Soyoon Kim C Block

May, 2014

Dear AP English Literature Class of 2015, !A warm welcome to all of you. You all deserve a round of applause and warm pat on the back—you are three quarters of the way done with your high school careers and on top of that, you have decided to take the highest level of English offered at KIS. That’s most definitely something to be proud of. !I would like to start off by saying that you have a whirlwind of a year ahead of you. Even I’m excited, sitting here writing this letter for you all, just at the thought of it! It’s a time to enjoy the final moments. A time to start fresh or strive to open up the year on a clean slate and make the most of all that’s left since what’s ahead of you is a 10-month mini-journey until you cross the finish-line of high school academics and move onto another one ahead of you. !A couple tips on surviving AP Lit: read and keep reading. I understand that it is difficult to make a habit out of reading especially if you have not been an avid reader at an early age, but I believe it’s never to late to start. There is quite a bit of reading you’ll have to do not only in class but outside of class as well. Most major assignments and readings are things you’ll have to handle on your own time so do make wise decisions when it comes to that. Believe me, it’s so easy to fall down the slippery slope of senior slide and miss reading deadlines, hold Sparknotes and Shmoop as a crutch second semester—it takes an iron gut and a load of integrity to keep going on a more righteous path. Sure, it can happen once or twice. But if it becomes a habit, it may be difficult to shake off later on when the skills you’ve acquired (or were supposed to acquire) are most needed. !Another tip: let your voice out in class discussions. I feel that my AP Lit experience was enriched by sharing the company of my classmates in classroom discussion both in and outside of class. They say two heads are better than one and with regards to discussion, I most definitely agree. There is no better way to exchange a flow of ideas, debate and argue, dig deeper and paw further into a text than through verbal discussion. I like to think that there is always something more to learn from someone other than yourself and likewise, your classmates definitely have much to learn from you as well so if you have something you’d like to say, contribute and it will go a long way. !I want to leave you with this, some wise words from acclaimed author Jeffrey Eugenides who advocates what he likes to call “living posthumously”. He says: “Don’t censor yourself. Don’t go along with the crowd. Don’t be greedy. Don’t be cheap. Young as you are, play dead—so that your eyes will stay open.” !In other words, work hard until the finish and, at long last, relax a bit, too. The best is yet to come. !Wishing you all the best, !!!!!Soyoon Kim