The idea of college readiness...

     Over the course of last week, we discussed the idea of college readiness.  I wanted to blog on this subject because I wanted to discuss my personal feelings of the idea of success and college readiness, so here goes:  I don't believe college readiness defines a person; I believe a person defines college readiness.  I guess what I am trying to say is that I think college readiness differs from person to person.  I've given this a lot of thought and came to this conclusion, and here's why:  not everyone takes the same pathway.  Some people go into the military before college.  Others go into the workforce first and go back to school later.  And then there are those that can't afford a University and end up in a two year community college first before transferring.  That is one reason why college readiness differs from person to person.  Another is because being ready for college can depend on what you are actually going to college for.  For example, I'm in the Pre-Nursing major looking to do something in the Nursing field.  However, in order to be ready for college, I may want to get my CNA (Certified Nurse Aide) and take health prep courses in High School to get ready for college.  I am currently a Certified Nurse Aide in the state of North Carolina, but lets not get off topic.  What I am trying to say, is college readiness isn't just all about that stuff people tell you that you need to do....it's just for the money.  Yes of course you need good grades, take the SAT, apply for colleges and scholarships, and do all of that other stuff.  That is required, but irrelevant for being ready for college.  College isn't just about knowing your stuff.  That is a big part of it, but being socially active is a big part as well.  I also think being ready for college is the fact of getting socially comfortable. It makes you wonder, who is right and what does the idea of college readiness consist of?  Maybe I'm off topic, or maybe I'm wrong, but that is my idea of college readiness. I believe it depends on what the person goes through in his/her life, their successes, choices, and failures, and what they want to make of themselves in the future.

Dead Poets Society

     During this week in class, we dealt a lot with tv shows and movies and wrote was we thought was represented in each picture.  For this blog I decided to write about the Dead Poets Society.  It is an older movie but I have seen it a few times.  In the movie, Neil gets shipped to a school by his strict parents and makes so new friends.  Neil and his friends meet Professor Keating, who introduces them to the Dead Poets Society and pushes them to write against the Status Quo.  Neil also pursues his love of acting against his parents wishes, in which they want him to become a successful Doctor.  His father goes to a play that Neil wasn't supposed to be in but was anyway, and his father basically pulled him out by his ear and brought him home.  They then have a huge argument and Neil's father tells him that he is shipping him off to a military school in the morning.  Unable to cope with his fathers future plans and to show his father how he felt, Neil commited suicide using his fathers gun.  Neil's father decided that it was Mr. Keating's fault, and reports it to the school which then went under investigation.  Keating gets in trouble and is almost fired, but all the students take a stand for him.  This movie is a really good movie in my opinion, and conveys the element of emotion.  Neil was passionate for acting and his father wouldn't have that.  Mr. Keating tried to help the students and introduce them to writing in different ideas.  I highly recommend this movie to everybody who would like to see it.  I look forward to seeing everybody in class tomorrow!

"The Walking Dead"

     Not gonna lie to you guys from the beginning.  Since tonight was one of my worst nights in awhile, I decided I'm gonna go ahead and tell you guys about it.  I went home this weekend, and honestly I had a pretty good weekend.  Good food, good time with my family.  I decided to leave at around 7:30pm because I live an hour away and I wanted to make it back before 9:00pm to see The Walking Dead!  But after I left, almost everything seemed to go wrong......  It was smooth sailing down 85 South until I came across traffic about 3 exits before the UNC Charlotte exit.  Not only did I hit traffic, but it was dead stop!!!  I didn't move from the same spot for literally 40 minutes.  I pretty much faced the fact that I was going to miss the premiere of one of my favorite shows...but then I made it on campus at approximately 8:55pm.  I figured that if I had gotten a spot in Lynch parking (near my dorm; Lynch Hall), I would've been able to get inside in time for the show.  I got into Lynch parking, and I was about to get a lucky spot.  A jeep was getting ready to leave, so I put my blinker on and waited.  When the jeep pulled out, there was a car behind me that went around me and stole my spot!  He stole my parking spot when I CLEARLY had my blinker on and CLEARLY was waiting for it.  I was soooooo pissed off.  What has this world come to?  Why are people so rude and inconsiderate these days?  Anyway, to finish my story, I had to go all the way to the North Deck to park, and had to carry a ton of stuff in the pouring rain, after some guy stole my spot right next to my hall.  Shaking my head!  The only good thing about this story is that Walking Dead plays again at 11pm, and I'm gonna go ahead and watch it after I turn in this blog.  I really hope tomorrow will be a better day for me and I can't wait to see you guys in class!

Seeing the good or the bad..?

     This week we spent time reading Peter Elbow's journal "The Believing Game or Methodological Believing."  This brought up a new aspect I have never seen before.  Peter was conveying his thoughts on how in school, we always criticize other students and teachers.  We sometimes discriminate, judge, hate on, whatever you want to call it about other students.  Some teenagers even talk crap about their friends behind their backs.  Peter Elbow was making a point about how we always see the bad and never see the good.  I never really realized it, but it's so true.  For example, say a criminal goes to prison for 5 years, comes out, gets his life together and becomes a big shot.  He will always be labeled as being a criminal and the bad he's done, rather than the good he has done in his life.  It is the same me in schools, businesses, and all around the globe.  I can relate to his journal, and that's also why I wrote about it in our daily writing.  I look forward to seeing all of you in class tomorrow!