Analyzing literature can be pretty confusing, especially if you’re reading something that’s pretty complicated. That’s why it’s important to understand literary devices, which are tools designed to help you unlock the meaning of a text.

Think of literary devices like tools in a toolbox. Each device has a different use, so it’s important that you have a bunch of different options to choose from...especially when you’re crunched for time, like during an AP Literature exam.

That’s why we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about assonance, which is a literary device that helps a writer create both rhythm and tone. To do this, we’ll:

• Define assonance and talk about why it’s helpful in analyzing literature,
• Walk you through assonance examples in poetry and prose, and
• Give you four expert tips to help you find an analyze assonance in any text.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

The term iambic pentameter sounds like it’s more at home in a science textbook than it is in your English class. But believe it or not, iambic pentameter is a type of poetic meter!

In other words, iambic pentameter is a term that refers to a very specific type of rhythm that you find in poetry.

Knowing what poetic meter is and how to find it is an important skill for the AP Literature exam, and it can be really impressive if you discuss it properly in the AP exam’s essay portion. We know poetic meter might sound scary—heck, anything that has to do with poetry can be scary!—but we’re here to help. In this article, you’ll learn what iambic pentameter is, discover how to find it in a poem, and analyze iambic pentameter examples in poetry.

Let’s dive right in!

So you’ve just landed a college interview for the school of your dreams. That’s amazing! Once you finish celebrating, it’s time to start preparing for the big event.

But the process of preparing can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together our top five tools for preparing for your college interview. Keep reading to learn more about our expert recommendations for the tools you must have to knock your college interview out of the park!

One of the best ways to learn about your future career is to read about it. That’s true for becoming a doctor, too! As a pre-med student, books about medicine can help you prepare for medical school, but they can also introduce you to what it really means to care for your patients.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the seven books every pre-med student must read before they go to medical school. This list includes everything from MCAT prep books to grisly--but educational!--books about the darker side of medical history. We’ve also included works that introduce you to some of the social and ethical complexities of medicine, too.

Not only will these books widen your perspective on the field of medicine, they’ll also help you become a better doctor.   

One of the hardest parts of learning a romance language—especially one like Spanish—is verb conjugation.

In Spanish, the way a verb is conjugated depends on a number of factors, including the subject, the verb tense, and the purpose of the sentence itself. That means that there are actually many versions of each verb, all of which mean something slightly different. And because so much of understanding Spanish revolves around verbs, it’s an important (though pretty confusing) part of learning Spanish as a second language.

If you’re taking the AP Spanish exam, ser is one of the most critical verbs that you need to know—and know how to conjugate. Unfortunately, the conjugations for ser can be pretty tricky. But we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll give you every possible verb conjugation for the Spanish verb ser, which means “to be.” We’ll even give you a quick rundown on what ser means and when to use it!

So… ¡si estan listos, vamos!

We all have a friend who’s a huge fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Honestly, calling them a “huge fan” might be an understatement, since you know your friend would go back into a burning house to save their Gatsby book collection! (We might be “that friend,” honestly.)

So what could be better than surprising the Gatsby fan in your life with some special Great Gatsby swag? Nothing, of course! After all, as Fitzgerald writes in the book, “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” And listen: we totally advocate treating yourself to a little something while you’re at it, too.

So without further ado, here are the best gifts you can buy for any Gatsby superfan!

If you’re studying for your AP Psychology exam, you’ve probably stumbled across the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” But what is Stockholm Syndrome, exactly? As it turns out, Stockholm Syndrome is a complicated diagnosis that is still surrounded in quite a bit of controversy.

In this guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about Stockholm Syndrome, and we’ll answer the following frequently asked questions:

• What is Stockholm Syndrome?
• Where does it come from?
• What causes Stockholm Syndrome, and what are its symptoms?
• Is Stockholm Syndrome a real diagnosis?

At the end of this article, we’ll wrap things up with an in-depth look at two real-life cases of Stockholm Syndrome. (You’ll want to stick around until the end...those cases are really interesting.)

Ready? Then let’s jump in!

One of the hardest parts about going to college is deciding on a major. Most universities offer tons of majors in many different fields, so it can be tough to choose just one! Good news, though: many universities allow students to earn a double major. It’s a great option for students who want to gain in-depth knowledge in a second field of study.

But while many people have heard of double majoring, many aren’t quite sure how to double major. That’s why we’re going to introduce you to the general requirements for double majoring, then give you two real world, step-by-step guides for how to double major at two top universities. Finally, we’ll wrap things up with four top tips for finishing a double major in four years.

So let’s dive in!

Academics and athletics have a lot in common: they require tons of practice, dedication, and diligence to succeed. Athletes often get trophies, medals, and letterman jackets to reward them for their accomplishments on the field and in the gym.

But earning great grades can be just as tough as winning a state football tournament! That’s why many schools choose to honor their top two graduates by awarding them the titles of valedictorian and salutatorian.

We’ve already covered what a valedictorian is in another post, so in this article, we’ll answer all of your questions about salutatorians, including:

• What is a salutatorian?
• Does being a salutatorian help you get into college?
• What is a salutatorian speech?
• How do you become a salutatorian?

Are you ready to learn more about what it means to be the salutatorian of your graduating class? Then let’s get started!

If you’re thinking about taking the AP U.S. History or AP World History exams, it’s important that you have a good understanding of the major events and organizations that have shaped the nation—and the world.

One critical topic that you should know about is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. If you’ve watched the news (or listened in history class!), you’ve probably heard the term NATO mentioned quite a bit. But what is NATO, exactly? And why is NATO important?

In this short but sweet guide, we’ll give you all the need-to-know information about NATO, like NATO’s definition, an overview of NATO history, and a look into how NATO works today. We’ll also give you a short list of additional resources that you can check out for even more information.

So let’s get started!

There are lots of reasons to work hard in high school: you gain important knowledge and skills, your grades help you get into great universities, and your dedication can even earn you scholarship money for tuition!   

But your hard work can also help you become valedictorian or salutatorian, which are awards given to the top two students in your graduating class. But what does it mean to be a valedictorian vs. a salutatorian?

Don’t worry: you’ve come to the right place! Not only will we explain what a valedictorian and salutatorian is, we’ll also dig into the similarities and differences between the two awards and what they mean for the college admissions process.

Going to college can sometimes feel like a series of tough decisions. Not only do you have to take standardized tests like the ACT or SAT, you also have to decide which colleges to apply to and write (practically) a million applications!

After all of that, picking your major sometimes feels like the easy part. But not so fast! Many schools offer a variety of majoring opportunities, including a degree path referred to as a double major where you concentrate in not one, but two different subjects.

This guide will take the mystery out of what it means to double major! We’ll explore the ins and outs of the degree path, including:

• Defining what a double major is...and what it isn’t,
• Discussing the pros and cons of double majoring, and finally,
• Helping you figure out whether a double major is the right choice for you.

So without further ado...let’s dive in!