Can You Do an AP Essay?

Can You Do an AP Essay?A few weeks ago, I sat down with my brother and sister-in-law, my daughter, and took an Advanced Placement (AP) sample AP test. The test is a computer based reading comprehension exam used by hundreds of thousands of college bound students every year. It is a really good test, and the first thing I did when I got it was to see if it could be used as an AP composition.Many students have taken this test, and not many have actually written any of the AP samples. One student asked me a few months ago, 'Can you do an AP essay?' My answer was, 'Of course you can, but I am not familiar with much about English.' After he gave me his assignment, I asked him if he thought that it would be difficult to do.The truth is, the essays are rather easy, and most students can get through them without any help. Some students may need a little help, but then again, this is what professional writers are paid to do. I think that the challenge lies in the fact that the essays are a bi t more structured than the usual term papers, and the problems may be harder to tackle.When I was given the essay, I knew that it was going to be similar to the same type of topics that I would write at a basic level. I knew that it would focus on Hamlet, because Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. Hamlet can also be viewed as a national tragedy that plays out in a college class.The passage to be included in the essay was titled 'Hamlet' and opened like this: 'Hamlet's story begins when he is a boy in the forest, alone with his dead father. In an effort to teach him the meaning of true love, he kills his father and then faces his mother 'sghost, who demands revenge.' What I liked best about this essay is that I actually liked Hamlet himself, and I realized that there is a bit of truth to the play after I finished reading the passage.I learned that after his father is killed, Hamlet realizes that he has grown up, and that he must continue his journey to learn to be an a dult. After he gets rid of his father's ghost, he faces his mother, who commands that he kill himself and end his pain.The whole idea behind this essay was to show the student that Hamlet must be willing to face his mother's ghost to end his suffering. I was pleased with the way that I wrote my own passage. I am not sure that the challenge was worth the reward, but I feel good that I tried, and that I did not give up.My daughter has been taking AP English Writing in high school for the past two years, and she likes this kind of essays better than what she is being taught in traditional classes. I think that she may go back to taking AP English Literature when she gets to college. I also feel that if she could take the Advanced Placement sample essay on Hamlet and write it herself, she would do a much better job.