Ritwik Deshpande - Week #16 - The Memories We’ve Made – 5/14
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 I read any sort of literature or text I find myself scouting the pages for rhetorical choices and elements of argument, almost as if I was preparing to write an RA.
Additionally, I appreciated the objectivity of this class above all else. English classes get a bad rep for being extremely subjective when it comes to grading. However, I can’t say that I saw this happening at all in APENG. Every assignment and assessment followed a strict rubric that included no leeway and was the same for everyone. This gave me a new sense of objectivity that I didn’t have before in English classes. I knew exactly what I was supposed to write and how to write it.
Apart from the learning we did in this class, I sincerely cherish the fond memories we’ve made. The highlight of the year was undoubtedly the Gatsby party, which was a unique experience that will never be replicated later in my life. The colorful lighting, spectacles, and immense variety of food is something I’ll never forget. Seeing myself and the rest of my classmates dressed up in the 1920s theme was something to be remembered for a lifetime.
Regardless of what happens in the future, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the memories we made together in APENG. The lessons we learned and the memories we’ve made are things that will stick with us forever. Let’s end the year on a strong note!
Hi Ritwik,
ReplyDeleteI had a fun time reading your blog especially because I could relate to a lot of the things that you said like dropping the class in the beginning. I did end up finding the beauty in this class as I have made a lot of friends and learned a lot through the class. I like how you provide examples to prove your opinion that English was very objective this year in the form of rubrics and specific guidelines. I like how you continue keeping an optimistic outlook on the course even though it was a massive struggle at the start and during the school year. I also like how you incorporated other things that AP English has given you like the memories you have gained especially considering that you are new to American High School. I agree that the Gatsby was a highlight of this year as I found it very entertaining and fun as we had a good time at the party. Hopefully, we can end off this year strong and on a good note, and we have a great time.
-Krish
Hey Ritwik, it was great getting to know you this year. Although we have also Calc BC together, because we do not move seats and sit a bit far from each other, I wasn't able to talk to you much then. However, I certainly did when we were in the same table group together and I can say with the utmost certainty that you are the smartest math kid I know.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the Gatsby party being a fond memory. Never in a class have I immersed myself into a book and the culture surrounding it as we did for The Great Gatsby. It was the bee's knees after all, old sport.
I think it is critical to maintain connections with others so I hope to talk to you again next year and maybe have a class or two with you as well.