included key words. i love them for this class because they’re so versatile + easy to adapt!

quizlet sets- better than actual flashcards for simple vocab! i build oodles of quizlet sets to help me out. there’s a lot of straight memorization involved in government, and for things like knowing court cases i found quizlet sets to be particularly useful!!

graphics- because government is so interconnected, i found that diagrams and other graphics really helped me to learn the material. you can make flowcharts, colour coded venn diagrams, and if they work for you, then the more the better!! for instance, here’s my ‘branches of government’ chart :D

RESOURCES

VIDEOS

crash course us gov (so cute + helpful)

super informative videos (although a little boring, these were the ones i used most)

how to write an ap gov frq

3 hour ap gov review

supreme court cases for dummies

NOTES

links to ap us gov review posts by @scholasticwhimsy

MASSIVE review packet

vocabulary from apstudynotes.com

sparknotes gov + pol

branches of government diagram

QUIZZES & FLASHCARDS

flashcards by topic from varsity tutors

gov jeopardy!!! for fun with friends :D

very nice review quizzes

huge quizlet review set

nice court cases quizlet

OTHER

how 2 study politics + government by @studyei​

huge archive with notes, FRQs, and even practice tests

all released FRQs from the college board

pdf chart of court cases

TIPS!

know your court cases! sometimes they come up, sometimes they don’t, but they’re really helpful in the frqs and there’s no reason to lose points on easy court case questions in the multiple choice.

iron triangle!! just know it back to front, upside down, inside out, and doing yoga. the iron triangle is your friend!

plan! if you have a study plan from the outset, you’ll be better able to keep yourself on track and going exactly where you need to be.

get started early! gov is quite content heavy— although most of it’s just memorizing— so getting started in advance will really get you through everything you need to cover. Just keep working at it and you will get there.

For the “Great Works” essay, you’re given a prompt and list of recommended novels for the propmt. Of course you can use other books, but the issue is remembering the plots, characters, symbolism, etc of the novels you read. 

My AP Lit teacher has a technique for this. You take an 5″x 8″ notecard (it’s pretty big, but you’ll need the size) and you write all of the information on it. She recommends writing in blue/black pen because pencil will smudge and fade from continuously flipping through it. This info will help you remember what you’ve read, so only use “key” words that will spark memories in your mind, and don’t write full sentences.

Title

Author 

Setting

Characters (with brief descriptions; identify protagonist and antagonist, foils) 

Brief Plot Summary 

Themes 

Symbols/ Motifs/ Allusions 

Distinguishing Characteristic of Work 

Your personal response to the content and style of the work 

09.14.16

3|2|16

smol college app tips | via 365text

this has been in my drafts since january, but i never got around to posting it oof. but since then, there are now there a bunch of really nice, in-depth posts out there about the college application process! (ex: @katsdesk‘s high school timeline, and also @cognitia‘s guide to applying for u.s. schools)

so, i thought i’d just write up some tips that i wish people told me about when i was applying for college and then some!! nice ok let’s go

also oof it turned out long bc i included like lil anecdotes and i got a more rambly as i went along so it’s under read more im sorry :( but if you think it was useful please reblog so other people can use as ref too if they want ^^ 

Today’s post is exactly what it sounds like– a list of 101 tasty, fun, and (mostly) healthy snacks to keep you fueled while studying. Recipes are linked! :)

apple slices with peanut butter

frozen grapes

nice cream

plain popcorn

no-bake energy bites

raw veggies with hummus

watermelon fruit bowl

yogurt

roasted pumpkin seeds

fried rice in a mug

nuts (ideally unsalted!)

pita bread/pita chips with hummus

nutella energy bites

string cheese

fruit salsa and cinnamon chips

dried figs

yogurt-covered blueberries

oatmeal

chia seed bowl

sweet potatoes

homemade potato chips

cauliflower pizza

fruit salad

dark chocolate (actually healthy in moderation!)

roasted chickpeas

acai bowl

cherry tomatoes

english muffin pizza

edamame

cheese and crackers

broccoli bites

mango lassi

pretzels

cereal (cheerios are great!)

raisins

green smoothies

rice pudding

pigs in a blanket

melon balls (the fruit, not the cocktail!)

banana chips

oatmeal banana cookies

soup

caprese salad

strawberries with fruit dip

chips and guac

fig newtons

apple sandwiches

dried cranberries

unshelled sunflower seeds

kale chips

butternut squash chips

apple chips

zucchini chips

carrot chips

beef jerky

egg-in-a-hole toast

rice cakes

ants on a log

hard-boiled egg with black pepper

cucumber rollups

chocolate-covered almonds

wasabi peas

fruit and lemonade popsicles

nori (seaweed)

dried mango

banana bread

muesli

homemade muffins

roasted fava beans

parmesan cheese crisps

egg baked in avocado

pomegranate seeds

turkey wraps

mini pancakes

fruit leather (look for the kind w/o added sugar!)

snap peas

sweet potato fries

applesauce

veggie pockets

fresh fruit with whipped cream

vanilla almond smoothie

chia seed pudding

apple ladybugs (these are adorable!)

clementines

deli meat with cheese

fruit parfait

golden milk

dates

angel food cake

vietnamese spring rolls

avocado spread on toast

mocha latte smoothie

bananas dipped in peanut butter

strawberry cheesecake trifle

trail mix

omelet in a mug

mango with shredded toasted coconut

baked zucchini

almond butter banana bites

apple slices with cinnamon

water!! (okay, this is kind of cheating, but it’s so so important to stay hydrated!)

(Thank you to @thegrangersapprentice​ for requesting this post! Send me an ask to request a topic of your own!)

Thanks for reading! If you have questions, feedback, or post requests, feel free to drop an ask or contact me on my Wordpress blog.

+Click here for the rest of my original reference posts!