Be Enthusiastic.

Ballenger strikes me as a very enthusiastic writer. Though this may appear obvious, some people are “good” at writing, but hate doing it. I used to be that way. I used to hate writing papers in high school, but I would get A’s on them every time. I knew what the teachers wanted, what was expected of me, and how to impress them. It was easy. It was clear cut. It was dry. Sophomore year I learned how to write. I mean really write. I wrote and rewrote essays for weeks until they were as flawless as I could get them. However, the only aspect of this I took any sort of pleasure in was the challenge of making a decent grade in a difficult class. Junior year I remember this one research comparison paper I had to write. It was the most horrible assignment I’ve ever had, I think. I had to compare/contrast two different inaugural addresses in depth. Then, as a continuation of that same idea, I had to compare/contrast two random colleges that I cared nothing about. Then, Junior year, I was assigned an essay by my psychology teacher. This was by no means a writing class, so I didn’t feel as if I would be held to any rigorous expectations; that I was just to do the assignment and get the grade. But I actually enjoyed it. It was a paper without any real topic. He just wanted us to write something and to make it personal. It only took me about an hour, but it’s one of the best papers I’ve ever written. It wasn’t research, but it was writing. In a way, this made me see writing everything in a different way. It was just so much easier when I was interested in it. From then on, I found a way to get interested in my essays. That same year I placed third in a regional essay competition. So overall, I agree with Ballenger. You have to make research “fun” or interesting. That’s the only way you’ll have a truly great paper.

Jennifer, I like that our writing in class so far is pretty freestyle.

Do you give these assignments so we're more interested in it and do a better job?