The AP StudentThe AP Student

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

““Books let us into their Books let us into their souls souls

and lay open to us and lay open to us the secrets of our own.” the secrets of our own.” 

~William ~William Hazlitt Hazlitt

1. ability to read 1. ability to read accurately with insight accurately with insight

and sophisticationand sophistication

““Anyone who says Anyone who says

they have only one life to they have only one life to live live

must not know how must not know how to read a book.”to read a book.”  

2. ability to engage in 2. ability to engage in intelligent discussion intelligent discussion through active listening and through active listening and constructive discourseconstructive discourse

"A good listener tries to "A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, but before he disagrees,

he wants to know exactly what it he wants to know exactly what it is is

he is disagreeing with." he is disagreeing with."

--Kenneth A. Wells, Kenneth A. Wells, Guide to Good Guide to Good LeadershipLeadership

3. desire to learn more than 3. desire to learn more than the obvious or superficial—the obvious or superficial—self-motivated and hard self-motivated and hard workingworking

“ “The difference between a The difference between a successful person and successful person and

others others

is not a lack of strength, is not a lack of strength,

not a lack of knowledge, not a lack of knowledge,

but rather a lack of will.”but rather a lack of will.”

--Vince LombardiVince Lombardi

4. desire 4. desire to attain to attain

the the highest highest personal personal level of level of scholarly scholarly

achievemeachievementnt

““Men who for truth and honor's sake Men who for truth and honor's sake

Stand fast and suffer long.Stand fast and suffer long.Brave men who work while others Brave men who work while others

sleep,sleep,Who dare while others fly...Who dare while others fly...

They build a nation's pillars deepThey build a nation's pillars deepAnd lift them to the sky.”And lift them to the sky.”

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emerson,

from "A Nation's Strength"from "A Nation's Strength"

5. sense of 5. sense of personal personal and social and social responsibilresponsibility; not a ity; not a "hitchhiker"hitchhiker" or " or someone who someone who discourages discourages or or demoralizes demoralizes class class progressprogress

"As human beings, we are endowed "As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we with freedom of choice, and we

cannot shuffle off our cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the responsibility upon the

shoulders of God or nature. We shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It must shoulder it ourselves. It

is our responsibility." is our responsibility."

--Arnold J. ToynbeeArnold J. Toynbee

6. willingness to accept 6. willingness to accept constructive criticismconstructive criticism

““Complaining about something Complaining about something

without taking any action to without taking any action to correct it correct it

is irresponsible. If a is irresponsible. If a condition deserves condition deserves

criticism, it deserves an criticism, it deserves an honest attempt to change honest attempt to change

it.” it.”

--John ReneschJohn Renesch

7. patience to accept a 7. patience to accept a variety of answers or variety of answers or unresolved questions as unresolved questions as points of departure for points of departure for further explorationfurther exploration

““The strongest of all The strongest of all warriors are these two — warriors are these two — Time and Patience.” Time and Patience.”

--Leo Tolstoy, War and Leo Tolstoy, War and PeacePeace

8. a good basic command of 8. a good basic command of the English language and the English language and writing skills--or a writing skills--or a willingness to catch up if willingness to catch up if there is a deficiency there is a deficiency

"Do but take care to express "Do but take care to express yourself in a plain, easy Manner, yourself in a plain, easy Manner, in well-chosen, significant and in well-chosen, significant and decent Terms, and to give a decent Terms, and to give a harmonious and pleasing Turn to harmonious and pleasing Turn to your Periods: study to explain your Periods: study to explain your Thoughts, and set them in your Thoughts, and set them in the truest Light, labouring as the truest Light, labouring as much as possible, not to leave much as possible, not to leave them dark nor intricate, but them dark nor intricate, but clear and intelligible."clear and intelligible."

--Miguel de Cervantes, Preface to Don Miguel de Cervantes, Preface to Don

QuixoteQuixote

9. well-developed 9. well-developed organization and time organization and time

management skillsmanagement skills

““The common man The common man

is not concerned is not concerned

about the passage of about the passage of time, time,

the man of talent is the man of talent is driven by it.”driven by it.”

– – SchopenhauerSchopenhauer

10. the 10. the commitment commitment

to to dedicate dedicate

many hours many hours of of

homework homework each week each week to AP.to AP.

 “ “The only The only tyrant I tyrant I accept in accept in this world this world is the is the 'still 'still small small voice' voice' within within me.”me.”

--Mahatma --Mahatma GandhiGandhi