Journal #10

If you do something for long enough you become better at it. By keeping a journal and writing essays on a weekly basis I have seen my writing improve. Everything from my grammar to my keyboarding skills has improved.
This English class was the first class that I have had since I graduated high school last year. I know that this English class has given my writing a strong boost that will help me through the rest of my years in college.
With all the computer lab time as well as the journals being online I have gotten to practice my keyboarding skills. Over the summer I never touched a keyboard, at the start of this class I realized I needed some practice. Having both the classroom time and the lab time was a perfect balance for me. It gave me time to start my papers at school, and still learn and have great discussions in class.
Looking more at my writing in the class I was really lucky because there were interesting topics to write about. I was interested and when I’m interested in something I become a different person. I had much more desire to do the work as well as participate in class. I learned a lot in this class and I know with more classes right around the corner I will have a solid base in the writing and grammar.

Journal #9

I always love it when other people read my writing. It is a way for others to get to have a little taste of what I have experienced. They get to read how I explain situations, and details, as well as how I tell stories. I think there is no point in writing if there isn’t anyone to read it.
By reading other peoples writing I have learned a lot. You get someone other than yours self point of view. I think peer editing is your peers correcting your writing in hopes to make it better but I also think learning and actually reading the paper is important too. Just looking for spelling mistakes and bad grammar and punctuation is useless to the editor. You can learn so much from other people. By reading others work you can learn so much about them and their own personal experiences.
Your job as a peer editor is to edit first but also learn and give constructive criticism to the writer. As a writer you wouldn’t want to hear all about how you misspelled something or you forgot a comma here or there. You want to know that the reader understands your point. The reader should be able to connect and relate to the subject at hand.
Peer editing is a great way to make your writing better. If it is used to it’s full potential it can help you become a better writer with a wider range of ideas, vocabulary, and writing tactics.

Scary Movies

I have always tried to avoid going to see scary movies. I have never been a big fan, or any fan at all. When watching a scary movie I never seem to find myself getting scared. I have always had a great imagination when it comes to scary movies, I always can predict what will happen and who will end up dyeing. When I go to pay $10.50 to see a movie I expect to enjoy it, not get scared.
I am not sure why people like paying money to watch people die. They are actors who live regular lives just like every one of us. They don’t really die its all acting and a lot of fake blood. I know I would much rather see a funny movie or an action movie. People say that we all have a little evil inside of us but I don’t think scary movies are a good representation of what goes on in our world.
If you wanted to see something that was really scary watch something real like the show cops. Here is a show about real crazy people who each has their own problem from mental illness to being drunk and making bad decisions. And the cops are people like you and I and they have to deal with all these people. That is scary to me.
There is only one time I will consider going to a scary movie and that is if I am going with a girl who loves to get scared in scary movies. Why? Well because I do not get scared and it’s funny to see them jump, cover their eyes, or grab on to you.

Whenever I hear the song “Stars” by Switchfoot it takes me back to middle school. I remember when I was walking around Rowayton late at night listening to this song looking up at the stars. It was a cold but it was a very clear night. I could see every star in the sky. I was going to meet my friends at the beach. We sat there for hours staring at the water, the sky and the moon and starts. It has to be one of the most memorable nights I have ever had. Whenever I hear that song play on my ipod or on the radio I instantly remember everything about that night. I remember ever detail about that night from who I was with to what I was wearing. That night was the night I got my first kiss and the first time I ever drank scotch. Everything about that night was perfect. Being in college now and hearing that song it reminds me of my childhood or more like my teen years. I think of my friends who have all moved away from Rowayton. They are all continuing their own lives in college. The song makes me miss them but I know they are enjoying life just like me.

journal #6

When something is yours and you put your time and effort into something I don’t like people who I don’t know telling me how to change my hard work. When I wrote a paper for English and our peers revised it I found that there were a few mistakes. I have to say I do not have the best spelling or grammar. But when you get people start to change your ideas and your personal points of views on things then I run into problems. This is where I start to get into argument mode. You should keep in mind when you are reading and editing someone’s paper that you should respect their idea and just look at the grammar and spelling. You can always reflect on someone’s paper and share your point of view. Peer editing is great to pull out the silly mistakes everyone makes when they are rushing to write a paper, or they do not reread.

Journal #5

When reading over the three papers I have written for this class so far this year I see many things that I like and a lot of things that need improvement. For me personally I know that I have never been the greatest writer. i have trouble spelling and using proper grammar. I have always had A+ ideas, quotes, and stories. The problem comes when I have to transfer these ideas into a well written paper.
I know using a computer improves my writing 110 percent. Being able to use spell check helps me express the idea and use my vocabulary to its fullest. Documents are easy to set up and organize using the different word processing programs.
Looking any of the papers I write I have great ideas. But I do need to work on including more specific details to my basic ideas. I am a very simple person who stresses the general idea. I never go into specific detail.
This is one thing that we have talked about in class and we have gone over. When I reread my paper and I am not writing it I can ask myself questions that other readers might have about my paper. I try to answer these questions in my paper by adding more specific details. This is my strategy for include the specifics.
I know when I read papers I can lose interest very fast. This is why I try to write about exiting things that I have experienced firsthand. I may only be 18 but I have done more things than most other 18 year olds who I have met. When I write about things that I have done I can express my feelings and include details which is what keeps people interested and also make it enjoyable to write about.

Journal #4

Everywhere you go these days you can pick out someone who has tattoos and piercings. It is becoming more and more socially acceptable and more and more people are using their bodies for art. These days’ people are finding more and more places on their bodies to get pricings.
I never understood why people would think to make holes in their bodies and place jewelry in the wholes. This never appealed to me. Sure if you do have piercings done you can take them out and the wholes might close. The people who gage out their pricings are the people who blow my mind. I cannot understand why someone would want these huge holes in their body. Who is attracted to that? Maybe if you are looking to date someone from a secluded tribe then go for it. Otherwise I know I don’t want to look at that. Having your ears pierced is fine for a guy or girl I don’t mind that. Would I ever get a piercing? No, I would not.
Every tattoo has its own story. They all vary, some are great stories some are not. Tattoos can be in memory of a loved one, a memory of a child or friend. They can be of fun times or not so fun times. Some people wake up from a crazy night and they have a new tattoo. Let just say these people will remember that night for the rest of their lives. Some tattoos represent goals, accomplishments, stories, or family.
Every tattoo has a story, or a meaning. Being able to live with that tattoo the rest of your life is what I think about. If I was ever to get a tattoo I need to know I could wake up every day and be happy with the decision I made. For know I just have scars, because scars are tattoos with better stories.