Week 13: End of Semester Reflections

            

            For someone who normally finds English class to be monotonous and boring, English 1080 was actually quite enjoyable for me. The classes were interesting when there was discussion between the professor and students but when it was silent and no conversations were being made the class would seem to just drag on by. This problem was more related to students comfort levels as apposed to course content and I found that professor Jonathan Parsons did a wonderful job with trying to interact with his students, we just need to find our voice and speak up.

            Finding ways to write and convey my answer has been quite a problem throughout high school for me, so when I started this course I felt like it was going to be bad all over again. Throughout the lectures and writing assignments I developed the skills to write more concisely and with more vigor. It used to take me days to type out an essay but now I can sit down and write up a good rough draft within two to three hours. 

            The online blog posts were a nice touch to the curriculum. They broke up the monotony of university assignments and labs and allowed for a more comfortable leaned back experience to develop writing skills and let students make comments on other peoples work from the comfort of their computer. This was a great touch to the course, although I can't say I enjoyed it from the beginning, but now I find it pleasurable to be able to sit down and get our thoughts out on a topic to be graded. 

            The only thing I didn't enjoy about the course was how silent some days would get when no one wanted to respond. It seemed like it was the same few people that saved the class from staying quite all throughout the lecture by throwing there own views in on the topic. These people had amazing views on the stories and poems covered and enjoyed saying what I thought of the works we covered, but it would have been nice to hear what other people thought of the material we covered. Let it be noted that this was on the fault of the students not the course or professor. 

          Overall the course was surprisingly enjoyable and to be able to pick apart a piece of work to see what makes it what it is has become quite easier for me and I owe it to this class. Some people may say that English is dumb and a waste of time, but without the skills developed through all the English classes we have had, how would you be able to convey your point. or make your point stand out by giving emphasis on something within that point by showing facts and comparing it to something. An understanding on how these things are done make us as individuals well read easier to get along with and make debates more interesting. This is what I have taken out of this course and why I enjoyed it so much.

            

Week 12: How to

How to Write and Prepare for an Exam

            With finals coming up this semester its about time people started to review what may be forgotten from previous chapters or learn what they previously didn't know. For some the final will be make or break for others it will be as simple as taking any other test. This step by step process will show people the rights and wrongs of test taking and overall preparedness.

            First of all there are the notes, the papers and notebooks filled with all the knowledge someone will need for taking their test. Don't be distracted by all the doodles and sketches that appear on the margins from a time when someone lost interest in any given lecture. Look at the notes taken from all the lectures and organize them by date. Review the notes daily and keep on top of things. Leaving everything to the last minute results in cramming and stress that will bring a failed exam. 

            Secondly, look at previous exams if they are available. Most courses will have access to the old exams online, so a good thing to do would be to print them off and look over them to get a feel for how difficult the questions could be and also to test yourself on what you know and don't know. By doing this someone can get the feel on where they are and how badly they need to review previous topics.

           Thirdly. take a break! This doesn't mean after thirty minutes of study a trip to the bar is in order. What it does mean, is that after an hour so take a quick five minute break to go out on the patio with a glass of water and take in the sun, or if its raining watch the rain as it splashes upon the window.

            The professors are there to teach its what they do, so don't feel shy to fire off an email with questions that you may have about  topic. If the email response isn't solid enough for you, ask to schedule a meeting with them so you can go over what it is you have questions with. Help is available everywhere you look so don't brush it to the side. Take advantage of your professors and all the help centers available to you. Even a quick Google search could help sometime.

            If your having trouble concentrating a good thing to do would be to shut off all of your electronics and put them in the closet. Out of site out of mind. Or if its the location you are studying in, make a change. Go to the library or even outside under a tree. There are endless opportunities to find a secluded quiet place, it just takes a bit of looking.

