I often think about how high school writing is strikingly different from elementary school. Instead of narratives, creative haikus, and fantasy storylines, our days tend to be filled with book analyses and 5-paragraph essays. Considering this, I was pleasantly surprised that we had the opportunity to write blog posts this year! 

I had fun writing every post, but two of my favorites were “Notes from a Pet Lover” and my post about memories. I’ve owned multiple pets, requiring various levels of attention and care, and I love them. I’ve learned so much from each one – regarding relationships, values, life skills, and more. Writing the blog post was genuinely reflective and moving, since it prompted memories from long ago. I also had a fun time finding pictures of my pets! Going back through my camera roll for kitten photos was truly a walk down memory lane. Here are a few more:

I’m also a big biology geek, so I had a blast writing about memories! I think it’s an immensely fascinating topic, and there are so many odd phenomena and exciting facets to dive into. For example, I love talking about the “doorway effect” because it gives a valid reason (not dementia-related) as to why I forget things immediately when walking into a new room. It was nice to have an outlet to nerd out about a topic I find extremely interesting.

Over the course of the semester, I think the flow of my writing has gotten smoother. I’ve been writing a lot more frequently (for both college application essays and schoolwork), and as I’ve gotten more practice, I’ve become more comfortable! I used to have serious writer’s block because I didn’t want to start unless I knew exactly what to write. My progress was painfully slow, since I (unrealistically) wanted my first draft to be as polished as possible. Because of this emphasis on perfection, my writing tended to be rigid, lacking character and masking my voice. Nowadays, I write more freely, allowing my thoughts to evolve as I write and not stressing about being “perfect” on the first try. I’ve found that this enables me to write not only more efficiently but also more genuinely.

Reading other people’s blogs throughout the semester has taught me a lot. I’ve acquired new perspectives on various subjects, allowing me to see them differently. Many posts also parallel experiences in my life, and they’ve been so relatable and fun to read. For example, I loved Nichole’s post about Ping Pong – it reminded me of elementary school experiences I’d long buried in my memories. Since many blogs include personal recommendations, favorites, and more, reading them has given me new ideas for things to try! I’ve been influenced to watch new shows, taste certain foods, or listen to a different album or artist. It’s been a fun way to expand my horizons and get to know my classmates better.

As I move into next semester and beyond, I’ll take lessons from this class with me. Firstly, I’ve learned to more critically analyze texts: how to effectively close read, look for rhetorical choices, and discern the author’s message. Since I usually don’t read much literature (I’m more of a fantasy or Sci-Fi person), this class was a great opportunity to understand such texts better. I really liked some of our books this year (especially Beloved), so I’ll continue exploring literature in the future. Something else I’ve realized from this class is that texts can often have vastly different interpretations, depending on perspective. During our discussions and more, I’ve seen how classmates can have entirely different analyses of a work – most of which are valid and defensible! I’ve recognized that there is no one “correct” explanation, and this multifaceted understanding enriches our literary experience. 

Overall, this class has been a great experience so far. I’ve had fun writing and reading blog posts and have learned a lot along the way. I’m excited for our next (and last) semester!