Me Myself Evaluation

Me, Myself and I

(A self-evaluation on my performance in AP Literature)

The first day I sat in McGee 's class was at the beginning of junior year. I was so terrified by the immense amount of work facing me that I panicked and dropped the class. Walking into McGee 's again for my senior year was even more intimidating, though I embraced the fear instead of running from it. The first text with that shook my foundations was Plato 's Republic. Studying Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, changed the way I saw the world. Like seen in the cave allegory, McGee forced me out of my cave into the light and exposed me to ideas and works that slowly but steadily shed light on my understanding of the world. McGee 's class has had its ups and downs.

Second quarter we finished with Republic and moved into Marcus Aurelius and Prince. We did several more epics including the Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Beowulf was an interesting text that gave me an understanding of the amount of great the world I had no idea about. Next, we studied King Arthur. I had an idea of the King Arthur legend, but studying it in class gave me an understanding of the importance of the work and its influence. After Arthur came Chaucer. I learned that Chaucer was the father of the English language; I experienced for the first time the writing of satire. Chaucer 's work addressed a lot of important issues, and I realized how a work can take a simple story and attack some many parts of a culture. I had my eyes opened to the power of literature. From Chaucer we went to Dante 's Inferno, the first text that really challenged my ideals and beliefs. This was the first time I had to memorize a passage in McGee 's class. We touched on Hamlet and studied Measure for Measure, texts that moved us into the second semester. Individually in second quarter, I improved a lot in my writing and in my ability handle the work load. I continued to struggle to read the work and to manage my time. I continued to have a lot of

This year has been very similar to a long distance race. I started out refreshed, strong legs, maybe a little intimidated but hopeful. As I got into the race I set a comfortable pace and strode out. Now I 'm nearing the end of the race. My breath is coming in short gasps, my legs burn, and my heart is all the way in my throat. I want to quit so bad, to start walking, and to rest, but I am so close to the finish line, giving up now would be to lose the race. I am fighting for breath, pumping my arms, and forcing my tired burning legs to keep going. I have learned a lot this year, about myself as a student, about the world in general, and about how much I do not know. I am excited to enter college and I know that this race I 've been running will help me be in shape for the next marathon in my life. McGee has given me the skills I need to be successful at the next level, and like any good coach as made me suffer along the way so that I can come out stronger, confident,