Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Senior Final


If I were to give advice to a student taking this class next year I would have a few things to say. First, and most importantly, do not take it too seriously. You are not writing essays to get into an ivy league college, there is no need to try and impress anyone. Be yourself and have fun with it. I am the person who stresses out trying to make my writing perfect but this class allowed me to just put to paper, or computer rather, whatever was on my mind. This class allows you to think about what is important to you in your life and what means the most to you. Do not worry about sounding stupid because it’s your blog and your personality should show through, no matter how weird it is! And if I am being honest, most of the class will not read all of your blog posts anyway. Some of the posts overlap in ways, and by the end of the class you will be able to see some aspects of your life you brought up again and again without even realizing it. You will learn about yourself without even trying!

My favorite blog post was “Abstract Nouns”. For this post we were required to come up with metaphorical definitions by comparing or relating fifteen abstract nouns to some kind of concrete noun.  An abstract noun is something that cannot be perceived with the five senses, most of the time an idea or feeling. We had to come up with fifteen of these abstract nouns and compare them to something concrete that CAN be perceived with the five senses. Out of the fifteen definitions I created, my favorite one read “Hope is a hand holding you tight.” I thought this definition fit perfectly because it reminded me of one of the blogs we wrote about being hopeless. The definition explains what helps us hope again. When someone you love believes in you and holds your hand through it helps you regain that hope. I liked this post because it was almost poetic. It let each of us give our own meaning to very abstract ideas and show what each of those things meant to us. It let us bring to life the pictures we have in our mind when we think of those words.
When looking back at the blogs I posted throughout the semester I see I had a lot of fun with them. My sarcastic personality showed through in some and in others my more serious and deep side appeared in writing. I revealed a lot about myself and had a lot of fun in the process. The one most important thing I learned from the class is that writing does not have to be a big, serious, difficult task. Like I said, I stress out when I am given a writing assignment trying to plan what I am going to say. The fast pace of this class and laid back assignments allowed me to let loose and just have fun with it. I realized I am actually a good writer and I enjoy it when I am not worried about what everyone will think of it. In the end, I have had a lot of fun in this class and I have really enjoyed looking back on all my posts and getting to enjoy all of my writing as well as everyone else’s. It was actually really nice to kind of just relax my last semester and compile a fun blog about my life instead of writing five page research papers!

Epilogue



As I reflect on the Personal Writing Portfolio I have compiled over the past month or so, a few things stick out to me.  Some of the blog assignments that seemed to be an easy task turned out to be pretty difficult once I started writing. Assignments that made me write about my good qualities or what I liked about myself turned out to be quite a challenge. I learned it’s actually quite hard to write about myself in a positive light. Not that I don’t see anything positive about myself, I just feel uncomfortable writing about it.

 

I wrote a lot about learning not to worry about things I cannot change or little things that don’t matter and that is something I need to work on. This semester has helped me kind of relax and learn to go with the flow.

 

This semester has also helped me learn to just write and not think so hard about what I want to say. I tend to make writing assignments much harder than they should be and this helped me just open up and write whatever was on my mind. Looking back I like my style of writing and enjoyed writing many of my posts.

 

In my Personal Writing Portfolio I showed how much my family and friends mean to me. I have expressed how anxious and nervous I am for the future and all that lies ahead of me. Writing in the midst of my last months of high school made my nostalgic side shine through. I am excited for the next chapter of my life but everything I will be leaving behind is just beginning to hit me and many of the things I mentioned in my blog will no longer be an everyday occurrence.

 

If I could describe myself in three words after compiling this portfolio they would be:

Ambitious- I want to get the most I can out of life. Whether it is in a career or just in general, I want to be the best I can possibly be. I want to take advantage of the opportunities I am given. I aim high and set goals I must work to achieve.

Caring- I am so blessed to have amazing people in my life whether it is my family, friends, or coworkers. I would do anything for them and I love putting a smile on people’s faces. I hate to see people I love hurting. I try to show those around me how much they mean to me and try to make them feel special.

Passionate- It could be something trivial like talking about baseball or The Office, or something meaningful in my life I put myself into everything I do. I don’t like to do things halfway and if something means something to me and I will pour my heart and soul into it.

 

Monday, May 6, 2013

A Fine Line

The Best Things About Myself:
  • I apply my intelligence
  • I grow nice hair
  • I am witty/sarcastic
  • I am a planner
  • I work well under pressure
  • I have a rather nice vocabulary
  • I like to bake and most of the time it tastes pretty darn good
  • I am loyal
  • I can adapt easily and I like to try new things
  • I am caring and sentimental
The Worst Things About Myself:
  • I can't handle rejection
  • I can be too nice
  • I underestimate myself
  • I overanalyze EVERYTHING
  • Technology scares me
  • I am always tired
  • I am impatient
  • I worry about things that don't matter
  • I am not good at coping with a change of plans
  • I am a procrastinator
  • I am chronically late

Valuable Lessons

1. Stick to your morals- The firmer I am in my morals now the easier it will be to stick to them later. I know not everyone believes the same things I do so I have to be very careful not to be tempted by those around me.
2. Enjoy it while you can- As my high school years draw to a close I realize all the things that will be changing. I've become especially aware in recent months to enjoy the moment I'm in rather than wait for what is coming next.
3. How to write an essay- God bless Mrs. Crystal Charles. She made writing an essay so much simpler and I couldn't have made it through a lot of classes without that skill. I know it will help me out a lot in college as well.
4. Give more than you take- giving is so much more rewarding than receiving. I love the feeling of making someone else smile and I've learned the world would be a much better place if everyone gave more than they took.
5. The little things in life are where you find the most happiness- The simple pleasures we take for granted are what make me the most happy. When you learn to enjoy all the little blessings around you it will make life so much better.
6. Be spontaneous- Sometimes you just need to take an adventure. When your at a point in your life when everything is scheduled and you're hopping from one place to the next trying to get things done, doing something spontaneous will relieve some stress and create memories you'll never forget.
7. Good company makes even the worst jobs worth it- I have been so blessed to make some of my greatest friends through my job. On the days when I hated coming into work, working with the right people made it worth it. Even away from the job, anything miserable can be made better with the right people by your side.
8. Don't believe everything you hear- Figure things out for yourself. Listen to others but be skeptical to believe everything they say. Some people in life will tell you what you want to hear to get something they want so be careful.
9. Don't dwell on the things you can't change- I worry about things I shouldn't and it causes a lot more stress than I need. I feel much better just going with the flow and realizing that some things will go wrong and there's nothing I can do about it.
10. Be an overachiever and realize that things worth having come in God's time- Go above and beyond in everything you do, it never hurts. The higher you aim, the higher you will be even if you fail. Be patient, and know that if it is in God's plan it will happen. Work hard and have faith.