Writing Resolutions

We all have the one subject or activity we hate doing in school. For some it may be math or science. For others, it may be physical education. For me, it was writing. I did not hate English itself. I did not really mind reading passages and answering questions. However, I did hate writing.  In elementary school, I would dread when the teacher started the English portion of class. In middle school, I hated when the bell, that dismissed us into English class, rang. Here, writing assignments were not only required in English classes. In history, they were starting to require essays. It was like they were unavoidable. As much as I disliked writing, I was not bad at it. I just did not like doing it. Whenever I received writing assignments, I would put them off as much as I could until I had to do them. Thinking back to my procrastinating ways, I realized that this may have contributed to me disliking writing. I remember back in the 7^th grade, we were given 2 assignment passes for completing challenges the teacher gave us. I saved them and used them for 2 big essays since she didn’t say we could not do that.

I knew that writing essays were inevitable because they were needed, pretty much, at all levels of schooling. I made a resolution that I would try and find a way to learn to like writing.  I was the same throughout most of high school. I took AP history courses in high school and they required a lot of essay writing. We would have a paper to write at least every other week. I dreaded it every single time.

The one person that got me to actually start liking writing a bit was Mr. Niz, one of my most favorite teachers in high school. He was my English teacher in the  10^th and 12^th grades. When I first entered his class, in the 10^th grade, I remember thinking, “here we go again, another English class”. When class started, I saw that Mr. Niz was one of the most easy going, relaxed teachers I had ever had. Although the class had a bit of reading and writing too, he made the class feel like much less work than it actually was. I got through Mr. Niz’s 10^th grade English class and I still wasn’t too fond of writing.

When I had Mr. Niz again in the 12^th grade the first half of the English class was a senior symposium which focused on doing all of the college applications and essays. We had to write the college application essays for the class. Mr. Niz would review it and tell us if any corrections had to be made. I decided I was going to write about my move from Queens to Albany. I actually enjoyed writing the paper. When I handed the essay in I was not sure how good it was going to be. After reviewing it, Mr. Niz said that my essay was excellent, and it was pretty much ready to be submitted. I never thought that I would actually enjoy writing a paper but I did. Throughout the rest of that year, I wrote many more essays and I had fun doing it too.. I figured out that my issue was that  I saw these writing assignments as requirements and less as opportunities for creative freedom. Even if I have to follow certain rules, I can still insert some creativity. I can still make the paper my own.  I am still not the biggest fan of writing and I am  still working on my resolution, but in the meantime, I have found ways to make writing a bit more enjoyable for me.

 Writing & Writer Resources on Campus

• The Writing Center
  • Since 1977 the Writing Center has offered students, faculty and staff a process-based approach to writing at any stage of the writing process.
• The New York State Writer’s Institute
  • The Writers Institute’s central aim is to enhance and celebrate literature, writing, and performance, and to recognize the position of writers as a community within the larger community. Books, films, plays, and their creators can provide portals through which the most personal or complex issues of human understanding can be explored.
  • This week’s NYSWI event: Telling the Truth in a Post-truth World  – In a time when “fake news” and “post-truth” have become common phrases, the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany is taking a look at what it really means to tell the truth through a series of events, including movies and discussions, culminating in a two-day seminar on journalism, media and democracy.
• Having trouble with your research paper? Ask a librarian? Seriously, they are amazing and you should know this for yourself.
• Several creative writing student organizations may be found on MyInvolvement

Please Note: The views of our student bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the UAlbany Advisement Services Center. These are their stories and their voices.

About the Author:

Anik Paul
Class of 2019
Major: Economics
Minor: Business Administration
Blog Theme:
Resolutionary