Showing posts with label Hardcore AP Exam Prep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hardcore AP Exam Prep. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
April 25 Journal Entry
So, today after school I looked through some essay prompts and wrote two different essays to practice for the exam. It's what I struggle with the most- writing essays under pressure. One thing I did find is that I do much better if I take the time to do a pre-write before writing the essay. I never took the time to do one before because I was already stressed about having the time to write the essay on it's own. But, I took five minutes for the prewrite, and it helped me gather my thoughts, stay on topic, and I was able to get my ideas into the essay way quicker. I'm just starting to get better at writing essays of decent length in a specific amount of time, and now I need to work on writing quality essays, and to do that, I need to get out of the habit of just giving plot summaries. They warn you at the end of every prompt to avoid plot-summary, but I never seem to be able to provide enough textual evidence or examples of literary techniques in my essays. Personally, I think my inability to do that comes from my inability to analyze a piece of literature to begin with. I've never been good at it, and I'm not sure how to get better at it. -.-'
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Open Essay Prompts Applicable to Macbeth.
- 1973
- An effective literarywork does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require to the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay discuss the end of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
- 1979
- Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might, on the basis of the character's actions alone, be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
- 1995
- Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a play or novel in which such a character plays a significant role, and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions and moral values.
Monday, April 23, 2012
AP Exam Study Plan
Step 1) Memorize all lit terms by the end of this week.
Step 2) Do some practice essays over the weekend.
Step 3) Use next week to re-memorize vocab from last semester and take some practice tests.
Step 4) Use next weekend to practice analyzing poetry.
Hopefully, if I keep to this schedule, I'll be ready in perfect time for the big test.
Step 2) Do some practice essays over the weekend.
Step 3) Use next week to re-memorize vocab from last semester and take some practice tests.
Step 4) Use next weekend to practice analyzing poetry.
Hopefully, if I keep to this schedule, I'll be ready in perfect time for the big test.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Reflecting on Today's Micro-AP Exam
I have to say that nothing about today's exam was easy or expected. I was feeling slightly optomistic about starting the two-part exam with a multiple choice section. What I wasn't expecting was a switch-a-roo and starting with the three fifteen-minute short essays instead. I find that I struggle most with timed essays. One forty minute essay is difficult enough for me. My three essays ended up as three big paragraphs, one for each.
The three questions were clearly different, but after rereading my answers with what little time I had left, I thought all of my answers were very similar. I don't know if that's because of the wording of the questions or because of the way I understood each question. (I'm thinking it was most likely ME). I tend to panic under pressure and doubt myself and become discouraged, (I know, I'm a repeat offender of the Ten Commandments) and that has a negative affect on my work. As painful as this was, though, I'm glad for the experience. I can customize a plan for myself that will help me improve on my weaknesses with essays. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect", and I fully intend on challenging myself with more practice essays until, hopefully, a forty minute essay will seem like a breeze.
The three questions were clearly different, but after rereading my answers with what little time I had left, I thought all of my answers were very similar. I don't know if that's because of the wording of the questions or because of the way I understood each question. (I'm thinking it was most likely ME). I tend to panic under pressure and doubt myself and become discouraged, (I know, I'm a repeat offender of the Ten Commandments) and that has a negative affect on my work. As painful as this was, though, I'm glad for the experience. I can customize a plan for myself that will help me improve on my weaknesses with essays. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect", and I fully intend on challenging myself with more practice essays until, hopefully, a forty minute essay will seem like a breeze.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Practice AP Essay Prompts
I've always been terrible at writing timed essays. So, I found two sources with practice essay prompts that I'm totally going to take advantage of. =D
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/samp.html?englit
http://sb169.k12.sd.us/Prompt%20list%20for%20IR%20with%20AP.htm
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lit/samp.html?englit
http://sb169.k12.sd.us/Prompt%20list%20for%20IR%20with%20AP.htm
10 Commandments of AP Literature and Composition
Thank you Dr. Preston for finding these and posting them to the blog. These were very helpful to me and my anxiety issues with the AP exam, so I'm stealing these and putting them on my blog for easier/quicker access. =P
*Written by AP Lit and Comp teacher Martin Beller*
1. I am the Prompt, thy Prompt; thou shalt have no other Prompt before me. Thou shalt read the Prompt with rapt attention; the Prompt is thy friend. Thou shalt address the Prompt. Thou shalt not just get the general idea of the Prompt, nor shalt thou fight the Prompt or substitute thine own ideas for the Prompt.
2. Thou shalt not postpone, omit or bury thy Thesis Statement.
3. Thou shalt not commit plot-summary, nor shalt thou cohabit with Reading Comprehension, for it is an abomination in my sight.
4. Thou shalt not commit free-floating generalization, but shall support and develop thy every assertion.
5. Thou shalt not confuse complexity with confusion, or subtlety with
indecisiveness; thou shalt not attribute thine own insensitivity or ignorance to authorial ineptitude. The fact that thou gettest not the point doesn't mean that the passage hath no point: thou hast missed the point. Deal with it.
6. Thou shalt read every Multiple Choice question with the same exquisite care that thou devotest to the essay Prompt: thou shalt not 'get the drift.' By the same token, thou shalt strive to read what the writer actually wrote, not what thou expectest him or her to have written.
7. Thou shalt not finish early. Thou shalt spend plenty of thy time planning thine essay responses and reading them over.
8. Thou shalt guess when thou knowest not the answers.
9. Thou shalt not merely identify literary, rhetorical and stylistic devices, but shalt show how they function.
10. Thou shalt never permit thyself to become discouraged: I am the prompt, thy Prompt. Thou shalt maintain thy focus, attention and confidence. Yea, though thou hast totally screwed up thy last essay, this next essay maketh a fresh start.
*Written by AP Lit and Comp teacher Martin Beller*
1. I am the Prompt, thy Prompt; thou shalt have no other Prompt before me. Thou shalt read the Prompt with rapt attention; the Prompt is thy friend. Thou shalt address the Prompt. Thou shalt not just get the general idea of the Prompt, nor shalt thou fight the Prompt or substitute thine own ideas for the Prompt.
2. Thou shalt not postpone, omit or bury thy Thesis Statement.
3. Thou shalt not commit plot-summary, nor shalt thou cohabit with Reading Comprehension, for it is an abomination in my sight.
4. Thou shalt not commit free-floating generalization, but shall support and develop thy every assertion.
5. Thou shalt not confuse complexity with confusion, or subtlety with
indecisiveness; thou shalt not attribute thine own insensitivity or ignorance to authorial ineptitude. The fact that thou gettest not the point doesn't mean that the passage hath no point: thou hast missed the point. Deal with it.
6. Thou shalt read every Multiple Choice question with the same exquisite care that thou devotest to the essay Prompt: thou shalt not 'get the drift.' By the same token, thou shalt strive to read what the writer actually wrote, not what thou expectest him or her to have written.
7. Thou shalt not finish early. Thou shalt spend plenty of thy time planning thine essay responses and reading them over.
8. Thou shalt guess when thou knowest not the answers.
9. Thou shalt not merely identify literary, rhetorical and stylistic devices, but shalt show how they function.
10. Thou shalt never permit thyself to become discouraged: I am the prompt, thy Prompt. Thou shalt maintain thy focus, attention and confidence. Yea, though thou hast totally screwed up thy last essay, this next essay maketh a fresh start.
Friday, February 3, 2012
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