When planning out our course load for the upcoming school year, we all have different goals in mind to curate the perfect class schedule.
Some of us want to take it easy, with the goal in mind to simply pass our classes. Others want to go above and beyond and take the most demanding classes Alisal High has to offer.
One of the choices we need to make for our 11th grade class schedule is whether or not we would like to take the challenge of taking AP Lang.
AP English Language and Composition is an introductory college-level composition course. The course focuses on nonfiction texts and argumentative writing in which the analysis of rhetorical strategies and creating strong arguments is emphasized.
Scrolling on social media, you come across an array of things: ads convincing you to buy a new product, a youtuber releasing an apology video, and news about a political scandal.
Without realizing it, you are surrounded by the rhetorical devices that one can learn in AP Lang. Many juniors interested in challenging themselves take the course as a way to get ahead. At the end of the school in May, the College Board administers an exam giving juniors who choose to take it a chance to get college credit.
Beyond gaining college credit, how does the class benefit students who decide to take it? Teacher Mick Battaglini prioritizes building these crucial writing skills and creating a classroom where students feel comfortable with engaging with one another. “I have students in groups and I encourage a lot of discussion,” Battaglini said.
This atmosphere has definitely made the classroom enjoyable for many students. “From my point of view, it seems the majority of students enjoy my class for various reasons and maybe the subject matter isn’t necessarily it,” Battaglini said. “The number one reason students like the class might be the environment that has been created and the emphasis I think there is to cooperate with one another.”
Some may be intimidated by the accelerated pace and challenging curriculum. “I definitely had to work for my grade,” senior Melina Cabrera said, “You have to seek out help by going after school and talking with your AP Lang teacher. Getting a B in that class was hard on me, especially since I was a straight A student.” However, Cabrera was able to realize that the skills gained from that class were more valuable than the grade she got. “It has in a way helped me in my current English class,” she said, “It’s easier for me to use relevant evidence and write effective reasoning when having to do argument essays.”
Taking the class definitely has its pros and cons. Although you don’t get too much homework from class, the thing that weighs heavy on your grade are the essays. “I remember when we did the first in class timed essay and my grade changed a lot,” Cabrera said, “It was definitely eye opening because I was used to being able to go after school and rewrite my essays back then [sophomore year] but in Battaglini’s class we couldn’t do that.”
However, many students praise the collaborative environment that the class has. “Every Friday, we have something called delights,” junior Erika Castro said, “we get to tell our table something cool that happened during our week. I have definitely bonded further with my table because of this.”
The same could be said for Mr. Chamberlin’s class. “I definitely feel like he dedicated a lot of time trying to prepare us for the essay portion of the exam,” Xitaly Hernandez said, “He would also stay after school a lot to revise our essays.” Although a different teacher, both classes were said to have benefitted students heavily. “I do think the class helped me out not just in my writing skills but also with collaborating with others,” Hernandez said, “It wasn’t like other classes where you are just sitting there doing independent work. You are actually collaborating with your tablemates.”
I am one of the several students who took AP Lang my junior year. Although it was soul crushing to get a B+ first semester, this is a class I think would benefit students heavily in their future English classes. This was one of the first APs that I took- although it is not an easy class, I do think the class was the perfect way to transition from regular classes to AP classes. It can help a student who has never taken AP classes start assimilating to the demanding course work that the AP curriculum requires and can be a wake up call for students who prioritize grades over skills earned from classes.
There’s a reason why AP Lang is one of the most popular AP classes on campus- the collaborative environment that the class has continuously maintained and the stress placed on skills, not grades, makes the course intriguing.
