From High School to College: Major Differences and Adapting Have you ever heard someone say "The more you say something, the more people will believe it."? My dad is infamous for this quote. When we are young we hear our influences reason that college is the worst schooling we will ever have to face. The more we hear it, the more we believe it. Eventually, as we grow up, we have friends who go off to college, and they explain it's not as bad as we had imagined it to be, but the bad we’ve heard throughout our life outweighs the bit of good we might hear in the last year or two before we ourselves go off to college. We then go to college with the bad stuck in our mind. Not only that, but in attempting to 'protect' ourselves, we close ourselves out, avoiding things that present themselves as challenges. We're in a strange place with people we don't know, concepts we don't understand, and new experiences to be had. We are afraid of how we will be accepted by those around us, we are unsure if we will be able to comprehend what it is we're being told, and we feel this new ordeal is unfathomable. It's a huge difference going from high school to college, and more so as a homeschooler. My past experience in a school-like setting involved a group of us meeting once a week having our parents teach us in a small classroom setting. There were eleven total students enrolled in the high school program, and not everybody had been enrolled in the same class. The largest class consisted of eight students, and the smallest class, four. I never really was sure how I had ranked with students, in the tense of academic standing, I know I was advanced, but I didn't know how advanced, or what areas I lacked in. So, it is easy to imagine how strange it might be to enter a setting where there are thirty to fifty students per class, and 500 students rushing around one area during morning break; where people are able to tell easily who knows what they're doing versus who blanked out in the middle of class, whereas before, you just talked with the teacher before class started, and you basically had the time to review the entire last lesson.
There are so many things, I’ve noticed, that could stop a student from embracing their time at college. For me, it would be having to completely adapt to a brand new environment. My own personal examples involved just arriving at the college, I showed up during what we call Q-time, an hour long break from all classes, where people rush around like crazy. I had no idea where I was going, or what I was supposed to be doing. I walked in circles until I found my psychology class, not knowing what to expect, but I immediately decided I loved my teacher, and I was surprised at how smoothly everything went. It was odd, trying to figure out her teaching style, and how to take notes accordingly, but the class came and went, and soon enough, it was time for English. I was worried at first, because I wasn’t sure how I might respond to the situation, not a single one of my friends had registered for this class; every time I had entered a school setting before, I knew at least one person in each class, this time, I hadn’t known anybody. Once again, there was a new teacher, a completely new teaching style, and a lot to figure out with my first experience in a real school setting. It presented itself as a challenge, at first, to try to adapt to this strange environment, but I knew I could work towards making it a normality. I found out about the workshops offered by the library, tips for standardized testing, proper note taking, procrastination, time management, and many other situations faced by college students everyday. I talked with my mentor and my friends who had been to a college before, friends who had also started as homeschoolers, and others who hadn’t. I spoke with my parents and found out about their experiences as they had once tried to adapt to college. Eventually, it became a realization that college requires the same types of adaption for people no matter what their previous situations. Even if they had been to school before, they still had to learn the teaching styles brought to them, now granted, they may have had a similar teaching experience brought to them by a past teacher, but still, every person is different. Most people also have issues finding their way around campus, and many people struggle when they don’t know the people around them. I realized that there were many people showing up to the workshops, because even though they had gone to schools before, they hadn’t previously learned or understood these tricks to help their success. I had realized that I wasn’t the only person at the college who needed to adapt, and I realized that by allowing myself to adapt to this new situation, I had allowed myself to grow and I had made this transition to college so much smoother than what it might have been.
Room For Debate Assignment Final Draft
Rebekah Williams
ENG100 Essay 2: Room for Debate
Due: 14 December 2015
The Technology of this Generation
Many argue that teenagers are addicted to today's technology, namely cell phones and computers, and that it is a major concern when it comes to the distractions they can offer, but it could actually be the thing that sparks the most creativity. America's youth is constantly stuck indoors, making it hard to connect with peers, whereas previous generations were at the park from dawn to dusk with their friends, one of the things that inspires the most creativity, storytelling, and even decision making. Technology builds a bridge allowing communication between friends even while stuck inside. It allows for friends to share opinions, gain support, or share stories of events someone might have missed out on. Technology is also vital for learning, and education. Maybe a teen's favorite video game showed them their love for programming, maybe a smartphone is the only opportunity a person has to learn an instrument, and there's always just the enjoyable and beneficial communication of a friend who lives far away. Technology, I've concluded, is of great use to America's teens, allowing for much productivity and communication, it seemingly has more benefits than anything else.
