Hey guys!
My first post.
I’m self-studying for APCS this year and I’m taking WHAP too.
In WHAP, the essays have been killing me. And my teacher’s an amazing lecturer but not really clear on essays.
One of the topics we’ve had lately is comparing and contrasting Han China and Classical Rome.
I failed. I had no idea what to write.
Does anyone have any advice/pointers for essay writing? Or maybe suggestions of books to buy?</p>
Get the “cracking the WHAP book” from the bookstore. It’s essentially an overview of all the important facts etc. SUPER helpful when it comes to the exam. </p>
It’s funny that you mention Han China and Rome, as this was the CC essay from last year’s exam. I got a 5 after working my ass off all year. These two societies are SUPER important in history and I suggest studying them intensely as I wouldn’t be surprised if they come up in large numbers on the MC and Essays. </p>
As for the essays in general, it’s all about FACTS FACTS FACTS. If your teacher is grading for proper grammar/english, they’re doing it wrong. The AP graders check off points on each essay for content, NOT QUALITY. You need to say “both Han China and Classical Rome had blah”. Check. Check. Check. Your paragraphs should still have some structure but it is of very little importance. Also, if you don’t know what to write, GUESS. Just write SOMETHING, ANYTHING down on the paper. You don’t lose points by writing some ******** down. In fact, the CCOT essay from last years exam was a topic I knew very little about, so I elaborated greatly on the little I did know and KEPT writing words down. </p>
The “cracking the WHAP exam” book I noted earlier will have tips on essays and how to write them properly. This book was a life saver for me last year. Good luck!</p>