Rough Weekend

I had one of the worst weeks sense school has started. To start with me and my girlfriend broke up. It was kind of a serious relationship so it was hard to get over. As I thought my life couldn't get any worse, my grandma past away. After this happened I wasn't very motivated to do anything all weekend. It is crazy how fast your life change. One day I have a girlfriend and a grandma and the next I don't have either one. So as I get back to Ball State I think about all the things I wasn't motivated to do, and I realize that I have some English 101 to do. Well I guess I can't procrastinate anymore.

Only Two Days

For my English 101 class we just revised a paper and turned it in Friday. Now our assignment is to revise another paper that is due Monday. This is hard work alone, but I am also not having the best days right now. School is starting to get pretty hard and long distance relationships suck too. I'm just getting really stressed out about everything that is going on. I have so much stuff to do in so little time. I guess I am just going to have to step up and put everything aside, until I get my work done. Serious Mark starts now!

There is a Whole World to Explore

I really enjoyed read Pamela Gardners’ paper. She goes into great deal with her trip to Brazil. It was just an all around good written paper. I also think that she picked the perfect pictures. The pictures made her paper multimodal and also give her audience a visual. This paper is not the normal 5 paragraph paper that most people are used to reading. It is more like she is telling you the story at the same time you are looking at a photo album. Overall I would give this paper a 5 out of 6, mainly because at some points she talks a little too much about unimportant things. And I feel that she might have lost some of her audience. But, the paper still has everything it needs such as; a title, a work cited page, and great flow. She went from one paragraph to with next very nicely. You can just tell that she took her time and did the research that she needed to complete this paper. I would say that it is a portfolio ready paper.

One on One

I had an idea about what I wanted to write about for the final project in English 101. But, I didn't really know how to put it together. This made me nervious and not very confident about my writing. Everyone in the class had a meeting to meet with our professor one on one. I was thinking that with one on one time could help me in writing a better college level paper. And come to find out I was right. Meeting with my professor one on one really help me put my thoughts together.

Saved By The Alarm

I had prepared for my timed essay by getting a good nights sleep. In the morning I got up a little earlier just to wake up and feel fresh for English 101. I put on some conforable clothes and walked outside to have my morning cigarette. It was just one of those mornings where you are feeling good and production. When I get to class I am feeling pretty confident, which is kind of weird because I have never been good at timed essays. My professor isn't there, but there is another lady that handed everyone the prompt. After reading the prompt, I didn't feel as confident. So I just started writing and I get about a page when the fire alarm started going off. The whole class walked outside and waits until we go back in. We were probably waiting for 10 or 15 mins. When we get back the woman the gave us the prompt didn't really know what to do so she just told us to post what we had. This made me happy, because I didn't think that I was writing a very good essay. And now I have an excuse why, I was saved by the alarm.

Nervous

I have never been able to talk in front of people, weather it was a project or just a speech. My face would turn red and I would start to get really nervous. But, I just a project in class and I never got nervous. Given I didn't talk a whole lot, but just being up in front of people usually makes me nervous. I am hoping that I have beaten these nerves and am able to talk in public. It is something at I have tried to overcome all my life. Knowing at I have taken a step in the right direction, makes me feel like I have accomplished something. Sadly this is kind of a proud moment in my life.

Dena Dobrzykowski

Once upon a time I met this girl named Dena Dobrzykowski. We met because we are partners for a project in our English class. We have to present our projected next Wednesday. And we have really done anything because Dena is never here. She always sleeps through her alarm. When she is here you can tell she have a rough, crazy night. It just looks like she should be sleeping whatever she did the night before off. But I think Dena and I have wasted enough time, and that we should start thinking about our project. So Dena Dobrzykowski, lets get started on our project.

A Long Way Gone

The freshmen reader is a book that all freshmen get and are suppose to read. This years freshmen reader was A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. I really liked the book. It was one of those books that you just can't put down. I had likes and dislikes about the book. The very last paragraph of the book is by far my favorite. He ends the book by talking about a question that was asked to him about a monkey earlier in the book. Ishmael says that he knew the answer when he was seven, but he didnt know how his mom would take the answer. Ishmael said that he would shot the monkey so that the monkey wouldn't put anyone else through the situation. But, if he shots the monkey his mom would die too. I can't say that I have been in this kind of situation before, but after reading this I realized how strong someone would have to be to do something like this. I believe that Ishmael Beah is one of the strongest people there are. I would never be able to do anything that Ishmael did and for that I give him mad props.

