New and Improved

My journey as a writer in AP English was a very enlightening experience for me. I came in this year as a student who thought that this class would be my easiest AP. I thought I wouldn’t have to worry or struggle with the tasks and assignments given. I was confident in the way I wrote. English class last year was one of my strongest subjects and I always did fairly well without any difficulties so I thought this year would not be any different.  I knew it would be a little more challenging, but nothing I could not handle. I definitely came in this year underestimating the class. I thought I was a great writer, but my journey this year in class changed my perspective on writing.

The summer work given for this course was nothing completely challenging or tasks I found impossible to do. It was a simple introduction to the course. I did not really understand how thought provoking and demanding the course required until I took and wrote my first in-class essay. I remember that on my first essay, I got a four. I was quickly reassured that this was not a bad place to begin. However, the year carried on with the reading of several novels and requiring responses of several rhetorical précis a chapter or section. I realized that this course was time consuming. With more in-class essays being given, I was not improving at the pace I aspired. I was stuck in a five and six grade range.                                                                            

For most of my essays, I received the same criticism of trying to become more specific and precise in my writing.  I had to get to the point, analyze it, and end it. I tried really hard to become more specific and eliminate any phrases and words I thought were unnecessary.  I came into the beginning of the class with a lot of confidence but with the struggles I faced, this confidence began to fade away and I became nervous for the AP exam. I was even more shocked when we first tried sample AP questions. I have always done well on multiple-choice questions, but my confidence was crushed when I saw the appalling number of questions I got wrong. I honestly felt that there was no way I was going to do well on the exam at the end of the year.                                                                                                    
 However, I am the type of student that does not stop trying or improving. I really did want to write effectively in a sophisticated prose style. I had to learn to drop and remove “extra fluff” words and find my own voice in my writing in an academic and clear way.  I knew this would only happen with a lot more practice. To my surprise, by the time April came, I really did improve in my writing. I noticed that when I was writing, I wrote much briefer paragraphs that contained more detail. Long complex sentences were no longer needed in my analysis as much as a clear and concise point. What I also so drastically improve was my multiple-choice scores. I think the reason for this was when the class made their own mock AP questions. This was a simple assignment, but the purpose was misjudged. It gave me insight on what kinds of question the AP exam would comprise of and where to find the correct answers through the process of elimination.                                                                                                                                                            
With only a few weeks left until the exam, I tried to focus on completing practice AP exams within the allotted time given. With all of this graded, I realized I was not as far off of my goal for the exam. I felt that with a little more practice, I actually could receive a four or even a five. I slowly began to see the change in my writing and saw how assignments that I initially struggled with, such as the rhetorical précis, became executed in an effective writing prose.    
                                                                                                   
This year, I showed growth as a writer. I never expected to grow and improve in my writing as much as I did. To be honest, I did not think there was much to improve on. AP Language also changed the way I thought critically and changed my perspective on how to completely understand a piece of writing. I began to understand why certain strategies and techniques were chosen by authors to convey their point and persuade their audience. Persuasion was a major topic in this class as it is an important factor to have in all writing pieces since it allows the reader to believe you.                                                                                                    
I know many students this year have experienced the same problems and opinions as me. Everyone had some sort of struggle or difficulty through this course, but it has only made us better writers than we were before. Next year, students will be going through the same thing. The most important thing is to never stop trying. Improvement in writing, especially in this class, comes with a lot of practice and patience since one needs to understand their problems or flaws in their writing to improve. Improvement comes after a long period of time.        
                                                                                                                        
My perspective has completely changed after this year. I know I coming out this year as an effective writer. I feel much more confident in the future as a student. This class has not only helped in my future performance in other English classes, but in all subject matters in school and later on in life. Without the skill of writing well and with ease, it is hard for anyone to understand your ideas and thoughts professionally. I am much more confident in my writing and comprehension skills now than I was throughout the course of this year thanks to Ms. Fogarty. I have changed my outlook on English due to the teaching style of Ms. Fogarty.