At one point in my career as a student writing had actually been a pleasure for me. I had written a love poem as extra credit in the tenth grade. That may have been the only time I had actually enjoyed writing. Although writing would usually follow a reading assignment, I would much rather read a paper than write one. Eventually the process of writing would be embedded into my memory and I would learn the steps to writing a good piece of literature. This was the period in which I’d actually enjoyed writing. On my journey to college I would soon realize the importance of reading and writing and producing a good paper.
While I was in the tenth grade my English teacher was preparing us for the writing portion of what is called the Georgia High School Graduation Test. This was a test issued in the eleventh grade and was required in order to graduate from high school. During this time period I did more writing than in all of my high school years combined. Before then, I have to admit, I despised writing. It was hard for me, but I have to say that my English teacher had prepared us well for that very important writing test that we had to take the very next year. Every day in class was dedicated to the writing process as well as extensive writing. But even with all of the help given to me and all of the necessary tools surrounding me, I still wasn’t comfortable with my journalism. I would constantly beat myself up about what to write and how to write it, and even get stuck on beginning the actual paper. The one piece of work that I had produced, and enjoyed, was a poem I’d written about my “puppy love”. It was an extra credit assignment that I wrote at the very last minute and it turned out great, considering the fact that I detested poetry just as much as I did writing. It’s funny though how work turns out when completed under pressure.
After that on particular piece of literature, my perspective of writing changed a good deal. Writing that poem had encouraged me to want to write more. I had even begun to read different books and stories more frequently. Now I’m in college, and just as soon as I was getting used to the whole idea of writing I got discouraged all over again! Your typical one page, five paragraph essay is no longer required. As if one page wasn’t enough, now my instructor is looking for 3-5 page essays and narratives. I can’t help but wonder how this will work out for me! Not only do I need to figure out what it is that I am going to write about, but now I have to figure out how I’m going to make it five pages. I still have a better attitude about writing, which I’m sure will get me through my new English course. I feel that once I become a better writer I will improve in other subjects as well. In addition, become a better writer could also mean person.
After my thoughts changed about both reading and writing, they had become more important to me. Every day I have to deal with some form of writing and/or reading that would potentially influence me. I want to be able to understand writing more than what I do now. If I could express myself better on paper, I could then possibly get a better understanding of what others are trying to express in their work. I don’t write, or read, as often as I should and because of that I write “D” papers. Now that I actually have to start back writing like I’d written in the tenth grade, I have more motivation. Those extensive writing sessions had proven to work me for back then. Now I’m more than sure that once I get started on this path to a new form of writing, my “D” papers will start to look more like “A” papers. After all, that is my ultimate goal!
There once was a time when I thought the world was coming to an end when my teacher would place a writing assignment in front of me. After being showed that there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to writing, that all you have to do is ‘write’, I’ve found a new respect for the subject. In the process, I even grew to want to learn how to become better at it for many reasons. That includes the obvious reason, getting an A in the course. Though I still have a few issues with beginning, and ending, a paper, I no longer get disheartened when asked to complete one of my instructor’s famous writing assignments.