The past is present
While most graduate students focus on the labor of reading for comps, compiling the reading lists themselves takes time and reflection. Be strategic and minimize your workload, but also be aspirational by considering the themes you want your future dissertation to explore.
The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready.
Comprehensive Exams, or 'Comps,' can be confusing and intimidating for graduate students, but the first step to conquering Comps, and the fear they elicit, is to understand what they are, what they are designed to test, and how they work.
Clio and the Contemporary 