Well, you guys just received the results of your very first APUSH test. Some of you are probably relieved, but others…maybe not so much. Either way, you’ve gotten a taste of what’s to come and you’re better prepared for the future.
To those of you who did fairly well:
CONGRATULATIONS! The first couple tests are usually difficult to get accustomed to, so it’s great that you’re one step ahead of the game- the key is to STAY one step ahead of the game, now that’s the really tricky part. ;) But really, just keep doing what you’re doing and do what works for YOU! It worked so far, right? Granted, you’re probably going to have some tests that you’re not proud of this year and that’s perfectly fine. Even the top students got a few C’s and maybe even a D or two during the year and still came out totally rockin’ it (myself included, and Natalie as well). But so far so good! You should feel proud and know that you’ve got what it takes to go far in this course. Great job!
To those of you who didn’t do as well as you hoped:
Don’t panic! It was your first test- you didn’t know what it was going to be like! I know that I, for one, was TERRIFIED when I was handed my first test in that class. But the thing is, now you know how it goes down and what to expect. When it comes to studying you know to adjust your habits or try something new. Like I said before, it can be hard to adjust to everything at first- after all, you’re not in any old regular history class anymore. Chances are this is your first AP class, so it’s totally new for you. Remember the weighted grade as well- your C is really a B and that isn’t too bad for your first time!
We all have our bad tests, so don’t worry too much. Just try some new study tips or spend a little more time studying next time. Natalie and I covered a lot of tips and tricks in our other posts and comments, so check back to see if those are of any help. If you’re still stuck, leave us a comment or shoot us an email and we’d be happy to try to help you- we’ve experienced it firsthand after all.
What you SHOULDN’T do is just give up…Frankly, I’m quite surprised at how many students are dropping or considering dropping. You did all of that summer homework and put in so much effort, so why drop it all because of one bad test? It WILL get better, trust me. There were students who had…well, rough starts to their first semester. But they worked hard and became real success stories, scoring fours on the exam. In fact, 95.2% of people who took the big exam PASSED. That’s the best any class has scored- I challenge you all to try to beat our record. ;)
This class is tough but you learn SO MUCH and it really is fun. Johnston’s a great teacher and if you put forth the effort you’ll succeed in his class. If you are trying and still feel like you need to drop or that you can’t do it, I suggest talking to Mr. J first to see if something can be worked out. There’s so much you can get out of this class and it would be such a shame to miss out on it. So please don’t be discouraged, especially this early in the school year.
I wish you all the best of luck and I hope that this year is as rewarding for you as it was for me.
If you ever have any questions, I do know that Mr. Johnston has down time 8th hour (I’m his aide then). His schedule is also here.
-Amanda Z
(Natalie- feel free to add or edit anything you see fit, I probably missed something...)