Reflective Essay #2: Improvements

         Writing essays and making a humorous paragraphs are some of the things that are usually done in an English class. These are the things that I hate doing the most. From the start of this course, I said that I am not really good in English. And I guess, my professor have saw in hand how poor I am in constructing my paragraphs, as well as my grammar.Well, honestly speaking, this course has been too hard for me. When I was in high school, we were not been doing extensive essay writing. We do essays rarely, one or two in a month, i guess. That is why this course has been a challenge for me, to improve more and to learn more.

         As the course go on, we have made lots of writings. I cannot even imagine that I have made seven essays already throughout this course. I was like so proud of myself for having done all those essays. And not having a failure marks on the essays that I have made. For this, I am really grateful for taking up this course because i have been able to learn more of the things i wish and need to learn. Without me knowing, I have already improved my ways of constructing essays. I know already how to cite my sources not like before that I am really naive of citing sources. I do not even know what is the APA style that my professor and my other block mates were talking about. But with the help of my dearest block mates, I have overcome all my difficulties in the course. They helped me in some of my grammar failures and my lame paragraph construction. With that, I am very thankful to all of them and to my professor for without them this course would be like hell for me. And for sure, I would not pass this course.

        Although this course is already on its end, I know the things that I have learned throughout the course will be forever treasured. I will surely use all the things that I have learned to make myself better and to make my upcoming essays to be well made. I thank all those people who have been part of my journey within this course, for without them, my improvements in English would not be possible. :)

Argumentative Essay: Yes to School Dress Codes

          A school dress code is a set of rules enforced by the school by making the students wear a certain type of uniform. School dress codes began as early as the 50's and 60's when schools were on a campaign to curb juvenile delinquency (Stacie, n.d). It is useful for one person for it gives him/her boundaries to follow that makes him/her more disciplined. School dress codes are more common to private schools, especially those which are managed by priests and nuns. Some schools, like public ones, do not enforce dress codes to their students. They let their students wear whatever they might want. Although not having a dress code in school gives freedom to the students on what would they wear everyday, it is still better for students to wear a certain type of uniform/to have a dress code because: it can lessen the discrimination among students; it can promote safety and discipline; and also uniforms could save the parent's money.

          When students do have uniforms, it lessens the discrimination among each of them because they are all wearing the same thing. No one can even tell who has more money and who has less. Because what they wear is similar to the others, the student's social standing would be based more on their individual character and less of their economic status. With this said, the students will be able to go to school without thinking whether what they are wearing is "cool" or not. And they can focus better on academics and their own business (Pytel, 2006).

          Dress code policies promote safety and discipline among the students. When students do not have a dress code, they sometimes tend to wear clothes that are not really appropriate for learning. Most of the people can judge us on what we are wearing. We can be stereotyped as a gang member, a rich kid, or sometimes people might have perverted us because of what we are wearing. But if the students do have a dress code, it could promote safety for them and discipline as well. It is every school's job to protect their students from getting harmed even if they are already out of the campus. This is why we students need to have uniforms, for us not to encounter experiences like being kidnapped or being thought of as a gang member (Pytel, 2006).

          In having a dress code policy, parents could save money. Parents also received benefits, not just the students. When we have a certain uniform, we can still use it for the consecutive academic year as long as it still fits you. Your parents will no buy clothes for you every now and then. This way, your parents can save money; rather than buying you clothes, their money can be spent on things that are worth their money.

         How we dress does matter. Wearing proper clothing helps people dress for success. It is said to be easier for students to learn when the newest fads and all that comes along with it do not distract them. Wearing uniform is not really bad at all; at times it is more appealing when a person is wearing one for it can make a person more reputable.

References:

Pytel, B. (September 12, 2006) Dress Codes and School. Retrieved August 19, 2010 from http://eductationalissues.suite101/article.cfm/dress-codes-and-school

 Stacie, L. (n.d) The Pros and Cons for School dress codes88. Retrieved August 19, 2010 from http://hubpages.com/hub/The Pros-and-cons-for-school-dress-codes

I  making this argumentative essay, I have not encounter too much difficulty. Argumentative essay lets me say whatever opinion I might have on my mind. I just state things that could justify more my stand. It is just that again I have errors in citing my sources. I am not really that used to it, i guess. But overall, I am contented with the outcome of my essay.

