HOW TO: SURVIVE AP LIT
The first thing kids say when they hear that I’ll be taking AP Literature in the fall is “Oh my God, Janelle Nickerson” or “Why would you do that to yourself?!” or my personal favorite, “Have you seen the book list?!” I was a little hesitant at first to take the class because I knew how difficult it was going to be. However, as a junior, I took AP U.S. History, which taught me three basic things on any AP class:
1. Manage your time wisely. Kids always hear that from teachers and by the time they leave high school, some kids get it and some just don’t. But for an AP class, time management is key because chances are, AP isn’t the only thing you have going on in your life. Set a certain amount of time to do your AP homework every night without distractions and make sure you are actually absorbing the information. If you read it and can’t repeat anything back about what you just read or cannot analyze it, read it again until you get it. It sounds tedious, but I promise it will pay off when AP exams come around in May.
2. KEEP UP WITH THE READING. AP means Advanced Placement, meaning it is an honor to be allowed to take such a class; hence the alternative name, “honors course.” Don’t slack off. I always hated getting stuck with kids my teacher thought were smart and then they say, “uh, yeah you’re going to have to explain that to me” or “I didn’t have time to read.” You know what I do? I look that those kids and say “I’m not your mother. This is AP and if you can’t handle it drop it because you’re bringing me down.” Yeah, it’s harsh and you’re more than likely not going want to say it, especially to your friends. But you will be the one tasting sweet victory after the AP score come to your house in July and you have scored a 3, 4, or 5.
3. SAVE EVERYTHING!! Every essay, every outline, all of your notes, all the activities, save them. They make fantastic study review materials for the final and the AP exam.
I realize I’m supposed to be teaching your poor saps how to survive AP Lit, not just any old AP class. However, I’m enrolled for the class in the fall; I haven’t taken it yet. But if you have those three tips handled, AP Lit is going to be a cinch. First, purchase (or borrow) Thomas Foster’s "How to Read Literature like a Professor." It explains everything from allegories to symbols, how to detect things, why literature isn’t always what it seems. It was my life preserver in the treacherous seas of annotating an AP Lit book. I also learned things that will help me on the AP test in May and have referred back to it; even in contemporary books that I read for fun. I’m serious. You wouldn’t go to a foreign language class without your dictionary, so invest the ten bucks it costs and you will have a friend for life.
Now, at my high school, we are given summer reading and if you are actually taking AP, you more than likely have summer reading as well. We got three books to read, given in the middle of May and many kids who take this class, their first thoughts were “great, summer reading. Way to suck the fun out of everything.” Tip two to take the edge of AP Lit: DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Begin reading RIGHT AWAY. We were given a rubric and two books that we had to read and annotate. As I’d said before, we were also given Thomas Foster’s "How to Read Literature like a Professor" and had to blog the things we learned as an internet book discussion. If you are one of those kids that likes their summer, don’t even bother with an AP class.
Tip three: Go to Google right now. Type in “books used on AP lit exam” Click on the link titled “The Mother of All Lists” and scroll all they way; A-Z and don’t forget about the Shakespearian plays. Then, count how many things you’ve read off of there and calculate how many days until the AP Lit exam. If you’ve only read about five or six, you’re already behind. When I knew I was going to take AP Lit for sure, I found the book list in January and did the same thing. I had about six if I remember correctly. I then began checking out the most frequently and recently used books on the exam and reading them; attempting a book and half a week. I’m now up to 17. There are 284 books on the list total.
Since I haven’t taken the test yet, I can’t really tell you how to study for it. The best advice I have is be careful. Take your time and read the questions as carefully as you would any other AP exam because the College Board is out to trick you and screw you out of earning extra cash and credits for college. It’s not going to be easy. A lot of the times, you’ll probably look at the 500-odd page book your teacher assigns and think “ARE YOU FLIPPIN’ KIDDING ME?!” And the correct answer is “No. No, they are ab-sah-tiv-ly pos-e-loot-ly 100% serious.” You’re in it for the long haul, so check out your local library, Barnes and Nobel, Amazon, Borders, and plunk down in a comfy chair. Happy Reading!
