What makes someone a “good” writer? While there are lots of answers to that question, one thing most great writers do is vary their sentence structure. They mix long, flowing sentences with short, powerful ones to communicate their points. 

But don’t worry: you can learn to do this, too! It starts with understanding different types of sentences and their structures. One type of sentence you’ve probably heard of that can add variety and depth to your writing is a complex sentence. But what are complex sentences, exactly? 

We’re here to help you understand exactly what complex sentences are and why they’re important by covering the following in this article: 

• Answering the question, “What is a complex sentence?”
• Discussing when to use complex sentences
• Reviewing the different parts of complex sentences 
• Explaining the difference between complex sentences, compound sentences, and compound-complex sentences 

Ready to become a complex sentence wizard? Then let's get started!

JROTC and ROTC programs designed to train future U.S. Military officers at middle schools, high schools, and universities across the United States. Some students join JROTC or ROTC because they want a career in the military, while others are more curious about how the program can help them pay for college.

It turns out that there’s a lot to learn about the benefits and requirements of ROTC programs! That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide to JROTC and ROTC.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a great understanding of JROTC and ROTC programs and whether they’re a good option for you. We’ll also answer frequently asked questions, like:

• What is ROTC?
• How are JROTC and ROTC different?
• Who is a good fit for JROTC and ROTC?
• Are there different types of JROTC and ROTC programs?
• What are the pros and cons of joining JROTC and ROTC?

Now let’s get started!

In the digital age, people are always searching for new ways to use online resources to their advantage. One increasingly popular resource is online education. Now you can take college classes online, which can help you save time and money.

But in the grand scheme of educational opportunities, online college classes are still relatively new, so you might not know what they are or how they work. In this article, we’re going to dig into the important info about online college courses to help you navigate the various opportunities for online education that are out there. We’ll talk about:

• What online college courses are
• What online courses are like for students, how they work, and how they compare to in-person college courses
• The pros and cons of taking online courses, and
• 4 free online college courses you can take right now

By the end of the article, you’ll know everything you need to know about taking college classes online, so let’s get started!

Zeus: Greek god of thunder, king of all men, hurler of lightning bolts. You know this guy, right? Kind of? Or maybe not?

Zeus is the king of the Greek gods, which makes him one of the most important members of the Greek Pantheon. Not only is he the god of thunder and the sky, he’s also the subject of many famous Greek myths. So if you want to understand Greek mythology, you should start by getting to know Zeus.

So let’s dive in and learn all that there is to know about Zeus, Greek god of all Greek gods.

You’ve probably heard of the Shakespearean sonnet, or maybe even the Petrarchan sonnet. But those are just two types of sonnets. There are actually many other forms! 

As new poets have tinkered with more traditional approaches to the sonnet over time, they’ve come up with their own approaches to writing sonnets, too. In this article, we’re going to help you learn about all of the major types of sonnets by:

• Briefly introducing you to the sonnet
• Breaking down different types of sonnets, including an example and analysis of each type
• Explaining nine poetic terms you need to know in order to successfully analyze the different types of sonnets

Are you ready? Let’s check out some sonnets!

If you’re studying biology, the concept of mitosis is pretty unavoidable. Mitosis is part of the cell cycle, and studying how cells work makes up a huge portion of any biology class. It’s safe to say you’re going to need some working knowledge of mitosis if you’re looking to breeze through any biology-related course or exam. 

Here’s what we’re going to cover in this article so you’re up to speed on the purpose of mitosis, how the process of mitosis works, and why mitosis is important to know about. We will:

• Answer the question, “What is the purpose of mitosis?” (definition and explanation of the importance of mitosis included)
• Description of the 4 phases of mitosis
• Review the similarities and differences between mitosis and meiosis
• Our top three tips for studying and memorizing the stages of mitosis, and
• Three resources for further learning about mitosis!

And, now, let our journey through the world of mitosis begin!

In case you haven’t heard, according to Taylor Swift, spelling is fun! But if Taylor’s word isn’t enough to convince you, we’ve come up with a list of ways that playing spelling games can actually improve your spelling, including examples of 10 spelling games that are excellent options for kids, adults, or anyone who wants to improve their spelling skills! (Don’t worry: the possibilities for spelling games go way beyond Scrabble.)

You've probably heard about sonnets in your English class, so you already know that sonnets are an important poetic form. But it can be tough to understand what they're saying!

The good news is that everyone can learn to understand poetry. It just takes practice! That's why we've picked the top 10 famous sonnets of all time and explained them. Reading the sonnet alongside an expert explanation will help you not only understand what the sonnet's about, but it will help you test your own analytical skills, too. 

