Are Students Working too Much?

Kramer makes very good points in this short story about students and their crowded schedules. Sometime I feel that my schedule is overcrowded. Even though there is not much i can do about it i just try my best all the time to keep on top of everything. Being in college can get very expensive so not only do i have to keep up with my classes and school work but i have to also look for a job up here different than the job i have at home. The only way to make my schedule less crowded would be to not look for a job and just study all the time.

Could Your Facebook Profile Throw a Wrench in your future?

I have a personal website that mostly everyone today has, Facebook. When i am posting statuses or pictures i always am very careful what i am doing. I always want to make sure that My little cousins, aunts and uncles and even some employers can see. I rarely post but when i do i am always aware of the fact that others can see this and have their opinion on me based on that. My sister has a Facebook as well and she will always tag me in pictures that i personally would not want on my page so i untag myself or ask her to delete the picture. But knowing that schools and jobs can see all of your page without you knowing should make you want to not post anything bad online at all.

Focusing on Friends

The conclusion to Tesich's essay was very surprising to me. The whole essay he was talking about experiences he had with his guy best friends. I did not expect him to say that all of those events proved to himself that he loved his friends. I also agree that you do not have to say "I love you" to prove that you love someone. You can show that by the way you care for someone. It was a shock because he said it to tons of woman but he clearly never meant it, he only really loved the people that he could not tell them out loud.

Let the Colors Run

In the short story, "Let the Colors Run" by Ron Suskind talks about a college class and the assignment the students had to complete. The professor was being very fair when he was letting the kids think of new ways to complete the assignment. This would only work if the student came to discuss this with the professor. One girl mentioned a poem and the professor agreed but still would want anyone to confront him about it before beginning a different type of assignment. One student Cedric did the poem without telling the professor, it was an amazing poem that the professor really did enjoy, but it was not what he assigned and Cedric did not follow the instructions. This was the poem predicament. Cedric really should have received a C or F as a grade but the professor gave him a B instead. I agree with how the professor handled this situation because if Cedric got an F he would have been shot down and would not have motivation to keep working. Now he will have the confidence to keep working hard in this class and succeed and change from the type of person in his poem to a better person.

Abandoned but Not Alone

The Point Foundation program puts a huge emphasis on the student having a mentor. Having a mentor can be extremely beneficial to you because there is someone there to guide you and help you through out the way. When I was in high school was the time in my life when i needed a mentor the most. Luckily for me I have two older sisters. They were able to tell me what to expect in high school such as the work load and the fact that you will loose and gain friends along the way. They were able to help me prepare for college and always push me to try my best so I didn't have to struggle when college rolled around. Having a mentor in college could be very beneficial to you swell. They can help you manage your time and transition from high school. They can also just be there to talk when you are homesick. In my opinion having a mentor for anything that is new to you is a very good idea.

The Meaning of Work

In the story, "The Meaning of Work" by Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez, talks a how his father wants him to "work in air-conditioning". I believe this means that despite the fact that his father worked as a pipe fitter he still wanted his son to have an easier time at work. His father worked hard through out his life so his child's life would be easier. Rodriguez wants his son to know the meaning of work by watching his father work so hard, he does not want his son to do what he does. Rodriguez grew up watching his father work so hard so he knows the meaning of hard work.

Bricklayers Boy

In the essay, "Bricklayer's Boy" by Alfred Lubrano he talks a lot about blue collared people compared to white collared people. I feel like I can relate more with blue collared people. I have had the experience of speaking with both white and blue collared people but most of my time is with blue collared people. Growing up I was always around a blue collared business since my family owns a bar. then i even started working there and seeing more people like that too. A lot of the customers are construction workers and I see how their lives are too. I thin I would say that I respect the blue collared culture more than the white collared culture. I feel that they know the real meaning of hard work and understand that they are doing what they are doing for a reason, money and to support their families. Even though white collared are doing the same thing, they are not physically working. I would consider myself to be in the blue collared culture. The disadvantages of living a blue collared life is that you have to work very hard in the physical aspect. sometimes depending on the job, you have to work outside in all different types of weather. most of the time you will be dirty and tired when you get home. On the other hand, the advantages of a blue collared life would be that in most cases you can go to trade school instead of college which is shorter and cheaper. Also, there are plenty of blue collared jobs out there for people to get. In my opinion, the father in this story was always just looking out for his families best interest. All he wanted was the best for them and that is why he worked so hard throughout his life.

Mothers Tongue

In this short story "Mothers Tongue" by Amy tan really showed me how many people struggle on a daily basis with communicating with others who do not speak their language. Amys mother had a very difficult time communicating with people who spoke English since she was from China. Amy would serve as a translator or even in some cases pretend to be her mother. In some cases she was looked down upon and some people had a skewed  perception on her abilities from her "broken" English.
This reminds me of a time when i was in school. there was a boy who came into my class half way through the year from Japan. He barely spoke English at all. Everyone tried to be friendly with him at first but they all gave up after he couldn't communicate back with them. I tried everyday and by the end of the year we were friends and he learned so much! He was so smart and he even helped me with my math work and i would help him with his English. All the other students believed that he didn't speak English that he wasn't intelligent enough to be friends with. I didn't think that was fair at all. I  learned that everyone is smarter in some areas than others. I definitely believe that the way people speak affect the way people perceive their skills and abilities; even though it is not fair.    

Chapter 1"And Then I Went to School"

The short story, "And Then I Went to School" by Joseph H. Suna was very interesting to me. A young Indian boy named Joseph Henry was living in a small village with family and friends. He felt strong and smart in his town but once he went to school with other children from different ethnicities, he did not feel the same way. He felt small and simple minded. Joseph was not used to people not speaking his language. He was living away from home as he got older due to getting an education. He really missed his family and friends from his village and once he came home for break he realized it was not the same. He was becoming accustomed to the "white man's ways". Joseph realized his home town was inefficient and he was comfortable in his new life but he would always still love his home. I enjoyed this story because i found the theme to be never forget where you came from. It is so important to stay grounded and never be something that you don't want to be. If you stay true to your values you will go far in this world. throughout this story Josephs life got better because he was expanding his horizons. he was viewing the world in a different way. This scenario is similar to all of us going to college. We are not used to these ways yet but we will become accustomed to this lifestyle eventually. We can never forget where we came from and all of the beliefs and values that we learned while growing up. attending college will provide me with a better life because i will receive and education that will lead me to a career to start my life. I will have to sacrifice the comfort i had at home with my house, car and friends. I will miss all of these aspects greatly but, I know that I will still have them when I come home after I get my education, which always comes first.