MORE TIPS
Penmanship counts: not everyone has good penmanship, but in preparation for the exam, you should
do as much as you can to improve yours. If you do not write legibly on your essays, you are
jeopardizing your score. You cannot expect tired, overworked, AP readers to struggle with your
essay needlessly. When you write your practice essays, always use blue or black ink and always
write with an imagined reader in mind.
This exam is about scholarship. You should think of yourself as you embark on this “quest” as an
upper level scholar—a college student, really. If you wear the garb of scholar, even metaphorically,
it will influence how you think about things.
Your attitude is more important than you think—it influences everything, even your physical well-
being. A positive attitude will give you energy and confidence. A negative attitude will
▶ limit your ability to read carefully (you’ll want to rush, skim, get it over with)
▶ lead to frustration and fatigue
▶ keep you from having an open mind
▶ possibly infect others, giving them doubt about their own abilities
You need to study hard and take the exam seriously, but also realize that it is just one test of what you
know—at one point in your life. It is not the most important thing you will ever do. Try to keep it all
in perspective.