Extended Definition Essay: Friendship is forever

          Technically, friendship is defined as a distinctive kind of relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friends for the welfare of the other, for the others sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy (Stanford Encyclopedia). However, friendship is also a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person. It is when you do not have to weigh your thoughts and measure words, before keeping it forth before your friend. Friendship is having that dear friends who knows you better than yourself and assures you that you have someone to lean on in every crisis.

          Naturally, friendship involves a distinctive concern for a friend, a concern which might reasonably be understood as a kind of love. Because of this, love and friendship are often put up together as a single topic. In some instances, friendship is the start and end of love. Friendship makes people to be part of someone else's life. A person allows another person to now who he really is. By doing a lot of things together, you build up already a friendship that you would not know can last for eternity.

        Friendship, as what I have said earlier, is assuring someone that you will be on his side whenever and wherever, especially in times of crisis. One great example of friendship is me and my best friend. I have this friend of mine for almost twelve years already. We have been together since kinder days. Since then, we always talk to each other with a lot of random things. Sometimes, we even talk about what the style of our hair would be like for the next day. We both love dancing and in fact we are both member of our school's dance troupe. We really do have a lot of things in common. When we were in high school, that was the time that I had a family problem. I was very overwhelmed that my best friend did comfort me She told me to be strong and I should not blame anyone for what had happened. When the time came that she was the one who is experiencing trials in life, I did all my best in return to help her. Friendship is grounded in mutual-ism: you always need to have a helping hand ready for your friend and vice versa.

         Looking for true friendship is sometimes hard. There are times that you think that the one you are going with is your true friend, but in fact he/she is not. Friendship can be a bad or good influence to a person. It can be bad if the friends that you go along with are doing things that are not really right. On the other hand, friends can be a good influence to someone if they are the ones who are helping you to be better.

         Friendship is a relationship that lasts a lifetime which a person can or will have. It is good for someone if he/she is already going with that true friend. Having your true friend is like having a golden treasure; for this true friendship will be forever be in your life even in bad times or in good times. 


I find this essay a bit difficult to make, for I need to come up with my own wise definition of my topic. I sometimes become out of words that I cannot really write what I really want to say on the essay. On the example part, I guess it is too fast phase that me either feels like there is lacking on the paragraph. I wish I could have done better than this. 

Cause and Effect Essay: Migraine

          Migraine is a severe, painful headache felt on one, and sometimes, both sides of the head. It is often preceded or accompanied by sensory signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The pain that migraine gives to the person is very excruciating. Sometimes, the person who is experiencing migraine suffers intolerable pain that can make the person irritated easily with things. Most often, migraine affects people between the ages of 15 to 55 and they are also common among women. With this said, this paper will classify some of the different factors or causes that contribute to migraine attacks: stress, noxious odor and genes.

          The first cause on my list that contributes to the attack of migraine is stress. Stress is a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation(Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is said to be the most common cause that triggers migraine. People who are experiencing stress from different activities like work and school are prone to having migraines. Due to the pressure from their career and up to financial things, they tend to think too much and then they become physically, emotionally, and mentally stressed. Stress triggers migraine most because when you are experiencing such, you think lots of things that your brain will already be interrupted, then migraines occur.

          The second cause on my list is noxious odor. Noxious odor can cause or can worsen your migraine. Unpleasant odor from your surroundings trigger migraines for the reason that it has chemicals that are too strong to cause severe pain. It can also worsen one person's migraine whenever he/she smells it because when  a person has migraine , he/she will become more sensitive to what he/she smells. Too much perfumes and too much of bad smell can cause migraine.

