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| ENG 212 - Blog # 10: College: What has been, and What is to become... |
| 04.11.04 (8:37 pm) [edit] |
Last week, while I was attempting to plan my schedule for the upcoming fall semester, something dawned on me: after the conclusion of this semester, my college career will be half over. In some ways I am ecstatic about the prospect of only having two more years of school left. However, in other ways, it’s a really scary inevitability.
In some ways, it feels like I just started at Villa Julie; in other ways, it feels like I’ve spent an eternity here. While I am certain that I will not miss the constant barrage of tests, projects, papers, homework, and case studies, there are other aspects of college life that I will undoubtedly be reluctant to leave behind once the time comes.
To me, college is really a transitional period in that college students fit somewhere in between full-fledged adults who find themselves smack in the middle of the ‘real world,’ and adolescents who are sheltered from that ‘real world’ by the institutional walls of academia. In light of this, I realize that I may only have a few years left to spend with some of my closest friends before we all head in separate directions to pursue the paths that we have chosen.
Having only two remaining years of undergraduate education raises many additional questions in my mind: What exactly do I want to do with my business degree? Do I want to pursue my MBA immediately after I finish my undergraduate degree? Do I even want to go to graduate school at all? Am I really going to remember and be able to apply all of the things that I have learned at Villa Julie?
While I know that my graduation is a safe distance away now, I can’t help but wonder if my last two years at Villa Julie will go by as quickly as my first two years did.
[b]WORD COUNT: 313[/b]
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 9: The End of ‘Friends,’ The End of an Era |
| 04.04.04 (2:27 pm) [edit] |
“So no one told you life was gonna be this way…” This ‘Friends’ theme song has filled my house every Thursday night for longer than I can even remember. Now, as the end of the show is rapidly approaching, I can’t help but feel like nothing will ever be able to take its place. I’ve come to the conclusion that, at least for me, it isn’t just the show that I will miss – I will also miss what the show has come to represent for me.
All throughout my high school years, my best friends and I were absolutely addicted to this show. We would all watch it every week, and our conversations the following day would always be dominated by what had happened on ‘Friends’ the night before.
While I have lost touch with several of those old friends of mine, the show has recently fostered a new type of relationship for me. As crazy as this may sound, my father has recently become addicted to ‘Friends’ too. Unfortunately, I often do not get to see him as much as I would like to because he travels for at least three days out of almost every week. However, his business trips usually last from Monday to Thursday, which means that he is almost always home by 8 p.m. on Thursday nights. Therefore, that half an hour span during which ‘Friends’ is aired has become a time when the two of us can sit together, just talking and laughing.
It also seems as though I always have my early, long, boring classes on Thursdays, and knowing that ‘Friends’ will be on that night always seems to make that day just a little bit better.
So, now that the show is nearing the end of its run, I am left wondering what, if anything will be able to take its place.
[b]WORD COUNT: 310[/b]
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 8: Stressed |
| 03.27.04 (10:12 am) [edit] |
Have you ever heard the expression “When it rains, it pours?” Well, that’s definitely how I’m feeling right now. It always seems like when things are going good, they’re going really good; but then once they start to take a turn for the worse, it seems as though everything heads that way at once, leaving you to wonder how things could change so much, so quickly.
A big part of my mood lately has to do with the fact that it’s nearing the end of the semester, and my professors all seem to feel as though I simply shouldn’t be allowed to have a life outside of school, homework, projects, and tests. While I understand how important college is, sometimes I wish that I could just take a break; or at the very least, an actual vacation. Don’t you just love how they call it ‘Spring Break,’ but in actuality you often seem to have more work to do than when you’re in school?
Another reason for my recent melancholy has to do with things in my personal life. Lately, I feel like everyone wants something from me, and I feel like I've reached a point where I don’t have much left to give. As I’m definitely not the kind of person who ordinarily posts their problems online for everyone to read, I will just leave it at that.
Needless to say, the combination of all of these things is really making me long for better days.
[b]WORD COUNT: 247[/b]
[b]Reading Response:[/b]
The section that I chose in Get to the Point! is entitled "It's about its." No matter how hard I try, I always seem to confuse the word 'it's' with the word 'its.' While I knew that 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is,' I also always thought that it was a plural form of the word 'it.' However, according to the text, 'its' is actually the plural form of the word 'it.' So needless to say, I think that I have been using these two words incorrectly for the better part of twenty years. At least I now know the correct usages.
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 7: Love at First Sight? |
| 03.21.04 (1:33 pm) [edit] |
I only decided to write about this topic because I was discussing it several days ago with the guy that I am dating, and our conversation got me thinking: Is there really such a thing as love at first sight? I firmly believe that, while one can be in love with several people during a lifetime, there is one ‘right’ person out there for everyone. But is it possible to find this person and decide that you love them with only one sweeping glance?
