Know Your Audience Response

           First off, I really enjoyed the activity we did with all the questions and found it was really fun to go through and answer all of the questions that the class came up with! I really enjoyed the responses to my question about who has the best shot at winning the 2016 election in particular. I think it will be an interesting one for sure! I think I found that there were a lot more students older than me in the class so I think that knowing that will allow me to tailor my writing to an older group as an audience. As a 20 year old, it can often times be hard to connect to people older than me, at least through writing that is. Another thing I noticed was that the general political consensus from the class was different than what I believe, and that can also be important to know when thinking about the audience of your writing. The questions about personality were also enlightening because your writing should be able to be processed by anyone who reads it and often times that is not considered when writing. I like the brainstorming process in thinking about the audience that you are writing for and think that it is awesome that we did this activity to understand each other as an audience more! I look forward to seeing what others have to say about the activity and viewing the audience. I think we have a diverse class where many different ideas can be shared in a comfortable format that is good for all of us. I also think Ms. A is a great teacher for actually offering all the readings each week that reinforce what we are learning and assure that we will remember it after the class is over. I was scared that taking this class for less than 2 months would be too difficult, but I have not found issues and think this class is awesome! Hope everyone is having a great summer, and stay in the AC, it's a hot one this year!

Law School and the Potential

        I have always thought about going to law school after college, ever since I was a kid. I don't want to be disheartened from it because of what other people say, I want to stay on track of doing it no matter what life throws my way. I realize that it is a challenge, but I have always been one to rock out a challenge and succeed with happiness. I think it is good for your self confidence, to jump into something you are weary about doing because of the potential difficulty it entails. I know that the bar exam has horror stories told about it but look at all the people who have succeeded in passing it! Do you think every single person didn't work their ass off to pass it? Guarantee you that they did. I like the idea of becoming a lawyer, working my way up and building connections, and then jump into politics, so that the connections made will assist in getting elected and gaining support. I love making connections with everyone under the sun, because you never know when a connection will be a positive asset for the future. I show everyone around me a smile because I think that showing personality is the best way to get people on board behind you for support to whatever you are trying to accomplish. You have to find a clear balance of social and mental ability and there is no reason why you couldn't do anything in the world that you wanted to do! :)

Making Math Easy

            I have heard all my life that math is the most difficult subject and I have seen numerous people throw in the towel, getting too frustrated about a problem. Here is my outlook on math. Simplification is key. Any hard problem that looks and feels impossible is possible if you break it down. Break it down in terms that you can understand and it is literally that simple. Don't look at a huge problem and feel automatically overwhelmed and give up. Put forth the effort and apply what you know to try to work your way around what you don't know. There have been many problems that I looked at and immediately thought that I couldn't do it, but a simple change in the way I view it, makes the answer easily attainable. It's easy to tutor people for me, because I am good at showing how to make the problem easier and simple enough to be done by anyone. Math will be in every job you ever have, and coincides with almost every subject out there. A person with a strong education in math can be positively looked at by any potential job interviewer and there are many teachers out there that have the gift of explaining it in terms that anyone can understand. I also thought math tests were easy because if you knew the concepts of how to work the math out that is the specific lesson, there are no problems that you can't do. This will also increase basic math skills that will benefit jobs, home life, and overall life common sense, for the rest of your life!

A Good Teacher Vs. A Bad Teacher

           Take a minute to think about what makes a teacher good or bad. We've all had teachers that were amazing and teachers that were terrible, but what really decides which end of the spectrum they land on? I think a teacher who goes out of their way to help a student, even when they get nothing in return, is awesome. I respect anyone who shapes kids lives in a positive way, in hopes that they will grow and succeed on their own. High school is a very vulnerable age because the brain is not fully developed yet, and any information taught can latch on to high school students' brains like a sponge. I think that foreign language teachers especially have the opportunity to start a good basis for learning a language and whether or not they are a good teacher, can really decide if the student continues in the language or not. I had an awesome Spanish teacher in high school and felt like the reason I got into Spanish so easily was because of the excellence of her teaching and the connection I made with her. Going into a classroom excited to sit down and learn, can be the difference between a good grade or a failure, most definitely. No teacher is in it for the money, so why not put forth the effort to the best of your ability, so that you can watch your students grow and succeed even after educating them. I have high hopes that there are many good teachers in America, and I know some people have changed the way they see school or a subject literally by one good teacher treating them right. It is an underpaid, overlooked job, and I don't think that any teacher deserves the amount of pay given in today's world. I hope that as we grow as a society, one increase will be the respect towards teachers that they deserve and a hefty pay increase that will bring more qualified employees into the education field, so that America can be greatly educated and things can change for the better!

