By: Ahad Khatri
What I hate about my relationship with writing is my tendencies to procrastinate on assignments, even though I tell myself countless times to finish an assignment ahead of time. Procrastination is a skill only the many college students have mastered. What I love about writing, however, is the final product, after much effort, polish, and organization.
I think my ideal writing practices are dedication and hard work; if this weren’t the case, then a lot of the assignments I usually turn in would be unreadable! Even though I continuously try and instill values of dedication and hard work into my mind whenever I write, these ideas have been results of stress and procrastination. Without stress and procrastination, I would not be a student equipped with the necessary tools and skills to convey my thoughts formally and fluidly. I would not be a person who enjoys writing today!
I recall staying up the entire night fatigued and anxious about a written exam I had to take for my IB Higher Level Math class, near the end of my senior year. A score of four was required to pass the class and earn credit towards an IB diploma. I was constantly practicing late night, mentally telling myself that I could ace the exam I had to take in the afternoon. After a lot of mismanaged time and lousy preparation, I barely passed the class, getting the four that I needed. However, as I write this blog entry and look back to my senior year, especially to that May of 2017, I feel that with proper time-management skills, rest, and confidence, I could have aced that Math paper.
I feel as though my past experiences, such as the one outlined above, have really pushed me to become a writer. This year, I have turned in chunky lab reports, completed meaty group assignments, and have annotated an incredibly informative document. I can say that my writing and time-management skills have really evolved and have made me into someone who enjoys and appreciates the writing process, someone who enjoys editing, fixing, and manipulating bits and pieces of a sentence to try and produce a vivid paragraph, and a unique essay.
As a final note, a lot of what has made me into a better writer has been the environment and mindset I have put myself into. Whenever I put on white noise, have my favorite tub of ice cream on my table, or sit in either the CULC or my house, I feel like nothing can stop me from completing, revising, and turning in my finished work. I hope that my relationship with my paper, pen, printer and PC will continue to blossom, as it has during my first year in college.
