Approaching with Style by Michaela

Approaching with Style by Michaela - August 2014 Scholarship Essay

Writing always comes natural for me, and I have always been able to complete assignments without much effort. However, one class changed my writing habits. AP Writing is the hardest writing class in the school, and it challenges students to prepare for the AP exam in May. The first day of class, I walked in thinking I would approach this class like any of my previous writing classes. How wrong I was.

The first day of school, my teacher went through the typical first day spiel: How was everyone’s summer? Are you guys glad school has started? They don’t call it AP Writing for nothing. Always feel free to communicate with me. I expect homework to be turned in and turned in well . . . and so forth.

At the end of that day, we received our first assignment. Read the article provided and relate how stress and business affects your own life.

The next day I came back to class with no concerns. The article was easy to decipher and the paper had taken me less than an hour to write. I casually turned the essay in and started reading the pages assigned on the board. At the end of class, to my surprise, Ms. Patterson already had our papers graded. I watched as my classmates exited the room, while I idly stood—waiting.

“B”. The letter grade on my paper was a “B”! How could it be? I had done everything right, I wrote it exactly like I normally would! I walked up to Ms. Patterson’s desk and waited. She looked up and asked how she could help me.

I began by expressing my newfound concerns on my paper: Why was it a B? When had I ever gotten a B on a paper that I was so confident in?

“Well there are some grammatical errors,” answered Ms. Patterson.

Well not that many, I thought.

“Mainly, you are lacking style. You need to make this paper your own, show me who you are.” I smiled and thanked her for her explanation, though part of me believed it was baloney.

Style? That’s what I need to work on? A new wardrobe wasn’t going to fix this problem, nor are there any magical stores to help.

The following morning, before class, I entered Ms. Patterson’s class and asked how exactly to go about adding style to my paper.

She smiled like she’s heard this question before. “It’s a store inside your brain. You already own it, now just wear it.” When I still looked confused, she continued, “Add some literary devices. Use metaphors, personification, and parallel structure. Techniques are how you can clearly and concisely get your point across.”

When coming home that same night, I realized she was right. My paper lacked sophisticated techniques. I believed that I could simply just do what was asked of me (relate the article to myself) and get an “A”. But, if that’s all I did, the paper is not “A” worthy. Anyone can write, but not everyone can right with a solid point and a creative flow.

Throughout the rest of the course, I focused on further developing my skills and realized that I did have what it takes. It didn’t just happen overnight, I would come into class and have her look over papers and get feedback, I would experiment with techniques I previously didn’t know existed.

And, though I failed (according to my own standards) on my first paper, that failure ultimately opened the door for growth, hard-work, and determination—three properties I now expect of myself in everything I do. In the end, I did not fail. In fact, not only did I become a noticeably better writer with a new approach, but I also passed my AP exam.