The Dreaded Paper

Nicole has always been pushed by competition. Whether it was against her sisters, friends, or even herself, she has always been driven to work harder than expected- than she ever thought she could. It was during her junior year of high school that her outlook on academic writing changed. It wasn’t just a competition but instead became something more. It was as if though something lit up inside of her when she was writing.

It all started with the DREADED TERM PAPER. Every junior in Mr. Powell’s AP English Language and Composition course was required to write fifteen pages full of literary analysis and criticism on one of the books that was reviewed during the course. Nicole was nervous but up for the challenge.

This paper was one of the most difficult things Nicole has ever done in her high school career. Wanting to challenge herself, Nicole chose to write her paper on The Grapes of Wrath a book that the class had not yet covered but Nicole had read a couple of years earlier.

Never before had Nicole stayed after school for hours to discuss a book and an assignment with her teacher. Nicole was the only one who had chosen to write the paper on The Grapes of Wrath and so these hours spent were necessary for a full understanding of the novel.

Steinbeck’s words opened up a whole new world for Nicole. The views portrayed and rhetorical devices used in the text made Nicole fall in love with literature and the powerful way it can change society. Looking up literary criticism was more difficult than expected. Using resources at the local college library, Nicole set out with many and many rough drafts incorporating the criticism in her analysis.

Each time she wrote, Nicole’s analysis and assimilation of criticism in the paper continued to improve. Her teacher was patient as she continued to bring in drafts and work with him after school. It was long, and Nicole put all of her effort into this assignment.

Finally the paper was due. All of the stress, hard work, and time had brought Nicole to this point. And two weeks later Nicole received not only the grade she had been hoping for but also gained the experience needed for success in future endeavors.

Looking back Nicole realized that some of her strengths while writing these types of academic papers included:

·         Determination

·         Ability to realize the resources she had and use them correctly

·         Not be afraid to ask for help

Her weaknesses included:

·         Difficulty with incorporating resources

·         Time management

Nicole looks forward to working on and improving her academic writing throughout the semester.