Dear New APELC Student,
You’re
in for one crazy, stressful, and triumphant year. I guess I should start by
telling you about myself and tell you about how I felt entering this class last
year. Basically, I’m average. I was not a part of the gifted program, I was not
in any form of accelerated learning; I was just simply a hard working honors
student with a love of English. That being said, I was extremely excited to
start the course!
The
first month of the class was a wake-up call for some people, including myself.
Within the first 2 weeks of school, we had to turn in an essay and take our
first test. And I’ll be blunt with you: I failed both. I was devastated and
began to feel like I didn’t belong in APELC. There was even a time where I
remember myself looking around the room, thinking that I was by far the dumbest
person there. After feeling this way I knew that my best option was to go talk
to Mr. Yost about what I should do. Talking to Mr. Yost might have been the greatest
decision I have ever made all year! He told me that I would do well in APELC
and that he would be willing to work with me until I was ready, able, and
comfortable enough to work by myself.
In a way, my APELC experience was like learning how to ride a bike for
the first time; Mr. Yost guided and supported me along the way like a parent
would to their child learning how to ride a bike. When Mr. Yost thought I was
ready he “let go” and let me ride by myself, but he was always there for
support and help if I needed it!
After
that first month, I was able to bring up my grade 18%! So even though I got my
first C ever in a class, it was the most rewarding grade I have ever earned! It
was rewarding because I knew how hard I had worked and I was able to see my own
growth for the very first time!
The
advice Mr.Yost gave me that first month has stuck with me all year: 1) What you
get out of this class is far more important than what you get in the class and
2) If you work as hard as you possibly can, than you WILL succeed!
For
the rest of the year I continued to grow. My academic maturity was becoming
more and more AP level every single class! So my advice for you as incoming APELC students is…
– Do
NOT be afraid to ask for help! Heck,
even if you don’t need help go and get help! Mr. Yost and Ms. Pronko are always
willing to look over essays with you and there is always room for improvement!
– Enjoy
the class! You took it for a reason, so try to get the best out of it! Stay
positive and just have fun!
– Try
not to let yourself become fixated on your grades. Yes, grades are important,
but in APELC, if you put in the work your grade will come! Like I mentioned
earlier, what you get out of the class, is more important than what you get in
it.
If
you’re wondering, I will most likely be getting a B for the year! And a B in an
AP class is still great! So, I wish you all the best of luck this year!!
From,
Emily Scott
P.S- Remember to enjoy every minute of APELC (I know I did!)
