If you are a student or were the one once, you must have had the same experience as I had during my happy weekends. In those days, I could stay at home reading my endless assignments and having fun with my friends at various parties. Perhaps, you have noticed that some people spend more time on entertainment than reading. Probably, it is because they realize neither the best way to read nor the importance of reading to their future. We all know that reading is important, and most of us do not want to regret in the future failing to achieve our goals. We should, therefore, find ways that could help us read more efficiently.
As an independent student with his/her discretions, one should not find reading difficult or boring activity. This is possible if only we can discover the best ways to read which vary depending on the choice of each individual and his/her background. In my case, I found my best reading method after joining high school, due to a reading competition against my best friend. While in China, I found English to be a very important subject for every high school since it could even determine the choice of a university that a student aspired to join after graduating from High school. Teachers as well focus more on reading. Students have to answer several questions after reading; this assignment is a standard criterion based on which teachers evaluate them. To win in this competition, I read more carefully than ever before. I began to realize that if I wanted to make the right answers and win, I must have defined the main idea in the article and summarised it.
Due to competition, reading would no longer be a boring task. In contrast, it became the most essential part of my daily life. Should I win, then I would focus on maintaining the best level of reading and keep on winning. However, if I lose, then I would read even harder to win in the subsequent competition. There is as well another method of learning to read which does not involve competition. Malcolm X learned to read by copying the dictionary (Helfer and DuBurke 72). Likewise, I have learned to read using competition to encourage me, thus it is my best reading method. However, each one can find his own “unique” method to improve in reading.
During the period when one is searching for the best way to read, some ideas or thoughts may come into his/her mind, which probably influences his/her future as well as changes his/her entire life. The positive impact of reading on some great people shown in their autobiographies has given me some new ideas and encouraged me to occupy with my favorite activity, which is reading autobiographies of successful business executives. I also learn to inspire others rather than just develop myself. the book Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography has influenced me to read history books about different races and people who devoted their lives to fighting against the white and defending the rights of the black (Helfer and DuBurke 57). Consciously or unconsciously, reading will affect you altering your views in the way Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography has changed me.
While you are trying to discover your best reading method to change your life, you should realize that you will not be the only one to benefit from it. Everyone around you will be an advantage as you will be influential and able to advise them on a difficult situation. They may as well derive inspiration from your example. This shows how serious one should be in selecting a reading method. Before the reading competition, I was just an average student in English. However, after the reading competition, I became among the top five best English students in my class. This surprised the entire class. It motivated my classmates to join the competition. It also impressed our English teacher so he began to award us with presents for making some progress. Consequently, our class became the best performing class in English in terms of grades.
I influenced a small group of people around me while I was learning to read, even though it was not my original intention. I had learned from Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography that Malcolm X influenced a lot more people, including those he had neither known nor ever met before. He used all his life experiences to transform others. He did this by copying the dictionary when he was in prison for fighting for the civil rights of the black around the world. Reading competition has become the most effective method for me to learn to read. Anyone has the potential to find his or her way to achieve success. It does not matter what method you use as long as it works for you. You should develop your approach to read and learn more trying to absorb the knowledge from the books as well as from your thoughts and ideas.
Works Cited
Helfer, Andrew and Randy DuBurke. Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography. USA: Hill and Wang, 2006. Print.