Just a writin'...

I think I'm going to start using this blog to share things that I have written and just talk about writing stuffs. I have been meaning to do something of the sort for a while now and I just have never gotten around to it.

So..with no further ado, here is something that I've written lately.

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Write an essay of about 250-300 words in which you identify a book you think all students in the University Honors Program should read; explain in some detail the reasons for your choice.

As with anyone taking the next step in life, there comes a great deal of disillusionment to the college student. The world is not as nice of a place as we all think it would be. We have been taught by our parents that we should pursue the course of action that makes us happy. However, when we ease ourselves out into the real world, we find that "whatever makes you happy," isn't always the best course of action. Sometimes, we find, it is necessary to be unhappy in order to be a better person.

This is one of the many ideas that Huxley embodies in his book, Brave New World. Those characters in his story who take in the drug to erase all displeasure are, inevitably, incomplete people. They are immature, selfish, and unable to deal with stressful situations. No person sets out to be like that, but Huxley says that if we can't accept that we can't always be happy, that is the end that we will meet.

It is a lesson that college students face almost immediately. Room mates will make us irritable, but accepting the situation and learning to cope makes us better people. Classes will be difficult, especially at the honors level, but having the motivation and desire to complete them makes us whole.

Because college is more than just books and studying, I would recommend this to an honor student. Many times those of high academic caliber forget that their personal growth is just as important, and having this book in our arsenals would be an additional step to achieving what college is all about: growing up.