I respect the opinions of those who believe that they have fallen in love at first sight, and I respect the views of those people who say that when you meet the right person, you just know that they’re ‘the one;’ however, maybe for lack of personal experience, I generally doubt the possibility of such an occurrence. Undeniably, I believe in lust at first sight. But, while I have never been in love, I most certainly do not believe in love at first sight.
Love is about so much more than physical attraction – it’s about accepting someone for the entirety of who they are. It’s about accepting the good with the bad; the desirable with the undesirable. To me, it’s not about finding someone who’s perfect – rather, it’s about finding someone who’s perfect for you. Therefore, how can love at first sight even be possible? I mean, is it really possible to love someone who you don’t even know? I guess that’s just food for thought.
[b]WORD COUNT: 250[/b]
[b]Reading Response:[/b]
This section in [i]Get to the Point! [/i] was very helpful to me. While I sometimes dismiss my writing and processes as a bit unorthodox, I found that much of what I do was actually recommended by the author. As I find it almost impossible to formulate an outline before I begin writing my first draft, my papers often need a lot of revision and editing.
However, I used to become frustrated with this writing style because I wanted my first draft to sound perfect. Once I realized that this was never going to happen, I decided that I would just write whatever came into my head because I could always go back and revise it later. I also found it helpful to put the draft away for a day or two before I went back to edit it.
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 6: Project 2 Website |
| 03.01.04 (3:29 pm) [edit] |
The topic that I have chosen for my Project # 2 website is college students and stress. I think that this topic will prove useful to virtually every college student, as all of us have felt stressed and overwhelmed by the college experience at one time or another. This topic specifically pertains to me, in that I am a rather high-strung person, and I have found that college has only enhanced this aspect of my personality.
While the college experience can be very exciting, it can also be very stressful. At the college level, many students are expected to be both full time students, as well as full or part time employees. In addition, students must also find time to do homework, write papers, study for tests, become involved in activities around campus, socialize with friends, maintain relationships, and spend time with families.
Thus far, I have learned that, while we believe that all stress is inherently ‘bad,’ low to moderate levels of stress can actually be beneficial and motivational; the problem arises when we encounter more stress than we can effectively handle. I have also learned that there are four primary sources of stress: Environmental, Physiological, Psychological, and Social stressors, and that the symptoms of stress can appear physically, emotionally, and psychologically. In addition, the most important things that students can do to combat stress are to develop balanced lifestyles, and to talk about their problems. Other stress management techniques include bettering time management skills, and increasing physical activity.
WORD COUNT: 250
COMMENTS:
I am still working on mastering tighter writing – it’s just something that has proven to be difficult for me as it seems to stand in contrast to my normal writing style. Although I understand the point made by the author, I do not agree with everything that she states on page 126. I contend that introductory phrases are not annoying; in fact, they are necessary. If writing lacks such phrases, it just doesn’t seem to flow as one cohesive whole.
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 5: Topic # 2 |
| 02.15.04 (9:49 am) [edit] |
While I have improved my eating habits, I nonetheless realize that I can improve them further. My research for Project # 1 has also forced me recognize that, as I am predisposed to developing high blood pressure due to my family history of the disorder, I should modify my diet now in order to preempt such a situation. Thus, I have resolved to plan some dietary goals that I can work towards achieving in the future.
[b]Goal # 1: Eat More Fruits & Vegetables[/b]
While I currently consume several fruits and vegetables every day, I know that my intake is far below the 5 daily recommended servings suggested by the Food Guide Pyramid.
[b]Goal # 2: Decrease Fat & Salt Consumption[/b]
The next area of my diet that I plan to modify is in regards to fats, as my daily intake is likely much higher than the recommended allowance. In order to alter this situation, I plan to eat less fast food, in addition to decreasing my consumption of fried, salty foods. Cutting some of the salt out of my diet is also an endeavor that I plan to undertake, due to my genetic predisposition for developing hypertension.
[b]Goal # 3: Drink more Milk[/b]
My choice of beverages, while satisfactory, could also use some improvement. As I normally drink either water or iced tea, I rarely drink sodas or sports drinks, both of which are high in sugar. While drinking water is a healthy practice, I should cut down on the amount of iced tea that I drink, as it too is high in sugar. I also plan to incorporate more low-fat dairy products into my diet, as I rarely find myself drinking a glass of milk.
WORD COUNT: 287
This section in [i]Get to the Point![/i] made me highly aware of my word choices. Although I attempted to use more verbs in this blog, I'm still not sure that I was successful, as this style stands in contrast to my natural writing style. However, I completely understand the points made be the author. If your writing incorporates more verbs, people will be more likely to do what you are asking them to do. Using verbs will also make you seem like a more motivated, active person.
