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.