Annotating, something most students will agree does not always sound so pleasing. If we are being honest, I am one of those students. Although throughout the course of English 110, I have come to discover a new appreciation towards annotating rather than dreadfulness. In high school, I saw annotations as more of a formal task in which I had to take specific notes on the sides of the pages as to what I was reading. However, college has changed that mindset and has even made annotating a less painful, and more enjoyable experience. Susan Gilroy, author of “Interrogating Texts: 6 Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard”, mentioned that annotations are, “a way to have an ongoing conversation with yourself as you move through the text.” This approach towards annotations has made me much more successful when it comes to reading texts, as well as visualizing that there is a conversation going on between myself and the author. Rather than focusing on taking notes on what I’m reading, I’m reacting to points, asking more question, and becoming more engaged with the text.

Once annotating has been completed, we can then move on to informal reading responses. Questions from informal reading responses allow us to go even further into the text and really understand the points that the author is trying to get across. Essentially, it’s almost as if we, “take the information apart, look at its parts, and then try to put it back together again in language that is meaningful” (Gilroy). By focusing on questions about the text, the author’s points, and the author’s style, we can then go even further into our discussion, figuring out each detail that pertains to said text and why it is placed where it’s placed. What’s being argued? How is it being argued? Both important question to think of during annotation, and after when going through a set of informal questions.

If you were to ask me in high school what I thought of annotations, I would tell you it’s more busy work than anything else. Put me to sleep. Ask me today, and I will tell you that annotations are an effective way of engaging your brain fully on a text and figuring out why some points may stick out to you. As a college student, I now see the importance of annotations and find myself understanding the text better than I would have before.