Conclusion

This semester is a semester I will never forget. Coming from high school to college and adjusting to the work load, total independence, and a brand new environment, is an experience I will never be able to relive. I have made new friendships I know will last a lifetime and have learned lessons on how to use my best judgement in critical situations. Rhetoric and Composition was one of my favorite courses due to all of the pointers I learned and many rules that put me on the right road to becoming a better writer. I loved writing these blogs throughout the year to give me a little escape from the original black and white college curriculum. My first semester of college definitely pushed me to my limits  and showed me what I am capable of mentally and emotionally. I am very excited to see what the rest of my college career has in store for me.

Public Speaking After Presentation

I know I have the ability to make public announcements,but it is always a little nerve racking just the thought of messing up in front of an audience. I know I tend to work myself up over things like presentations, and then once I am actually presenting in fron of the class, I realize it is not as bad as I expected it to be. I was just talking to my classmates about what my final paper was about. No one is perfect, so I did stumble over a couple words and talked a little fast, but it was almost as if I was having a conversation with my friends. I enjoyed watching Leah's presentation the most because of course being a girl I was a big fan of Barbie and my mother also had a Chatty Kathy doll. I loved how she interviewed her mother and she talked about her childhood with Chatty Kathy. Leah's presentation was original and very well done.

Oral Presentations

Public speaking has never come across as one of my biggest fears, but it has certainly made me nervous especially before final presentations. Little things I tend to worry about like mispronouncing words, stuttering, and forgetting important information. A tendency I have had in the past in high school is crossing my feet and moving around a lot during my presentation, which can be very distracting for the audience and the teacher trying to give me a grade. I have also had trouble with eye contact in the past, I wouldeither look at my note cards or stare at the powerpoint or even at the ground at times. Two ways i can get over the fear of presenting would be to simply read over my material repeatedly and practice over and over again. Another way to fix my eye contact issue would be to pick something to keep my focus on either the back wall or a person I can continuously glance at to keep me on track.

Classification and Division pg 375

The perfect bookstore for me would divide its books on which ones to read depending on what mood I am in or where I will read them. For example one section would be labeled "On The Beach," which would include all of my favorite relaxation reads like the Twilight series, Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants, and To Kill A Mockingbird. Another addiction I have would be all of the fashion and gossip magazines especially in waiting rooms for dentist or doctor's offices so this would be labeled "Waiting Room Reads." I always need to have a dictionary or thesaurus handy when writing a paper or while reading in case I come across a word I do not know, so the section with all of those books pertaining to a dictionary or thesaurus would be in the "Paper Helpers" section. Books that I love to read before I go to bed would be the girly, romance novels like anything by Danielle Steele. These books would be in the "Bedtime Stories" section.

The Tipping Point

A strength of The Tipping Point, at least to me would have to be the use of examples, especially while explaining "The Sticky Factor." Using examples that I am familiar with in any type of writing, allows me to take in more information and understand it on a personal level, therefore making learning much more manageable and less stressful. By thoroughly explaining how the popular show Sesame Street has the "sticky factor", helped me choose all different sorts of objects that can be considered "sticky".

A weakness of The Tipping Point is its dry mood. I understand this book is not exactly an entertainment read, it is more of an informative view which for me can be difficult to sit down and read page for page without getting distracted. There is not exactly a story line, plot, or climax which tends to make me lose interest quickly.

Goals For Future Papers

A goal that I have for my next paper would be to choose and utilize more meaningful and powerful words in my sentence to really get my point across. I really want to be able to show my audience what I am trying to say rather than just by telling them. In my first multi-draft paper, I noticed I had many marks for diction, so the next paper I really want to focus on my word choice and making my sentences stronger. Another goal I need to remember is more of a common sense issue; I need to remember to give my sources credit! After a couple quotes, I forgot to put which source it was from, either from the book or the articles I chose for reference. I can achieve these goals by really taking in what my peers say about my paper and also accepting constructive criticism, using it to my advantage. I can also go to J-105 and have them review my paper and offer me tips on order to improve anything.

Sticky Technology

Although I think Gladwell's example really hit the idea of "sticky"with Sesame Street right on the nose, I am going to give it a shot. A piece of technology that has become sticky over the past decade would have to be cellphones. About ten years ago, only a few people had cell phones either for work or strictly for emergencies. Nowadays, it seems really strange if someone does not have one. The cellphone has expanded nationwide and to many different companies competing with each other to buy their product. A cellphone now has the ability to text, receive and send emails, play music, and so much more. The stickiness factor of cellphones seems to have taken over the world. It serves as different ways of communication, which people depend on everyday: whether it be a parent trying to reach their child, or a conference call with an important company, cellphones have proven to be one of the most widespread and dependable inventions. 

