I realize now that when a teacher has required reading for a class, they are not doing it so that we simply have something to do. They do it because it will help us in the long run. Having required readings really helped us get a sense of what we were supposed to write about and what style of writing was going to be needed for the article. I also learned new things about myself during this course. When writing the narrative essay, it was an article I had to write about myself and my experiences. I realized that everything I had done before had made me a better person today. In this essay, I talk about taking on a leadership role during my senior year of high school. I believe it has helped me get to the point in my life where I am on track.