My experience with writing up until now has basically consisted of doing the writing assignments I have been given by teachers in school. While this experience might sound sparse to the avid journalist, to me it seems rather extensive because I have been given so many different writing assignments to do over the years. Whether in the form of writing in-class essays, research papers, or any other sort of formal assignment, I always put 100% of myself into my writing, and as much as I used to hate writing in the past, I kind of enjoy it now.
Writing definitely used to intimidate me. But now that I have realized just how integral it is to my education today and how prominent it will be no matter what profession I choose to pursue in the future, I have come to embrace it. Pursuing an exercise science degree does not require extensive amounts of writing in any of my major classes, but I would say that the core classes I have to take as a part of the well-rounded Creighton education have kept my writing abilities relatively ‘fresh’.
I used to get really intimidated by writing merely because it took me (and still does) quite a while to collect my thoughts mentally and then turn around and put them on paper. I have been known to just sit and stare at a blank computer screen or re-write sentences again and again before I am satisfied with them. Because it takes me a while to get my thoughts together, I get overwhelmed by long writing assignments. I think this is the main reason why I did not like writing for the longest time. But I am learning to accept the fact that it takes me a while to get started and work with it. My writing process is very systematic—I like to know what direction I am going to take a paper before I start, so I take lots of notes. I also tend to be a bit wordy, but once I edit my work, I can usually cut out most of the “fluff” before I print out the final draft.
I do have a journal that I wrote in a lot during high school, stopped writing in for a while when I first came to college, but have tried to start back up again. There is definitely something therapeutic about writing in a journal, and I do think that this has recently helped me to get my thoughts on paper more effectively in formal writing settings.
I do not like how long it takes me to get my thoughts on paper. But once I do get all my thoughts down, I actually kind of enjoy proof-reading and editing my writing. I love how writing is a beneficial way to express yourself on paper, share your knowledge with others, or argue your opinions. I believe writing can instill a sense of confidence in anyone who has something to say, and it gives everyone an avenue to say it without speaking out loud. Because I know everyone has something to say each and every day, I hope that others-who may not like writing like I used to not like writing- may also come to see it as an essential
In learning to appreciate writing,
Ray J