          The last but not the least cause on my list is the genes of the person. Some migraines are not caused by a single factor in our environment. Migraines can also be inherited from our parents or ancestors. People who are experiencing migraine might have acquired abnormal genes that control the functions of certain brain cells. And something the person's body is sensitive to in some way triggers the actual headaches ("Migraine Headache", n.d).

          There are many factors that can trigger migraine. Some medicine experts would always say that it is very hard to identify what really causes migraine. People just depend on what are the common factors that are causing this ailment. It may be helpful to point out which factors in your life cause migraine. You may find that you can avoid some of these factors. Since migraines are more common during stressful times, try to look or do things that can lessen your stress. Live a healthy lifestyle for a happy living.

References:

Merriam Webster Dictionary (n.d) Retrieved August 4, 2010 from http://www.merriamwebster.com

Migraine Headache (n.d) Retrieved August 4, 2010 from http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/migraineheadache.html

I like the topic that I have used in this essay because I can actually relate myself for I am one of those who are experiencing migraines. Most of the thoughts that I have written in this essay were based on my own experiences. With that said, I have enjoyed doing this essay and I have learned as well because I have been able to discover some of the ways that could prevent me from experiencing such. 

Compare and Contrast Essay: Private or Public

          Choosing where to send their children to school is one of the hardest decisions parents have to make. Do  they enroll their child to an expensive school? Or do they enroll him/her to a public school in order to save money? Will the child still get quality education in order to survive the industry nowadays? Will the child succeed in his/her studies? Will the child get the right values and grow up to be a proper citizen? These are just some of the questions they have to consider in enrolling their child. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the tuition fees, the students, the environment and the quality of education of public and private schools.

          They say that if the family has low income it results in having their child to go to school in a public one. Public schools are government schools. It is said to be free but nowadays public schools already have their tuition fees. It is cheaper compared to other schools, though. Our government is the one that gives funds to all the public schools in our country. We all know that their funds for these schools are not enough. That is why public schools today lack classrooms and school facilities to provide the students. The insufficient classrooms of public schools made their quality of education weak. Students tend to chat with their seatmates rather than to listen to their teacher because they are too many inside the classroom. The ratio of teacher to students in a classroom would likely be one is to sixty. These are the reasons why most of the public students are undisciplined in terms of their attitude and their ways.

          On the other hand, families who are capable of paying a higher amount of money for school go to private schools. They say that private schools provide their students a quality education. The tuition fee may be expensive but they can assume the parents the best for their child. Private schools have sufficient number of classrooms to provide the students. The teachers can tolerate and educate these students well because the classroom consists of 30-40 students only. Private schools provide students with good services like counseling and a lot more that enhance and develop each student. I guess these are the reasons why most of the middle and upper class families consider sending their child in a private school. 

          There may be a lot of differences that we can get between public and private schools but these schools also have some similarities. Public and private schools' purpose is to educate their students and to make them a better being in the future. Both of them follow certain curricula in their grading systems. And most especially, these schools produce student achievers.

          Education is a right of every child in this world. It is a legacy given to the children by their parents. Students should be grateful enough that they are given a chance to be educated. Whether they are into a public or a private school does not matter anymore. The fact that their parents gave them the opportunity to be educated is the most important thing. Schools may differ in a lot of things. But if the student with great determination in making his/her future one big success, the type of school will never be a hindrance. So, start studying hard now for you to have a better tomorrow.

This essay is not that hard as I seem it to be. I got to write things that I really want to tell the readers. In my conclusion, i guess, i was out of my mind with those that i have written in the essay. I think I made the conclusion part here very lame. But overall, I find this essay that I have made good in my own perspective. :)

Static Descriptive Essay: My High School Graduation

          High School life is the part of our lives that plays a significant role. In this stage, you will or can find your true friends and you will experience the happiest and most memorable things ever in your life. This essay shares that the final part of my journey as a high school student is one of the best memories I could ever have for it was filled with happiness and excitement to all of us.