Bias

The news broadcast I chose was about bedbugs and how they are not only disgusting, but extremely hazardous to one's health. In the middle of the broadcast, a woman was interviewed and showed signs of pure disgust with her hand movements, frustrated facial expressions, and concernedtone of voice. This really caught my attention because she came off a little frightening, butalso just wanted to help the public, which reminded of a "Maven" kind of bias as mentioned by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point. The broadcaster was strictly informative,justrelaying factual information tothe viewer without showing any type of emotion, butthe woman being interviewed is where all the power lies in this broadcast. She leaves a lasting effect on the reader by telling her scary story and giving helpful hints to the viewer as to how to prevent them from suffering from bedbugs like she did. The broadcaster leaves little to no effect on the viewer, while the woman really leaves the real impression.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7023537n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Fashion Trends

With me, fashion is a way of me expressing myself. My personality is generally laid back and a little old fashioned at times, so I tend to wear comfortable clothes that I feel myself in them. I keep up with the trends, but only buy and wear the clothes I like. I am always open to try on different types of styles to see if I can broaden my taste. I would not consider myself a trendsetter, because my style generally stays the same. I guess I could call myself not really a risk taker when it comes to fashion. I love looking through magazines to see all the different celebrities and what they are wearing and I usually really like their outfits, but it usually does not fit my style. I never stop buying a certain brand if it has gone "out of style." Style is a personality trait, so I tend to not change it very often.

Activities on Campus

I am a member of the Stockton volleyball team, so unfortunately that single activity has taken up most of my time. I would love to be more involved in all different varieties of activities, but with homework and the tough commitment with volleyball I find myself short on time very often. With only a few weeks left of volleyball season, I am definitely looking forward to becoming more involved with events around campus. I would love to attend one of the career fairs coming up, and I also cannot wait to go to some basketball games. Being a college athlete takes up most of my time and also a lot of energy with school work on top of it, so once I am out of season is when I will really get the chance to be involved. 

First Conference

I thought my first conference was extremely helpful. You pointed out exactly what you liked in my introduction paragraph, which gives me an idea as to how I should structure or write the rest of my paper. I like how you individually took the time to thoroughly check each and every paper, and not just rush through them. I thought your criticism was very fair, and when it comes to improving something I take any kind of guidance from a teacher as constructive criticism which I believe you gave me a lot of. I really hope wehave a couple more conferences like this one to cover some more of my paper aside from my introduction paragraph.

Univision: Immigrant Therapy

The blog which intrigued me the most by its title, "Univision Embraces Hispanic Victim Psychology," iswritten by Stanley Renson who discusses a program called Univision which supplies the Hispanic community as a whole with information and entertainment, in a way easing their troubles of fitting into the United States. Ifound it interesting that Univision has such a large influence on the community as it was stated, "Their chief American political contribution has been the development and promotion of public political debates. They have done this both at the state level and the national level." Univision consists of political reporters and types of programming, which answer the many questions immigrants may have. I also found it interesting that President Obama was interviewed by one of Univision's reporters, Don Francisco, who had the guts to ask, "Mr. President, within our Hispanic community, there is a concern that not only the problems that we face are not being solved, but that they are getting worse. For example, Arizona's SB1070 law which practically turns immigrants into criminals; What do you think [of] that?" President Obama answered the best he could, but I found it very inspiring that immigrants are speaking up for themselves.

I find Univision to be very useful to the Hispanic community, because it supplies them with the news specifically pertaining to their interests. Immigrants should be the first to be informed of their rights and new laws or regulations toward immigration which is where Univision comes in.

http://www.cis.org/renshon/univision-victim-psychology

Silko's predicament

There was no doubt that Silko passionately dislikes the idea of Border Control,especially the Border Control police officers. I could sense the anger and frustration she has towards the idea of being free in the United States of America, but she is constantly looked down upon or feels as if she comes across as a trouble maker or very suspicious. One part of her story which I found quite amazing and very strange was the connection she made with the German Shepherd. I have seen television shows where people claim they can talk to animals and know exactly what they are thinking and what they are trying to say, but this situation really amazed me especially since she had marijuana in her pocket. Being able to lookat an animal, and feel the same emotions and mentally make an agreement stunned me.

More than just a job

Can a career become your identity? Well, when it comes to my mother, I believe it can. My mom qualifies for the "supermom" title. For eighteen years, she managed to take care of me, and then also deal with my other siblings once they were born. I have a sister who is ten, a brother who is nine, and the another brother who is six: talk about a handful. My mother manages to make sure everyone is fed, dressed, and out the door on time for school every morning. She also makes the best dinners every night (which I have missed dearly), and always looks forward to dinnertime solely to hear about how everyone's day has gone. Before my three siblings were born, my mother was a consultant, but chose to give it up to do what she loves the most; being the best mom in the world. In my opinion, her career is her identity, she is "supermom", someoneI will aways look up to and admire because of her job.

