Project 1: Reflection

    The entire project, as a whole, has really introduced me to the world of college writing. Before this, I knew how to do MLA format, and cite sources, but not how to do an annotated bibliography on those sources. I was taught how to evaluate a source and how to use certain aspects of the source, such as statistics and other citations, to determine if the source is credible or not. As for the Expository essay portion of the project, I learned that there's more then one type of expository essay. I've always been taught to just explain what I'm writing about for an expository essay. But in Project 1, I was introduced to the styles of compare and contrast, explanation, cause and effect, and chronological ordering. I can write an essay comparing two aspects of the topic, explaining the topic itself, showing why the topic occured, or what it caused to happen, and the order of events that led up to the topic. I realize Project 1 has only scratched the tip of the iceburg as far as college papers, because it's only an introduction to Composition 1, which will only become more challenging. However, after writing the paper, I believe project 1 has expanded my writing ability for expository essays, giving me many options to choose from for the style of the paper, and outlining the set-up of the thesis, body paragraphs, and closing paragraph.

First College Test

    Everybody has warned me about how hard college tests are. They all say that I need to study, and that it's nothing like the easy high school tests that required no effort to get an A. I took these warnings in to consideration before today's test. Today happened to be my first college test ever, and as I walked in to the room to take it, I couldn't help but feel prepared. The funny thing is, I didn't even study for it. I decided it would be best to try to do this test just like I did all of my high school tests, and not study and psych myself out for it. I figured that I'd learn the hard way if it was indeed a much harder foe then I imagined. However, I found the test to be remarkably easy. I think I passed with a great grade and didn't really have any trouble with it. I know that this isn't going to be the case for all of the tests, and I will study, but it's nice to have the first one be relatively simple. The grades should be up on Blackboard by tomorrow, so I can see what I got, but I believe its within the A to B range. College has been great so far, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Sleep Deprivation

     One of the most important things a person can have is a good nights rest. It makes the following day much better and seem smoother. It also puts people in to a good mood or helps prevent them from being thrown in to a bad one. I am not one of those lucky people who get a good nights rest everyday. Sadly, I can't ever sleep, and I'm not sure of the reason why. I am physically active, always playing sports, working, or doing school work, so I expect that I'd be tired enough to close my eyes and drift away. However, that's not the case. I am always tired at night, extremely tired at that, but I can't ever seem to actually fall asleep. Instead I lay there, not even thinking about anything, just staring at the inside of my eyelids. The days that follow are always hard, feeling physically and mentally exhausted, unable to pay attention to the simplest details, and even zoning out while driving. I suppose an easy fix for this problem would be to take sleeping pills, to help coerce my body to shut down, but I don't believe in taking pills to fix problems. I'm not sure why I can't sleep, but I will get to the bottom of it, and it won't be with the help of a "sleep-aid".

Friends

     When everything seems like it's going wrong, they're there. When your girlfriend/boyfriends leaves you, they're there. When you need them the most, at all hours of the day, they're there. Friends are among one of the essentials in a person's life. They're always around to talk to, if you need it, and relieve some stress. After long days at school and work I like to hang out with some friends, it helps me relax, even if we're doing something physical such as football or another sport. They're always there to crack those stupid jokes that you hate, but at the same time can't live without. Friends will never let you become a monster, they'll always bring you back down to earth with their jokes, comments, and the subtle remarks that make fun of you. That's OK though, because they just get it right back in return from you. But that's how it works, they share a common interest with you, and somewhat of a similar personality, or at least one that gets along with yours enough to allow you to hang out. They are there to pick you up when you fall, and there to push you down when you're up too high, they keep a steady balance in a person's life. I will never forget the close group of guys I went to high school with. We had some of the best times together in what has so far been the greatest years of my life. Only three are still here, because the others went off to other schools, but we all still keep in touch. They are what has shaped me in to who I am today, or at least had a part in it. I miss the ones that left, and the times we spent together, but i cherish the moments i have with the ones who remained here,  because I know it's not much longer before they too, are gone.

Derek Jeter

    I'm sure a lot of people tuned in to watch the Rays vs. Yankees game three on Wednesday night. The whole series has been astonishing, because it's like watching post-season baseball during the regular season. The first game went into extra innings, and the second was the same story. So, with the series tied at one game a piece, the Rays and Yankees squared off in the final game. The Rays were up one run for a majority of the game, with the Yankees hanging on with whatever amount of will power they had. Then came "the" play. The play that was going to be talked about around the water cooler the next morning, the one that would be discussed in high school cafeterias. Derek Jeter stepped to the plate and, seemingly, got hit by a pitch in the elbow to put the go-ahead run up at the plate. I say seemingly because he grabbed his elbow and winced in pain, and was quickly tended to by the trainers from the Yankees. Upon further review however, it was obvious that the ball actually hit the butt end of his bat, not his arm, and went fair. Basically, it should have been an out. Next pitch was a home-run giving the Yankees the lead and almost costing the Rays the game. Now if the Rays hadn't of hit the game winning home-run the next inning, I probably would have gone off the deep-end about this. However, the Rays did indeed win. I think Jeter is a cheater, and that the MLB should fine him at least for his actions. People say "Oh he's just trying to win, he's doing whatever it takes." I for one, disagree with that. Aren't professional players supposed to set examples for kids? Teach them virtues such as integrity and sportsmanship? I for one, saw neither by Jeter. The play wasn't OK by any means, and it wasn't  acceptable, it should have resulted in some sort of a penalty for either Jeter or the Yankees.

