Reminiscing and Reflecting

About a year ago I was cruising along the deep blue sea on the great Titanic, aka my inflated perception of my writing abilities. It was all fun and games on the Titanic until the iceberg that was junior year approached. Controlling the reins of my own essay without the aid of a rubric or generic formula was too much for me, I trembled at the thought of such great power (I struggle not to include "and along with it great responsibilities," but let's put that cliche away for a bit.) Of course, academic rigor had no regard for my worries and pushed me off the plank into the seas, who mercilessly threw me around. Sharks crowded around me, awaiting my blood to taste, signaling that it was time to devour me. It seemed as it everything had come to an end...

Eventually I learned to tread, wishing for some life boat to save me. It was hard, as wave after wave of timed writings plunged me back into the cold waters. By the time I finally acknowledged that no life boat would come, the waters, seemingly gray and filled with terrors became calmer; while not the cerulean blue I would have sometimes preferred, it wasn't the terrifying but fascinating challenge that was AP Lang. I found my strengths and how to utilize them best (shout out to Dimmesdale, who's mental torture I continuously use in argument essays, whether it be in AP Lang or the SAT) through the timed writings, as I began to found what worked and what was really just a hot mess. This isn't a repeat of my Titanic experience in the beginning of my junior year; I still realize I have a lot to go in terms of crafting my arguments stylistically.  After all, you can never stop learning :D (too cheesy?)

If I had a near death experience and AP Lang flashed before my eyes (now, if that was the most significant thing in my life to rememeber...), I would most remember the big video projects we had to do. Both the Crucible and the satire videos were both fun to make and watch (and rewatch, as most of them are on Facebook and Youtube!) and helped solidify the themes of the Crucible and the nuances of satires. The Socrates seminars were also thought provoking and helpful, as we slowly had to stop leaning on the teacher for support and lean to stand for ourselves. Not many were done this year, and it would be nice if more could be done for next year's classes so that a healthy discussion could come from the students!

All in all, AP Lang was great in not only helping me mature as a writer, but also creating memories that stand out in my high school career. I HOPE WESLEYAN IS THIS FUN MS. ZAVITZ :(