Good day comrades,
If you are going to read one blog post from the end of the year, read this one. Seriously. If there is to be one bearer of the torch of truth in this dark night, than let it be I.
You may have heard some negative things about this class from your peers. I assure you, everything bad you have heard is counterrevolutionary propaganda spread by traitors of a wicked and cruel mindset, AP Euro is one of the best classes that you can take not only in the history department, but also the school. The course material itself is incredibly engaging, taking you from the late days of Medieval Europe all the way up to present day. Mrs. Salisbury does an excellent job of presenting the material as well, and makes sure to give you feedback on your work by grading it in due time (unlike certain other individuals within the building whose names will remain unsaid), and gives you the opportunity to improve your quiz grades if you want to (not like I needed to use that to any great extent though). Most of the activities assigned are not only manageable, but also fun and engaging, and will help you gain a deeper understanding of European history and the topic at hand, whether it be the Congress of Vienna or the Thirty Years' War.
Probably the only issue that you will ever have with this class will become evident the moment that you walk into the classroom on the first day in the summer. The classroom is on the second floor facing the sun, so it is wicked hot most of the time. Unfortunately there's not much that can be done about this other than installing sensors on the windows that tint them to a certain degree depending on the temperature, but that seems a bit far-fetched for now.
The only other obvious downside to the class is that the College Board is actually a secret pagan blood cult secretly known as the 'Priory of Sion' who feasts upon the lifeforce of the innocent students who dare walk through the doors on exam day, but that's only for one day.
And now, Comrade Commandante-Secretary-General Will's Not-So-Serious-Tips to Succeed in AP Euro Class!
1. Know All of The Course Material Ahead of Time:
Really, knowing about ninety percent of what's going to happen during your journey through this class is going to help you a lot. Take it from me, it's a strategy that works.
Failing that, you can always...
2. Convert to Marxism:
The materialist conception of history is the only correct conception of history.
3. Remember That You Will One Day Die:
So really, what are you more likely to remember as you're hooked up to a monitor in some bleak hospital, waiting for your last breath? The few extra hours of sleep you got one night, or that the Thirty Years' War brought an end to religious war in Europe?
4. Fall in Love With the Characters in this Historical Epic:
During your time in the course, you will meet one of the great men of history, a man named Maximilien Robespierre. He did absolutely nothing wrong. The French aristocracy had it coming. You will also read The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. Everything he says in that book is right. Understand that.
5. Learn Who Hegel Is:
HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL HEGEL
And Now Some More Serious Survival Tips/Advice...
1. Procrastinate Well:
If there's one piece of advice that seems to be constant in these types of things, its the standby 'don't procrastinate'. Really? I am fairly certain that hearing this piece of advice repeated dozens of times has had exactly zero effect upon anybody actually procrastinating. Look, with the way modern education is structured, with lengthy homework for virtually every class every night, it is almost impossible to not procrastinate and still possess the slightest modicum of free time and or remain sane. Therefore, I propose that instead of simply preaching 'no procrastination', that you do procrastinate, but I recommend that you do it 'well'. By this I mean setting enough time aside so that you can get more than four hours of sleep a night, and setting your time up so that although you put your assignment off till the 'last minute', the last minute winds up being sufficient enough to sustain your sanity.
2. Sophie's World is Not On the Summer Reading List This Year. Read it Anyways:
So, you may or may not have noticed that there were two books on the Euro Summer Reading List last year, and now we are down to one. This is because the other book, Sophie's World, has been removed from the list, possibly because it is the equivalent of roughly three hundred fifty pages of extra reading, and the assignment that went along with it went unused for a good chunk of the year. That being said, I still recommend reading the book over the summer as a leisurely read. You have over two full months mostly to yourselves, you can handle it. The book will give you a nice, base-level understanding of philosophy and the intellectual movements that underpin so much of European history. If you have the time, you should definitely read it.
3. If You Have Any Questions About the Class, Ask Salz:
If you have to ask questions about ambiguities in the course material or come across anything you don't fully understand, don't hesitate to ask Mrs. Salz about it. She will make sure that you are informed on the topic. Or, in the unlikely circumstance you still find yourself confused, you can also always approach a former knowledgeable Euro student who is willing to help out their peers.
4. Take Advantage of Any and All Opportunities to Correct Your Papers:
Even I make mistakes some times. You will too. Salz provides you the great opportunity of being able to correct your quizzes/tests after you've done them, so this is a way to make sure that you don't fail the course if that's a potential concern for you, and a way for you to improve your already decent grade, if you so desire.
5. Don't Worry About the AP Exam:
It literally doesn't matter. Well, it does, but not really. The only actual purpose of doing well on the AP Exam is so that you can get credit for classes in college, although depending on which college you go to, you might not even get that. So don't stress out about it too much, don't stay up till five in the morning studying the day prior. Definitely do your best in regards to the classwork, prepare for the exam, but don't be too concerned if you don't feel great in regards to the exam. If you're a junior and you don't do well, you still have your entire senior year ahead of you. And if there do wind up being any seniors in Euro next year, you'll already have been accepted into college by the time scores come in, though it will be awful if you have it the last day for seniors like we did this year. (That being said, if I get anything less than a five on this year's exam I will take the exam again of my own accord next May).
6. Whenever You Make a Blog Post, Please for the Love of God Press the Preview Button Before Posting:
Every month, you will be making a post on this blog about a historical topic we are discussing in class at the behest of Mrs. Salz. That's easy enough in its own right. However, before you post, please for all that is good and holy press the preview before you decide to publish the post. There have been... numerous abominable formatting errors in posts this year as a result of this failure to check before posting, so please make sure that you do so for everyone's sake.
Finally, and most importantly, the shameless plug...
7. JOIN MODEL UN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Good luck, Godspeed, Join Model UN, Defenestrate Prague, Unionize the Student Body, and Long Live the Revolution!
Comrade Commandante-Secretary-General Will Ott signing off for the last time.
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