Books you Read in High School English Class

        I remember reading many books throughout high school English classes that stuck with me long after I finished high school. I believe that the lessons learned from the required books can shape how good of a person you are and teach you life lessons from a fictional story standpoint. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was one of the books that stood out to me the most. By teaching the power of judging another persons life and showing the complexity of childhood and growing up, Lee painted a picture to many sophomore high school students that is still seen today in the minds of many. I also remember reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding and thinking deeply about the heart of human nature and how the average person would react to having no law governing them. The fact that it was kids made me the idea more simple and showed that without parents and rules set in place, humans will go to the inevitable evil that lies withing them. Another book that I loved a lot in high school and still love was 1984 by George Orwell. I love the introduction of Big Brother and the idea that the government is always watching you, and the simple fact that governments can control a population by the amount of control issued over. I thought it was cool that the book was written in the 1940's and some of the predictions talked about, aren't as far off as they probably sounded when the book first came out. In all, I think that reading with the objective of actually interpreting the stories and learning from them, is very beneficial for many and I am glad that it is required to read most of these books nation wide at a vulnerable age.

How College is Viewed

            Most of my friends after high school didn't decide to go to college. I understand that most saw that going into working would be more ideal as far as now. I don't understand why no one sees that going to college and working at the same time benefits the present and the future. The jobs you can get after receiving a college education are well worth it in my opinion and to have a stable career for the rest of your life now days, a college degree is almost required. The government has made it easier than ever to pursue a college education and there is absolutely no reason to not at least try to see if college is for you. There are numerous resources that can be used if you have trouble and there are a million advisers out there that will specifically help someone on the path to get their degree if they only put forth the time to ask questions and use them. I think anyone who doesn't go to college is showing their laziness and immature nature to not want to grow up. I was forced almost into a college education because I have to have the degree to better my independent life I was given, and I can not rely on a normal job for the rest of my life. Having high dreams is what it's about and I don't think that people have enough self confidence nowadays to pursue their dreams at any cost. I will not give up and I know that all the stress that college brings to the table, will be well worth it when I start my career and see the potential amount of money I am able to make in the job field. I also think I couldn't have had this viewpoint if it wasn't for the determination and integrity that I was given by God.

College and Working

           I think it can be difficult for some people to balance work with being in school at the same time, but I also think that it can be more beneficial for in the future and the overall responsibility of the student. It can be hard to work a temporary job and still hold the seriousness of finishing school and arising with a college education fit to provoke a healthy job career. What a person goes through, the parenting style of their parents, and the overall drive to do good, are all things that can effect whether or not a person will take college seriously and grow maturely from being in it. I also think that being in a fraternity or living in a dorm can be beneficial for some people because it forces them to live around different people and be shown different living styles that can conflict with their own, but open their view point at the same time, positively effecting the way they live and work for the rest of their lives. I think that college is a big reason why I have matured a lot after high school and having to balance my education with my working, has taught me responsibility and time management like nothing else has before! A lot of people that I talk to who are on the fence about going to college or not, don't have the confidence to believe that they can successfully do college. I think anyone can do college, it's about how much you apply yourself and how serious you take it. The teachers are there for resource if something is difficult to understand, and everyone has full access to extra help on the internet. I think that everyone should at least try college to see if they like it, so even if someone asks they will have a more mature answer that they tried college but realized it wasn't for them, unlike not doing it at all.

