Final Project Elizabeth Stroud
Early summer vacations For many students summer is racing right towards us. The only issue is that the vacation part doesn’t seem to be coming fast enough. The race is almost over but the anticipation is fatal to these student’s grades. The irony is that the faster summer comes the slower students tend to work and the less they show up to school. Instead of finishing this race strong students tend to take a left instead of a right and end the race early. Taking an early vacation often hurts grades and sets the students back because all the EOC’s are at the end of the year. Sometimes missing school is out of a student’s control. Not every parent realizes that taking an early vacation can really harm your grades. The best thing to do when you are going to be ending the school year early is plan ahead. Call the school and excuse your absences. After that it is also very important to inform your teachers of your upcoming events. That way you can set a time to do all your assignments early. It is especially important to mention this so you can do your EOC’s early. EOC’s are very important to pass. They reflect all that you have learned in the entire year. More importantly, they are at least 10 percent of your final grade. Without taking them you may fail the quarter because teachers often make them a summative grade. Students usually need good grades at the end of the school year in order to make up for poor grades in previous quarters. In that case, leaving for early vacation without taking all of your EOC’s can potentially cause you to fail. End of the year testing also includes state tests like FSSA. Missing the FSSA can hold you back a lot. Certain FSSA tests are needed to graduate. If you don’t take them you will still be expected to take them eventually. It is best to get them out of the way so you have one less thing to worry about. However FSSA testing only happens at certain times of the year so it is important for you to not miss it. Otherwise it will haunt you every year till you take it. Summer vacation may be so close but it is also so far away. There is plenty more to do before vacation. Getting distracted by future plans will only hurt your grades. If you can’t prevent ending your school year early then plan ahead. Teachers need to be prepared for your early vacation just as much as you do. So make sure you tell them that way they can give you assignments before you go. Otherwise you could be held back in a class and you may need to the test the following year. It is better to get it done now.
I chose to write this article because I felt like it was an important topic that hasn’t been covered. I was very proud that I came up with a very timely topic. I feel like this article demonstrates good journalism writing because of it has timeliness, human interest and consequence. After the third quarter, students usually miss a lot of school. However I feel like the end of the year is the most important time to go to school. I believe this because it is a fact that EOC’s occur at the end of the year. Since there are consequences for not taking EOC’s, I suggested that students inform their teachers about their early vacation. I made that suggestion because I know it is in the best interest of students and teachers for this year to end with good grades. Looking back at my article I wish my words flowed. I often feel like my word choice is dull.
Just another Valentines Day Instead of wrapping your hands around a wallet and spending all you have on one day. Wrap your hands around some one else’s and just spend time with them, especially on Valentine’s Day. Some couples may take Valentine’s Day to far, but really it is just a regular day. Everyday you should have the intention to create a memorable day with your significant other. If you want to do something a little extra then make it creative instead of costly. “I think Valentines Day is meant to simply remind people how lucky they are to have someone,” said Dustin Ortiz. According to statisticbrain.com, 61.8 percent of people celebrate Valentines Day. The average person spends, $116.21 for the occasion. That kind of money being spent on Valentines Day doesn’t help anyone but business owners. That gift won’t buy love. Valentine’s Day can bring pressure on couples to make the perfect day. Mean while, in reality it is best to try to make ever day an enjoyable day when you are with someone you care about. It is not just the money but it is the expectations that can put pressure on that day. An enjoyable day is easier to have when it is not such a fuss. Life is not a big movie scene, but it still can be memorable. In fact, Senor, William Shulks said, “Valentines day can be controversial because the cliché’s in movies create high expectations.” Going on a small date or simply sending a charming text are two sensible ways to celebrate Valentines Day. Business2community.com estimated that $1.7 billion is spent on candy alone on Valentines Day. That may be a lot of candy, but it goes to show how normal a simple gift as candy is. It is not too expensive but it is still desirable. Share a Twix bar and a smile with your date. Almost every girl loves jewelry, but you can never go wrong with candy. In general a good day has no pressure and doesn’t leave your wallets empty. Valentines Day should be like that. It is made to celebrate and appreciate the person who willingly stays by your side through thick and thin. Putting so much pressure on making the day perfect is taking it to far. Buy some dinner and flowers for each other. Go to the movies or just simply tell them how much you care. A new watch or $100 ball of fluff shaped as a bear doesn’t do that. After all, it is just a day out of the year.
