Study

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Study Guide
Independent Study: Beginning Skills Sheet

Introduction

This Independent Study gives you information you’ll need to succeed in this class.

• Open and read the Independent Study.
• Print the study sheet on this page.
• Keep this study sheet to use as you work through the course.

What is composition?

Composition is the art and craft of creating a written work for a particular audience and purpose. This course will give you practice writing in a variety of situations you're likely to encounter in college and beyond.

What kind of writing will I do in this course?

You'll need to be somewhat familiar with the process of writing before you take this course-you should have some experience prewriting, drafting, editing, and revising, and preparing a final draft. However, because you'll be expected to write three essays "on the spot" when you take the AP English Language and Composition Exam, you'll need to develop your skills at writing confident, complete, and well-crafted essays under time constraints without using a dictionary or a peer to help you edit and revise your final drafts.

How does an "online" composition course differ from other composition courses?

The most significant difference between this course and traditional classroom courses is the amount of responsibility you'll have. You're responsible to yourself for doing the work in this course-there will be no teacher watching over your every step. You'll also be responsible for completing your work on time.

There are also some activities that aren't graded or handed in. These include Tutorials, Self Checks, Independent Studies, and Practice Exams. Again, you're responsible to yourself for doing these. Even though you don't have to turn them in, it's important to do them to gain full mastery of the course material.

What else is different? Because this course is offered online for distance learning, your peers and instructor will respond to your drafts... [continues]

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