Dear future APELC students,
When I
first walked into AP English last year, Mr. Yost told us that our grades
wouldn’t be as high as I expected them to be. He told us that some A students
will get B’s, and some B students will get C’s. I must be honest with you when
I say that he didn’t lie. Even though I ended the year with a B, I can tell you
that this class was worth it. Some people may tell you not to take APELC
because it is hard, and trying hard doesn’t always get you the A you want on
your transcript. However, I can tell you that working hard at your writing
every day and through every TOW, will increase your grades and help you write
better in future classes.
Of course
there were times during this course when I was discouraged. When I came in, I
could barely tell you what rhetoric or rhetorical analysis was. There were
times when I had to write about things that I knew nothing about. However, if
you put in the effort and work your way through, you will be able to turn in a
well-written finished product in the end.
When Mr.
Yost tells you to take your TOWs seriously, you should keep that in mind and
heed his advice. If you don’t know what a TOW is at the moment, you are most
likely about to find out. Many of you will start slacking off on your TOWs
after the first few, sometimes off of the advice of past students. Some will
say that they had no point, and aren’t worth anyone’s time. You will find,
however, that these TOWs exist in order to provide vital practice of things
learned in the class. When it comes time to take the AP exam, you will be very
glad that you took the time to obtain such practice and experience.
Don’t be
afraid of Mr. Yost. If you need help as far as how to write something, finding
an idea, or picking out an IRB, Mr. Yost is someone you should go see. Although
some may have told you that he is scary, he is not as scary as you think.
Talking to him about your papers can only improve your grades, as he is the one
who grades them. However, it is also important to remember that it isn’t always
about the immediate result. You may get something back that you wrote and not
be particularly pleased with the grade that you received. However, if you talk
to Mr. Yost and see what you did wrong, you can fix things in your paper and
increase your grade for the next paper. Doing badly on one assignment is truly
not the end of the world. Everyone receives multiple opportunities throughout
each marking period to raise their grade.
Even though
grades are everything, they also aren’t. Yes they may help you get into the school
that you wish to go to, but a B in a class where you learned something looks a
lot better then an A in a class in which you learned nothing. Many of you are
most likely taking more then one AP course, and if that is the case, you are
going to have some work to do this year. Junior year is not as bad as some of
your friends may have told you. If you take it one day at a time, and actually
try to get some sleep, it can be just like any other year.
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