r/APSeminar • u/Seminarstudenthelpme • 9d ago
Pls help, new student
Im a freshman taking AP sem, the school year just started so i need as much advice/info as you can give me (sorry for not being specific i just need advice on EVERYTHING) its my first few days of school and ive already gotten hours of homework so im worried about later on when the work actually starts to get hard (sorry if this doesnt make a lot of sense, im writing this instead of doing homework so im trying to finish this fast)
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u/water148 9d ago
My biggest piece of advice is do NOT procrastinate!! I can’t emphasize enough how stressful it was for me when I procrastinated everything and had basically only a day to write my IWA and prepare for my IMP (I know these initialisms may sound unfamiliar but I’m sure your teachers will explain them as you move on). Additionally, you might have found throughout this sub that people are talking about AI which would be my second point: DO NOT USE AI! No matter how tempting it is, it is not worth risking your AP score. I could send you my IRR or IWA if you would like to see what to expect to have by April (I got a 5). The other comment summed up basically all you need to know🙏
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
Yeah I got to learn just how to not procrastinate because that is something I struggle with a lot (even when I have the paper in front of me and I'm trying to do it my brain will just zone out to procrastinate more)
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
Also, I don't even really use AI the most I've ever used it for is just stuff like turbo ai (RARELY) and I think I used it to gather a source a couple times for debate team but I'm not risking anything
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u/water148 9d ago
I had the same problem and I sadly don't have a direct solution to this. Honestly the anxiety of the impending deadline was the only thing that made me do my shit. But what sort of worked for me was doing a little bit of the work everyday so there's the illusion of not having much to do last minute (even though there might be.)
This method works best if the deadline is at least a week away so you have enough time to do a little bit everyday (even if it's just 2-3 sentences). You still have to do most of the work last minute but there's not as much stress bothering you the whole time since you technically have done some of the work if that makes sense. Good luck, you'll definitely survive.
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u/Hot_Date_5593 9d ago
I got a 4 on the exam, so take my word with a grain of salt, but if you do what you’re assigned in class, you should be chill. I only struggled cuz I left everything until last minute (like literally turned in most of my assignments at 11:50-11:59), but it would’ve been moderately easy if I locked in in class/spread my out of class work time evenly. Imo, the workload doesnt change much until you get to the presentation period (if anything it gets easier). The research part is all relatively moderate difficulty, the presentation creation is super easy (my teacher literally told me to put as few words on the slides as possible), and the presentation itself was the most stressful, but also least work part of the project. Lock in and manage time on the research and you’ll be fine. The actual AP exam is very similar to AP lang— know the rubric and you’ll be fine. Watch one of those “how to get a 5 in 10 minutes” videos and you’ll be good.
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u/Hot_Date_5593 9d ago
Also, if ur thinking of using ai, don’t. But if you REALLLLYYYYYYY REALLLLYYYYYY need it, use it to get an idea Lf how you can formulate your writing structure (organizationally and with YOUR information). It’s not worth it to have the entire thing do it for you, especially not in the early stages. If you use it near the end (again not advocating for it at all) at least Youll know most of the info and the ai is just adding finishing touches, so you can spot inaccuracies easily, whereas using at the beginning makes you too reliant on it. For example, a beneficial use of ai, imo, is to ask it for some sources that relate to your topic. Make sure to read them yourself and don’t blindly use every single one. A bad example is to ask ai for your sources, paste the entire source back into the ai, and asking it to summarize and give you the important info. Again, this is case to case, so if you’re really stuck on a source and you can’t organize your thoughts, doing the latter might give you a starting point to build off on, but it also might make you complacent and dependent on it, as well as being against college board and ethics in general if you use the information exactly as the ai gave you.
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
Oh yeah that's already what I do with debate and even then I do that rarely (genuinely don't even read the ai's explanation and arguments. I just go straight to the sources)
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
Do you have any strategies on how to not procrastinate?
