button mashing is a bad strategy (D)

Back in the early days of my youth, I spent many a lazy afternoon playing games on my dad's computer. One of my favorite types were Japanese visual novels. According to Wikipedia (a grade-A source I know), "A visual novel (ビジュアルノベル) is an interactive game genre, which originated in Japan, featuring text-based story with narrative style of literature and interactivity aided by static or sprite-based visuals, most often using anime-style art or occasionally live-action stills (and sometimes video footage)". They can range from the common dating simulator to a high school murder mystery plot. The main mechanics of the game have to do with talking to characters and choosing from different options on what your responses will be to certain situations. Depending on what you say in conversation and how you react to plot events, you will have access to a variety of different endings.

Due to this childhood pastime, I sometimes see my life as a visual novel. When I say the wrong thing to someone, I can almost feel myself clicking the wrong button that leads to the Bad End. After all, life is just a series of multiple choice. You may not always be able to choose your options, but you can influence what your future will be within those parameters. As a student, life incorporates the elements of multiple choice in a more direct and literal manner.

Enter: The Multiple Choice Unit

Perhaps the most overused form of evaluation by the education system, I had presumed that this would at least be the one part of AP Lang I could ace easily, but from the get-go I realized that this would be more complicated than I thought. Manual blocking, earbuds, inner monologue, underlining, or just plain ol' reading? That was the first set of multiple choice we were to choose from. Having a strategy starting from how one reads the passages given was a new experience for me. Personally, I found inner monologue to be the most useful for me. Hearing the words of our given passages echoing in my head made it easier to process information quickly.

Especially in terms of processing information, the hardest part of this unit was being able to grasp what is actually being said in these passages. These works could range from the emo sulking of an 18th century writer or could just be a kid talking about how much he hates his brother. Quite honestly in the beginning, I didn't know what was going on half the time so it kind of just became a guessing game.

Now frankly I don't remember this unit for its content, but rather its approach. McMahon did not hold back on this one kiddos. Everyday for weeks we just did everything the good old fashioned way. Sit, shut up, and read. Trial after trial after trial, our brains were forced to adjust to the speed and comprehension this unit required and while it didn't go smoothly in the beginning (see example), eventually I got the hang of it.