            Everything is done, all the studying has been completed and it is exam day. It is make or break and the stress is rising. Just take that breath in for ten seconds then let it out, everything will be fine. Just get in, write it, and get out. Now that all the preparing has been completed its time for judgment day. Here is where time management comes in to play. Look at the exam and determine how many questions there are. Given the amount of time that has been allotted, divide each question into a set amount of time. This will keep you on track and on time. Don't rush and read each question carefully. Think about what it asks for you to do and do it. 

           On top of all this an excellent thing to have in your arsenal of study habits and test taking abilities, is confidence. Be confident in your workings and in your answers. If you go in and feel terrible you will write a bad exam. However, if you go in feeling confident, then the results will reflect on that.

            So to wrap things up, keep a level head, keep on top of things, and ask for help when needed. All of this and knowing how to write an exam will help tremendously. It could even take you from that fail to a pass, or from that "B" to an "A."

Week 11: Make A Meme

            Below are three meme's I have made for this weeks assignment. The first and second were made on a website known as imgflip. The third meme was created on a website known as dogr.

Week 10: Quotable

            Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, considered among the greatest heavyweights in boxing history. Ali was a controversial figure in his early career and today is regarded for his skills in the ring and the values he expressed of racial justice and religious freedom. This quote said by Ali is very inspirational. The quote means that although the work you are doing towards your goals now may seem to be a challenge but if you never give up on your goals they will be achieved. This is why this quote means so much to a reader. So many times I have felt like giving up when things began to get worse, but after viewing this quote I felt invigorated to complete my goals and overcome these challenges.

            Steve Jobs was an american entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor who was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc, Jobs is widely known and recognized as a charismatic and design-driven pioneer computer revolution and for his career in the computer consumer electronics fields. This quote is significant to any reader because of what it tries to communicate to them. This quote tells the reader to follow their dreams not anyone else. Jobs tells the listener that once they can live their own life and to not listen to what other people may say about them, then they can live and everything else will fall in place. This quote is significant to me because just upon finishing high school I was told their is no point for you to do anything because you will never amount to anything. Upon reading this quote I felt that I had to pick myself up and ignore those words and do what I feel I should be able to do.

            Like the first quote mentioned this quote is also said by Muhammad Ali. In this quote Ali says something very true about friendship. This being that you can not learn friendship but if you have not learned the true meaning of friendship then you haven't learned anything. This is very significant because the concept of friendship isn't taught to us it is something we should know of. People who do not know what friendship is haven't had a real friend to be begin with meaning that they haven't learned anything about friendship. This is terrible because how could someone without a real friend know anything if they are only by themselves. This quote means a lot to me because I owe my friends everything. If it weren't for them I wouldn't be in the position I am in today. They were the ones who taught me what it means to be a good person and that has shaped me into the man I am today,

Week 9: Flash Fiction

 My lip curls as I shiver beneath each tap of cold rain that splashes upon my neck and back, but still the reins stay taut. With each twitch of muscle, my legs tremble in place, and I fear that my hooves might just sink down, shrivel and disappear into the mud.

What’s this? He's patting along my neck, his hand is so warm but wait, what happened to his gloves?

“Steady...” His eyes go narrow, focusing somewhere in the distance. “We'll start after the signal, just wait and see.”

With a low huff, I throw my head back and my nostrils flare, fogging up the air around us.

“That's a good gal.” He pats at my neck again. “Shouldn't be long, now.”

My long, bristly hair has long since been hidden away with clips and I almost wish that he would let it loose, but at least my tail can still move, even with all the hairs tied back.

“Wait...” He tightens his grip on the reins, before his breath goes very still.

My left eye tracks the single line that burns across the dark sky, and my rider's shout is nearly lost to the blast of deafening artillery.

The reins go completely limp, and any resistance I have left has been destroyed. I push forward with a silent scream, before he raises his beacon up high.

Each ray of spinning light burns the earth, the thick mud pours down mixing in a thick flow of crimson. The scent is almost too much for me but my hooves still push against it, spitting out into the bloody mud.

His words can barely reach my ears. Go? I'm already going as fast as I possibly-

The searing hot metal hits my leg with barely a whisper, but the blood instantly pours out, leaking out of my veins, to which my head snaps back without even a sound.

