The process of writing will always be tough regardless of whether I am free-writing or writing an essay. However, writing, especially journaling, is crucial to becoming a better writer but also a better thinker. Journaling allows me to write out my thoughts towards anything without worrying about punctuation or flow. They are my words but without an enforced structure.
My last reading intensive English class was AP English Literature and Composition. Surviving that class itself was a journey since there was a large workload and our class discussions were one-dimensional. I also noticed that the same people would participate, causing the discussion to always steer in one direction, and when someone tried to mention something else, that person was ignored. As soon as I became aware of this, I stopped participated and enjoying the class. The reason I disliked that class was because of how limited we were in our views and opinions, which could have easily been solved if we were asked to share some of our opinions through journaling.
This mindset of not enjoying English classes continued along as I went to college. However, the second MHC seminar changed my view of English classes due to journaling. Yes, writing them is a pain and can sometimes take more time than I would like, but I enjoy elaborating about aspects of a reading we might not have discussed in class. I also enjoy being able to sometimes incorporate parts of my journals when I participate in class discussions.
I also enjoy journaling because I can fully explain my idea without worrying about whether I am taking up too much class time or whether I am elaborating enough. Sometimes, I refrain from participating in class because I do not like when everyone fixates their eyes on me when I want to say something. Due to this, I occasionally question why I participated and try to draw back to my bubble. Fortunately, when I journal, I never truly have to worry about how people react physically to my words. I do not have a person glancing at me as I write. Instead, I feel free because I can look more thoroughly at what I read and pick out what I saw that others may have missed.
Overall, journaling is tedious, tough, and time-consuming. Aside from those setbacks, it is incredibly rewarding; not only can I describe my perspective, but I can also see how my thoughts change towards each piece. Here, I can write independently with no worries and no interruptions.
