Who Are You as a Reader?

Introduction

People learn for a variety of reasons. They do so for many reasons. Some read to widen their horizons, while others read for enjoyment, and even others read for technical or educational purposes. However, some people partake in this practice just to pass the time. The explanation of why a person reads influences how he or she reads, how the reading is organized, and how often this task is performed, among other things. Most people improve their reading skills over time and progress to advanced stages. So considering the following factors, I can characterize myself as curious, passionate, organized, and a critical reader and my reading type will be further described in the paper.

Reading Goals

While reading, my aim is never to accept points as they are; I always seek for supporting source and verified clarifications. That makes me a diverse and critical reader who always analyzes the content. Usually, I read for two purposes: when looking for new information or when I am confirming information. This organizational process of reading started when I engaged in politics and governance. I then developed a skewed choice of materials to read like magazines and daily publications. While doing so, I learned how to analyze different sources of information and conclude a topic of concern. It is what Hacker and Somers call “learning to consider points carefully and critically to weigh competing points and view before making your judgments…”(2). This type of reading developed me from being a slow reader an expert one. I get infuriated if I take a long period reading one material or a concept. I have the impatience to get to the next topic or idea.

Improvement and Self-Dependency

My aim is to be a voracious reader who can handle several sources within the shortest time. Similarly, I want to be self-dependent in learning by reading ahead in class after receiving the course outline. I collected all the books, read fast before the teacher, and got alternative sources of knowledge other than the teacher. Hacker and Somers indicate that “observing phenomena prompts an attempt to understand them by asking questions…and examining alternatives” (5). My interest was the alternative means of getting knowledge. I ended up gasping more ideas when the professors altered their traditional way of teaching. This has benefitted me in most of my studies. With improved speed in reading, I applied the technique to other areas of reading, but another problem occurred and had to be handled. It was choosing the right source of information or reading material. I changed to choosing mostly academic, government prints, and approved institutional publications.

Organizing Reading Materials

Handling all sources of information is chaotic and sometimes not beneficial. I had to change a few tips of information gathering and make sure I got the best from the texts I read. At first, my reading combines everything, without the need to filter or sift what was necessary and ignore things I do not need to know or remember. I began to narrow down my reading to be more organized. It is what an academic reader needs to do. There are many sources that exist to help students, but a few will benefit personally me as a student. It is easy to find one book, complicated in format, however presenting all the information one has. In doing so, I dropped more books and sources to remain organized. This scenario is symbolic to what Hacker and Somers advises, “seeking and valuing complexity are what inquiry is all about” (6). I was in a situation where I needed to get the right information from one sophisticated source and avoid others. This strategy turned to be meaningful until we got to a communications class, and our professor had to teach us about academic research suitable for advanced students.

Effects of Reading

Reading has affected me in several ways, starting from how I present information to others to how I handle information from others. I love being updated on information as it keeps me upgraded. In school, I take a keen interest in my courses and ensure I choose my reading materials keenly. As a result, I have become strict with information and being critical in assessment. My classmates take me to be bothersome when responding to texts and explanations they offer in class. In particular, I ask them the surety they have with the sources of information they present in their materials, the understanding after reading them and the influence they have when disseminating the information. I think I borrow this from one of our history teachers who once told me that the chance to read should be the opportunity for transformation. By this, he meant the reasons for reading should change our thinking and reasoning, which should convince others. Hacker and Somers confirm, “They are more likely to achieve their goals by persuading others…” (10). Finally, I have developed the habit of reading broadly, from verified sources, and using the information to benefit others. Vast reading made me gain the examination to every concept that people present, questioning their credibility in what most of my friends call being a bother.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper has explained my identity as a reader, the development of my reading, and effects this activity has on me. Building my reading took mammoth strength, enormous determination, and crystal observation of the rules. I developed from the naïve and slow reader to an astute and quick one. During the process of developing my reading skills, I realized that I was able to correct my mistakes to avoid compromising. Otherwise, it would have affected me differently. I have the confidence of being an expert reader by strategizing on quick grasp to avoid several revisions of the same material. In future, I want to develop my reading skills and share them with people who want to reach the same level as I did.

Work Cited

Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Somers. Rules for Writers. 7th ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011.