Spring break is now over, and all I have to show for my time spent at home, is a seventeen page AP English poet paper.
Saturday, the first day of break, Sean and I just sat on the couch and watched t.v. all day. Five o'clock rolled around, and we hadn't moved at all. I turned to Sean and said, "Okay, so after today, we can't do this anymore because mom has to work downstairs and listen to the t.v. and dad's going to get mad that we did nothing but watch t.v. all day. We're going to have to find something to do, because we can't have another day like this." Sunday comes around, and I found something to do (I think, I don't really remember?). Sean just moved to the basement. Monday, I had my streak re-done, and Tuesday I spent all day reading books (of my choice) and by the end of Tuesday, I was starting my fifth. Sean was still in the basement either playing videogames, watching t.v. or on the computer.
Then it was Wednesday. I have a runny nose and an itchy throat. "Its probably just allergies" my mom says. So I take my allergy medicine and ahh, temporary relief. On this day I planned on starting my poet paper. 10-12 pages in writing, not including a works cited and an appendix. My initial thought for this paper was to type single-spaced so that I only really had to write five or six pages. I was able to get page one done, and then Chelsea wanted to go run. Unfortunately, my sneakers are in my gym locker at the school. So instead, we play Frisbee, volleyball, some football and then go for a walk. After that it was time for work. When I come home, I'm not in the mood to write, so I shower and go to bed. Now its Thursday, and I take Sean out of the house to go buy James Cameron's Avatar. OHMIGOD, one of my favorite movies ever. We watched that Thursday night and it was still AMAZING. Mrs. Agar has already requested to borrow it. :) Friday, Saturday and Sunday all passed in the same fashion; me sitting at the computer, staring at the screen waiting for words to appear in my head so I could type them out, thus creating my poet paper.
This paper of mine, requires an appendix, and a works cited page. These are separate from my paper, and aren't included in the number of pages needed. My works cited was almost three pages of sources, and my appendix was four pages. All together, my paper was seventeen pages. Ten of which (I think) are solid pages full of interesting and relevant information. The extra bonus? I handed it in on time. WOO HOO. So proud of myself. So the next week was going over Native Son, and preparing for APs.
I have (now had) only one AP exam. English Literature and Composition. Now, if you ask me, the only was to really "study" for english is to remember everything you ever learned in your high school english career. Me, I had burned my English materials every year previously (excluding last year because I actually enjoyed Mrs. Borrelli's class). So, in a matter of speaking, I thought I was screwed. Not a very positive vibe going on huh? According to my teacher however, the best way to study is to practice, practice, practice. My class was giving multiple choice questions (or packets) and essay questions with the answer keys to the multiple choice, and writing examples from previous students for the essays. Now that's all fine and dandy, but how is practicing multiple choice going to help me on the exam? All the questions are different, and most of the time, I only got about half of them right (sometimes a little less). The essays, well, there was no way I could practice writing and be able to write better, or faster during the test. I'm a slow writer, just like when I draw, I take a little longer to make sure my details are correct and it doesn't look or seem like I rushed.
Today, I took the AP English exam. I started out fine but towards the end of the first hour designated for the multiple choice, I was in a bunch. Turns out I had been timing myself for four multiple choice sections, when there were really five. OOPS. So during the last 15- 20 minutes, I tried to get as much done as possible. Time ran out, and I had six multiple choice questions left. (OH NO.) So at this point I'm freaking out a little bit because if I can't even finish the multiple choice, there's no way I'm going to be able to write three good essays in two hours (that's forty minutes per essay for those of you who don't do math.) Now, writing in general makes me upset. I don't like to write when I'm only given what's in my head (from memory) or a short paragraph on the history of something, or a quote to base an entire essay off of. It's not fun. I don't enjoy it. I'm the kind of person that sits around doing nothing, waiting for an idea to START a paper in my head, before I can actually write anything.
Its a good thing I knew what I was doing for these essays because I had them all set up before I was done reading the excerpts. So I think I did okay... hopefully I'll pass. I didn't cry like I thought I was going to. I was so proud of myself. :D
And now, APs are over (for me anyways), I have my statistics exam at the end of the month, and the only exam I have left to take is the Regents Physics exam on the second week of finals at the end of June! Whoopee! So here I am, all the stress from English gone, and the stress of finishing all my art projects is going to hit me in a week or two... I should probably get to it.
Hahahahahaha, I'm so giddy from finishing this exam, and THIS NEW AMAZING LAPTOP THAT MY MOMMA JUST BOUGHT! its pretty sweet :)
This paper of mine, requires an appendix, and a works cited page. These are separate from my paper, and aren't included in the number of pages needed. My works cited was almost three pages of sources, and my appendix was four pages. All together, my paper was seventeen pages. Ten of which (I think) are solid pages full of interesting and relevant information. The extra bonus? I handed it in on time. WOO HOO. So proud of myself. So the next week was going over Native Son, and preparing for APs.
I have (now had) only one AP exam. English Literature and Composition. Now, if you ask me, the only was to really "study" for english is to remember everything you ever learned in your high school english career. Me, I had burned my English materials every year previously (excluding last year because I actually enjoyed Mrs. Borrelli's class). So, in a matter of speaking, I thought I was screwed. Not a very positive vibe going on huh? According to my teacher however, the best way to study is to practice, practice, practice. My class was giving multiple choice questions (or packets) and essay questions with the answer keys to the multiple choice, and writing examples from previous students for the essays. Now that's all fine and dandy, but how is practicing multiple choice going to help me on the exam? All the questions are different, and most of the time, I only got about half of them right (sometimes a little less). The essays, well, there was no way I could practice writing and be able to write better, or faster during the test. I'm a slow writer, just like when I draw, I take a little longer to make sure my details are correct and it doesn't look or seem like I rushed.
Today, I took the AP English exam. I started out fine but towards the end of the first hour designated for the multiple choice, I was in a bunch. Turns out I had been timing myself for four multiple choice sections, when there were really five. OOPS. So during the last 15- 20 minutes, I tried to get as much done as possible. Time ran out, and I had six multiple choice questions left. (OH NO.) So at this point I'm freaking out a little bit because if I can't even finish the multiple choice, there's no way I'm going to be able to write three good essays in two hours (that's forty minutes per essay for those of you who don't do math.) Now, writing in general makes me upset. I don't like to write when I'm only given what's in my head (from memory) or a short paragraph on the history of something, or a quote to base an entire essay off of. It's not fun. I don't enjoy it. I'm the kind of person that sits around doing nothing, waiting for an idea to START a paper in my head, before I can actually write anything.
Its a good thing I knew what I was doing for these essays because I had them all set up before I was done reading the excerpts. So I think I did okay... hopefully I'll pass. I didn't cry like I thought I was going to. I was so proud of myself. :D
And now, APs are over (for me anyways), I have my statistics exam at the end of the month, and the only exam I have left to take is the Regents Physics exam on the second week of finals at the end of June! Whoopee! So here I am, all the stress from English gone, and the stress of finishing all my art projects is going to hit me in a week or two... I should probably get to it.
Hahahahahaha, I'm so giddy from finishing this exam, and THIS NEW AMAZING LAPTOP THAT MY MOMMA JUST BOUGHT! its pretty sweet :)
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