This article was the first article I tried something new with my style of writing. The lead is what I like most about this article, because it is where I made a big difference. I think this article is a good demonstration of an editorial since the topic is very opinionated. I knew in order to not be bias I needed a lot of facts. I feel like the research it took to find the statistics I used is also I good example of journalistic writing. This article also was very timely which is very important in to gain readers interest. If I had to change anything about this article I would add more quotes. Even though the editorial is based on my opinion I know it is important to add in other point of views.
Titan up honors students Some students lack the motivation to apply their knowledge to their work. However that does not mean that they do not have the ability to work difficult tasks. Being in an honors class means you were recognized as someone who has the ability to look deeper into what you are learning. Students who have that ability need to be challenged. Taking what you already know and applying it to your work is the purpose of a challenge. Without difficult assignments students cannot and probably will not, practice. Practicing what you have already learned is important because it improves your skills. That is where the phrase, “practice makes perfect” comes from. Without improving there is no learning. If students will not choose to work on their own then they do not belong in an honors class. An Honors class takes a certain amount of independence to excel. For example, if a student cannot recognize why their assignment is important they may choose to not do it. However these assignments are supposed to get our minds to begin thinking about the general topic for the quarter. How is anyone going to understand the purpose of an assignment if they don’t try to do the assignment at all? In an honors class students don’t have to make the connections to why their assignments are important right away, but they at least have to understand that working is important part of learning. Most students argue that they are too tired to concentrate on boring assignments. A study from Medical Daily says that teen’s lack of sleep can cause irritability, which affects them in school. “Our body goes through various transformations during puberty, one of which involves changes in our body clocks. Teenagers are thus more likely to stay up late during that age; it’s difficult for them to fall asleep before 11p.m.” in other words, when students are tired it can be difficult for them to perform to their best ability. However our bodies can only handle so much sleep at a time. By waking up early it should be easier for students to also go to bed earlier. In the article, How to sleep better, from helpguuide.org, it talks about how having a proper sleeping pattern can allow you to sleep earlier as well as wake up. If students were going to bed and waking up at the same time every day they should be able to function properly. By preparing yourself for the next day it should be easier to focus on your responsibilities. As a student it is your responsibility to at least try to do your work. In school everyone is expected to work at their best ability. Honors students are usually expected to work in a more thoughtful manner because they have proven to be able to work at a higher level. Even though the students have the ability to work, that doesn’t mean they want to. Some say they are too tired or that the work is irrelevant. Maybe with an earlier bedtime everyone will be able to focus more. Especially honors students need to be more responsible with their time.
I chose this article because I had a personal connection to it. I have an honors English class and my fellow classmates didn’t seem to understand that they had to work for their grade. I really liked writing this article because I could make my point across professionally and that is also why I think it demonstrates good journalistic writing. A good writer often writes what they are passionate about and what matters in the world around us. The only thing that I didn’t like about the article is that I had a hard time researching facts to back me up. If I had more references from other articles or even quotes the article would improve a lot.
