Good and Bad Procrastination- Paul Graham

In the excerpt, Good and Bad Procrastination by Paul Graham talk about why people procrastinate and also ways of solving procrastination. People that procrastinate are the most brilliant people because it is not that they do not understand the assignment and when it's due, it is because they are thinking of something else which is more important. I can say for fact that I procrastinate on almost everything I do. It is mostly because I am lazy and do not want to do it. I usually find something to keep my occupied. Procrastination is bad because it will hurt your grades especially in school and also can get you in trouble by your boss at work. We must learn how to lessen how much we procrastinate and find a way of getting things done right away. Sometimes you might need to trick your brain that the work, which may seem less important is really important so that you can get it done on time and quickly.

Symptoms of Math Anxiety- Sheila Tobias

In the excerpt Symptoms of Math Anxiety by Shiela Tobias, talks about the struggles many people face with Math. She talks about the many myths thats comes with students and how some people are born with knowing how to solving math problem. Tobias points out many problems especially the myth among Americans that math ability is inborn. I actually disagree with that statement. If you compare two children, one that has a natural understanding for math and one that struggles to understand math, you will find that the one who naturally understands math started learning how to add and subtract by the time they were three years old compared to the on that struggles. Math is not in my opinion an inborn ability. You cannot just wake up one morning and say you know the formula to cure cancer. It takes hard work and practice if you want to master anything especially math. I began learning how to add and subtract at the age of three. I knew my multiplications table by the age of 7 because my father was an Electrical Engineer who loved math. His way of teaching math was very harsh, but it's help me grasp math on another level compared to other people. In order to master not just math but any other subject you have to work hard, no one is inborn with anything expect for the rate of how fast you can learn things.

Blog 8: Waiting for Superman

I actually attended a Charter School and honestly it failed majority of my graduating class and past alumnus. I feel like the education system in this country in the past decade has gotten worse. Students do not feel the need to want to attend school and I do not blame them because many teachers feel the need to prejudge students and feel like kids from a certain ethnic group are difficult to teach. I went to the same school for eight years and in my eight years of attending that school, I realized that the only reason these teachers wanted to teach us was not because they loved teaching but because it would look good on their resume, so they can get a better job somewhere else. These teachers could say on their resume "Taught underprivileged group of black students and I survived" to make it look like some freedom writer story. I came to the realization of it because after every school year, these same teachers would never return back the following year. I can say though that attending a Charter School was better than attending a Public school. I learned more even though that meant teaching myself, but we had a good system that every student followed. We had to wear a uniform that made us look like business men and women getting ready for work at a cooperate building. My school prepared me on how life would be like after graduating. I do not condemn my school, only the teachers who taught us for the mere purpose of guilt.Waiting for Superman exposes these bad education system, but the people who I feel sorry for are the students who are not being given a fair chance for a better education.

Blog 7: Student Experience Paper

When I began high school, I was unaware of the use of substance and alcohol. It was not until I went to my first high school party at a friend's house until I became aware of this drink. Seeing the way alcohol were changing all these people behavior began to frighten me. I was peer-pressured many times, but I could not get myself to take a cup. I could not stand the stench that came from it. My parents have always told me that I should not allow anyone to force me to do anything and that I was in control of it. I remembered as I continued into my high school career, many of my friends were not only indulging in alcohol at parties, but they even began drinking it at school. I was disgusted. I did not understand what these kids got out of drinking. Later in the school year, my school counselor became aware of this and brought in a specialist, who main focus was to persuade teen about the dangers of underage drinking. The Specialist gave us a brief lecture and also showed us videos about young teens who's live had been corrupted or taken away shortly due to the effects of underage drinking. I know many students woke up that day because changes began to happen. Many people decided to stop drinking. Even though not everyone was moved by the stories the specialist told us, he knew and I knew that for those he could reach out to their lives would never be the same again. Till today I am glad these type of people are available because the way our generation is moving, too many people are being corrupted due to underage drinking and many other substances.

Chapter 3: ADHD: The Cloud Lifted- Julie Gilbert

In the short story, ADHD: The Cloud Lifted by Julie Gilbert basically talked about Gilbert life growing up with ADHD and how she was not even the chance a normal child would have because of her disorder. Gilbert later in life came to the realization that she was not "... subnormal" (Anderson 71) but she was different and different did not mean bad. At the end of her story she talks about the many people who are just like her out there and how misunderstood they are about their condition. She even goes on to say "I often wonder if the world will ever realize how gifted and intelligent they really are."(Anderson 71). The way Gilbert began the story was misleading. I would have never thought that she was actually going to talk about her disorder, but more about how she was a child at least that is what I got when I began reading the story. The opening of the story is actually not effective, but more misleading to any reader. It does not do a good job of grabbing my attention.

Chapter 2: Drinking Deaths Draw Attention to Old Campus Problem- Mindy Sink

In the excerpt, Drinking Deaths Attention to Old Campus Problem by Mindy Sink talks about the two different situation of underage drinking at two different schools in the same state that lead to the death of two students. The use of underage drinking has become something of an alarm rate, not only in the state of Colorado, but also around the world. “According to a 2002 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 1,400 college students 18 to 24 die annually as a result of alcohol abuse” (Anderson 50).  If the local business owners, student groups and community leaders can come together to change the occurring problem it would have a slight positive impact, but as Russell Harverson, general manager of Rose Hill Wine and Spirits said, “I don’t think the liquor stores are the problem” (Anderson 51). I completely agree with him because the use of alcoholic beverages will not stop even though there are support group. Students are aware of the danger of over excessive drinking so if anything was to happen to them it will be their own fault. We can put the blame on the school, but the real blame is on the students who decided to drink to begin with. These partnership would be of a positive impact for some students, but not all.

Chapter 1: Abandoned but Not Alone- Thomas Oliphant

In the shorty story, Abandoned but Not Alone by Thomas Oliphant talks about a special program called “The Point Foundation.” The purpose of this organization is to help children who have been abandoned by their parents because of reasons such as being gay, etc. Oliphant gives various examples in the text about the type of kids who has been accepted into the foundation and how their lives have been changed. The Point not “provides financial assistance” (Anderson 20), but it also “provide and adult to be there on the first day of college, so that one of the most joyous rites of passage doesn’t take place in solitude” (Anderson 20).  That is probably one of the best things being in programs such as that because having someone to mentor you is something those children needs especially since their parents no longer want to be apart of their lives. Having a various mentors in my lives has been beneficial. There have been many situations that have occurred to me and some I could not tell my parents, which is where those mentors come in to help. They help by giving me various suggestions to fix the problem. I actually do now know what I would do without the mentors have had throughout my life because they have been that extra support system that I need.