Helpful Hints

Now that the first quarter is over, I’m sure everyone is either very relieved or very anxious about how it went. As I’ve mentioned, within the last month or so, your test scores are starting to split into two distinct groups: those who are showing obvious improvement, and those who are stagnating.

If you feel you’re not improving, here are some ideas that may help you boost your scores in the coming months...

1. Get a prep book! Use it! Regularly. I don’t make this a “requirement” for the class, since there’s no way I can enforce it without wasting a lot of time playing cop, but it’s quite clear who has--and who has not--been taking additional practice tests on their own. The strongest students in previous years are the ones who prepare for the in-class tests by taking a test at home the night before. It’s a good idea, even if it’s not an assignment.

If a prep book is not available to you, there are many websites that offer bits and pieces of AP prep materials. Google books has a few, as well. There’s no reason you can’t find stuff if you try. Be proactive. Success is your responsibility, not mine.

2. Study the list of literary terms. The one I posted is not necessarily the best one, it’s just what was available online. There should be a list in every prep book, too. Knowing these terms is a key part of building a vocabulary with which you can intelligently discuss any literary work.

3. Know how to scan a poem. I’ve posted a website on the blog that discusses this in detail, but again, a prep book should also cover this basic skill (you can also google “scan a poem” and TONS of sites pop up). It is useful on both the MC poetry passages and the poetry essay prompt.

4. Do the assigned readings ON TIME! I can tell that a fair number of you aren’t staying caught up on the readings. You tend to be completely quiet and avoid eye-contact during lectures. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the same students who sheepishly avoid looking at me and never have anything to say are often also the ones who score low on tests. Cause and effect, people...it’s simple.

The readings aren’t capriciously assigned. I chose these texts for very specific reasons, and I genuinely believe they will help you do well on the AP test. If you don’t read them BEFORE the assigned dates, then you are simply not getting everything you can from the lectures because I am going on the assumption that you’ve done the reading.

5. Refer to the blog regularly. Subscribe to it if you can (it may require a Gmail account...I like Gmail in general, it works. And no, I don’t get a kickback from Google). I post a lot of information on the blog, if you don’t bother keeping up with it, it’s like being absent from class. Because our time is so tight, I use the blog to disseminate materials and review administrative details. It is an INTEGRAL part of the class, you cannot afford to ignore it.

6. If your exam scores are stagnating, work extra hard to boost your grade on the essays and vocabulary tests. Honestly, folks--and I hope I’m not being mean here--not everyone came into the class with the same skill levels or prior knowledge. Some students are simply less well prepared than others for the challenge of rigorous AP-level critical reading. But that doesn’t mean those students are weaker writers, or less capable in vocabulary development. If you feel that you’re in over your head on the practice tests, apply your energies towards doing your absolute BEST on the other elements of the class. They will carry you through even if you continue to struggle with the exams.