The Pitfalls of AP U.S. History Essay Topics

The Pitfalls of AP U.S. History Essay TopicsIt is common to learn that students can spend several weeks or months creating a paper for the AP U.S. History exam, but many find it more convenient to keep their essays within a specific topic. While this works, students need to be aware of the pitfalls associated with this. The goal is to create essays that help them succeed on the exam, but many are driven by a need to get a specific result.The first problem with this strategy is that many students write a single essay about the issue that is most important to them. They then come back and add other issues or information that was not on their list in order to make the content more cohesive. Because they knew the most important thing to address, they feel that they have to write the entire essay on that one issue.The second pitfall is that a student can focus on writing an individual essay and then write numerous other related ones to fill out the work. Afterward, they have additional ma terial that may not be on their original list. The problem with this is that it takes all of the focus away from the original topic and focuses it on a different one. There is also no way to know if the additional pieces are accurate or not, as the student will not have any proof of their claims.Students must also consider that the essays that are used for essays on AP essay topics are relatively brief. While there are no true requirements for the length of the essay, it is recommended that it be no longer than three hundred words. This makes it easier for the teacher to weed out those that need additional editing. After all, if the essay requires that an individual reach an emotional high, then students cannot be expected to explain how difficult it is to get there, especially if they are writing an essay about something that is not so serious.Different topics for the same topic is another pitfall. In general, students learn that the best essay topics are those that can be broadly understood. However, many fail to realize that there is a certain amount of homework that must be done.Many college students, for example, learn that they should not deviate too far from the topic of the semester or even the semester before. If they are doing a project or research paper on a topic that is not in the present period, they should not incorporate current events. Also, there should be a break in the essay topics for at least two to three weeks before moving into the next one.A second area that often needs careful consideration is writing a year thesis paper. Writing an essay for one or more specific topics on this type of project is completely different than writing an essay for an AP history project. Unless the topic is of particular interest to the student, he or she can not go too far off the beaten path.Finally, be sure that the topics chosen for an AP U.S. History essay are realistic. The actual academic department does not run a poll every year to determine which t opic is going to be the favorite. While it might make the student feel good to think that the topic of the class is popular, it does not give the proper basis for the essay. Be sure that you are working within the bounds of the requirements and curriculum so that you can be successful.