The Last Blog Post

I don't really know what to say.

It's been a crazy semester. AP Comp was not the sole source of the craziness, but it was probably the most grueling. It's amazing the difference it makes in how hard work is whether or not you like what you are doing. It was probably even more pronounced for me because I have somewhat of a motivation problem. Even so, AP Comp was hard mostly because I didn't like it, not because it should have been difficult. I refuse to focus on the negative in this last blog post, though, so I won't go in to why I didn't like the class.

That crazy semester? It's done. Finally. I'm finished applying to colleges. I haven't heard back from most, but I got my first acceptance. I will be going to college. That's an awesome feeling. The future I've been looking forward to is rapidly turning into the present.

I'm done with AP classes. Not just AP Comp. I'm done with the annoying pre-organized papers in AP Gov. Because all arguments have exactly three reasons supporting one side and two supporting the other. I'm done with the infuriatingly tedious lab reports in AP Physics. My line of best fit isn't straight enough? Oh yes, I deserves that B. Definitely.

All of the extra busyness that has plagued my life this semester is finally starting to organize itself into predictable little bunches. I'm starting to feel like I have control over my life again. I'm not inches away from a mental breakdown. I have free time. (!)

And I really don't have anything I can complain about. However much my sleep schedule suffered, my grades didn't. I got my A's in AP Gov and AP CoGo, and I got my A+'s in physics. I got my A-'s in AP Comp. The hardest A-'s I have ever earned. Why don't the A's and A+'s feel more like accomplishments? Do I set my standards too high? I don't think I do.

The A-'s in this class are my first A-'s in two years. If it were any other class I would be mad at myself. But it's not any other class. It's the hardest class I've taken or will take in high school. By far. Linear Algebra and Differential Equations is going to be a piece of cake compared to this. Out of all the classes I've ever taken, this is the only one in which I've been satisfied with my grade. Why? Because in all other classes, every single point below perfect was not meeting expectations. People get angry at me all the time for it, but yes, I am UPSET when I get a 99. In this class, though, I had different expectations. I expected B's. Because that's all I thought I could do, based on how I evaluated my skills. That created feelings I've never really had before. The feeling I got when I checked skyward and found out I got an A on the revision essay, and didn't drop to a B+ for the term is one of the best I've had in a while. I not only met my own expectations, I exceeded them.

Not only is the crazy semester over, the next semester is going to be awesome. One last semester. I get to have two of my favorite teachers from previous years, Mr. Skerbitz and Mr. Bordwell, again. I'm actually excited for all my classes. I'm excited about having a math class again. I'm excited about having spanish again. I'm even excited for Mo Pro. Yes. I am looking forward to it, and not just because I have Mr. Bordwell.

The future is bright.



More important than rambling, I need to thank you, Ms. Cardona.

When I first got my schedule, I had AP Comp second semester with Mr. Motes. But my schedule was messed up. I didn't get all the classes I wanted. So I had to switch to first semester. It wasn't what I wanted. I had, of course, heard the opinions of previous students. "Ms. Cardona is a much harder grader than Mr. Motes." It wasn't what I would have chosen. But I am IMMENSELY glad I switched. I feel that the only reason I was able to stand the content that I disliked so much was having a good teacher. And not the stereotypical "fun" teacher. A good teacher. Whether I liked the content of a class period or not, I always liked being in class. You knew when you could have fun with us, and you knew when to tear us to shreds. I appreciate both greatly. My AP Comp experience was the best it could be.

I learned many things from AP Comp. most of them I will never use after the AP test. Of course there were many things I learned that I will use, too. But more than anything else, I was inspired.

"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." –Benjamin Franklin

Writing things worth reading probably isn't my thing. So I will do things worth writing instead.