6. Pretzels 2025

(Source: https://www.amazon.com/AP-English-Language-Composition-Dummies/dp/0470386401 ) This past year of APENG 6th period has definitely been an interesting experience, with many highs and lows and times in between. When I first came to this class on my first day at American High School, I literally did not know a single person and felt overwhelmed by new peers, new teachers, and more. Mrs. Smith was really nice at getting myself situated even though I fell behind during the first few weeks of school. Originally, I was intimidated by the fast paced nature of APENG with us constantly writing timed essays and having loads of projects and assignments. I was seriously considering dropping the class and switching to normal non-AP English. However, I stuck through with it, and I can definitely say I do not regret that decision. I’ve learned so much this year about argument writing and rhetorical analysis that I feel I am a completely new person when it comes to interpreting texts. Whenever ...

  In Korea, there is a well-known saying that 추억은 미화된다, which translates to “ memories are beautified .” This phrase means that regardless of how tired or sad you were at a certain moment, recalling those past experiences at a later time often rewrites the memory as a pleasant experience.  I believe that this beautification of memory is true because whenever I reflect back on past stressful events, it never seems as bad as it first felt in that moment. No matter how hard I try to remember, I really cannot remember any distinct “bad memories” from the earlier years of my life. But interestingly, what I do remember is all the happy moments—the fun times I spent laughing with my friends, the warm times I spent with my family, and the goals I achieved after months of preparation.  And I am really glad that one day, I will be able to look back on the hard times from this AP Lang class and remember mostly the not-too-horrifying parts of it, such as Mrs. Smith’s Friday hairs and...

I’m confident that I will remember this class for the rest of my life. I’ve never once been in a class that is so prevalent in my life or that takes up so much headspace. It’s like everywhere I go I see APENG. I’m eating Malatown with some friends—this is like a socratic seminar! I’m walking through Westfield Valley Fair—let’s analyze the advertisements! It’s not even a conscious effort for me to make connections to APENG. It just happens. And the desperation I felt for this class can not be paralleled with any other experience I’ve ever had. Prior to winter break, when first semester grades were almost being finalized, I used to add in every single assignment that I remember doing in class as a “what-if assignment” on Aeries to predict my final grade. I also rolled around on the staircase for like 45 minutes once just thinking about APENG (it was not particularly enjoyable). This class has forced me to be the most diligent person I can ever be. What even is a late assignment in APENG?...

Seven words were spoken that stuck in my mind, etched onto the very folds of my brain. “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Mitochondria Is the Powerhouse of the Cell. Courtesy of the Brackenridge Research Fellowship from the University of Pittsburg And years later, I still remember it. Word for word. But why don’t I remember Darwin’s theories of evolution word for word? Why don’t I remember the formula for the Simpson’s Diversity Index? Why is it that—try as I might—I can’t memorize “domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species” with Mr. Baker’s fun mnemonic of “Dear King Phillip came over for green spaghetti”? UC Davis neuroscientist Professor Charan Ranganath believes that humans have a tendency to remember more useful or rewarding things, noting that “‘Rewards help you remember things, because you want future rewards’” ( Fell ). He tested this hypothesis with postdoctoral researcher Matthias Gruber by testing volunteers’ memory when they were offered a la...

          It’s funny how I complain about how long the days are, but end up wondering why this school year went by so fast. I thought I would be burnt out and ready to delete every Google Doc I’ve ever written by the end of this year, but instead, I feel more reflective. It’s like this class managed to wedge itself into my memory in a good way without me noticing.  When we first started, I dreaded the ANNOTATIONS. I’ve used up over 20 pens this school year (maybe I lost a few as well, I don’t know where they all went 😭). These blogs were a bit tiring to think of ideas to write, but once I had an idea, I think I’ve enjoyed writing them. I was forced to stop and think about language, identity, America, power, and last but not least, me. I feel like I learned a lot about myself as well as about you all during our time together in our blog cohorts. POAS. Where do I even begin? It was at first just going to be another research project. Just a present...

“Hello, what would you like to order?” “May I get a happy meal please?” “Yes, that’ll be a total of $7.68.” A McDonald's Happy Meal Getting a Happy Meal wasn’t about the mystery toy or the oddly familiar cardboard box with a yellow “M” handle. It was the slightly dry chicken nuggets, the oddly flavored milk, and the hamburger with too much ketchup that made McDonald’s happy meals become a trip down memory lane. But what’s the point of going back to dry chicken nuggets and boring McDonald’s hamburgers when better alternatives like In-N-Out exist? It reminds me of the scene in Ratatouille when the famous food critic is reminded of his mom’s cooking, reminding him of the love and peace in his childhood home despite his now cold demeanor. In the same way, the familiar smell of cardboard and fresh McDonald’s fries always reminded me of the times as a child I would strategically plot for fast food visits: from getting better grades to randomly doing chores to hopefully earn myself a mu...

This past year has been a whirlwind. I was always warned about junior year. It is the year when you take your SAT, get piled with tons of demanding coursework, and start critically thinking about the dreadful topic of college. I thought I was ready coming up to this year, but nothing could have fully prepared me. The year was an experience for sure, but I am relieved to be able to push on through high school and slowly move forward to the later years of my life (isn't it crazy that in 6-12 months we will become a full fledged adults in society; I don't know if I am ready for that yet).  However, looking back at this year, beyond all the late nights or early mornings studying for tests or stressing over assignments that I procrastinated, I remember the random experiences and events that stick out to me. Whether it was a picnic with a few classmates that stemmed from a game of Gartic Phone, or playing Overcooked with my friends before our AP tests, such experiences help create mo...

The idea for this blog came to me when I was trying to sleep last night, and my brain decided to replay the most embarrassing moments of my life right when I was about to fall asleep. It left me wondering as to what causes this and why does it happen during times that we are trying to rest. The first pattern that I noticed was this happened especially at night or whenever our minds decided to drift off into space. Neurologically, it is the amygdala’s fault which is the part of your brain that controls emotions like fear and shame. When we relax, we let our guards down, allowing for these emotional memories to come swirling back in to remind yourself that you have made embarrassing mistakes before (if only I could have this good of a memory when I am taking a test). Wanna test my theory. Close your eyes right now and let your guard down. You’ll suddenly remember all the embarrassing moments in your life like when you said “You too” to a waiter that brought you your food or that time whe...