Megan Stevens
Doctor David Preston
AP English Literature & Composition
June 9, 2015
The Last Chapter
As I entered my senior year of high school, I didn’t know what to expect, I knew I wanted to work hard for good grades to ensure my college education. But i wasn’t expecting to be able to pursue good grades by following my passion in life; which is
exactly what Open Source Learning had in store for me.
One of the biggest trials in the process of undergoing Open Source Learning was the amount of trust the course demanded from the student to teacher relationship. One of the biggest lessons the class taught me is to take responsibility. Even stretching that further, it also taught me to take credibility for the assignments and to be proud of my finished products of work. Although this is a very rewarding experience, this very criteria is also one of the system’s biggest flaws. A lot of kids in the system abused the freedom and trust they were given. The course requires you to take responsibility and complete the assignments. I for one, found the work to be enjoyable to learn rather than typical style homework.
"And then he spends most of his time by himself—alone." Brave New World was without any hesitation my favorite piece of literature throughout the duration of the course. I have never felt so connected to a fictional character in that they see the world the way I do. Aldous Huxley’s theme of a conformed world stripped of humanity and individuality centered in a time of technology could very well be subtly identical to what we are living in today. I have always grown bored of repetitiveness in Shakespeare because it is so impressed into our high school curriculum, but Open Source Learning changed my understanding of his plays. I was surprised to be so intrigued by Hamlet and Macbeth because it isn’t something I would pick to read myself. But I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense, betrayal, and gloomy endings. This course broadened my spectrum of writing and has made me more diverse in literature.
I have always known my love for writing, and I knew I would pursue a career that would allow me to pursue it. After a lot of jumping around, I have to decide on majoring in communications. I can’t pinpoint a specific career just yet until I test the water at college, but I at least know what waters to test knowing my passion is for writing. I will be attending school in San Francisco, and i plan on getting internships, jobs, anything that will enhance or further my knowledge towards a writing career that I love. In addition to my academic side, I have also been given he most amazing opportunity to continue my passion for soccer in college. I have always loved the sport. It’s grown to be so much more than an after school activity, it’s become a way of life for me, and I’m so incredibly excited to get to continue that into my next step of education.
My favorite moments of the course occurred when I became a spectator within the classroom walls. The moments when you look around and just take in what everyone else is doing, you hear some pretty funny conversations and you learn a lot of people. For me, the enriching moments occurred not when I was talking, but when I stopped and listened. A wise lesson to carry into everything.
