Dear Future APELC student,
So you have decided to take APELC! Good choice! AP English is a tough course, but by the end of the year you will be super glad that you decided to take it. Over the course of the year you will grow as a reader and a writer. You'll be surprised by the quantity of the things you're writing and the difficult texts that you are able to read and digest. The first few weeks may be tough, and you might not be seeing the As or Bs you're used to, but stick it out, it gets a lot easier as the year goes on!
If there is one thing you should learn to do early on in the year it is to manage your time. You might be used to putting work off until the last minute, but that is definitely a habit you want to kick early with this class, or any AP class really. A lot of times assigned texts to read are several pages long, and difficult to understand. You will probably want to split it up, and pace yourself, reading a little at a time, not it all in one night. You may even need to read things more than once in order to really understand it. Mr. Yost usually puts up assignments way before they are do, and I would definitely recommend working ahead to avoid becoming overwhelmed, especially if you are taking other heavy-reading AP classes, like APUSH. Also when you, make sure to highlight, underline, and add notes. Mr. Yost always says, "There's no such thing as just reading" and also "There is no such thing as just highlighting." Make sure to come prepared for class with your reading materials so you can participate in discussions.
In addition to not leaving reading to the last minute, also defintiely don't leave studying to the last minute either. There are very few opportunities in this class to earn points and boost your grade, so you'll want to take advantage of the opportunities you get. I would recommend always taking notes on class discussions of the text, and then reviewing them before the test. Also before the test, revisit each of the texts on the test and make sure you understand the author's purpose and the rhetorical devices used to achieve that purpose. Also know the main ideas in Language of Composition.
Another piece of advice I would offer would be not to be afraid to ask for help. Mr. Yost and Ms. Pronko always offer to conference with students on their essays to help them improve. Their advice can be very helpful and valuable, so don't hesitate to ask for their help. That being said, try to show up to conferences with specific questions, instead of just being like "How do I make it better?" Also understand that essays usually require several drafts. You don't want to write it the night before, or even two nights before.
Overall, good luck! You'll do great in this course if you put in the time and hard work that it needs!
Sincerely,
Past APELC student
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