For those who argue about phones, tablets, laptops, and other modern devices causing addiction, many valid points are made, but people forget to look to psychology, where the research has already been done. Addiction has a psychological component to it, for behavioral addiction, not just anybody is going to be addicted, more often teens just have a habit. They create habits as defense mechanisms, they use their technology to get out of awkward situations, avoid confrontations, and create distractions. Addiction and habits are two different things, and habits can be broken. Now, many people also argue that teens should not have access to technology because there are so many distractions, I understand this concern. But, as humans, we don’t just get distracted, we have to be avoiding our task or procrastinating something. If we are distracted, it is because we already want to be distracted, even if only subconsciously. If the distractions aren’t offered by our phones and tablets and such, then it will be from anything else we can find to help pass the time.
This issue was debated by five experts on theNew York Times' Room for Debatepage, the article,Is Internet Addiction a Health Threat for Teenagers? used five different viewpoints and decided to let the reader decide. Danah Boyd, author of "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens." explained that we should blame the society we live in, and not the screens themselves. Chris Bergman, founder and chief executive ofChoreMonster, followed a similar line of thought and went on about how we shouldn't limit the amount of time teenagers are allowed on technology, because it affects their behavior once they're out of their parents’ sight. He gave an example how when he was younger and his parents restricted his technology time, in comparison to not limiting his own child’s time. He explained how he would go straight to the TV when at a family reunion, a friend’s house, or when visiting his Grandparents, so he never actually spent time with his friends or family. Now when he gives his teen unlimited access to the television or a smartphone or anything else, his son would rather choose to spend time with his friends and his cousins, the people who he doesn’t see very often.
Though our cell phones and computers harbor many distractions, they are also what help us to learn the most. As a teen, my free time is spent on websites such asWikihow,Wikia, andBeeACoder.com, not to mention countless hours spent learning random trivia. It's the only way I have access to sheet music to continue studying piano, and it's how I complete any and all of my homework, not to mention more than half of my studies. My friends use their laptops to mix and edit their music, design with CAD, and share their latest paintings. More often than not, my teenage brother spends his time using YouTube to learn as much as he possibly can about the mysteries of science. We have access to the world through our phones and our computers, that's why the majority of us are stuck to them. We can learn anything we want from the comfort and safety of our own homes. Teenagers are given the opportunity to skip through years of school online, when entering into a cyber school setting, so long as you have the ability to keep up with the work, you're in whatever grade you want to be in. Nowadays, most jobs only keep a few applications on hand, most of the applications are supposed to be completed online. One newspaper article explains how teens are actually easier to reach because these applications are online. Our technology is one of the greatest resources we have, without it, we could never have made as much progress as we have today.
Apart from productivity, communication is an amazing benefit from the constant use of technology. Recently, millions of teens moved around the world to begin their college experience, they left behind the people they knew, the things they were accustomed to, and the places they grew up. Without their social media and telecommunication capabilities, they might never talk to some of their friends or family again. With sites such as Facebook. Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and so many others, there's no end to the possibilities of how you can keep in touch with your loved ones. You can keep them up to date with the latest things going on in your life, or just enjoy looking through old memories on your friends' pages. Even high school students reap the benefits of having these social media sites. If you're away from friends on holiday, or if you cannot find a way to meet up, you can call text, or chat with them almost all the time. You always have a friend nearby, without actually having to have a friend nearby. In this video, Dr. Amanda Third, from the University of Western Sydney, explains her four main points on how communication through modern technology can really shape a teenager’s life. As for my own life, technology is vital for communication. My grandparents live in Florida half the year, my mom's side of the family lives over an hour away, the best friends anyone could ever have, either live over an hour away, or in California, and as a homeschooler, I tend to see my friends Sunday mornings at church, or Wednesday and Saturday evenings at youth group. So when something happens and I need to talk to someone, it may be a few days before I see them again. Although with messenger, it only takes until the time their phone dings, after that, we can chat for hours without ever having to make an extensive commute. I personally find this to be one of the greatest benefits technology has to offer.
Communication and productivity are great things that come out of a teen's use of technology. Without the usage of cell phones, computers, etc., teenagers would never have had the ability to learn as much as they do, they wouldn't easily be able to follow after their passions, and they would have an extremely difficult time connecting with their friends and families. It has become such a major part of each teenager's life, that I believe they would be much worse off without it. It is the reason for so many of our advances, although there are a few distractions and issues that come with it, I truly believe this technology makes up for them every step of the way. I also believe that the most important benefit of our modern technology, is the communication it provides us with. Technology shapes the way teenagers think and act, for the better, it helps them to learn and to grow, and without it, our generation would look very different.
One-Semester Memoir Assignment Final Draft
Rebekah Williams ENG100 Assignment #3: One Semester Memoir Due: December 14th, 8 p.m.