“You Gatta do what you gatta do” Ever since I can remember my dad has told me “you gotta do what you, gotta do.” Of course when I was younger I could not relate or understand why he often said that phrase. Now that he is gone I have learned all the things he use to do. To this day, I say that phrase whenever I need to get something done. It all started when i was in in seventh grade, my dad was having trouble at work. At the time my dad worked for the U.S post office in Lake Marry. He had worked there for over 20 years till he started having issues with his boss and feared being laid off. At that time a lot of people were being laid off, so to ensure his retirement and get away from his boss, he decided transfer to the Post office in Puerto Rico. Him moving away has taught me many life lessons. He left me right before my eighth grade school year in the care of my stepmother. He told us that he would get paid more there and that he would retire soon. I have always been a very understanding kid so accepting my dad leaving came very natural to me. Of course I didn’t want him to go but I honestly believed that every decision he made was for the best. Now it has been four years since he moved to Puerto Rico and a lot has changed. With him gone I have been forced to grow up fast. Unlike many teens, I have not been able to go to my parents for money or guidance. I have always had to figure things out on my own. Having to do things on my own was hard and bitter sweet to figure out the lesson behind the phrase my dad had said so often. Shortly after my dad left, I learned quick what happens when you don’t do the things when they need to get done. Every other week my dad has sent money for bills and groceries. When he first started sending money my stepmother was naturally in charge of managing it since he left me in her care. However some where along the way she got carried away with the money. She didn’t prioritize the bills in the way she was expected to. Eventually my dad had to stop sending the money to her because she didn’t budget very well. Over the years my dad has gone back and fourth with deciding who will be in charge of budgeting the money he sends for us.
Being young I didn’t really know how much money it took to run a household. I thought it would be as simple as putting money into labeled jars for each bill and not toughing it till its due. However I also thought every time the lights went out or the fridge being empty was reasonable. Gradually I learned that both of those things were wrong. I finally started to get involved around the house and talk to my dad about what we should do. Eventually my dad had no one he trusted with the money. He still respected that I did not want to move to Puerto Rico so he decided to start sending me the bill money. This is not the first time he has sent me the bill money, however it is the longest that it has lasted. My dad officially trusted me more than any adult in my house so I knew I couldn’t let him down. I became in charge of not only how I manage money for my survival, but for four other adults who live at home. In a way I have been relived because I know I can get what I need. However this responsibility has cut my childhood short. I have been forced to stress about bills and grocery shopping a little early in life. I often find myself on the verge of giving up. Some days I really don’t want to go to the store or pay a bill but I do it anyway. I know that I have to and if I don’t ill have to rely on some one else again. In the past that always led to complications so I can’t afford to give up. Learning how to manage money for an entire household has taught me a lot of lessons. One thing I have learned is how much food people really eat. A hundred dollars a week worth of food is hardly enough for a family. Especially when you live with boys. Every little thing that goes into the grocery cart adds up. It doesn’t matter if something is two cents or twenty dollars. It makes a difference in the bank. I had to learn how to find things that feed my family more for a cheaper price. The worst thing about that is telling grown people that they can’t have the potato chips they asked for. It is always hard for people to understand that I have to prioritize our meals over snacks. I know I have to be strict and not give into all their demands but it isn’t always easy. The worst thing I had to learn is that people will use you. I use to put my faith into others because they are older. People are supposed to take care of me, not the other way around. Howver, these responsibilities have taught me that I can’t always rely on others. To me, being an adult means you take care of yourself. I personally feel like I do an incredible job at that. Although, I find myself cleaning, cooking and paying for people all the time. Not everyone cares to do their part at home which gives me more work to do. The lack of appreciation and help always makes me want to give up. I know I can’t though. I know I have to do these things and that is the big reason why my dad trusted me out of everyone else in the house. I understand that everyone has to do certian things or else nothing gets done.
My dad being gone has taught me that I have to do what I have to do. There is no if ands or but’s. When a bill needs to be paid and I need to be fed there is only one person who can do those things. Along the way I have learned a lot about managing a household and how to deal with people but that is not the most important thing I have learned. That phrase my dad has drilled into my mind has driven me to keep on going. To always succeed for myself. No matter who or what is in my way I still have to get through this. I am beyond prepared for adulthood. To think I have learned all of this from just a little phrase he use to say.