A Little Push

I can admit that I may have played around a little too much. My junior year in AP English Language was not the best but I have prevailed and completed it. There have been some assignments that I did not complete and some that I have handed in late but I have improved and progressed in my writing. There were many times that I felt ashamed because if I had handed in my work on time I would have received the grade I really deserved but instead I lost points because I decided to be lazy. In the beginning of the year I started off receiving threes but by the end of the year I was able to acquire sixes and sevens. Being able to receive a seven in the class gave me so much pride and I can say that it was my greatest joy to accomplish this.

You have required me to read many different pieces of literature, including over the SUMMER, in which I have only read a few but the few I have read I enjoyed. I thank you for opening up my mind to different types of writing. Thank you for being able to explain each kind of writing to me, making sure that I actually understand what I have read. Each book I will be able to use on the regents that I am obligated to take at the end of the year. There are also many principles, morals and lessons that were conveyed in each story, allowing me to be able to use it in my life to make me a better person. I can HONESTLY say that this class alone has helped me grow, not only as a student, but as a young lady.

In the beginning of the year I was not sure on how to write a strong introduction, let alone a rhetorical précis. I did not even know what a rhetorical précis was. Over the summer you gave out a packet the guided me through this rhetorical précis and allowed me to understand what it was and how to write one. Though I learned to write a rhetorical précis I had a really bad problem of not using prose style. My tone that I applied in my writing was not academic enough. With your help of vocabulary quizzes I was able to utilize vocabulary words to the fullest in an educated manor. Your terms also allowed me to prepare better for my SAT that I had to take. My SAT can play a large role in determining which college I could be accepted into and you helped me to raise my score from my practice test.

Your curriculum for the year was very helpful. It all flowed in sync with the next topic to learn. You helped me learn how to write an effective argument essay. I loved the way you broke things down. I do not believe there was a time I felt as if you went to fast besides due dates. Sometimes you required many things to be due around the same time. Sometimes I did feel a sense of overload but most of the times it would be because I did not hand in things when I was suppose to so everything got backed up and I had much to write at one time. The fact that you allowed me to rewrite many of my essays permitted me to se what I did wrong, what I could do to improve. It made me mature as a writer and obtain a grade that you knew I could get.

As this year comes to an end I see myself being able to write many more complicated essays for college in the future. With the assistance of you Ms. Fogarty I feel as if I can learn to write anything I need to. You opened my eyes to see that I can write and read difficult pieces even when I may not want to or think that I can because all I need is a little push sometimes. A little push can go far sometimes depending on how much force you put into this push. My only critique for you Ms. Fogarty is to get work back a liiiiitttttlllleeeeeee bit faster because sometimes you do not allow students to revise a piece that they could fix to be so much better then what it was. I am not speaking for myself because I hand in work late.

As for the next student who will have Ms. Fogarty, all I have to say is If you are a student struggling with AP English Language I advise you that it can only be because you are not pacing yourself correctly. I mean I'm just going by what I struggled with which was timing. I became too lazy. The material was not hard, once it was explained that is. You can do anything you set your mind to as long as you fully put yourself and dedicate your time and effort to your true desires, including this class. Maybe you need a little push to proceed but once you get that push I promise you you can do it.