fOREWORD
Ahh the AP Exam. The exact thing you've been dreading since September. The biggest monster in your AP Lit closet. Personally, I chose not to take the AP Exam. But even so, I've learned and gained so much from this unit, from being able to look at complicated reading passages more analytically, to recognizing the more prevalent themes in literature, and even being able to write an well-done (sorta) essay in a short amount of time. To those taking on this challenge, I'm here to offer some knowledge of what I've learned and hopefully make the test less intimidating. Good Luck! :)
The essay1. Use quotes in every body paragraph. The more evidence, the better! With every quote, you are better able to prove your claim and support it. But on the flip side, make sure they're well integrated. They need to blend with the natural rhythm of the paper.
2. It should be 4-6 paragraphs in length, but not the cliche essay structure 3. When writing the introduction, introduce the literature, the author, and give a solid but brief claim. 4. Tie back to the title! Something I always personally forget, referencing the title can help with analysis and pull the essay together. 5. Don't forget that book titles are in italics, or in this case, underlined, and poem titles are "quoted". With essay, line number citations aren't necessary. 6. Revise at for five or so minutes at the end. No one is perfect, so neither is their writing. You might've simply misspelled or word or even forgot to give a claim, but regardless, revising will give you a final chance to perfect your piece. |
First things first; Multiple CHoiceTake a deep breath. Count to ten. You're going to be fine!
1. Read and annotate the questions first! This will give you a basis for things to be paying attention for while reading, and make things a lot easier. 2. Re-read parts if you need to! As frustrating and annoying as it seems, it helps 110%. It's very easy to dose off when reading the longer and more abstract passages (A.K.A. The Exam), so just slowing down and taking your time for comprehension will really improve your score. 3. Cross out wrong answers. With most questions, there are usually one or two obviously wrong answers, so do yourself a favor and just cross those off right away. 4. Trust your gut! You've made it this far, and that has to mean something. Trust your intuition and knowledge and pick the answer you know is right. |
Vocab
Vocabulary has personally never been an extremely strong suit of mine, so here I have a link of vocab words you can use :)
Example of my work
SO.. What Have I learned?
1. You are smarter than you think. It's easy to let one bad test score or a messy paper make you feel bad. But you just need to remember that you're in an AP class for a reason. Go with your gut because it's probably right. Don't let one bad assignment grade affect you.
2. There's always more to learn. More to learn from your classmates, teachers, and friends. The amazing thing about sharing this experience is all the different viewpoints you get. Everyone has a different outlook, so use it to your advantage! Listen to what your peers and teachers have to say. (Yes, even at 7:45 on a Monday).
3. Most things involve symbolism. Nothing ever means what you think it does on the surface, and by looking a little deeper, you reach a whole new level of comprehension. That being said, don't beat a dead horse, and not EVERY last thing in a novel has a majestic, symbolic meaning.
2. There's always more to learn. More to learn from your classmates, teachers, and friends. The amazing thing about sharing this experience is all the different viewpoints you get. Everyone has a different outlook, so use it to your advantage! Listen to what your peers and teachers have to say. (Yes, even at 7:45 on a Monday).
3. Most things involve symbolism. Nothing ever means what you think it does on the surface, and by looking a little deeper, you reach a whole new level of comprehension. That being said, don't beat a dead horse, and not EVERY last thing in a novel has a majestic, symbolic meaning.
Picture Citations: https://memesuper.com/categories/view/e205f4b24e6be360a60339dd819846807c53953b/multiple-choice-meme.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/06/arts/this-is-fine-meme-dog-fire.html?_r=0 https://www.paperhelp.org/?pid=3281
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/06/arts/this-is-fine-meme-dog-fire.html?_r=0 https://www.paperhelp.org/?pid=3281