Reading should mean READING

Reading with strategy is smart reading but still reading should mean READING.

Yes, this must sounds like a weird heading but when it comes to reading it should be reading, not skimming through the papers. Be it instructions, advertisements, newspapers, assignments or no matter what. I am speaking from my hard learnt experience. I have recently learnt my lesson and I am kind of ashamed of it and embarrassed to share it but I better take it off my chest...after all I want to be honest at the end of the day, at least to myself!

I understand that Students of Masters in Social Work have a lot of reading to finish. Often skimming through articles and book reading is the easiest way, it is kind of okay at times but NOT for the instructions and/or assignments, especially not those which are 20% of your final exam, right? I did it.

I think I had lost my mind yesterday evening when I realized I have made a mistake of NOT READING my assignment properly. I had a paper due on Friday by mid night and knowing myself, I started paper a week before its due date. I skipped couple of days in between to chill out but I finished it on time, or so I think.

Okay, let me start again. Friday, the 17th I sat with my classmate and started to work on my paper which was due on Friday, the 24th. I worked hard to make bullet points, elaborate, research and to write professional APA (American Psychological Association) style language. I submitted with pride, and went to a mixer organized by Military Social Workers. My classmate and I who started paper together (but didn't finish together) were talking about our paper and I showed my paper to her on my iPhone. She started to read and suddenly she pointed out second part of my paper doesn't match the given instructions. I disagreed, but to satisfy her I opened instruction, and just to surprise myself I found out, she was right. After reading the instructions in depth, I realized I didn't read the instructions more than couple of lines because I was so sure of all the instruction JUST by reading two lines of whole paragraph. Oh, I lost it. I couldn't sit there, I couldn't drink, I couldn't eat, I was restless…way more than I would like to be. I felt like kicking some ass...or beating myself up with questions like, how dare you? How could you do this? What is wrong with you girl? And so on and so forth!

I was at a public place and I was restless. I had to calm myself by standing in front of mirror in the bathroom and by giving myself instructions to cool down and by confronting it to my brother over the phone. I did felt peaceful afterward. I obviously can’t do anything anymore because it was gone from my hands. I dunno what is result going to be, I dunno if I will have to do the paper again or not, I dunno what do I need to do now…but I do know I need to chill until teacher tells me to re-do, and I do know for sure, to read ALL the given instructions next time onwards… and I mean READING not skimming through it.

Trojan


Update: Here is the update on this paper! aggrrhh!!!