Last spring, Jodi G. from Saugus High School sent us an insightful list of AP® English Literature tips her graduating class of 2014 students compiled for her future students. We thought we’d share this wonderful resource. Thanks Jodi for sending this over!
Dear Incoming Apers,
I’d like to begin by congratulating you for your initiative. You, unlike many of your peers, have chosen to take a challenging AP® English Literature Course during your senior year. You deserve a pat on the back. I’m sure you have plans to attend college next year – this class will serve to help you get accepted and to be more compatible with the college level of writing and reading. My one piece of advice would be…
Seriously, the entire AP® English Literature class boils down to two things: reading and writing. The more books you read, the more options you have.
Don’t fall victim to senioritis. Keep up with your work – don’t get lazy. Actually read all assigned works. Cramming a 300 page novel into one night is really not doable – I know, I tried!
Always do the work. At this moment I am filling out a survey on all the work we did this year and I realize that if I had actually done all of it I would have learned a lot this year!?!?
I actually enjoyed the work we read this year – it addressed many universal themes.
Don’t despair. Ms. G makes drab lectures funny with her cheery attitude and “wacky” expressions like “clillax” and “You’re freaking me out!”
The material is pretty interesting and is different from the writing you learned in 11th grade. I was surprised how different this level was from what we learned in AP® Lang.
Pay attention – detail is important. Appreciate all the great novels and poems we get to read.
I enjoyed being able to easily chat about the interesting works.
I was surprised that we seemed to have random conversation that didn’t touch on the literature, but they always came back to the topic or theme and helped us learn.
The amount of material we covered snuck up on me. It goes so fast, it doesn’t seem like we are covering it all.
I like the open environment where I never feel like I am being pressured to change my opinion.
Know a few books very, very well. You will need it for that open-ended essay.
It is really important to know a great variety of literary terms. It is very similar to AP® Lang, but a ton more poetry.
Get plenty of sleep and take care of yourself. Talk to Ms. G about problems – she is here to help you succeed.
She is really helpful! Trust her – she knows 99.9% what she is doing. Be thankful for her “reprieves”. She will get you there.
Approach Socratic seminars with a positive attitude. Don’t be afraid to talk and participate. Most of the time, there are no wrong answers. (Even with her read-my-mind questions!)
To prepare for the test – I suggest that you show up for the after school and weekend session and do a full-length timed test. It helps a lot!
Gradewise… the essays are very important…40% of the grade. So do them!
Having a positive attitude and trying hard are the key to succeeding throughout the year.
The novels that we read – particularly The Kite Runner — were very helpful.
She has good things to say – so listen. Pay attention to the essays because they are good practice for the exam.
The projects are fun. With the author project, pick your favorite author and actually read the books this time, because you will definitely use it on the exam.
Learn to annotate really well. If it is the one thing you learn – learn it well.
You could end up BSing the day-to-day assignments, but the kids who did regretted it because they didn’t feel prepared when the test rolled around. This isn’t the type of class where someone if going to be on top of you constantly checking …be self motivated, have an open mind and strive to stay organized an you will succeed.
Remember to outline before you start writing. Anyone can write a bland essay structure, but the readers want personal flare. Don’t be afraid to leave the rigid structures and write. Don’t freak out…it’s just English.
Stick it out! – once you have completed the AP® Test at the end of the year it will all have been worth it.
Prepare yourself for a “wacky” year – you will find that phrase very funny later.) This is an AP® class like no other!
Oh, and after all that, enjoy your senior year. We all did.
Good luck,
The APers of the Graduating Class of 2014
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