          When my senior year started in June of 2009, it felt like days were passing by so fast. Today was our first day of being a senior then the next day it would be our graduation already. It is March then; we had our final examinations and everything. Little did I know that we were about to practice for our graduation. Our everyday practice for graduation served as a bonding moment for our own section. We cherished every moment we had as a high school student of our beloved school. Sharing laughter, stories and going to fast food chains after every practice had been the usual habit of our section during the two weeks of practice.

          Time goes by really fast and then came the day that we senior students were all waiting and preparing for. The day that we were going to say our goodbyes to our Alma mater. While waiting for the ceremony, I stayed first in our car for I came to school early. As I was waiting, my stomach felt queasy for sometime; my mouth and throat was getting dry and thirsty that I almost did not want to go inside of the school yet because of the mere fact that I did not know what would happen. When it was about time to go inside, I already called my parents. As I entered the hall, I felt a certain level of happiness and joy seeing all of my co-graduates all over the campus, getting ready and excited for the new chapter in our lives. I looked for my dearest section and also my best friends and had pictures together. The ceremony started. All of us were gathered and lined up according to our sections, chatting with one another, with the happiest impressions that we could wear. The ceremony was quite long so all of us spent the time chatting with each other and taking some pictures with each other while the ceremony was going on. Then it was my turn to receive the diploma. As I climbed up the stairs along with my parents with my feet shivering, my heart was pounding really fast for I was extremely excited and happy that the fruit of my hard work would be on my hand in any moment. Overall, the whole process felt like a relief for all of us, just like a heavy burden that is lifted from our shoulders - but not for long as for a much heavier burden is upon us.

           The happiest and most memorable journey in my life has just ended. The memories, the laughters, the lessons in life and most especially the friendships will always and forever will be treasured for the rest of my life. This is not  really the end, but it is the start of a more thrilling and more exciting chapter of our lives.

I find writing the static descriptive essay hard for i need to express my thoughts with the best showing words i know. It is hard for me because i really do not have that much words to exactly show what i want to say to the readers. Because of this, I am not really satisfied with the outcome of my essay. It is not that interesting to read for me. If only I have the skills and everything to write a good essay... How i wish.

 

Process Essay: How to lose weight?

            Weight-loss is a process or way in decreasing one's weight. Weight-loss is very common among young adults that wish to be thinner and sexier. Being physically fit or for me "sexy" is everybody's dream because it makes you look pretty, nice, and cool. Weight-loss could give you the physique that you want. It could give you awareness to everything that you are doing. Many obese young adults want to lose their weight because they are uncomfortable of being like that. Sometimes they are discriminated or bullied because of it. They say that losing weight could give you confidence. In order to lose weight, young adults should develop a sense of discipline. There are lots of suggestions or ways to help those fat, young adults in the process of losing weight.

            Some of these suggestions include having a balanced diet, exercising and being disciplined. Balancing your diet or your eating lifestyle is the common way in losing your weight. You become fat because you eat too much, that is why in order for you to lose weight you should eat less. It does not mean that you cannot eat or you should skip meals. It means you should eat three meals a day though the amount of food must be lesser than the amount that you regularly eat. Another way is by having  a regular exercise. They say that walking is the best exercise and also the easiest. Your balancing of diet should always be paired with regular exercise because if you are burning fats more than you eat, you will surely lose weight. Doing sports or attaching yourself into it could also help you in reducing your weight. In this activity, you will be using more energy. The more energy you use, the more fats you will burn. Last thing you do to reduce your weight is by disciplining yourself. Without the sense of discipline you could not attain your goals. So, if you want to be fit, be responsible and disciplined on what you eat and what you do. 

          Being physically fit is a simple matter of burning more calories than you eat. You could also maintain or have this if you would be disciplined in doing things or in your lifestyle. You should know that all that is too much is bad for us. Make small changes each and everyday and you will slowly lose those extra pounds.

Writing this essay is difficult for me because it is the first minor essay that we have made. I got lots of mistakes on my grammar and construction of the whole essay. But I see to it that the next essay after this would be better and I have applied already the things that I have learned from this essay.