Immigrant Workers

The show, CSI, revolves around the solving of crimes in different parts of the United States. There are different versions such as CSI Miami and CSI NY, but all revolve around the same topic, crime scene investigation. I have noticed in a lot of the episodes, when they are trying to solve certain murders which have occured in restaurants, bars, or hotels there are usually immigrant workers present. These immigrant workers are either bus boys, strictly just clearing tables, working in the kitchen washing dishes and vegetables, or working as maids. The show is set to be made as realistic as possible, which keeps its ratings so high, and usually immigrants are seen doing those jobs in many different places all over the United States; working for minimum wage, usually behind doors or completely out of the way, performing manual labor. I do not hold anything against the show CSI, it is just going along with how society is today, just to make their show more believable.

The First Two Weeks

The first 2 weeks of college have been all about adjusting for me. I am actually having trouble with pinpointing certain strengths I have shown in this short period of time, but I am going to say that my effort and spirit towards learning new things, paying attention and taking in as much information as possible in class, and completing my assignments. Another strength for me would have to be my ability to adjust to a whole new environment, away from my parents, and being completely independent; I am not totally there yet, but I am continuing to work at it. I would say a weakness of mine would have to be time management, especially during the fall. Practices and games everyday of the week takes up a lot of time and also energy. I always complete all of my homework and study, but it does take a lot out of me, which makes me rely on multiple cups of coffee in the morning; but then again this is all about the college experience. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for me. 

Learning Styles

I found it interesting that learning can be categorized in so many different styles. I have learned something new about myself, which is that depending on the subject I tend to do all different approaches to understand the material. It is almost a way of growing up. When I was younger, I would always look for different tricks or riddles to help me memorize and study for tests, which I still carry with me. My personal ways of learning are constantly changing, but one thing that remains constant is repetition. I know in order for me to really memorize and remember material, I need to read and reread and take notes over and over again. It needs to be a routine for me. In my book, learning is a marathon, not a race.

First Week of College

     After the first week of college, I have definitely realized that college and high school are two completely different planets. In high school, I was stuck inside of classrooms all day. In college, I have two classes a dat and am done for the day around 12. Just because the timing is different, the work load certainly did not get lighter. I love challenges, and I can tell that college is going to be one of those challenges.

     I feel as though college is about adjustments and adaptation. It is up to me to stay on top of my work, finish assignments, and study; it is about independence, finally growing up. In high school, I would have the same classes everyday, with a lot of the same people which I have known for many years. Now, being in a new environment with all different types of people, I have the chance to meet all different types of people and actually learn a little bit about myself; what I can accomplish and how far I am willing to go. Needless to say I am ecstatic and extremely excited to see what my future at Stockton holds, and I am going to try my best, use good judgement, and start thinking about the bigger picture...life.

How Do I Read?

     With me, reading either comes very naturally or I can sometimes struggle with a certain topics. I have come to notice this when I am in different surroundings. When I read, I like to be in a very relaxed environment, either in my room or even outside (when the weather is nice of course). Sometimes, I find it easier to listen to a little calming music, such as Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer.The perfect scenario for me would be summertime, on the beach, in a beach chair with my feet in the water reading a book. Of course, I cannot always get what I want, but this is the ideal setting for me.

    When reading a text book, I need to take notes to highlight the important sections of the book I may forget. I cannot just read something and always remember every important detail presented, so I need to go back and repeatedly reread certain points. I have a tendency to jot down different examples shown by the book and also make up my own, or compare them to life experiences to help me remember.

     I would say the key to reading with me would have to be relaxation. I cannot rush through reading, because otherwise I just go over words without actually taking in the story or information and understanding it.

What I Expect Of Myself

     What do I expect of myself my first year at Stockton? Well, ever since I can remember I have always set extremely high expectations for myself, especially in activities or required duties I am extremely passionate about or have motivation towards.
     From a motivational standpoint, athletics have always been a huge part of my life ever since my early years of t-ball at age 5. From t-ball, I have grown to love volleyball, basketball, and softball. For me, sports represent all different types emotions and feelings that I would not be able to live without; like the adrenaline, intensity, competition, victory, and accomplishment. I currently play volleyball at Stockton, so parts of my expectations have been fulfilled which was surviving preseason. My passion for sports I believe will never change, so I expect myself to continue to push myself towards a goal, and in this case it would be a constant positive attitude in practice and on the court, always 100% effort, and in the end working towards a victory.
     Apart from athletics, academics comes first. All throughout high school, all of my teachers have warned/scared me about the immense loads of school work there is in college. Well, I expect myself to manage my time and always study. The number one reason for college is to receive the best education possible, which is exactly what I expect myself to stick to and have that mindset all year.
     College is a life experience, so I expect myself to look at the whole picture and try to enjoy every minute.