Procrastination Kills

AP Language as a course has significantly improved my writing as a whole. As a writer, I am able to write in a more sophisticated prose style as well as improving my grammar. Throughout the year I was capable of pushing myself to achieve more and raise my standards. From the beginning of the year up until now as I reflect on my best work I find writing more enjoyable. This course has put forth some challenging assignments and readings but each assignment contributed to the growth of me as an individual. From quarter 1, I have experienced substantial growth from my rhetorical précis to my recent research paper in the fourth quarter. Along with those pieces of writing I have completed several AP prompts which in fact were the most effective in my opinion. The AP prompts get you ready for the AP exam itself; it allows you to manage your time planning along with writing the actual essay.  My Thomas Paine essay may have been my best work put forth in this class in regards to AP prompts. I received a six on that essay and that was a shock to me because I was so used to getting three’s and four’s in the beginning of the year. 

The skills I have learned during the course of the year will help me when I begin to consider my college application process. My prose style along with my strong grammar skills are going to come in handy when I go to write my college essay. Outside of school the skills I have obtained in AP Language could be used for almost anything. My progress in the class has prepared me for college level courses next year and when I go on to college. Strengthening the skills needed for those advanced leveled classes in AP Language has only put me to an advantage. I have also learned more about arguments and the several parts to an argument along with how to construct a proper thesis statement. In addition to everything I learned this year my strengths and weaknesses have been critiqued through the assistance of my peers. Coming in to the class I was pretty solid in reading difficult texts because of the effects of English 10H. My weakness was mainly my writing and that is where this class pitched in. 

Ms. Fogarty is one of the best if not the best English teacher to teach this subject. She is very knowledgeable and flexible to help you if you are struggling with any aspect of your work. In the course, being able to be comfortable around the teacher and develop a professional relationship with her is important. Ms. Fogarty’s instruction was very helpful and her constructive criticism is crucial if you want to be that better writer. Even though the work load was heavy and having to balance it was difficult it worked for me. As you go on to college and pursue other things in life the reality is that the workload is only going to increase. There is one thing in particular that did not work out for me specifically, and that was the AP test. In general the AP is designed to be a difficult test but if you prepare yourself accordingly you will have no worries. I did not adequately prepare myself for the test and could have used some more practice. I used this as a learning experience for me as a person. 

Reflecting on the year as a whole I am content with my progress in AP Language. I definitely enjoyed the course. I am now able to identify different strategies in literary works, write in a more effective prose style and sharpen my comprehension abilities. As an individual I feel more confident in my writing and more prepared for the next step. A piece of advice I would give a student struggling with this class is manage your time and do not stress the any assignments given. Try not to procrastinate because it will become extremely tough to finish things up last minute. Ms. Fogarty is there to help you, use her as resource.