Music

      All people, when upset, have different ways of coping with things. They also do certain things when they're happy and others to get them in a good mood. Music is a universal tool, for people in all moods, happy to depressed, to listen to. Music comes in so many different varieties, such as country, rap, rock, and my personal favorite, hip-hop. Hip-hop music is a perfect blend of talent, lyrics, and beats. The beats are simple, but yet catchy, and cause the infamous "head-bob". The lyrics is what really pulls me in. The artists use metaphors for real world situations and objects, and put them to the beat. The classic hip-hop artists were the best at this, not this new age Lil Wayne stuff. A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Biggie, 2Pac, all of them were able to put together entire albums full of great songs, unlike today's one or two hit wonders. My favorite artist, KiD CuDi, is a new style hip-hop star, called trip-hop or alternative hip-hop. The beats are much different, consisting of a much more "galactic" sound (which some people describe as trippy). His lyrics aren't just like the old style, solid rhyming, rather they include singing and rapping. His music is a perfect blend for my ears. There's literally not one song I've ever heard by him that I didn't like, and haven't downloaded. Music is huge to me, and it will continue to be for the rest of my life.

NFL

    Finally! It's time for the NFL to start up again. Football season is the best time of the year. It turns those boring Sundays into fun filled afternoons. There's nothing better then going to a friends house, having the guys come over, or going out somewhere (such as Winghouse) to watch the big game or just sit back and have some fun. The best is going to the game itself. I haven't been to an NFL game since elementary school, but this Sunday that's going to change. I'm going to the Bucs vs. Browns game; I'm a fan of neither team. I'm still just as excited to go though, because I am without a doubt, a huge fan of the sport. I don't need to like any team to watch it, I'll root for one or none, it doesn't matter. Watching a football game completely removes me from reality and lets me feel as if I'm playing once again. I get into every game I watch, and follow players, teams, and stats as if I worked for ESPN. I consider myself an authority on the NFL and college football, because I simply can not get enough of it. It's football season!!

Hypocrites

     If there's one thing I cannot stand in this world it's hypocrites. I work with a whole bunch of them. At the dealership, we're not allowed to go over forty hours, because the boss is stingy and refuses to pay overtime to his employees. So all of the people I work with work more then what they are scheduled for, in order to take off on Friday because they "can't go over forty hours". This presents a problem for me because I'm scheduled off on Fridays. Every Friday I receive a call asking for me to come in and work, and every Friday, I say no. When i get there on Monday, all of them are mad at me because I didn't want to come in on my day off, and they were left short-handed. I could honestly care less. Another rule there is that we're not allowed to clean our own cars while on the clock, but yet all of them do it, and all of the senior detailers don't even clock out for their hour lunch. I clock out for lunch, and when I do my own car, but yesterday I didn't. I was angry that i had to stay past 8:30 because I had class the next morning, so I decided to do my car while I was there. One of the guys who never does anything at work decided to tell on me for it. He's among the people who clean their own cars on the clock and like to sit back and watch me work once the boss leaves. So now my boss is mad at me, because a guy who I never told on decided to act like a 4 year old and cry and tell on me. I've already made up my mind, if they try to take any hours away from me and not pay me, I'll quit on the spot. Also, I'm definitely going to throw each and every one of them under the bus because I'm sick of all of them, I'm tired of doing their work for them and getting no credit, and I'm tired of them bending all of the rules in their favor when I can't. Hypocrites disgust me, plain and simple.

College Homework

     The first week of school wasn't all that bad. I really enjoyed stepping foot on to a new campus, especially one as nice as USF. The first few homework assignments were easy too. Actually, all of them have been easy so far, read a little here, write a little there, maybe throw in a picture or two and it's over. However, I have already recieved a crash course in time management, courtesy of my tendency to procrastinate. I work about 25 hours a week, as well as come to school three days a week. Usually I go directly to work from the campus after my last class of the day, which lets out at 11:35AM, and stay at work until 9:00PM. After that, I like to go and hang out with my friends after a long day of non-stop work. The homework assigned can always wait until the night before it's due, or so I thought. It became clear that waiting to do homework that's assigned to me isn't the best strategy, because it piles up quick. It's only been one week and I forgot completely about an assingment, which luckily got pushed back a day, and quickly did another one that I should have put my time in to. My goal is to be the valedictorian of USF, and to do that I must stay on top of all of my work. I've learned my lesson already, my friends can wait, the homework can't. I now put school before eveything else, and it's going to stay that way until I graduate.