First Marking Period Portfolio

What I've Learned So Far
AP English has been a very educational experience for me, starting with the summer assignments. Reading Foster's How to Read Literature like a Professor, parts of the Bible, and Hamilton's Mythology, I learned to analyze literature and pretty much any other work that I read in a whole new way.

When Ms. Holmes told the class near the beginning of the year that we were going to start out with analyzing poetry, I was terrified. I used to love reading poems as a chid, and in class, I learned why: it is literature so condensed that it says so much more than literature can ever say. Yet somehow, as I grew up, I lost touch with my penchant for poetry, and AP English has helped me find it again. When we first read The Eagle by Lord Tennyson in class on the first day we started the poetry unit, I felt lost. I didn't understand why The Eagle said so much more than a description of a eagle, and I had no clue about the poetic devices and thought that went into such a poem. As the year progressed, and we learned more and more about the devices and the care that poets put into poems, and we read more and more poems, I finally felt like I understood. I still enjoy reading novels over poetry, but I feel like I understand poetry now. In fact, the other day, I went out and bought a collection of famous poetry, hoping that when I'm bored, I would go through and familiarize myself with them. Now, I feel like I can finally appreciate poetry.

But so far in this first marking period, poetry isn't the only thing that we have learned. I have also gained invaluable knowledge about diction, figurative language, rhetoric, arguments, syntax, and just ways to write better in general. I learned not only about how these things apply in poetry, but also in other mediums of communication, such as essays as well.

I feel like so far, by taking this class, I have learned how to not only analyze and understand a form of communication (poetry) that I was not very familiar with, but I also gained a glimpse of what writing is like beyond the high school level.

My Areas of Strength As an AP Lit Student
I think my strength as an AP Lit student mostly lies in the fact that I have taken AP classes in the past, some of which have prepared me quite well for AP Lit. I know how to manage my time (sometimes), and get work done when I need to. I can plan and write long and well-developed argumentative essays under time restraints (thanks to AP World History and AP U.S. History). I think another strength for me as an AP Lit student is that I have taken both American Literature and British Literature in the past, and I am an avid reader. As a result, I find that I kind of have a feel for literature, and I have analyzed many works of literature in depth in previous years. For example, when we had a test on writing a practice AP Lit essay, the prompt was on "The Chimney Sweepers", both of which I had analyzed extensively last year in British Literature. Furthermore, we are reading Oedipus by Sophocles in class right now, and I've already read the play two years ago.

My Areas of Weakness As an AP Lit Student
I think my areas of weakness as an AP Lit student mostly lies in the fact that English is not my first language, and English is 5th hour for me. I almost always get my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hour homewok done. I don't have homework 4th hour, and my 5th and 6th hour homework gets done only when I have time (which isn't often), and when it's absolutely necessary (like right now, this blog is due in 88 minutes). Moreover, I'm not really familiar with a lot of the technology that is used in AP English, and it has taken me quite some time to adjust. In addition, I have a lot of trouble with AP English vocab and grammar. When writing, I use what grammar I think "feels right" because after all the novels and literature that I've read, I mostly know what proper English is like. Although sometimes, when I mess up, I don't have a firm enough command of the English language to catch my mistakes. Furthermore, I think my literary arguments in English papers, though to me, seems perfectly justified, to the teacher, often doens't make a lot of sense. Finally, I think when I read, I have to get really into what I'm reading to understand what I'm reading, so I read a lot slower than most people.

What I'm Thinking about Reading and Writing in College
I know that in college, reading and writing will probably be a huge part of my experience. This is because no matter which major I end up going into, or which classes I take, I will most likely always have to write some sort of paper, which I always imagined as kind of long. And if I end up plagerizing anything, whether intentionally or accidentally, then I'm screwed. As a result, I feel very nervous and not at all prepared to not accidentally plagerize anyone. Moreover, I'm nervous about my inability to write persuasive term papers.

My Goals for the Upcoming Marking Period
In the upcoming marking period, I hope to be able to stay on top of my AP English homework, instead of falling behind like I am now. I hope to be able to learn how to become a better writer, and I hope to be able to read faster and comprehend what I read easier. And most of all, I hope to be able to formulate good points/arguments and improve my vocabulary. To achieve these ends, I will work harder to come up with a study schedule, work harder when writing essays, read more varied sources, and study English flashcards.