Several weeks ago as I was working on a scholarship essay I came across a research paper I had written in my sophomore year of high school. Attributing the word “horrific” to that paper on the Sacco-Venzetti case would be putting it too nicely. Mrs. Cross would have had a heart attack--- there were no transitional phrases, quotations that started paragraphs, and an extreme lack of analysis. Upon entering AP Literature and Composition, I felt well prepared due to my venture through AP Language and Composition in Mr. Lunardi’s class. AP Lang greatly improved my writing and analytical skills opposed to the atrocious papers I considered “writing” my freshman and sophomore year. However, after I have almost gone through the whole AP Literature and
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Okay, that is not true; it is not writing I despise, but instead writer’s block. Quite frankly, I am experiencing writer’s block right now, but perhaps if I just continue to viciously type on my keyboard then some ideas will eventually pour out. With that said, one of my largest issues is how to begin writing a research paper. I have come to the conclusion my brain does not like to formulate words when it comes to typing them on the computer screen. Seriously, I feel as though it is easier for me to write when I am using actual pen and paper. So, how have I managed to formulate six to eight paged papers on Microsoft Word? Well, my friend, organization is essential! I will never forget when I first heard the phrase “digital notes” freshman year. I found it tedious when Mrs. Saunders made us do research and put each quotation in a paraphrased and summarized version. “Ugh! This is so unnecessary!” I thought. Fast forward three years later and I could not even imagine trying to begin a paper without digital notes. They have taken on a whole new meaning to me. I no longer picture digital notes as an inanimate form of Satan, sentencing me to my own internal hell as I work on them for hours. No, instead, I view digital notes as little elves in my own writer’s workshop, allowing me to formulate a paper in a timelier manner and making sure I can turn it in on the eve of its deadline. For instance, on the paper about allusions in the contemporary world relating to a novel of my choice, Mrs. Cross gave us a week in class to research and to create our digital notes before beginning our paper. Each day I attempted to find allusions from at least two sources and place quotations into digital notes format. At the end, I grouped the quotations into ways they could be organized into an essay. By the time it was time to write the actual paper, the process was a breeze, considering I had already done
Okay, that is not true; it is not writing I despise, but instead writer’s block. Quite frankly, I am experiencing writer’s block right now, but perhaps if I just continue to viciously type on my keyboard then some ideas will eventually pour out. With that said, one of my largest issues is how to begin writing a research paper. I have come to the conclusion my brain does not like to formulate words when it comes to typing them on the computer screen. Seriously, I feel as though it is easier for me to write when I am using actual pen and paper. So, how have I managed to formulate six to eight paged papers on Microsoft Word? Well, my friend, organization is essential! I will never forget when I first heard the phrase “digital notes” freshman year. I found it tedious when Mrs. Saunders made us do research and put each quotation in a paraphrased and summarized version. “Ugh! This is so unnecessary!” I thought. Fast forward three years later and I could not even imagine trying to begin a paper without digital notes. They have taken on a whole new meaning to me. I no longer picture digital notes as an inanimate form of Satan, sentencing me to my own internal hell as I work on them for hours. No, instead, I view digital notes as little elves in my own writer’s workshop, allowing me to formulate a paper in a timelier manner and making sure I can turn it in on the eve of its deadline. For instance, on the paper about allusions in the contemporary world relating to a novel of my choice, Mrs. Cross gave us a week in class to research and to create our digital notes before beginning our paper. Each day I attempted to find allusions from at least two sources and place quotations into digital notes format. At the end, I grouped the quotations into ways they could be organized into an essay. By the time it was time to write the actual paper, the process was a breeze, considering I had already done