Fighting the Mongols: My Battle with AP World History by Caralyn

Fighting the Mongols: My Battle with AP World History by Caralyn - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

Perhaps the most challenging test I have ever taken was AP World History. It was the first AP class I had undertaken and in one of my worst subjects: social studies. However, I chose to take the class because I wanted the college credit, and because I wanted to challenge myself.
My teacher was incredibly helpful as I worked on AP World History. Even though he was a tough grader, he was still one of my favorite teachers that year and made classes fun. In class, we would play games like Pictionary, and he would make the content interesting with jokes and intriguing facts. He even gave us useful tips, to “Remember the Mongols” for essay topic if we were stuck. The way he taught made the subject interesting for me and encouraged me to continue to work hard.
However, it was on me to study hard and make the grades, and that was a challenge. AP classes are college-level courses, and the amount of time you must take is no joke. Since I was having trouble with my eyes then, reading the legion pages of a tiny-font textbook was especially difficult. However, I took pictures of the reading and zoomed in on my phone, making it easier on my eyes. I also struggled to memorize all the different dates and events in the right order, but with heavy amounts of studying, I managed to make progress. Over the months, I gained more knowledge of humanity’s history, of wars and peace, of progress and people. Over the months, the exam day loomed nearer.
Then it came. The day of the test. For the last week, I had been studying extra hard, reviewing my notes from the entire year, and writing practice essays. I woke up at the crack of dawn and readied myself for the ordeal to come. I carefully answered the exam questions and did the best I could. But one essay question seemed to evade me. I could not figure out how to answer it until it hit me. “Remember the Mongols.” Suddenly, the answer was clear. Thanking my teacher’s words of wisdom, I tackled my essay with confidence. Soon, the three-and-a-half-hour battle was done. I did not know if I had won, but I felt confident that I fought well.
Afterward, I celebrated with ice cream and began the long wait for the test scores. They came in August, and I was surprised to find that I had gotten a four on the test! I was unsure if I could do it, but I passed my AP World History exam, thanks to my hard work and months of studying. However, it was my amazing teacher who helped me along the way and told me to “Remember the Mongols.”