Surviving: Taking AP English as a Non-Native Speaker

Junior year, I challenged myself by enrolling in AP Lang in hope of increasing my English proficiency, in preparation for the SAT. When I told all my senior friends that I signed up for AP Lang, they first performed a little “sanity check” for me, making sure I willingly took this action. While it seemed like a wild choice at first, I found out: my choice was not wild at all.

Stepping into Mrs. Ray’s classroom on the first day back my junior year, I was already anxious about the next three trimesters ahead. Self-doubt whispered that this ambitious decision would drop my GPA, threatening the academic standing I had worked so diligently to build. I genuinely felt like I would crash out soon (very soon). As expected, even the introductory assignment, which supposedly should help me keep my grade up, was quite a challenge.

So… My dearest English Learners…

Ask me about writing a timed essay with no accommodations. DON’T YOU DARE EVEN ASK ME THAT QUESTION. I hated, Hated, HATED it every single moment. Apologies for the extreme hate, but I’m being real: it felt like trying to run through a pool of jello (it caused my eyes to be soaking wet at times, despite my chronic dry eye issues). But guess what? It probably felt similar to native speakers as well (maybe, they were running through a pool of honey). Trust me, I wasn’t the only one struggling. Believe me, Mrs. Ray or Dr. Cole acknowledges this too.

At the end of the day, I didn’t drop my GPA: landing on A-, A and another A on my third trimester. I admit, it wasn’t easy. I wouldn’t hinder any facts either; your proficiency in English language will matter. But most definitely, it’s not impossible as others around you might tell you. I understand an A- may not be the grade you WISH for, (but hey, it’s an AP class).

Though it stressed me out at the time, my determination paid off—it greatly improved my writing skills! Can you believe that half of the vocabulary and fancy punctuations I use today were attained in AP Lang? As I tackle AP Literature this year, I’m incredibly grateful for that foundation. I wouldn’t have been able to write, speak, and think the way I do now if I hadn’t challenged myself with these courses.

So should you take AP classes? The choice is entirely up to you. This is a personal journey, after all. However, if I could do it, you probably can as well.*Check out AP lang resources my super smart friend and I compiled for people like you and me: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fyCWfmf1kTzOaUtju96pZqsQbm7wLGcv?usp=sharing