My First Post

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
- Stephen King

My entire life, I was indifferent towards literature, including reading and writing. English has always been my worst course, and I have consistently achieved a high mark (95+) in mathematics and science. Because I have always dreamt of being a computer engineer, I firmly believed that English literature would never be important to me forever. So, instead of digging into homework and assignments from my English class, I focused on maintaining the bare minimum for university entrance. I thought this was a perfect plan then, as I could save more time for programming or preparing for physics tests, and I had made a good decision that I would never regret.

But was it really?

It turned out that there are some reasons that I need to start studying literature again. For academic and practical reasons, my life as a student didn’t quite work out without using moderate and accurate language that can also charm other people. In this article, I would like to explain why studying English literature is important both as a student and a human being and how I will change myself in this area.

Academic improvement in other courses

As a secondary school student who wants to enter a computer science program at a good university, mathematics is the most essential skill in Grades 11 and 12. Why? Because many mandatory and prerequisite courses at universities require them.

In Ontario, courses ending in 3M or 4M are university prerequisites, such as Physics 12 (SPH4U) and Chemistry 12 (SCH4U). Students use mathematics in most courses, including science, pure mathematics, and accounting. Making a math mistake or not knowing a mathematical concept altogether leads to losing marks in these courses. Mathematics can also help us build scientific thinking, which is why most secondary school students study Grade 11 and 12 mathematics before they learn it from school; it is a handy tool not only in our school days but throughout our whole lives.

But things are a bit different for the English language. While we use mathematics in those courses, English is necessary anytime at school. Writing skills heavily influence producing a mathematical or scientific hypothesis, writing a lab report for marks, and writing an essay as an English assignment. Better use of logic and language can lead to a better mark.

Yet, reading and writing is also crucial in our lives

Don’t think we should study literature only because it can improve our marks. Being a proficient reader and writing in English can make you a better person with more opportunities.

As of writing this article, it is mid-February, meaning I just finished writing essays for university admission and scholarship applications. While I was writing for several prompts, I deeply regretted that I didn’t make any effort to improve my writing skills. The outcome could have been different; not just writing a more attractive essay, but I could’ve saved more time and submitted it without being bothered by the pressure of a deadline.

Also, writing with good logic and wording can help you get a job and persuade others. Many misunderstandings come from making a bad word choice or talking or writing before making a deep thought, which we should avoid for good as much as possible.

In my adulthood, which is decades left, writing proficiently in English will give me more opportunities with promising success, maintaining better relationships with others, and more.

So how is improving English skills related to learning literature?

Wikipedia describes literature as follows:

Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, plays, and poems.

So why do I believe reading and studying literature can improve my English skills?

First of all, it is fun. Let’s imagine a situation where we learn reading and writing like mathematics. Like memorizing formulas, we need to memorize all the different techniques used in writing and be skilled in them. In my opinion, this is the most terrible way of learning any language, and people should not learn a language in such a circumstance.

Instead of memorizing the old-school way, reading books and naturally acquiring the ability to write a good essay is a more natural approach. As babies learn their mother tongue language from listening to conversations, not from dictionaries, exposing ourselves to a collection of carefully chosen works is a better approach to improving our writing skills.

Furthermore, learning from a collection of renowned works can only benefit and never harm us. Experts recommend literary work for good reasons, regardless of whether that is the word choice, topic, or logic. From every aspect of those works, there are always things to learn that will help and inspire us when we do our writing. Word choice we see in Great Gatsby or the message conveyed through To Kill a Mockingbird gives us opportunities to reflect on ourselves and our writing skills. When these lessons accumulate enough, we can write like those authors.

What I’m planning to do and what this blog will be

This post is my first time writing online; I hardly ever express my thoughts through posts or comments.

Yet, writing a blog can help me improve my writing skills. Even though a few people might read my posts, I'm committed to this writing activity. I will focus on it as much as possible.

I have a lot of time for the rest of the semester, and after next week's programming competition, I might be a full-time writer when I'm free.

I'll cover various topics, such as economics, politics, personal experience, and book reviews. Programming articles will be posted on my website. Right now, I have a draft with a bunch of ideas, and I can't wait to finish it.

As my first post, I somehow wrote this article poorly in some aspects. Still, because I achieved my goal as a first personal writer, I'm stopping writing here. I will write another post pretty soon—if I ever write again.