To help you master the sonnet, our guide is going to do the following:

• Define the term “sonnet”
• List and analyze the top ten sonnets of all time
• List our top five resources for learning more about sonnets

Now, without further delay, let’s check out some sonnets and sonnet examples!

The Romantic Era is famous for its poetry--in fact, Romanticism is one of the most influential periods in the history of English poetry.

It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll have to tackle Romantic poetry at some point, whether it’s in your English classes or on the AP Literature and Language exam. That’s why we’ve whipped up a crash course on the Romantic Era for you! We’ll explain the following in our crash course:

• Answer the question, “What is Romanticism?” by providing a Romanticism definition and describing the historical context of the era
• Explain Romanticism characteristics that are unique to the period’s philosophy and literature
• Give an overview of the key traits of Romanticism literature and poetry, including Romanticism examples
• List the six most important Romantic poets you need to know
• List five books for further reading if you want to learn more about the Romantic Era!

There’s a lot to cover about Romanticism, so let’s get started!

The traditional four-year bachelor’s degree program isn’t for everyone. People from all walks of life have benefitted from earning an accelerated bachelor’s degree, online and in person, for years.

But, like with most things, you need to know a few things before you enroll in one of these programs. Not only do you need to understand what fast online degrees require, you need to know how they look on a resume and how to find the accelerated degree program that’s right for you.   

When you hear successful people talk about the secret to their success, time management often comes up. But what is this vague and elusive “time management” they’re talking about? What does time management look like in practice, and how do you make it happen when you’re already stretched thin and overwhelmed?

It’s important for anyone who’s busy, over-committed, or stressed to have an arsenal of concrete, effective time management skills to lean on when things get tough...and when things are easy too! Our expert time management tips will help you make decisions about how to implement time management skills and techniques to organize and guide your daily life, through the good times and bad.

After reading our guide to time management, you’ll be prepared to design a personalized time management strategy based on the skills and techniques you learn about here. In this guide, we’re going to cover the following info for you:

• What is time management, and why is it useful?
• Top time management tips for reducing stress and increasing success
• Best tools to support your time management strategies

So take some deep, calming breaths and settle in to discover some effective time management techniques!

If there’s one writing skill you need to have in your toolkit for standardized tests, AP exams, and college-level writing, it’s the ability to make a persuasive argument. Effectively arguing for a position on a topic or issue isn’t just for the debate team—it’s for anyone who wants to ace the essay portion of an exam or make As in college courses.

To give you everything you need to know about how to write an argumentative essay, we’re going to answer the following questions for you:

• What is an argumentative essay?
• How should an argumentative essay be structured?
• How do I write a strong argument?
• What’s an example of a strong argumentative essay?
• What are the top takeaways for writing argumentative papers?

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepped and ready to write a great argumentative essay yourself!

Now, let’s break this down.

If you’ve tuned into the news lately, you’ve seen the checks and balances system of government at work. Whether it’s courts striking down executive orders or governors vetoing legislation, checks and balances are constantly working to keep the United States government functioning.

But what are checks and balances, exactly? And how do they help make democracy work?

Although it’s important for everyone to understand the checks and balances system, it’s especially critical for you to understand if you’re taking a government course. Additionally, since a system of checks and balances plays an essential role in the U.S. federal government, the concept will also be a heavy contender for an AP exam free response question.

That’s a lot to cover, huh? Not to worry, though! By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the information you need to

• Answer the question, “What are checks and balances?”
• Write your own checks and balances definition
• Identify pros and cons of a checks and balances government
• Explain various checks and balances examples
• Analyze real-life examples of checks and balances

Let’s get going!

The AP Literature exam is designed to test your ability to analyze literature. That means you'll have to know how to use analytical tools, like literary elements, to uncover the meaning of a text.

Because literary elements are present in every piece of literature (really!), they're a good place to start when it comes to developing your analytical toolbox. In this article, we'll give you the literary element definition, explain how a literary element is different from a literary device, and look at the top nine literary elements you need to know before taking the AP Literature exam.

So let's get started!

Understanding how the United States government works is critical to succeeding on the AP United States Government and Politics exam. That includes having a solid understanding about how each piece of the federal government works together.

One of the key components of this is the checks and balances system, which is where each branch of government checks--or limits--the power of the others. And unfortunately, understanding how those checks work can be a little confusing.

That’s where this article comes in. Today, we’re going to investigate how the executive branch of the U.S. government checks the judicial branch. To do this, we’ll:

• Define the three branches of government
• Examine how the judicial and executive branches operate
• Answer the question, “How does the executive branch check the judicial branch?”

So let’s get started!