Writing this blog is kind of bittersweet for me, and it’s one of the many “lasts” that seniors will be experiencing over the course of this week. As I’m writing this, the countdown is 5 days until we graduate from Naperville North. Blogging has been an aspect of senior year that I am actually really grateful for – looking back over all of the reviews and reflections, I’ve realized that they served as important benchmarks of different stages of my senior year. From reflecting on my earliest reading memories to analyzing poetry or recommending my favorite amazon products, the blogs I’ve written this year have encapsulated my final months of high school. Not only that, but I’ve also learned how to further develop my voice as a writer, and blogs have led me to rediscover the fun in writing.
My all-time favorite blog from this year was my one titled “Finding Happiness in the Gloomiest Months.” This blog was posted in January, and I believe it was the one that truly did me the most good. I used this blog post as a journal, and as an opportunity to open my mind and change my negative mindset that many of us pick up during the dreary winter months. By forcing myself to list the things that I was looking forward to or that made me happy in the moment, I was able to look at the bigger picture and celebrate the little things in life that I was grateful for. Since that blog, I have been inspired to make it my goal to list out the things that have made me happy each month. This habit, I’ve noticed, has made me into a generally more grateful and positive person.
Another aspect of AP Literature that was transformative for me was the Voices project. I really loved the independence that came with this assignment, as I appreciated the freedom to choose which novel we got to read. However, that independence also taught me a valuable lesson in time management, as it was certainly useful in ensuring that I stayed on top of things during the last few weeks of senior year. For a future senior who is deciding on a novel to prepare for this project, I would suggest choosing whichever one
is genuinely the most interesting for them, rather than whichever one is the shortest. If you are passionate about what you are reading, it will feel shorter than any other novel, no matter its length. The House of the Spirits was definitely the right choice for me, even if it was 512 pages; I loved the magical realism, historical accuracy, and unique perspectives that Isabel Allende brought to light through this novel. My biggest tip would be to read a large chunk of the book over spring break, because afterwards, you likely won’t have the time. From this project, I learned a lot about Latin American literature during the 19th century, as well as the different techniques female authors utilize in order to present their ideas to the world.
For future seniors: it may sound cheesy, but I would tell them to truly enjoy every moment. Last year, when my senior friends would tell me that it all goes by so fast, I would roll my eyes and laugh. At some points during this year, it did feel like it would never end (we can thank college applications, AP exams, and endless extracurricular activities for that). However, now that it’s all coming to a close, I realize that even when I was stressed or annoyed with school, we still had it pretty good. Naperville North is where I learned who I was, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I would tell the seniors next year to keep things in perspective, and it will all be alright!
Hi Abbie, the blogs are also bittersweet for me too. Although I am excited to be done with highschool it is scary to go to college and experience those new beginnings. I also loved blogging as well. For you it was a benchmark but for me it was a way to realize all the positives in my life. I also loved the voices project, I loved being able to read which we don’t get to do in other classes. Being able to pick my own book although it was from a list brought me back to elementary school which is the last time I was able to choose my own book to read. I was thinking about picking The House of the Spirits as my voice book although I couldn’t fathom reading 500 pages and then making a presentation about it. Although I might have to pick it up some time soon. I really hope that the future senior class will experience senior year to the fullest. As you said it might seem long however truly it’s very short. I love all the pictures!
Hi Abbie! I agree that blogging has been a really interesting and reflective assignment, and has served as a way to memorialize some aspects of senior year, and has just been a fun, independent way to write. I think it’s really cool how your blog inspires you to write down what you’re looking forward to each month. It’s awesome how you took what you wrote about in your assignment and applied it to your life. Your novel sounds really interesting! I’ve read some of Isabel Allende’s writings in Spanish Lit and really enjoyed it, so House of Spirits sounds like a great read. I also agree with your advice about the importance of taking everything in. Senior has been my favorite high school and I’m glad that we had opportunities, like these blog assignments, to reflect on all the stress, excitement, and change.
I totally agree that writing this blog during the last week of school really emphasizes how we are finally running out of lasts for our senior year. Even though blogs were an assignment I sometimes complained about, even just writing the last one has inspired some feeling of bittersweetness and nostalgia as I reflect on the year. I loved your insight on the Voices project about choosing the book that sounds the most interesting. Truthfully, I did look up the number of pages in each book we had to choose from and that may have biased my selection. Just a bit. It’s so great that you picked a book that really resonated with you and was enjoyable. I’ve really enjoyed reading your blogs this year!
Abbie – As I write this comment, we have 3 days left of senior year (including today). It honestly is crazy to me that this time has gone so fast. I agree with you in the advice to future seniors of just being to enjoy every moment. Honestly, I think it’s better regretting having done something rather than living wondering if something I didn’t do would have been fun. I remember reading your “Finding Happiness in the Gloomiest Months” and reflecting on what was helping me through those gloomy months. While the things that were making me happy during that time might not be the same as the things that are now, I’m glad I was able to reflect on those moments at the time and find happiness in them while they lasted. I’d add that to my advice to future seniors, stopping and finding happiness in the moment you’re in because you never know when that moment might come to end.
Hi Abbie! I can’t help but agree — writing these final blog posts has been bittersweet. Upon reflecting on my past blog posts, I feel like I’ve grown so much! You mentioned in your post how you rediscovered the fun in writing and learned to bring out your unique voice, and I completely agree! It was a new experience to write for other students as opposed to a teacher, which made the experience of finding our voices a journey we all went on. Leaving behind this school and all the lessons I learned along the way is going to be so hard, and it truly goes to show what an amazing school Naperville North is. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!