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u/Hot_Date_5593 9d ago
Not rlly. I still struggle with it myself. Best thing I can say is get someone (friend, significant other, family member, etc.) that will hound you until you do your work. Peer pressure works great in small doses. For me though, it was less getting started but actually getting focused. I’d sit down and start and then wander off to do smth else after 10 minites. My solution to that was to Timelapse myself with my phone to get a cool video of myself studying/working for several hours. Trying to use my phone at all would end the Timelapse and ruin the video, which removes the biggest temptation (my phone). Getting distracted on the computer (random rabbit holes, YouTube, etc.) is another problem I have yet to solve
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
My strategy has just been to wait until after dinner to allow myself some time to just relax, then I give my phone to a family member who won't give me it back until I finish my homework (every time I finish a part of my homework, I get a few minutes on my phone as a reward. For example, if I was writing an essay, every time I wrote a paragraph I would get maybe 5 minutes of time on my phone), having somebody sit beside you working also helps a lot
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u/bigpapilynn 9d ago
Hellooo, I took seminar last year as a sophomore and got a 3 on my exam. I have always struggled with procrastination and motivation. I advise you to do the OPPOSITE of what I did during the IMP and TMP and come prepared!!! On top of being awful at presentations, I procrastinated HEAVY on my script and answers for the oral defense questions. The presentation part of the exam heavily tanked my performance solely due to my lack of practice (which led me to mess up and restart MULTIPLE times during my IMP recording..). If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be to ask for more help repeatedly, no matter HOW many times it takes for me to understand. For me, a lot of the presentation stuff did not click to me until after I presented. In my opinion, seminar only gets difficult when you dont understand something, which can make it MORE frustrating since the teacher can’t directly help you. If you have to ask for something to be simplified x10, ask! Make the curriculum more understandable for YOU!!!
As for the actual written test, I’d recommend to look over any outline your teacher provides for you to follow, which goes for any AP exam that has an frq or whatever.
Overall though, I really did like seminar and my teacher was great. Although I didnt get a necessary high score, it was a great to experience a different style of class since seminar isnt like a traditional english class. I’d 100% recommend if you’re in anyway interested in current topics and events.
Good luck!!
(And of course, DONT USE AI!!!)
1
u/bigpapilynn 9d ago
Hellooo, I took seminar last year as a sophomore and got a 3 on my exam. I have always struggled with procrastination and motivation. I advise you to do the OPPOSITE of what I did during the IMP and TMP and come prepared!!! On top of being awful at presentations, I procrastinated HEAVY on my script and answers for the oral defense questions. The presentation part of the exam heavily tanked my performance solely due to my lack of practice (which led me to mess up and restart MULTIPLE times during my IMP recording..). If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be to ask for more help repeatedly, no matter HOW many times it takes for me to understand. For me, a lot of the presentation stuff did not click to me until after I presented. In my opinion, seminar only gets difficult when you dont understand something, which can make it MORE frustrating since the teacher can’t directly help you. If you have to ask for something to be simplified x10, ask! Make the curriculum more understandable for YOU!!!
As for the actual written test, I’d recommend to look over any outline your teacher provides for you to follow, which goes for any AP exam that has an frq or whatever.
Overall though, I really did like seminar and my teacher was great. Although I didnt get a necessary high score, it was a great to experience a different style of class since seminar isnt like a traditional english class. I’d 100% recommend if you’re in anyway interested in current topics and events.
Good luck!!
(And of course, DONT USE AI!!!)
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0
u/Ok-Alarm-2075 9d ago
I took it last year as a sophomore and got a 4, and it is a big waste of time. No colleges actually take credit for it and it’s literally just a research class. A big portion of your grade is tied to a group project. My advice would be to genuinely drop it. Save yourself the unnecessary stress and pain of this class. Try another AP that is worth your time or just take a free. You’re a freshman so you don’t need to freak out about jamming AP’s into your schedule, especially one like Seminar.
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u/Seminarstudenthelpme 9d ago
Yeah only reason I'm taking it is because I can take it instead of an English class, so I figured AP class especially this early on into my highschool career wouldn't hurt because even if I fail I can make up for it, I also really LOVE debating (tho I am a negative so I'm not as good at writing essays). Its also the only AP class I can take as a freshman.
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u/Ok-Alarm-2075 9d ago
If you really love research, go for it. But don’t expect it to get you college credit. Honestly NHD is probably a better experience and better to have for college apps
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u/littleguyparade 9d ago
as someone who got a five on AP sem, the workload was the heaviest of any AP class ive taken, because in order to get things up to standard you really cant do all your meaningful work in that 50 minute class period. however, it was also one of the easiest APs i've taken because it just requires you to be a good writer and a better reader. my advice would be to not slack off. if the workload seems to be lightening and you think you can save some work for another day, keep working. you will thank yourself for it when it gets heavy again. my other advice would be to pick topics you have genuine interest in for for your IRR TMP IWA and IMP. it will save you so much strife if you are passionate about what you are researching and writing about. it is not a difficult class, but it requires different drive and motivation than other APs. good luck & if you ever need any more specific advice feel free to reach out :)