--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It really wasn't until I was in college…" description: "\"It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to write more and more, and I realized I was scheduling my entire life around my writing\" — Rita Dove" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg" --- # It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to… ![“It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to write more and more, and I realized I was scheduling my entire life around my writing” quote by Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg) > “It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to write more and more, and I realized I was scheduling my entire life around my writing” [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing that writing dominates daily scheduling, highlighting how creative passion can become central to one's routine and identity. **In simple terms:** Writing took over her schedule, shaping her life. Key Takeaway Prioritize creative work wisely. Themes creativity time management identity Mood reflective thoughtful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - daily planning - goal setting - artistic pursuits Key Concepts writing discipline career development Questions to Reflect On - How does writing influence your daily priorities? - What balance do you need between creation and rest? A Different Perspective Risk of neglecting other responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Entire life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [By the time I got writing 'Halcyon,' I was on a roll, and I realized I had so much to write about, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/by-the-time-i-got-writing-halcyon-i-was-on-a-roll-and-i-realized-i/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) > [After attending The Dalton School and then Vassar College, I began cooking in New York City restaurants helmed by Anne Rosenzweig, Joachim Splichal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/after-attending-the-dalton-school-and-then-vassar-college-i-began/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [I began to write in the first place because I expected everything to change, and I wanted to have things in writing the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-began-to-write-in-the-first-place-because-i-expected-everything-to/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When I first began to write fiction, I didn't think I was a comic writer; I thought I was a serious writer. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/when-i-first-began-to-write-fiction-i-didn-t-think-i-was-a-comic/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [My books have done extremely well, I know. But I don't honestly feel much different from when I began to write. I still think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/my-books-have-done-extremely-well-i-know-but-i-don-t-honestly-feel/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I was a writer first, and knew I'd be a storyteller at age seven. 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Maybe I wrote a couple of stories before, but I really began to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/when-i-was-about-twenty-one-i-published-a-few-poems-maybe-i-wrote-a/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) > [“I began to write again. I wrote just for the fuck of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-leebron/i-began-to-write-again-i-wrote-just-for-the-fuck-of-it/) Fred Leebron > ['A Fair Maiden' existed in notes and sketches for perhaps a year. When I traveled, I would take along with me my folder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-fair-maiden-existed-in-notes-and-sketches-for-perhaps-a-year-when-i/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The women's movement was coming, but I didn't know it in 1956-1957, when I began to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/the-women-s-movement-was-coming-but-i-didn-t-know-it-in-1956-1957/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) ## More by Rita Dove > [I think children have talent and insight, but it gets beaten out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-think-children-have-talent-and-insight-but-it-gets-beaten-out-of/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Courage has nothing to do with our determination to be great. It has to do with what we decide in that moment when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/courage-has-nothing-to-do-with-our-determination-to-be-great-it-has/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [My inspiration comes from everywhere, just walking down the street and I never know where it's going to come from, so I keep a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/my-inspiration-comes-from-everywhere-just-walking-down-the-street-and/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [To write for PC reasons, because you think you ought to be dealing with this subject, is never going to yield anything that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/to-write-for-pc-reasons-because-you-think-you-ought-to-be-dealing/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/all-of-us-have-moments-in-our-childhood-where-we-come-alive-for-the/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [The First Book: Go ahead, it won't bite. Well... maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle. It's pleasurable, really. You see, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/the-first-book-go-ahead-it-won-t-bite-well-maybe-a-little-more-a-nip/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Sometimes a word is found so right it trembles at the slightest explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/sometimes-a-word-is-found-so-right-it-trembles-at-the-slightest/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Listen how they say your name. If they can't say that right, there's no way they're going to know how to treat you proper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/listen-how-they-say-your-name-if-they-can-t-say-that-right-there-s-no/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [People write me from all over the country, asking me, and sometimes even telling me, what they think a poet laureate should do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/people-write-me-from-all-over-the-country-asking-me-and-sometimes/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Creative writing and literacy go hand and hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/creative-writing-and-literacy-go-hand-and-hand/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/there-are-distinct-duties-of-a-poet-laureate-i-plan-a-reading-series/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [My first advice would be to read, read, read, which sounds interesting coming in a digital age, but it's so much easier to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/my-first-advice-would-be-to-read-read-read-which-sounds-interesting/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [To me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/to-me-a-poem-is-almost-like-someone-whispering-to-another-person-or/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [I was not interested in doing the plot of OEDIPUS in blackface. I did wonder, what would these people have been like if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-was-not-interested-in-doing-the-plot-of-oedipus-in-blackface-i-did/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) [Explore all 106 Rita Dove quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) ## More College quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. 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I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-was-totally-sober-in-college-and-really-really-focused-i-just-took/) [K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/) > [In college we didn't pass block the way they do in the pros - they played the I-formation at Wisconsin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-webster/in-college-we-didn-t-pass-block-the-way-they-do-in-the-pros-they/) [Mike Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-webster/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [Doing away with separate black colleges meets resistance from alumni and other blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/doing-away-with-separate-black-colleges-meets-resistance-from-alumni/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [My son going to college is a big milestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gore/my-son-going-to-college-is-a-big-milestone/) [Frank Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gore/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/the-reason-i-got-into-acting-was-not-to-explore-myself-i-was-a-reader/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) [Browse all 7,391 College quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to write more and more, and I realized I was scheduling my entire life around my writing", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rita Dove" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college-when-i-began-to-write-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "College" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college-when-i-began-to-write-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/rita-dove-4855_college_it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college_2529239.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It really wasn't until I was in college when I began to write more and more, and I realized I was scheduling…” — Rita Dove", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rita Dove", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It really wasn't until I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college-when-i-began-to-write-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/it-really-wasn-t-until-i-was-in-college-when-i-began-to-write-more/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```