As a high school student I read the bare minimum to get by in each class. As a writer, I usually copied word for word out of books or magazines to write my papers. Now that I"m in college I want to learn and do the best that I can for my money. I've learned many different reading techniques to help me understand literature better. Also, my first semester at Missouri Western has made me write many types of essays, which led me to become a better writer. The reader and writer I was in high school has dramatically changed since I've been in college.
The past two years I have not been very spontaneous with my reading or writing. Truthfully, I don't think I've read and comprehended a book since junior high. Throughout my high school career I didn't pay attention when my class read aloud out of the textbook, or read required literature for book reports. The only thing I read regularly was the newspaper. In the past two years, the only time I wrote was when my classmates would let me copy, or when I would fill out job applications.
During this semester my reading and writing skills have increased rapidly. The reading I engage in most frequently is the required material for class, unless I have spare time to read more in depth. Writing is what I do most of in school; I"m always taking notes, or preparing for assignments.
When writing essays, the number one problem I run into is the introduction. I never know how to start a paper. The only way I can solve this problem is to move on and write the rest of the report. After I do this, I can usually come up with an intriguing introduction.
When I started classes at Missouri Western, I soon realized it was much different than high school. The writing assignments became more difficult because I had to write about my life and experiences, instead of taking it word for word out of a book. I was extremely overwhelmed by the required reading in college, but eventually came to the conclusion that I had to enjoy learning to get through each semester.