• How have you developed as a writer this semester? (What have you learned or what skills have you gained?)  English 102 has taught me how to prepare for higher level writing classes and it has also taught me how to prepare myself.  Our paper topics for this class were very interesting and I loved writing them.

• What lessons about writing can you apply to other classes?  

Obviously I have learned many lessons that can prepare me for other classes in this particular class, but the biggest one was rediness.  Dr. Micer was hard on us to turn out papers in on time and if we didn't we would get pentalized for it.  That skill will not only help me with other classes in college, but in other aspects of life.

• What do you feel is your best piece of writing in your portfolio? Why?

I liked my Immigration in the United States writing paper.  I thought I covered a lot of important aspects in it, therefore it was one of my best pieces of writing.  I'm not saying my other papers were garbage, but I definitly do feel that i could have done a lot better on them.

• What strategies have you used to overcome some of the challenges of writing this semester?

Not to much stratagies, just what Dr. Micer has taught us.  He has taught us a lot of new and different things this semester so when you put those all together and clamp them tight, you will most likely overcome any challenges you see in anything.

• What were your strengths in writing?

My strenghts in writinng are definitly spelling and grammer.  I need to work on paragraph structure a lot more; but hey, I'm only a freshman.

• What areas do you need to continue to develop as a writer?

Paragraph structure and finishing complete ideas rather than leaving them at a certain point.  I think if I were to develope ideas and write them down on paper I would be more successful in writing because my audience would understand what I wwere trying to say a lot better.

Toy Story

David Sales

English 102

2/14/11

Children picking their favorite toy depends on two things;  One variable is which toys make them the most comfortable.  Comfortablilty is key, and when you have that one toy that you are dependent on, it's almost like their best friend.  When kids grow up, another variable is added to the mix; what all the other kids like.  If you are walking down the hallway with a new toy, you will be respected all the other kids.  It’s kind of like a trend; if one person gets the coolest new toy, all the kids will end up with the coolest new toy.

            While growing up, I was in love with Toy Story.  I wouldn’t leave me house without my buzz light-year action figure and my woody doll.  I felt like “the man” with all of me toy story dolls and it was a good feeling.  While watching the movie, I would have all my toy figures out surrounding me so it was like I was actually in the movie.  I don’t know the exact reason to why I started liking these dolls so much, I just know that I fell in love with toy story. 

            One of my best friends since growing up, Eddie Rosebaum, showed me toy story at the age of 7.  I watched it for the first time and fell in love with it.  Ever since then, I have been a toy story fan and I have seen all of the movies that have been produced by pixar.

Immigration in the United States

David Sales

Englsih 102

Dr. Micer

               

Obviously immigration is increasing every year, and more and more nationalities are entering the United States every day.  Is it wrong? No.  Can I see there being a problem with finding jobs in the hard workforce of today in the future? Yes.

                By entering the United States, people are able to explore a different environment and also have a chance to restart their lives.  America is one of the very few countries where the possibilities are endless.  Everyone is treated with respect in the workforce.  I do not believe that by coming to the United States that people have to change their beliefs or even change their language.  It isn’t a necessity; learning out native language would benefit anyone but they should not be obligated to doing so if they decide to come to the United States.

                Everyone has different cultural practices and something that has been running in their families for century’s.  I do not think it is necessary to change anything one believes in just to become an American.  America is a country with hundreds of different nationalities and we take great pride in that. With that being said, why would people have to give up cultural practices just to be an American? In my perspective, it just doesn’t add up.

Facebook; call it a drug.

David Sales

English 102

                Facebook has become one of the most popular ways to connect with people you know over the World Wide Web.  If you were to ask people on the street if they had a Faceboook account, I guarantee more than 75% of their responses would be yes.  Facebook has evolved from a very small site that would allow college students to communicate through the internet, to a wide spread epidemimic used around the world.  I never thought that a website used for social networking and connecting people could turn into a multi-billion dollar advertising site as well.  While all of this is good for the creators of Facebook, what does this mean for the people using it?  Call me crazy, but I think Facebook is just as addicting as heroine.  While reading this paper, you will see me touch on all of the aspects that apply to people using Facebook.

