I found something recently from my freshmen self way back when I was 18 years old. I am currently a washed up 22-year-old on my last semester of college. What I found was an assignment from ENG 111. As I end my college career, reading this little assignment about how I felt about writing shook me and reminded me why I am doing this. Clearly my writing isn't awesome in this short little assignment, but it woke me up and got me motivated to make that 18-year-old proud. I'm not exactly sure what reading assignment correlated to this write-up, but regardless, the truth that I spoke as a little freshman gave me the drive to finish up this last semester and do exactly what my 18-year-old self wants to do.
Why I write?
I write for school and for fun. I write because it is necessary to be a student and a citizen in general. To get a good education I need to write. When I write, I can develop ideas, communicate, explain or describe. I can tell a story or write a research paper. My major is journalism so I need to write, but it doesn’t feel like a need because I like it. When I write, I define my education and myself. In order to get a job and make money, I write. Whether it is texting, typing or simply pencil and paper we all write. My writing takes place in English class, the library, my dorm and anywhere else I feel the need to get words on paper. In high school I wrote for my yearbook; I had the freedom to write about different topics. In college I write to be successful.
A sentence that speaks to me in the article is when the author is describing what a writer is, “a person whose most absorbed and passionate hours are spent arranging words on pieces of paper.” I think this is a really powerful way to describe someone. This sentence is quite relatable to me. I am deciding on if I want to major in journalism still. When I read this, it makes me happy. I want to spend my life having a career that I feel “absorbed” and “passionate” about. I do feel passionate about writing and I think it is a great use of my time.
It's kind of comical how innocent and wholesome I sound. When given a simple assignment now-a-days I usually have a mindset to just crank it out in whatever way I have to. I lost the desire to really think about the words I am putting on the page. I strongly suggest you go back to your freshman year folders and read through some of your work. It's fun to see how far you've come. Make your freshman self proud!