Intimidating Library

I used to love the library when I was a little kid. I would get so excited to get kids book and movies. Then I hit middle school and stopped read. I just didn't find it fun anymore. I became busy with sports and other activities when I got to high school. After two years in high school I narrowed my activities to baseball and 4-H, so I started reading again to occupy some time. I real got into it. I was reading more then I ever had before. I started to go to the town library to checkout books quite offen. Now I am in college and I went to the library for the first time to find a book. I have never felt so out of place. It was like everyone was speaking a foreign language. I had no idea how to find anything. So I rode the elevator two the second floor.Right when I walked out everyone just stared at me. I was so unconforable I turned around rode the elevator back down. I had to leave before I made myself look anymore stupid. I refuse to go back to the library now, unless I am force to or I know what I am doing.

I think I Like Art Museums

I have never been that big into visiting art museums. I just find them kind of boring. I took art in high school and I was actually pretty good. I guess I enjoyed art class at the time, but I could never make it a long time hobby. So when I found out that I was going to the Ball State Art Museum for my english class I didn't really want too. But, I did like that we would be having an actual class though.

When I got to the art museum this morning we go straight to this room where we are all just sitting, waiting on our tour guide to arrive. I stayed up way to late because all I wanted to do was to go back to bed. So I am already kind of in a shitty mood, and to make it even worst my professor informs me that I will be posting a thread on discussion board about what we did today in class. It was just my luck that I get the day when we are on a little fieldtrip. Now I have to pay attention to write this thread when I get back to my room.

During the tour we are planning to look at three pieces of art and discuss each one as we go. I don’t know if I have just matured and enjoy art museums now, but I liked every minute of it. I thought it was fun and interesting. When I left I was trying to figure out when I will have time to go back. This is a change that I never saw coming. I just want to know if me liking a art museum was just a one time thing or if I would like every art museum I go to?

The Freshmen Common Reader

I really didn’t think that I would like listening to Ishmael Beah speak about his #1 National Bestseller, A Long Way Gone, but I was proven wrong. I enjoyed every minute of it. I guess I just stereotyped how it would be uninteresting and put me to sleep. I would assume that more students felt the same way. Beah caught my attention from the moment he walked on stage. He gave off a vibe of confidence that filled the room. I was instantly infatuated with his presents. One of my favorite things was that he could make some jokes about his hard life that he lived. It would have been difficult to have enjoyed what he had to say if he wasn’t comfortable talking about it. Overall I love everything about it and would go again if I had the chance.

Comfort Zone

Sense I was little, I have participated in the same hobbies all my life. Such as 4-H, baseball, basketball, and a few other sports. Everything else was just kind of out of my comfort zone. But, when I first started theses hobbies, as a little boy, I had to be out of my comfort zone. I was playing sports with a bunch of kids I didn't know. What has changed in my life to where I don't want to try anything new? About the middle of high school is when I stopped trying new activities. I guess I have just been content with the activities I participated in. After coming to this conclusion I am will to try new activities and experiences. When I am older I just want to say that I have been there or seen that.

I Love College...For Now

I have found that college life to be an experience all of its own. It is stressful and kind of confusing at some points. But, I do love the freedom that I have never had before. Living with my parents I had some freedoms, but nothing like this. I think that the college life will help me prepare for my future, in the way of my independence. Living in this a shitty dorm room makes me realize that I need to be successful to assure that I won’t live like this all my life.

Moving in I was very overwhelmed but after a few hours I started to relax and got comfortable. Then classes began and I started to freak out. There was so much thrown at me, I thought I was in the MLB. It was hard to manage everything that I had to do with all my classes. By far the worst part was trying to get very thing I need for the online homework. I don’t know if I was the only one that had problems with it, but I feel for everyone that went through that pain and suffering. Sometimes I just wonder, “what happened to the pen and paper?”

The first week is over now and I am think I am starting to relax for good now. I have taken in everything thrown, and I thing that I can final handle the rest of the obstacles without stressing over them. I believe that I will come to love the college life and everything that comes with it.

I am looking forward to the knowledge that I will gain from English 101. This class will improve my reading and writing skill. Not only will it improve them but it will also give me tools that I will be able to use in the future. Any career that you are looking into will require good reading and writing skills.

I would like to make my communication with others better too. As I peer read other student’s work in this class, I will become learn how to talk and help others with their writings. There is no way that I will leave this class without learning something. So I plan on doing my best to absorb everything and anything that I can.

I like that as I am helping others students with their writings, they are doing the same for me. This technique will make everyone in the class better writers without them even noticing it. English 101 is creating an opportunity to learn how to be successful for your future, no matter what that might be. I want to be prepared and knowledgeable for my future, and I believe that this class will make me ready for that.