TOW 30

I’m going to start off with a bombshell.  APELC is not actually that difficult.  In terms of actual amount of work, there is just as much as any other English class.  Over the course of the year we only wrote two out of class essays.  We also read a handful of difficult passages.  Other than that the only legitimate work we had was the tons of in class essays that we wrote.  The thing is that we did benefit from this because this it was a good proxy for the AP exam. Even though the actual workload may not be that heavy the actual grading is very strict.  This may seem like a pain when you get your grades back but it is beneficial in the end.  This is because, after Mr. Yost’s grading, the grading on the AP exam seems very lenient.   Over the course of the year it only benefits you to put in the extra work.  To be honest I did not put too much effort into my TOWs but I somewhat regret it.  I suggest that you actually try for your TOWs and write them in the style of a timed essay.  If you do that you will actually gain something out of the work you do and it will be helpful.  If not than there is no gain from it.  I would also say to put in a maximum amount of work in the beginning.  The first marking period is a make or break time.  It is when Mr. Yost grades the hardest, and it is also when you pretty much lock in your grade.  It is not to hard to come back from a single letter grade drop, but if you drop the ball in the first marking period it makes it almost impossible to get an A, and can even make it a challenge to get a B.  The last thing that I want to say is that Mr. Yost is a reasonable guy.  If you have a problem or need something go talk to him because he is willing to bend a bit and help you out so at least go and talk to him.