Public Speaking Online

            I took public speaking online this semester with doubt that it would be easy or easy to follow at all. I was surprised to find how easy the class workload was but it's easiness was also the reason I didn't like it at first. I felt like it was a subject I would have really actually enjoyed taking in the classroom because I felt like I wasn't getting anything out of it. This week changed with the challenging fifty question mid term and the commemorative speech to pay tribute to a person we respect a lot. Reflecting on my high school teacher's power over shaping my future, I felt a great excitement to give the speech. I delivered the speech with ease and actually sent the video to my past teacher with a tearful response and received 100% on the speech. I love this class, and am glad that I took it online because I know that taking a more advanced Public Speaking class later in my political education, will be fun and easy for me if I make sure to choose a speech topic that I actually genuinely  care about. I think anyone taking this class online should also eventually take a Public Speaking elective class to actually get help in the classroom speaking in front of people. I think that Public Speaking is important in any job field that you could go in, and is beneficial for social skills and interactions that are inevitable in the future. I do think that an online class is good for some people because of their current employment or living situation , but I think that public speaking is still important and someone should seriously consider more education in the classroom. Even increased speech with coworkers, family members, and friends, can increase the likelihood that someone is naturally social and can withstand any needed social ability sought after in the job field today.

I Believe Alcohol and Cigarettes are worse than Marijuana Reflection

           I realize the potential controversy with bringing this topic up for discussion! I am one of those people who do not partake in recreational use of marijuana but I am still all for the legalization of it. A simple look at the statistics and data from cigarette/alcohol related deaths to deaths caused from marijuana, aren't even comparable, but cigarettes and alcohol continue to be sold and distributed around the country daily. Does anyone else see the problem in this? Death is being pushed on America with an initiative to keep the world's population at a maintainable amount. If there are too many people one Earth, it would be harder to control, and these agents of death are apart of the plan in my opinion. This is a very overlooked and not taken seriously aspect of marijuana legalization, but I feel it deserves a clear explanation from our politicians and is a bigger problem than it would first appear to be. Going in the future what can we do to change this issue, and have we been denied a right that we should have never been denied? Feel free to let me know your opinion, and I am actually looking forward to hearing if anyone has any opposing views and why? Thanks for taking the time to read my free write thoughts!!


          My free write this time was 221 words but I feel like it was harder to do because I had to make it appropriate since I was brainstorming positively about an illegal activity.

         

I Believe Freewrite

1.) I believe that I am a hard worker.
2.) I believe that there is reason to dream.
3.) I believe it is essential to find yourself in life to be truly content.
4.) I believe everyone finds themselves through different ways.
5.) I believe there is no set rule book that establishes what life is or should be.
6.) I believe that Christianity has wrongly been made quiet over history.
7.) I believe there is a secret agenda regarding where the world is headed.
8.) I believe that music is good for the soul.
9.) I believe that everyone has a destiny and most everyone has a soul mate out there.
10.) I believe that the sun can make me easily irritable but I love it anyway.
11.) I believe that going to church is good for some people but shouldn't be mandatory for everyone.
12.) I believe that the Harry Potter series is probably the best series of all time.
13.) I believe in a loving and forgiving God that can guide you through anything.
14.) I believe life is tougher than you think it is and you find that out really quick.
15.) I believe it is hard for many people to think of other peoples' perspectives on things.
16.) I believe alcohol and cigarettes are worse than marijuana.
17.) I believe that not all politicians are for the greater good of the US and more for the money/power.
18.) I believe education is good for anyone and everyone no matter what.
19.) I believe in forgiveness and not holding grudges towards anyone.
20.) I believe that the more positive you are, the more positive things you will get in return.
21.) I believe fast food is horrible for you and you should avoid it at all costs.
22.) I believe that people are generally uneducated about things that actually matter.

              My word count was 314!

Jung Test Reflection

           I believe that the Jung Test was very interesting and an asset to my writing and understanding myself as a writer. I got ENFG. I think that this test was spot on for all 4 parts. My extroversion habits influence my writing a lot because I like to talk about many things in my writing. It is hard for me to stick with one topic for too long. That is why research papers are difficult for me. I also think that intuition in writing is important because you do writing without even thinking. To me planning before you write makes your voice more technical than real and relate-able. This is also another reason why I have issues with writing research papers, because I don't like to plan, I like to free write about what comes to mind at the time. The other parts aren't as important I feel like, but I do use feeling when I free write about something that is important to me.