Blog Post #1: Multiple Choice Reflection

We were given a shortened AP Multiple Choice test. Noting that it was shortened and we had a fire drill, I hastily jumped to the conclusion that I would be pressed for time and rushed through the passages, my eyes flying over the text, rather than studying it. In the midst of my scramble for to finish, I failed to annotate--the book was a borrowed copy--but I recognized that the format was similar to that of AP Language and Composition. And, the pieces and questions were rather straightforward. At the time, the most unsettling component was finding straightforward, factual questions--"This passage is an example of…”--and being unable to answer them, because all choices contained terms with which I was completely unfamiliar. Although I certainly got a higher grade than originally expected, I realized in retrospect that I could have put greater effort into the quiz. Had I annotated completely, read carefully, and taken my time to study each answer choice, I could have avoided missing familiar questions about theme, rhetorical strategies, and literary devices. Having experienced this tumultuous test, I now understand the value of close reading. This knowledge, in addition to a newfound excitement to hopefully improve in the future, will motivate me to put forth my best effort in this class. Because I have two semesters left, I am confident my understanding and my scores will improve as I study.