Dear incoming AP Lang student,
I read a lot of random blogs trying to figure out what I would write for my own. Although no one is probably reading this, I'm going to assume anyway that all the new 11th graders out there, eager to start AP Lang, came right to my blog to seek advice on how to make an amazing and fun blog. Here's my advice to you!
Do not pick a topic that you're not super super super super interested in. Something you wouldn't mind talking about for hours. Something that you have an abundance of ideas about. And if some week you didn't have an idea it would be easy to find inspiration. Pick a topic that you love AND can write about. If you love horses? Great. But if you can't write about them week after week you probably shouldn't make a blog about them. I chose television because I knew it was something I was interested in, had a lot to talk about, and could easily find ideas by (you guessed it) watching TV.
Don't stress out about titles, layouts, fonts, etc. This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you first create your blog you probably won't know what you want it to look like and might freak out. The day in class when Mr. Ayers has you create a blog title and you have absolutely no idea what to call it? Seriously, it doesn't matter. First, it can always be changed. And secondly, no one looks at it. I think my biggest audience is from Russia... Also if you need an idea for a blog name, talk to Ayers. He's pretty good with that kind of stuff.
Don't get behind. You're probably thinking right now "I'm going to stay up with blogging all year. I'll make a schedule and never get behind!" That's not going to happen. At first its pretty easy, you're able to blog periodically during weekdays instead of saving it for the end of the week. Then you get busy and procrastination takes a hold. All of a sudden it's 11 on a Sunday night and you haven't even started thinking about what you're going to write. That happens to everyone, don't panic! Words of wisdom? Ayers doesn't check blogs every week, just go to bed and do it the next night. BUT! Don't wait until next weekend. Seriously, don't. You'll hate yourself even more if you have 6 blog posts to do next Sunday night.
Please. Take advantage of class time. Mr. Ayers usually gives class time once a week specifically for blogging (or sometimes blogging/working on the current paper). Use it!!! Even if you're just reading articles for inspiration or sitting and staring at your blog. It's really good to start thinking about posts early in the week because it's much easier to think of blog ideas when you've been thinking about it for awhile. I still randomly think about blog post ideas throughout the week. You need to get into that mindset!
Don't give up! Take the time to actually put some thought into your blog. This is a chance for you to truly express yourself without getting graded (other than completion points). A chance for you to talk about topics that your friends, family, teachers, priests, whoever, could care less about. But you do! You get to talk about something that you care about and that you want to talk about. So do it! Have fun with it. Forget it's for a grade. Of course blogging wasn't always enjoyable for me, but because I kept telling myself that I did like it, those times became less stressful and more creative.
So have fun and good luck. You'll lose sleep, but you'll learn a lot. That's a promise!
Sincerely,
Former AP Lang Student
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