Lail 1 Erin Lail Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 August 29, 2013 I Dont Like Reading

So, I have this dilemma. Ever since kindergarten, Ive been an avid student. I produce great work, Im bright, Im a critical thinker, I test well, I can bang out some papers, and I have the ability to excel in all areas of my school work. What in the world could be the problem? It sounds like Ive got it made as a student. I possess all the necessary skills, I have ambition, but there is one element of school that is key to success that I hate. Reading. The awful task of sitting down and staring at whatever compilation of letters I have to soak into my brain and regurgitate a few days later. I tried to like reading, I really did. I remember in the second grade I read the stapled paper books Mrs. Gronowski gave me more clearly and quickly than anyone else in class. I was super proud of that accomplishment, although I really hated sitting there and reading those booklets. It was so boring. All of my classmates growing up loved library days when wed walk down the hall hips and lips to checkout books. I dreaded the day. I didnt want be quiet while the librarian talked, I didnt want to look through the endless shelves at things that didnt particularly interest me, I didnt like the old moth ball book smell, and I didnt like checking out books that I didnt care about so I ended up losing them. I went on to middle school where my seventh grade English teacher Mrs. Jackson required us to read six books

Lail 2 a quarter during our free time. When she introduced this procedure to us I turned to my friend Allison and I said, Lets read three each then summarize them to each other so we wont have to read six books. I was a clever little girl. When Mrs. Jackson caught on to my scheme she got so mad that the bald spot in the middle of her thin hair turned bright red. I was just mad that I had to read extra books to make up for all the ones I skipped the first quarter. It may not sound like a big deal, but not liking to read can cause some serious problems in life. I forged my moms signature on my reading log for the longest time in the fourth grade because I didnt want to read thirty minutes every night. I got in serious trouble for that stunt; she made me read out loud to her from that day on for thirty minutes every night. Despite my dislike for reading Ive always maintained an above average reading level, and to my knowledge my writing hasnt suffered too much as a result. I passed Advanced Placement English 4 without reading a single one of the books we were assigned. This accomplishment I am really proud of because let me tell you those analysis papers are no piece of cake. When I discovered spark notes I thought it was the most magical creation in the world. Dont worry, I am not under the allusion that I can get through this class successfully without doing the reading. College has been no joke so far. When I saw we had to write a personal literacy narrative I said to myself, Great, Ill be exposed to the professor early on about my dislike for reading. When I tell people I dont like to read I get these insulted looks from braniac peers who think Im going to ask them to summarize the reading everyday before we walk in class, or I get a lecture from

Lail 3 some adult about how reading leads to a wealth of knowledge that Ill miss out on. Im aware that reading has its advantages. I have to give props to Emily Giffin, she is the only author that has been able to make me love her books. I read her series and I couldnt put it down. That is a one-time scenario for me. My dislike for reading has helped me grow stronger in other areas as a student, Im more observant, I can make really accurate inferences, and Im the master of speed reading so I have not done myself a total injustice. I still hope that reading for me will be like how peoples taste buds change, as they grow older. My parents look so amused reading the paper every morning with their coffee, which is something Id love to enjoy doing some day. Until then Ill suffer in silence, do every reading assignment posted on moodle, and search for books that can keep me entertained for longer than five minutes.