<p>I figure that most of us are self-studying comp gov here, but this will be a good studying resource for everybody taking the exam. Feel free to post multiple-choice / free-response questions and helpful websites.</p>
<p>For self-studiers, how far in the Ethel Wood guide are you (or any other review book)? I'm done with China and will be doing Mexico today.</p>
<p>I’m self studying as well… I’m waiting for my mom to order the Ethel Wood book for me since no bookstores around here have it >.<</p>
<p>You’ve made an excellent choice. I think the best thing about the Ethel Wood guide is that many concepts are repeated numerous times in each chapter. I’m not sure if this was a mistake on her part or if it was done intentionally, but reading about Chinese guanxi three times really helped me remember what they were.</p>
<p>It makes sense to slip it in multiple times so you can remind yourself in your head what it is. Thank you, Ethel Wood. =D</p>
<p>Wow, moving on to Mexico already! You’re farther than I am (I just finished the introduction :P). Since the book’s so short though, I don’t want to forget everything by May. </p>
<p>Instead, I have decided to wait for my textbook, read through it until the last week in April, and then read the Ethel Wood book. </p>
<p>Thanks for starting this thread, btw :)</p>
<p>I have to take the makeup exam for comp gov, so I plan on rereading the notes I’m taking between my last regular exam (English Language) and this one. So far, I find that much of comparative government is either stuff I already knew from keeping updated with the news or stuff that I’ve learned in other courses (AP Human Geography, AP World History, and AP US Government).</p>
<p>Because I won’t have any time during the school year to learn the material for a first time, I decided that it would be prudent to do the course over winter break.</p>
<p>Oh, that’s a good idea. I’m just so afraid that I’ll forget everything if I do all my studying so early. Oh well, thank god for insomnia or I wouldn’t get anything done :P</p>
<p>Heh, besides two who agreed to self-study with me, all of my friends think I’m crazy for doing this.</p>
<p>Ditto that. Nobody at my school has ever heard of self-study… besides the three I know of that took AP Stats online before our school offered it… our math teacher taught it online =P</p>
<p>Haha, me too! None of my friends who want to go to really good schools have ever heard of it. Actually, there seems to be a common mentality among people at my school that if you just get good grades in hard classes you’ll get into HYP, no need to self-study or doing anything extra in general :P</p>
<p>I finally did, however, influence the decision of one of my friends to self study 
It’s an entire waste of time though, since not only does our school offer AP Bio (what he’s self-studying) but he’s taking it next year! Oh well, at least he is actually doing something productive with his time :P</p>
<p>My other friends think it’s wayy too hard and are too lazy to try. Kind of sad, since these people are supposedly just as enthusiastic about going to a good school as I am, and supposedly work as hard. Oh well, things will sort themselves out in the end :)</p>
<p>I just got my Introduction to Comparative Politics by Kesselman book in the mail and so far it looks pretty good. I’m disappointed it’s a paperback textbook, but that’s rather trivial. </p>
<p>The book is split up by country, and has chapters on all the countries tested on the AP exam and indeed quite a few others. The only thing is the countries are divided into different categories: established democracies, developing democracies, and non-democracies. Of these three groups, GB is categorized as an established democracy, Russia, Nigeria, and Mexico are categorized as developing democracies, and China and Iran (debatable) are categorized as non-democracies. </p>
<p>The book I purchased is a 3rd edition, published in 2004. Anyone else using it?</p>
<p>For the exam, the countries will be split as “advanced democracies” (Britain), “communist / post-communist countries” (China and Russia), and “newly industrialized / less developed countries” (Mexico, Iran, and Nigeria).</p>
<p>I just finished Mexico.</p>
<p>I’m taking AP Comp. Gov too! URGH, the study guide’s only coming at the end of this month.</p>
<p>I haven’t started yet Where should I theoretically be by now? lol</p>
<p>Just starting There’s no need to start too early to study comp gov, 213830- you might end up forgetting a lot of what you learn.</p>
<p>Actually I find that if I continuously study, I’ll remember everything when the exam comes.</p>
<p>That’s also very true. I’m just afraid I’ll finish the Ethel Wood study guide in like a month and not think about the exam until May. But yeah, with continuous study it shouldn’t be a problem.</p>
<p>How thick is the book?</p>
<p>It’s not. It’s the size of a prep-book pretty much. About a few hundred pages, certainly no more than 300.</p>
<p>Good thing it’s not a thick book… the one thing i’ve been worried about has been studying for four AP’s (Comp. Gov., Psych, HG, and Chem) with only one (Chem in class)… especially since Chem and Psych are back to back.</p>