Coming To A Close

Today is my last day of ENG 111. I have finished HUM for the semester with an "A," and only have PSY and HIS left to go.  I will admit, while it has been tough getting into the routine of full time work and school, I still could have done better.  I have planned out my remaining classes at 3 per semester to give myself a better chance to give each one the time and focus I'll need to not get as overwhelmed as I kept finding myself over the last four months.
Taking the summer off to do some Army training, I am looking forward to the extra time I'll have just as much as I know I will be looking forward to continuing on in the Fall semester.  I am also excited to finally have a little time back to some painting!  I have some ideas in mind and can't wait to get started!

A First For Everything

I am sitting here at the library writing my English paper when it dawns on me, this is actually the first college paper I have ever written.  Even in high school I only did 3 papers at the most, and they were all 2 page book reviews. All of the writing I have done in the past ten or so years has really just been rambling, unedited babble.    Now that I am aware of the critical eye my writing will have on it, I must admit, I am a little nervous.  I've already had some great feedback at home. Though this means that now I find myself being overly critical of every comma I even consider placing.
I realize it has been a long time since I was in an official learning environment, but I still have high expectations of myself.  I am trying hard not to be too disappointed with myself for  thus far failing to achieve the standard I set for myself.

Writer's Block

     I have essentially been staring at a blank page for the past four hours.  We recently talked about writer's block in my English class, and our last journal topic was about those things that most distract us.  Looks like I overlooked the most dominant dilatory influence- my own procrastination and inability to focus.  I have a 500 word essay due tomorrow at noon, but since I work at 6am, I will have to finish it tonight.
     To bring up another English 111 discussion, yesterdays class involved outlining.  Well, when you have an outline for a 500 word essay, then have to somehow include answers to four almost completely unrelated questions involving the 1000 word article that can be your only source of information, things get a little difficult. So, here I sit, completely capable of writing about the fact that I can't write this paper. "Why?" You ask?  Because it will simply be a bad paper.
     I have already answered the questions needed without a hitch.  The problem lies with making them flow together in a paper that will be graded partly on structure.  I haven't written many papers, and it's been over a decade since I have done on at all, so maybe there is a way to work through an issue such as this, but I simply don't have the experience yet to do it.  Though I know I can write it, perhaps the biggest problem is that I know it will be crap, even if it meets the requirements of the professor.
     I'm going to read the article for the fourth time now and see what happens.  Ugh.