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 4: Progress Report |
| 02.05.04 (3:27 pm) [edit] |
[b]Project Topic:[/b]
As I have decided that my paper for Project # 1 is going to be a Nutritional Guide for people with Hypertension (High blood pressure), this blog entry will serve as a progress report.
[b]Work Accomplished Thus Far:[/b]
The research that I have compiled thus far has definitely been an eye opener. I have had no trouble finding a plethora of sources detailing nutritional guidelines and lifestyle recommendations for hypertension patients.
I know that many of my family members have high blood pressure, but I never realized that nearly 50 million Americans are afflicted with this disorder. I was also unaware of the multitude of potentially serious effects that often accompany hypertension, including stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Interestingly, nutritional guidelines for hypertension sufferers have seen quite a change within the past five to ten years. While patients were initially told to simply reduce the amount of sodium in their diets, recent research has given rise to the DASH diet, which has proven to be just as effective as drug therapy in controlling hypertension.
At this point, I have drafted an initial outline for my paper that includes the following main sections:
• Background Information/What is High Blood Pressure?
• 7 Lifestyle Changes that will lower blood pressure (Including a major section on the DASH Diet)
• New Research
At this point, I have written a preliminary draft of my paper, although I still need to revise it.
[b]Work Remaining:[/b]
As I have completed my first draft, I must now revise what I have written, and add any remaining information that I may have forgotten.
[b]Conclusion:[/b]
Considering that this topic is of special importance to me, as hypertension is very common in my family, I hope to retain a lot of useful information, which I will hopefully be able to pass on to my family.
WORD COUNT: 299
[b]Reading Response Question:[/b]
Part 4 in Get to the Point! and our work in document design this week really helped me understand the difference between the look of a professional document and the look of an academic document.
I learned that headers, subheads, and bullets really help the reader focus on what you’re trying to say so that they can skim your writing if they don’t have time to read all of it. I think that this will be put to good use not only in English 212, but also in my Business classes, as we often have to create memos and other professional writings. The author of Get to the Point! also made a good point when she stated that using headlines or descriptive headers is often better than simply using generic headers.
I also learned a lot about the use of white space in professional documents – that is definitely something that is different from academic style writings.
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 2: Does Burger King offer showers? |
| 01.27.04 (6:37 pm) [edit] |
My most memorable experience with fast food occurred several years ago while I was working as a camp counselor at Camp Honey Bee, a local day camp for children with disabilities. This camp has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, largely because my older sister Karen (who has cerebral palsy) attended as a camper for many years.
In my first year as a full-fledged counselor, the camp took a “field trip” to Burger King. Since the restaurant was only located about a mile from the camp, and because all of the counselors were around my age (13 or 14) and were thus not yet able to drive, it was decided that we would all simply walk to Burger King.
Once we finally arrived, we claimed all of the tables by the play area in the back of the restaurant. After having ordered meals and drinks for nearly 30 hungry campers and 5 hungry counselors, the food was finally brought to our tables. To this day, I’m still not sure who did this, but someone placed an entire tray of drinks on the table right in front of my sister. If I preface this by saying that my sister is [u]extremely[/u] impatient, especially when it comes to meals, what happened next should not come as a surprise. As I turned away from my sister to check on another camper, my sister grew impatient with me and proceeded to knock over the [u]entire[/u] tray of drinks, spilling red fruit punch everywhere – including all over me. I know that I should have been angry, but at the time, all I could do was laugh and ask my fellow counselors, “I wonder if Burger King offers showers?”
WORD COUNT: 290
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| ENG 212 - Blog # 1 |
| 01.15.04 (12:27 pm) [edit] |
My technological experiences date back to a time when I was about three or four years old. I still remember that, everyday after Nursery School, my Mom and I would sit together on the family room floor and watch Sesame Street and other educational programs (my Mom was once a kindergarten teacher, and I think that the teacher in her stipulated that, as long as I was watching TV, the programs should be educational). Looking back on it, I probably learned more from those shows and my Mom than I ever learned in Nursery School. Even though I was learning, these moments that I spent with my Mom are ones that I will always remember, especially because they occurred at a time of day when my Dad was still at work, and my older sister was still at school. So consequently, I got to be the center of attention.
Another memory that readily comes to mind would be the hours that I spent playing Nintendo games with my Dad. Let me stress that these were the OLD Nintendo games that were far inferior to the new games of today. However, despite their crudeness, I simply found them to be enthralling. Something that I specifically remember about these games is that I would always reach a point where I couldn’t make it out of a dungeon or around an obstacle. That’s where Dad would come in. No matter what the situation, I always knew that I could depend on him to outsmart the game.
WORD COUNT: 253
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