The world goes still, standing in silence with the frost, and I remain completely still... he's hovering, just atop my saddle.

Can a ghost stay within destroyed flesh? What reason would it have once the war is over, the war long forgotten? When the children of those left behind run and dance within what was once a place of devastating loss?

I'll never know, but as the ring of flowers settles around my cold neck, something passes through whatever barrier had been there before, and I feel warm again, if only for a moment.

Week 8: Open Letter

Dear, Past Self

           Stop worrying about the future. You did to much worrying and all you ever did was stress yourself out. Just do your best and never let anyone push you around. School is gonna be rough for you but never let it get in your head. All those people that mocked you will disappear when high school is over and university begins. Everything they will say in junior high means nothing. You are not what they say you are, you are what you make of yourself, and if you give in and let them push you around then they will win. Never let them win. Stop hanging out with these people, listen to your cousin and hang out with that group of friends. Your school years will be much more enjoyable. all those people who you thought were your friends will turn on you, the only reason they keep you around is for their enjoyment. Make different relationships with people who accept you not mock you. Oh and that girl that you will like when your in grade ten, grow a pair and ask her out she likes you to. Don't waste your time. Also before I go, thank you for not going ahead with that plan for the sleeve tattoo you saved us both a lot of heart ache.

Sincerely,

Your Future Counter Part 

Week 6: Spoof News Article

 

Scottish Referendum PASSED

Glorious Change for Scotland

            The votes were counted well into the night as the people of Scotland waited for the results to be announced. Excited but nervous the entire population of Scotland were glued to their television sets as the news of the independence were to be announced. On the night of September eighteenth the results were announced and the "YES" campaign won in a landslide of eighty nine percent of voters voting yes. The Scottish Independent Party (SIP) announced that on the thirty first of October a new legislature will be set up and new laws will be announced for a better and independent Scotland.

            The future of this new country still seems to be a bit shady but the SIP assure the populace that Scotland's future seems very, very bright. The SIP announced on Friday of an estimated €1'500 billion of oil reserves in Scotland, as well as €32 billion in the rural and island economy, and on top of this the SIP states that Scotland holds about twenty five percent of Europe's wind and tidal energy. With all of this and many more economic opportunities for Scotland the future for this country does in fact seems very bright.

            With the announcement of this wonderful news the SIP also began to speak of some new legislature and laws that will become effective on the thirty first of October, which include the Scottish pride act and the Scottish independence act. They will be the first two major changes within Scotland. Although they are a bit strange these acts are said to boost the pride as well as solidify the fact that Scotland is no longer under British rule. 

            The Scottish pride act will set in place laws that will boost the pride of Scottish citizens by making some of Scotland's heritage mandatory within each household. First of all this act makes it mandatory that any man above the age of sixteen must own and be able to play the bagpipes. Secondly each man above the age of sixteen must own a kilt, and on every Sunday each man is to wear their kilt and meet in the town square of their community with their bagpipes at sunrise to wake the town with the joyous sounds of the national instrument. There is to be more released in the upcoming days but for now the SIP have only made this information public as more debate goes into the Scottish pride act.

            The Scottish independence act will make some changes to public events as well as set in place a concrete plan for what a brighter future for Scotland will look like. However much like the Scottish pride act, the Scottish independence act is still being solidified by the SIP. However they have released some details about the act that have been confirmed. First of all by a unanimous vote every Friday will be celebrated with a plate of haggis and a glass of scotch for supper. As well on the eighteenth of each month a golf tournament of the greatest golfers in all of Scotland will be held, and each tournament will be opened by the playing of bagpipes by 18 men in tribute of William Wallace and his key role in gaining Scottish independence.

          The SIP has yet to announce the entire plan they have for Scotland but from what they have released so far it is apparent that the Scottish people are in good hands for many years to come.

(Photo credit to the creators of The Simpsons)

(This article is purely satiric and should not be taken seriously)