My Struggle with AP Literature by Kate

My Struggle with AP Literature by Kate - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had such a strong love for reading and writing, and the subject English as a whole. It has always been a subject that I've been so passionate about, and was usually very easy for me to comprehend. My English classes were very commonly my favorite classes because they allowed me to practice skills I loved so much, like writing and reading. This all seemed to change when I took AP Literature and Composition my senior year of high school. Throughout all my high school English classes, such as AP English Language and Composition, everything had come really simply to me, and I never seemed to struggle with any of the concepts of the class. When I entered AP Literature and Composition, everything changed. What would've gotten me good marks in other classes just wasn't meeting the standards for this one. Analyses needed to be deeper and more thoughtful, my words had to be more sophisticated, and my ideas had to be more insightful. I struggled with some of my essays. Essays I thought I had done really good on came back deemed subpar or not meeting what was asked of me. One thing in particular I struggled with was my poetry analysis essays. I couldn't seem to grasp the deeper meanings behind the poetry, and my analyzations barely could scratch the surface of what they truly meant. The only thing that kept me hopeful throughout the class were the marks I would get on my essays that were focused more on my strengths. I was determined to master the concepts of this class because no English class had ever challenged me this much. As time went on, I learned how to truly dig for a deeper understanding of the pieces of text I was given, and produce analysis essays that went beyond the surface of the writing. I learned not to be ashamed of what I didn't understand, and use that lack of comprehension to be determined to learn and grasp the concept. It not only taught me to be a better writer, but to understand things on a deeper level, not at what it might mean just on a surface level. It additionally taught me to persevere through rough patches, and not just accept that I can't do something and give up on a subject I love. I now know that no matter how good you may be at something, there is always something to improve on and get better at. This determination that I gained from this class even allowed me to earn a 5 on the AP Literature and Composition test at the end of the year, which has been the highest that I have ever scored on a test, highlighting my comprehension and proficiency within the subject and concepts that came with the class.