One, Two, Three

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

--Ben Sweetland

I use this quote because I view these tests not as destinations, but as journeys....
Today, I registered for not one, not two, but THREE AP Exams that I'll be taking in just one short month. First of all, It's amazing to think about how quick this year has come along to its culmination and it's weird to think that just eight short months ago I was beginning my junior year of high school. But perhaps the scariest thing is that next year I will be a senior in high school and thinking about what college I plan to attend. But let's not dwell upon the scary things, instead I'll focus on three main things: Ap Language Exam, AP Psychology Exam, and AP US History Exam.

First and foremost, I'll discuss my feelings about taking AP Lang. exam since blogging principally deals with this class. Over the year, we've learned a vast amount about composition of language. We've discussed things like: tone, syntax, and semantics. We've read several essays and composures by authors from the past and authors of the present and we've discussed the meanings, the purpose, the views, the arguments, the persuasion, comprehension, basically everything you need to know AND MORE about essays and reading in general. We've written a couple essays, done a couple projects, and written alot of notebook entries. Overall, I think I've benefited from this class and formed reading habits essential for college level classes I'll be in next year. The exam, however, brings me a little grief considering I've either failed or almost failed all of the in class essays we've taken, and failed or almost failed all the multiple choice questions we've taken. I plan on practing these a bit more by finding a copy of an old test online and perhaps going to Barnes & Noble and getting what's called a "POWERPACK". I get this almost every year for the exam I plan on taking and it includes: two full length tests, study plan, large timeline, and 2,000 flashcards going over terms and concepts of the class. They are usually very beneficial to me and I learn alot by using these so hopefully, fingers crossed, if I can buckle down and begin studying up on my terms, practicing essays, and reading a bit more for the reading comprehension section, I should be okay.

AP Psychology is probably the class I'm least worried about because the terms and concepts are relatively easy. My one issue is the chapter dealing with brain anatomy, because it's hard to remember everything and where things are in the brain, what the systems are, their functions, everything. That's why I found a diagram online that I printed out and have been studying. I also have a PowerPack for this class, have taken a couple practice exams, and this is the one book that I have actually read. I understand alot of the stuff, because it relates to me or is easy to relate to and therefore, this class brings me no worries.

AP U.S. History. There's much to say on this class. The past two years, I took AP history classes also, and recieved twos on the exams. History has never been a super easy subjet for me, but I figure there's nothing to figure out. It's just alot of memorization and grouping and what not. Plus, this year I was blessed to have Mr. Benedict as my teacher. While a funny guy, he knows when to get down to business. He gives us plenty of extra credit opportunities, he makes us keep up on study guides, lets us watch movies, and lectures in a fun and effective way. This year, I feel as though I finally have a chance on this exam because there's less material and more of it that I've learned. I've been preparing for this by reading this large packet that Benedict gave us, have been taking practice tests online, and attempting to go over my study guides.

All in all, it's going to be a long month I'm well aware. It's going to involve a lot of hard work and studying on my part, alot of Friday and Saturday nights home (okay, maybe just a few), and a lot alot alot alot ALOT of reviewing. I just have to keep at it and keep my goals in mind for the future. I think I can pass all these exams if I put my mind to it. In fact, I know I can!