What advice would you give to students taking this class next year?

Do the reading.

you have to actually read the books

You have to be willing to read a lot and work hard

Keep up with reading assignments and actually read the books because they are good and worth reading.

READ. If you don't read, you will walk into class everyday with fear in your eyes and Dr. Hennessey will know you didn't read. SO DO IT.

To not be too scared of Doctor Hennessey. Don't be afraid to approach her.

DO NOT wait until the night before to read the whole reading assignment. You'll get more out of the discussion if you have thoroughly read the book, and will be prepared for an unannounced essay, too.

Start reading the book when its assigned. It's a lot more fun than reading all of Crime and Punishment in one weekend.

I would tell students to be prepared to work hard in this class. You can't try to take shortcuts, be prepared to spend time reading in your free time and trying to understand the material. It's a challenging class and you have to write a lot of essays, but by the end of the year, you will be grateful you took this class. My comprehension in reading difficult novels and writing essays have improved so much that I am grateful for this class.

Read, don't lose all hope, and read some more. I went all the way from 'inept writing ability' to 'it's a good start', so there's hope for you.

* I NEVER wrote “inept writing ability” on anyone’s essay

;) Dr. H

Be mentally prepared for getting less than an A- even if you work really hard.

I would recommend that they never push off reading. It makes it a lot easier to read a small amount each day. Another piece of advice would be to not give up after a few low grades. At the beginning of the year I never thought that I would end up being exempt from the final, but I kept at it.

I would tell them to take notes on the novels read in class to make reviewing for the AP test easier.

Coming in, of course you should expect an immense amount of reading and writing. However, students don't expect how immersed they become in the characters's lives, so I would advise that you distance yourself a bit. The books we read can be depressing and disturbing. You've been warned!

Do a lot of practice multiple choice before the midterm.

Try to appreciate the books you are given to read, especially the ones you get to choose. Thinking of reading as a chore will make the class much more stressful and difficult. Also, try to think of why the author has written what they have.

This is not a class you can get away with not reading for. You will be reading all year, no down time. Expect to donate a lot of time to this class if you are serious about. Take the class seriously because it will help you become a better writer overall. Contribute to discussions because once you get the ball rolling with that, the discussions become one of the most rewarding parts of the class.

I would tell them to be prepared to read a lot of books, but they will get used to the work load after the first marking period. I would also tell them to try to identify the symbols in each book they read as this is helpful for understanding each book's deeper meaning.

I would tell the student to be prepared to read. We had a different book or short story or play in our hand almost all year, so if you don't enjoy reading, don't take the class.

Plan out your reading. DO NOT put off large segments of reading. Pick up the book whenever you have free time, reading a little bit at a time. It makes life so much easier. Procrastination when it comes to reading for this class is the worst possible idea. If you plan out time to read or just keep going through the book at a steady rate, you will be grateful you did.

Read a little bit each night and seek help if you need it

Make sure you read closely and begin formulating ideas about the work as soon as possible. Don't wait until the last minute to read something and take your reading very seriously.

Read. You can't get through the class without doing the reading. And never, ever save it for the night before, because then you won't do it.

Also, don't get discouraged if you miss some points in texts you analyze. The skills come in time, and eventually you'll get it.

My advice would be to quickly accept the method of writing. I was regretfully stubborn at first, and both my grades and writing suffered.

Do the reading.