                While looking up statistics on Facebook addiction on the internet, I recently came across a convincing/sad story on the topic.  A mother was fiddling around on Facebook when her daughter, who was 12 years old, asked her for help with her homework.  Her mom denied her request and kept on Facebooking.  Agitated, the twelve year old went upstairs on the other computer to email her mom about her help with homework; her mother never received the email because, well, she was too busy with Facebook.  I think this is pretty pathetic and I really don’t know how Facebook can overpower the academic power of your younger children.   This is one of many examples I have seen that give clues to Facebook being an addiction. When you feel the need to tell your daughter no to her homework because you are on Facebook, there is a problem.  A recent article on CNN.com stated that if you spend more than 6 hours a day on Facebook, you really ought to find a better hobby.

                I will be the first to admit that I am on Facebook a lot.  If I am on my break from classes, I will occasionally check my Facebook for the latest updates and to see what my friends are doing at the time.  Never will I let Facebook interrupt my relationship with family, or get in the way of something that is very important to me.  A lot of my friends will do and say the same.  My blog, “Facebook: Call it a drug” has given a lot of examples and arguments stating that Facebook can really be addictive.  I don’t see how anyone can disagree on this subject, just watch the news one time a week.  There is always something about Facebook or problems that handle with addiction.

                Facebook is addicting, and can ruin relationships of all kinds at the same time.  I am not against Facebook at all, I think it is great.  Although, a lot of things on Facebook can be misinterpreted.  Exclamation marks, question marks and much more can change the meaning to a sentence written on Facebook at any time.  Facebook also makes people who are in relationships very conscious of what their partner is doing at all times.  It makes them insecure, and trust can also be flushed down the toilet.  I was previously in a relationship and to be honest, I think it ruined us.  I would always check her page and she would always check mine, and if we said the wrong thing to the wrong person, an argument would occur. 

                Sometimes I wish Facebook just wouldn’t have been invented.  At other times, I just wish that it wouldn’t be so advanced.  With everything you can do on Facebook these days, it’s no wonder why people are getting addicted to it.  Facebook was originally created for one purpose: to let someone be in contact with friends, family, etc.  Now-a-days, consumers from around the globe are advertising on Facebook trying to make money, in which a lot have been successful. Facebook has gone from a social networking site to a billion dollar advertising site. I am not saying the advertising part of Facebook is bad, but is the advertising industry of Facebook overpowering the “Social networking” aspect of its original purpose?

                Studying is a very important part of being a successful student.  Another big part of being a successful student is time management.  With Facebook being created, are these two very important aspects being overshadowed and turned down because students would rather check news feed than study for their History exam?  I know a big part of why I don’t study enough and don’t get good enough grades on tests is definitely Facebook.  I will be studying, of course with my laptop in front of me, and I’ll say to myself: “ten minutes on Facebook won’t hurt anything, right?” Wrong. Ten minutes turns into a half an hour, and a half an hour turns into an hour.  Procrastinating in college is one of the worst possible things a student could do; it’s what will either make or break them.  So far in my college career, it has broken me.  By looking up statistics on Facebook and students procrastinating, it makes me think twice about getting on Facebook in the first place.  Time management is key.  When you have to study, study.  Don’t get on Facebook and check the latest updates or see if you have notifications: it can wait an hour or two.  This may sound hypocritical, but I get enraged by the fact that students aren’t living up to their potential because of a social networking site.  To all of the students that read this paper, I really hope you take in everything that has being said and think twice about procrastinating in general.

                I know there are some people reading this and are saying to themselves, “this kids crazy. LOL.”  And I don’t blame you.  Facebook can’t be termed addictive. It doesn’t have nicotine in it.  It’s not like if you’re on it too long you are abusing anything.  There are no illegal substances in it.  Being “addicted” to Facebook doesn’t mean you are “addicted” to it.  It means you put Facebook before anything and everything.  This even traces back to the good ole’ ethics and morals standpoint of life.  Be productive, and prioritize what you need to do; school, work, friends & family, and then maybe occasionally Facebook.  Never let a website come in front of something that is very important in your life.