When I was in high school, my English teachers always placed a strong emphasis on writing. In my classes, my peers and I would write long, formal research papers, on which I always made good grades. This made me believe that I was a good and competent writer.

In my junior year of high school, I took AP U.S. History online through Georgia Virtual School. When I wrote my first essay, I put a lot of planning and effort into it, and I thought that I did a great job. When I got the grade back, I was shocked to discover that I barely passed the assignment.

As the semester went on, I had to write more and more often for that class, and I found that the more often I wrote, the better I became at it. I learned that in order to become a good writer, one must practice writing, just as one practices a sport or an instrument to become better at it. Writing is not something that one person can teach another person how to do, rather, it is a skill that one refines and finesses over time.

Now, I actually enjoy writing informally for my own personal reasons. I like to write down interesting things that happen to me, and sometimes writing down my thoughts about issues can help me evaluate my feelings so I can decide on an action to take. Though I still sometimes find writing a chore, I enjoy it much more than I used to and I appreciate it.