By Sophie Tuan
Sophomore year English Honors, where timed essays are benchmark and novels that end in death are aplenty. As a sophomore, initially, a full year in room 23 seems like a daunting uptake. However, the tricks to getting through Brave New World, House on Mango Street, and Othello unscathed are within reach! Follow these five tips and you’ll be sure to ace Bryce Hadley’s Honors II class—handwritten essays and all!
- Read the Book!!! It may seem like an obvious answer but it is still a valid tip; more often than not I see classmates frantically scanning SparkNotes and Quizlets before exams. Not only are online sources unreliable in most cases, these quick summaries only give you the general gist of the book. In order to be properly prepared for tests, you need to get a feel for the characters and remember small details from pivotal points in the book. Be prepared for quote matching, thematic analysis, and character identification on the tests—all of which you will be well prepared for if you read the book in its entirety.
- Take notes during class discussions. Most of the time Mr. Hadley will cover important quotes and point out key pieces of analysis during class. These tidbits of information will most definitely show up as questions on the exam. Additionally, quotes covered in class are perfect to include in your in class essays; all the analysis will have already been given to you. I recommend opening a Google Doc for every piece of literature that you read throughout the year in order to take proper notes.
- Prep your book before in-class essays. Usually, you will be given an hour to write a comprehensive essay that includes at least six key quotes and potentially some more supporting ones. Therefore, it’s enormously helpful to take some time the night before and mark up your book. Personally, I use sticky notes to mark out important pages, write key notes, and note how the quote relates to a general theme. Although you won’t be given the exact prompt until the start of class you will have a general idea of what themes you will be writing about. *Pro Tip: all potential essay prompts used in class will either be posted on Canva or taken from previous AP Lit Prompts. Look and see which ones would fit your book!
- Don’t be afraid to visit Mr. Hadley during study hall! Although asking for more feedback on your essays or clarifying answers on a test may seem intimidating at first, asking questions is the best way to improve your understanding and deepen your analysis (which is what helps your essay grade). Study hall can be a great time to get personalized feedback or clarify any confusions you may have about wonky books (ahem…Brave New World).
- Prioritize understanding over memorization. Many students try to memorize the book—from characters and quotes, to insignificant intricacies—but most of the time tests rarely cover these types of mundane details. Instead, I recommend studying the storyline and how key events and characters impact the overall meaning of the work. This way, by prioritizing analysis, you’ll be much more prepared for both the harder questions on the tests and your essays.
My final parting word of advice: honors with Hadley is not that bad. So don’t be nervous! Sure, you have a few essays and tests but they are few and relatively far in between. The rest of the class is filled with chill quickwrites, fun projects, occasional screaming, and interesting presentations. Best of luck!