Durga Kurupath Week #16: Portable E: The Finale
Today was the AP Lang test and the minute I finished it, I was hit with utter disbelief that this was the end. Don't get me wrong, this year made me feel like I aged 15 years. However, I was flooded with memories from when we first stepped in Mrs. Smith's class. It's funny how much people change and develop a variety of skills over just a year. If I was ever asked to do a rhetorical analysis essay in 40 minutes at the beginning of the year, I would have cried. Now, I still cry but at least I'm more confident about it.
Writing, more specifically creative writing, has always been a passion of mine throughout the years. I still remember all the cringey journal entries I would write and show off to my parents. Compared to where I was, now I'm able to fully analyze every argument and annotate pages full of text in my sleep; truthfully, I've never felt older. The powerful thing about writing is that not only can you relive all the memories within them, but you can visually notice the progress it took to get from Point A to Point B. From vocabulary to handwriting and overall structure, it's bittersweet that we notice all the modifications that have happened, but it's just a matter of growing up in the end.
As the end of the year is nearing and all the students can finally breathe (despite college apps just around the corner...), there is a sense of accomplishment and pride in one's writing and how they've evolved. Whether it be the quality of assignments, grades, or whatever we've dedicated time towards this year, all efforts come through at the end and remind us of our once humble beginnings.
 |
| (A moment of manifestation for you all.) |
Hi Durga,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything you said. Nothing felt better than seeing the “Congratulations” on the chromebook after finishing the test, no matter how the test went. At that moment, all I could feel was relief that I was DONE with AP English (besides the class) and nothing was in my hands any more. At the start of the year, like you said, my writing was not nearly as developed as it is now. From the moment when I stepped into Portable E and was told to forget about the two chunk paragraphs that had carried my high school career up until then to the lack of awareness of rhetorical techniques besides ethos, pathos, and logos, I can say that one thing that came out of my experiences in this class was a better grasp of analyzing others’ writing and hopefully also figuring out how to consistently adhere to the “line of reasoning” that was always the cause for lower scores on my essays. We survived this class together, and I can also say that I hope everyone gets what they desire on this test.
Hi Durga! I really loved how reflective your blog was, and I thought it perfectly showed the bittersweet feelings of this class being over. I completely agree with you that this class has aged me 15 years, but I also think that this class has taught me a lot of very practical skills that I’ll continue to use throughout my life. I loved how you connected your personal growth to the evolution of your writing, and your mention of “cringey journal entries” is very relatable because I (unfortunately) used to do the same thing. Your observation that our writing shows both our memories and our progress was particularly interesting to me. I’ve never thought about it that way, but I think you’re absolutely correct. If I remember what I wrote in one of our first essays or RAPs, I definitely notice a difference in my perspective and writing style. Overall, I loved the poignant style of your writing; thank you for sharing your perspective!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga! I agree with you completely that this year aged us by decades. I don't think that any period of my life was as transformational as this year. The person I was at the beginning of junior year is entirely different from who I am now. I totally relate to your sensation of being flooded with memories when you enter Mrs. Smith's class---no other classroom this year has held as many memories as her classroom. Creative writing has been a passion of mine from a young age as well, and I think this year has enabled me to see past writing in a way I couldn't before. I love how you reflected on how your writing improved and how it's like a little window into the past, where we can hear how we once sounded. Overall, I really loved your post, and it was incredible being part of your blogging cohort!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga!
ReplyDeleteAs someone also taking AP Lang, I obviously felt the same sense of relief following the exam and the feeling of transformation or maybe even growth throughout the year from this class. While we may all have mixed feelings about this growth but if there is anything for certain it is that if we dedicate at least 50% of the required effort than we have grown as a writer this year! I feel that I have not acquired more english, writing, and even life skills in any other 1 year class throughout my academic career. Your reference to the first time you walked into Mrs. Smith's class and being worried deeply resonated with me as well. Overall, I truly enjoyed reading your blog and I usually include something about how I look forward to reading your blog in the future but as this is our last week of writing/commenting on blogs I just wanted to thank you for all your writing throughout this semester that we were in the same cohort!
Hi Durga! I completely agree that this year has emotionally, academically, spiritually, and mentally drained the life out of me. But looking back, it was not all bad. There were moments I realize now, of genuine bonding, of creating genuine connections. Though there were many parts of this year where I truly felt I would not be able to make it out, I really do feel a little bittersweet that it is all ending now, ending forever. None of us will ever be able to go back to junior year, and that is as much of a relief as it is a curse. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Durga! First off, I am manifesting and praying that you alongside everyone in this cohort earns that well-deserved 5 on the AP Lang exam after months of endless annotations and readings. However, the “utter disbelief” you were hit with after finishing the exam is so relatable. Sure, it was tiresome having to handle and commit to all of the work we were assigned since June of last year with the summer reading and developing a “variety of skills” such as rhetorical analysis, synthesis, and argumentation since that point, but that sense of accomplishment you briefed about in the final paragraph is so emotionally freeing, and those efforts will continue coming through in the end and outside of the classroom. Me personally, I was heavily humbled after that first rhetorical analysis essay we wrote in class on the second day of school as I continued practicing and looking into what rhetorical analysis is ever since we covered it in the second semester of our sophomore year, and I am forever grateful for the skills I have learned and developed in this class, and I will definitely bring them with me wherever I go, whether it is analyzing the effectiveness of the next presidential debate or arguing on Instagram about the impact Beyoncé’s three-act project had on the music industry with her intention of reclaiming black-originated music genres. Thank you Durga for this cathartic experience in this blog post, and I look forward to what is to come even after we enter senior year!
ReplyDelete