The Routine

The fear that overcomes a college student when they hear the word “essay” is indescribable. For me on the other hand, it really depends on what class I am writing for. For my composition classes I have usually enjoyed writing for them and the fear isn't as predominate as it would be for a biology class. To prepare for the storm that is about to come I start with the analysis. I read the prompt about five times before I really start to think about what I am going to write. This is because I really want to understand what I am going to be writing about. One thing I keep in my “toolbox” would be a cup of coffee and music that keeps my caffeine high at it’s peak. Now this may not seem like a tool, but for me it works. When I’m starting the process of writing my essay I will wake up early one morning before class and make a cup of coffee and open a new word document. Then I will proceed to write whatever comes to mind. As said in the lecture today there is no such thing as “perfect writing” and there is always room for revision. Doing this early in the morning always works best for me because my mind isn’t distracted from the surroundings of the world yet.

Once I have a “vomit of language” as my teacher in high school used to refer that as, I start to look back at what I have written. I then refer back to some of my old essays that I have done well on and see if my style of writing is consistent. Although this may not apply to all the essays I write, this does help me get into a writing mood. At the end of each essay after about ten cups of coffee and at least ten hours of endless playlist, I like to refer to one website many teachers use- Purdue Owl. This website helps me triple check that I am in the correct format for my essays and also provides comfort that I have a well structured essay. Alas, I turn in my essay and hope that my routine won't fail me.