One Hundred! (not)

I would first like to say that i regret to have not reached the 100th journal milestone, for I have left out a number of journals from the previous quarters. However I still believe that I have learned from this experience, a valuable experience. From writing all the journals I have developed my writing skills and brain storming skills. With writing I have learned how to extend my answer in to paragraphs of explanations, and also how to go off topic by just the right amount to make the journal more interesting. Brain storming skills are also greatly developed through this process, we start it in class and I usually just list out ideas and complete them when I am home. Brain storming can also be related to creativity. Bending the question but not breaking it to better fit the answer I want to put out. This is quiet a useful exercise to help develop skills in different areas. I believe it should be used by the year after mine to help them with their writing skills too. Even though they might complain in the beginning, once they look back in the end they will relaize how much it has helped them.

Final Exam

Final exams are never something  I am completely confident about. However on this English final I can say I am more confident with it than I am with other finals. I believe that I was well prepared and my answered weren't guesses, I chose them because I knew it was the correct one to choose. I would say that I am most confident for the short answers, because I answered ever detail asked for and I used examples form the story and my own life. As for the multiple choice I am not saying that I am not confident but for questions on the story 102 I was less confident about.
When teachers give out test some would say that it is very easy, however if they were telling the truth they would not say so. They would say that it is a test that tests our knowledge learned form the course and not just a simple quiz used to fill in that final grade. If a teacher was to say the final was easy and we shouldn't worry. I would take the test to find out if they are telling the truth. Then if they are telling the truth and the test was easy I would ask them "Why bother?". Why bother giving a "final" exam if it not at least a little difficult?

Group work

When working in a group working together can be a really hard thing, especially when the group members are chosen by someone else. To make a group project successful the group members must work together without arguments. I do like working in groups, however not groups that are too large. The reason being in a large group there are always people who don't do much work, or no work at all. In small groups people are most of the time more welling to work together. However if the groups member are not chosen by each other and by the teacher, you can only wish that your working with someone you are friends with. While working in the group project some people didn't seem to do much work compared to others but still felt like they were doing more and blamed others for the lack of work. When working by myself I can plan my schedule out easily and I have no one to blame for not completing my work. I like doing my own work by myself because I know I can complete it.

Strangers Together

I believe that the story suggest that people no matter how distant or how much they are strangers, they will work together to produce a solution for the crisis. I believe the author suggest that there is always a good in people and in situation like they were in, everyone was wiling to work together despite their differences. I remember a family getting hit by a car on the streets of Shanghai. I witnessed the whole thing and I was in shock. I stood there not knowing what to do, or what I could do. Soon people began to crowd around the injured, some where checking their pulse and some were talking to the driver, and one of them was calling the ambulance. I witnessed how total strangers could come together and help a group of strangers who has been hurt. It was truly amazing. I myself had a more personal experience. I was at a swimming competition full of people I've never meet before. It came to the time of the 100 meter relay and I was put into a team with strangers who were strangers to everyone else too. We had no idea what to do. However we began to talk about who was best at what and who was faster, we came up with the line up for our team and went to get ready. As we stood waiting for the relay to begin I believe that everyone was nervous however we built a trust between the 4 of us that I believe everyone felt. The coaches shouted: "READY! SET? GO!" the first team member jumped into the water, water splashed up into the air and everyone just watched. Then the second wave started to come back, it was my turn now. As soon as my teammate touched the wall I jumped and I swam as fast as I could giving it all I had. As i touched the wall on the other side of the pool I saw the shadow of the last teammate fly over me and into the pool. As I pulled my self out of the water I heard screaming and when I slowly turned over I saw my teammate touch the wall before anyone else. WE had won the relay.

Project Reflection

From doing this book report I found more symbols and irony that I haven't noticed in the book before. It allowed me to visualize the book the way I want to, I had the chance to create bits and parts of the world of 1984 in my prospective. The book wasn't exactly a joyful read for me, it was a slow start and I didn't find it as appealing as other book that I have read before did. Therefore I didn't put as much effort into reading it as I could have, but I believe I put enough for me to understand the book. The project however I did put more effort into than reading the book. I collected materials from all over the place, brought it home, began to cut, and put the pieces together. I took two separate days to work on it and about a total of 2-3 hours of solid work. I believe that this is a good project to do, a better one compared to a normal book report. It is because it allows the students to use their creativity and to paint the book the way they want it to be, not just to themselves but to everyone else.

911

The 911 event has changed the world since it happened, especially the United States of America. The security level has rose up in the U.S.A. Also many racial stereotypes and discriminations against the Arabian race were created which greatly impacted the social classes of the U.S.A. But not only has it impacted these two things it has also impacted people's lives, those who lost their lives in the event, and those who lost ones they cared about because of the event. Their lives are greatly impacted and most of them would never forget what happen on 9/11. I believe the U.S.A responded correctly and incorrectly to the event. George Bush was the president at the time and he made some pretty bad decisions. The government as a whole made some great decisions, such as the creation of Homeland Security, as many people say the best offense is a good defense. Also trying to find out who was in charge of this terroristic act was also the right thing to do, because it gave the families that lost someone a answer. However the world is not a safer place because the Department of Homeland Security was created, new technology is being created each day and many are used for weapons that the terrorists can get. Having the recent news of Bin Laden being killed may have sent comfort into the hearts of ones who lost their family but it doesn't mean that it is the end.

Buried Alive

I believe that in such a situation I would first think about all the people I know and how I may not see them again. Then I would panic and begin to try to find a way out, by all means necessary. If I can't move at all and there was someone who could go out I would like him to send a message to my family and friends telling them that I love them and regreets that I have to leave early.  I would probably regret somethings that I have done in live and some that I haven't got the chance to. If there were others trapped with me, I believe we would work together and help each other out of the life threatening situation.  In such dramatic events people always find a way to help other either it being mental support or physical support. I do not believe in the phrase "every man for him self" because there are always someone in the world that would care for you and would help you. Only the most selfish people in the world would use the phrase "every man for himself" in such a situation.