My name is Grace Li, and I am a fourth-year double major studying both Anthropology and Human Biology (BS) and Music on the pre-medical track. Although I did plenty of reading and writing in high school, I would say that besides the general education requirements, my reading and writing opportunities have been limited at Emory due to the types of classes I have taken.
In regards to my skills, I feel like I sometimes can be a poor reader but a decent writer. I think I have a tendency to read without thinking or read too fast especially if I am in a rush or stressed. I think I want to work on taking my time when I read and digesting all the information. On the other hand, I do enjoy writing when it comes to some topics. In fact, sometimes writing things down when I read helps me remember what I am reading. Writing helps me digest my thoughts and come to conclusions that I would not have thought about if I were reading alone. My favorite thing to write and maybe read about would have to be history. In both high school and college, I have enjoyed reading historical papers and analyzing them through writing. Nonetheless, I am excited to use this class to broaden my reading pallate and improve my writing skills through the subject of marginalized communities.
Hello Grace, and thank you for your post! I sometimes struggle with reading as well — I get impatient or distracted or lose focus and find it hard to get back into a reading flow. One of the things I will try to emphasize though is that reading is a lot like exercise in that your brain is a muscle that needs intentional and active work-outs. If it’s hard at times, it’s okay and more than expected; I take solace knowing that even when I struggle with reading, if I take small steps and keep at it, it gets easier and easier each time. Reading is a practice, after all, which means you need to practice!