[Type text]

[Type text]

Lyczak 1

Kevin Lyczak
Dr. Poteet
UCOR 101
08 September 2012
Writing and My Life
Throughout my high school career, writing has played an important role in my education.
Whether it has been for an English class, or another subject such as history or theology, writing
has always been a vital part of how I learn. Writing is an essential part of a college education
because it forces the student to learn the concepts he or she is unfamiliar with. It requires the
student to understand the topic to a high enough degree to write about it. Through this class, I
hope to continue to advance my writing skills to better my college education.
I graduated from a high school that strived to prepare its students for college
academically. Because of this, my high school placed a special emphasis on writing. For almost
every English, Theology, and History class, there was at least one major paper due per semester.
I do not mind writing a paper on a topic that interests me. In fact, I greatly enjoy writing about
theology. The first day of World Religions, our teacher handed us a paper with twenty-one
questions about the meaning of life. It was the largest assignment I had ever been given and
remains so today. The day before the paper was due, I had written fourteen pages and had
answered about seven of the questions. But once I started writing, I became so consumed by my
place in the cosmos that I kept writing all night, and by the time I was done, I had a fifty-eightpage paper. I did absolutely no proofreading, and the paper was essentially twenty-one
individual rants, but I finished my Opus Magnus on time, and was proud of the content. I
enjoy writing tremendously when it is on something that interests me.

[Type text]

[Type text]

Lyczak 2

In todays world, academic or non-academic, whether or not one wants to do an

assignment is arbitrary. My Opus is an isolated example of how easy it is to write about
something interesting. However, what counts are ones ability to write about a topic that
disinterests him. The papers that get us the farthest in life are usually the ones we do not wish to
write. The summer between my sophomore and junior year in high school, I took an SAT
preparation class. The teacher went over exactly what the College Board was looking for in the
essay. I spent eight weeks studying what to write about and how to write it quickly and
efficiently. I dont think the SATs are a good indicator of ones writing ability, simply because
how one is feeling on that particular day can vary the score significantly. I took the SAT three
times and received a 670, a 590, and a 790 respectively. Although much of the result was based
on my summer preparation, sheer luck, and my writing that day, I will not deny that my final
score helped my college application. Regardless of the how, it is clear that writing can help
one in high school, the real world, and college.
At Duquesne, I am a Music Composition major in the Mary Pappert School of Music.
Although there potentially might be less of an emphasis on writing than in high school, writing is
still going to play an important part in my college education. I am currently taking Musicianship
III. Musicianship I, II, III, and IV are strictly theory based. However, Musicianship V, VI, VII,
and VIII are Music History courses. I expect to have quite a few papers due for these classes. In
addition, I am required to take three core credits per semester for eight semesters. I am
anticipating required essays in most, if not all of these core courses. If I am able to write at a
high caliber for these papers, I will presumably receive a higher grade, theoretically helping my
GPA. Although this will surely be of great benefit, perhaps more importantly I will learn the
material more thoroughly and have a great understanding of it as well. One of the most

[Type text]

[Type text]

Lyczak 3

important essays I am going to write this semester will be on an application to become a

Resident Assistant. If I am chosen to be an R.A., I could potentially save $30,000 in room and
board. Many elements of my college education, practical in the long run and practical in the
short term, rest on how I write.
One of my goals in this writing class is to learn how to write more efficaciously. I have a
considerable amount of experience writing so far, but by no means am I saying I cannot improve.
At the risk of breaking a rule of writing and using a clich, practice makes perfect. The more
exposure one has at writing, the better he or she will be able to write. I have been playing piano
and organ since the end of first grade, and have had five teachers in eleven years. With each
teacher, I have learned some new technique. My first teacher taught me the basics. The second
focused mainly on expression. My third teacher focused on improvisation and introduced me to
the organ. My fourth teacher greatly improved my organ skills with a specific and secretive
technique he passed on to me from his teacher. I have only recently started studying with Dr.
Ann Labounsky, but I am positive I will learn something new. With each teacher, I learned new
repertoire, but equally as important, I learned how to play better. The same concept holds true
for the valuable skill of writing. I have been writing essays for many years, writing many papers
in high school and learning new tips and guidelines from each new English teacher. Similarly, in
this freshman English class, I hope to develop and enhance my writing skills, and become an
improved, efficient and more effective writer.
It is obvious that I transferred into this freshman English class a week late. In my
original English class, the syllabus stated that this will be the most important class [I] will take
at Duquesne University. Originally, I thought this statement was rather presumptuous.
However, upon more consideration and additional thought, although I do not think it will be the

[Type text]

[Type text]

Lyczak 4

most important class I will take, I will concede that its benefit will be extremely valuable. It
is evident that solid writing skills are priceless, and I hope to build upon my previous experience,
and develop these skills to my fullest potential.