Shopping on Meds I stumble into the kitchen with my head spinning, pretty much tripping over my own big feet. I have a splitting headache as I try to make sense of my morning, the cold hardwood floors bothering my skin, the kitchen smelling like waffles, though I see no trace of them, and the sun shining through the windows, hurting my eyes. I pour some orange juice into a glass and pull my Keppra from the cabinet, it is only my second day on the epilepsy medication, but the effects are kicking in full force. As I gulp down the small blue pill, I unfortunately remember that orange juice should never be mixed with the aftertaste of Crest’s minty freshness . Fox news is playing in the background, and to my right, mom and Emma are having a loud conversation at the kitchen table. I realize that we’re missing a tablecloth, leaving behind a bare, darkwood table, that is the extent of what I can wrap my head around. As I stand in my soft fuzzy pajamas with the awful taste in my mouth, all I can think about is spending my day on the comfy sofa. I already finished most of my homework, so now I just want to pass out. My dad waltzes into the kitchen and explains that we have a project outside, so we have to go get changed into day clothes. By this point my head is throbbing, and I am definitely ready for bed, though the clock in the corner mocks me as it is only ten o’clock. My dad sits down with a plate full of thanksgiving leftovers and tells us that we better eat now if we want to eat at all, because he won’t stop while we’re out. My mind only allows for the slightest protest, knowing he will stick true to his word. He also tells us to grab our money, so now we know we’re going shopping, we just have no idea where. We load into the car and soon enough, we’re at the Christiana Mall in Delaware. We enter the giant Macy’s store, and are immediately bombarded by the hustle and bustle of the junior’s department, a large table display crams the entrance doors, and the the aisles are packed tight with new shipments of Christmas clothing as well as the mess from yesterday’s Black Friday sales. It feels as though the room is spinning as my mom rushes me over to try on jeans. An entire wall is practically made up of stacks upon stacks of jeans. I find some dark wash, and squeeze my way into the fitting rooms. I no longer trust my balance as I try to get myself changed, but, none of the jeans seem to have a proper fit for my short legs. We continue throughout the crowded store watching workers scatter, trying to recoup after the holiday madness. One area in the store was particularly busy, as workers gather by the fitting rooms. The wall is bright red and hollowed out. Inside, the walls are painted black and the couches are made of colored leather. My dad and I had just found this beautiful dress that I had wanted to try on, so my family rests as I head to change once more, this time the fitting rooms feel a bit more claustrophobic though, at least I won’t have to worry about falling over, there is no space for it. My mind focuses in on the movements I have to make to keep myself from falling over. I no longer care what is going on around me, I’ll just put on a smile and act like the medicine isn’t trying to knock me into a deeper sleep than what had come over Alice as she entered wonderland. I manage my way out of the dressing room, and my parents love the dress on me, it is a straight fit that comes down just past the knees, it has the short sleeves of a t-shirt, and it has a small collar that pops up just around the neck. It is black with white stripes that shoot out both horizontally and vertically. I don’t think it is very flattering, but dad says to take the belt off of my pants and wrap it around the waist of the dress, we use the belt to pin the dress to my back, and the fit looks perfect. My dad takes it to the sales counter immediately, and tells me that I’ll find it under the tree Christmas morning. I am so excited that some of the fogginess starts to roll its way out of my brain. I am feeling better and I am ready to continue shopping. By this point, we’re finished with Macy’s, and we’re moving on. One of our last stops for the night is a store specifically for games that messed with your mind. The blue on the walls is so bold it hurts my eyes, now it could be the meds, but I’m not totally sure about that. We look around the store, but we had seen most of it before at the Toys - R - Us in New York, so I shuffle my sneakers across the black tile floor and go to look at the outdoor display with my dad. Emma is looking at a table with mannequin heads, but I can’t figure out what it is. But, between the signs and the white mannequin heads, you can hardly see the black table anymore. Emma sits down on her knees and forgets our number one rule of shopping, “Look with your eyes, not your hands, cause if you break it you buy it!” Mom always said. As she picks something up off the plastic table, the whole display comes crashing down on the mall floor, and onto Emma! One of the workers, probably about seventeen years old runs out of the store. He is wearing black skinny jeans and a bright red shirt, similar to the attire of his co-workers, but slightly more nerdy on him. “Is everything okay? Is everything okay?” he shouted. My dad never even thought about his response. “Don’t worry, she was like that before it hit her.” The boy doubles over laughing, slaps his thigh, and brings his hand up to his nose to keep him from snorting, the lights reflect off his now upside down nametag, and his long black hair falls in his face. He cannot stop laughing. Knocking over the display is our cue to leave though, so we set everything back onto the table and walk away laughing, more so at the kid’s reaction than at my dad’s comment. We finish up our shopping and head home, my stomach growling, my head throbbing, and my bed calling my name. Any other day, this would have seemed like the best day ever, but today, it was slightly painful, with my meds making me crazy tired.