Blog #1 Introduction

 My name is Madeleine Simon, better known as Maddie.  I am eighteen years old and am a recent graduate of Pius X High School in Lincoln, NE.  It is hard to believe that the first session of college classes are finally here.  Also that we have a writing assignment on the first day! But of course that is to be expected in college!  I am excited for the challenges that these next five weeks will bring and hope to grow in many areas.

Other than the two classes I will be taking this summer, basketball will be my other main challenge.  I could go on and on about how prestigious and well known the athletics and academics are at Nebraska, but you probably already know.  Giving my best effort on the court and in the classroom is very important to me. Playing college basketball has been my dream ever since I was little and all throughout high school it was my goal along with keeping good grades.  I knew that if I wanted to play a sport after high school I would need to be motivated in both parts of my life.

 That is where the academics part of my life comes in.  Managing three sports along with normally six subjects of homework was a lot of work.  Even though I always gave a good effort at writing papers and doing writing projects, you could say it wasn’t my top priority. Times like this (starting college) make me wish I was a little better at it. I write because I want good grades, but also because I want to become better at it.  Whether it is sports or schoolwork, I am always looking to improve.  I am different from most writing students who use this as stress relief or a way to express their creative side.  I am completely the opposite in those ways.  Writing is something I enjoy and manage, but it is not a favorite hobby or class of mine.

In high school I took an English class all four years where I had an A average. These included writing research papers, personal narratives, nonfictional stories, and poetry.  I was tested in a class called “Creative Writing” which of course tested our creativity in many ways.  We wrote and edited our own short story, made a poetry anthology, and did multiple research and non-fictional papers.  Some of these topics were hard for me because I don’t always know how to be creative.  We worked in peer edit groups who helped me find that.

 I am a writer who likes to stick to the facts and not improvise with emotion or use much creativity. I would rather write about a fictional topic that I have facts on.  I am also a writer who takes their time to gather thoughts and then produce writing in a short amount of words.  I don’t like to elaborate but would rather give a great piece in only a few pages. I often write because I have to, not for leisure.  This isn’t necessarily because I don’t like writing, but more of a lack of time.

When I am preparing to write a more formal paper, I like to plan ahead.  I will make an outline with topics I want to cover in each paragraph to get a main idea down.  Next I will free lance write in each paragraph to get a lot of words down then edit it to make it sound better.  I do this part because I often find myself at a loss for words if I try to make it perfect right away.   The only way to become more confident in writing though is to practice.   That is why I am excited and eager to begin this class to improve as a writer!