Minor Setbacks for a Major Comeback

This semester has been a great challenge for me. Unlike first semester my writings have not reflected my work ethic or me as a whole. It seems as if overtime I did not put much effort into my work and started focusing on actually having a peace of mind. This semester has taught me that I should have a balance within my work and happiness. Although the semester has taught me more about myself than actual assignments, a lot of the work that I completed has helped me understand my self-growth. I compared and contrasted my work from last semester to this semester and realized that I was more focused back then. I was ready to learn and improve whereas this semester was all about trying to pull through. Essentially the same lessons stand. The writings from this semester have helped me to improve my writing even if only a little bit.

I will begin with my Business_Packet. Although I did not do so well on this assignment it was the most useful. This is the only assignment thus far that I can say will help me in the long run. Looking back over the packet I now realize how brief it was. In order to successfully land a desired position one should sell themself as much as possible. My work from this assignment did not depict that. I was straight to the point not understanding how much of a disappointment that would be to the employer. The employer did not have enough information about me to determine whether they would hire me or not which would lead to the employer not hiring me at all. I appreciate this assignment because before then I had never attempted to make a resume. Because I never had a job I did not feel the need to create one. This assignment taught me that no matter what a potential employer expects something over nothing even if it simply lists education and special skills. One has to be qualified to fill a certain position and if the employer does not have information that can help him/her determine whether you have potential there is no chance of you working with them. This is especially useful to me being that I am currently looking for a summer job.

My next two assignments Recitatif: Everything is not just Black and White and Recitatif: Black and White were quite challenging. In my first draft Recitatif: Everything is not just Black and White I noticed several different mistakes. For starters my academic title was not strong enough. This short story was about two girls of different color facing challenges together and individually. The title should have conveyed the struggle they faced together. Another mistake that I noticed, which was the biggest mistake was the analysis itself. My work was more of a summary. It summed up the girls and their character rather than analyzed their purpose. Instead of simply stating what happened in the story I should have examined and picked apart why it happened and what caused the challenges within the story.

In my second draft Recitatif: Black and White the academic title changed but not for the better. In order for my title to be effective it had to represent the breakdown of the story which I can see now was not successfully done because my work was not a breakdown. My final draft of this assignment was not successful because it was not a literary analysis to begin with. The work that I had done was more of a summary which threw everything off. I did not put much effort into changing it and at that time I did not recognize the correct way to analyze that particular story. Another area that I lacked in was MLA citation. My citations were incorrect in both drafts. MLA is important to my writing because of the plagiarizing factor and because this semester was all about writing in MLA format. My citations should have perfected by then. It should not have been a detriment in any of my writing assignments at this point in the semester because of how repetitive it had become within our work. I can tell by my “revision” that I did not put much thought into changing anything. I looked at this assignment and gave up when I could have fixed what were minor problems and gotten a much better grade.

Along with the actual research paper was the research_prospectus. The prospectus was to tell what would take place in the research paper and also to explain to the reader the focus/direction one’s paper was going in. The purpose of the prospectus was to create an outline for the writer to follow. My research prospectus did not convey everything I wanted it to. I had not decided what exactly my focus would be at this point. I had an idea of what I wanted to focus on but it was not until I actually started writing that I could tell where my paper was going. Creating this prospectus did not help me because I had to think of something quick but it was not effective enough for my paper. It did not help lead me to my focus which is essentially the purpose of a prospectus. Writing the research prospectus should have been the easiest task but with no set focus that is almost impossible.

I noticed a change in my minor writing assignments also. Surprisingly, my minor writings showed my writing potential more than the major assignments. My blogs improved more because I could write about whatever was on my mind. They gave me a chance to express my problems, thoughts, and ideas. There were no limitations to what I could write about. My blogs were all about me.

For starters, my weekly blog Building my own Empire was something that I had been thinking about for a while. I have always wanted to be my own boss and this blog helped me express exactly what I wanted to do. Before then I had never spoke with anyone or even wrote down my plans for the future. I always kept those thoughts to myself because I did not want others to know my plans. This blog helped me to organize my goals. Writing things down, especially future objectives is something that I should have done because it gives you a chance to view everything as a whole. It helps you to recognize what needs to be done, changed, or removed.

Another blog assignment that helped me with expression was my blog College. In this weekly blog I stated how much I appreciated this experience. I find it very strange though, that I have learned more in other areas rather than academically. I truly believe that college is only an eye-opener for your first few years and a boost to your career your last two years. I say this because in the first year of college you do not take courses within your major. You may take a few necessary courses but they do not compare to what is yet to come. Your freshman year in college is all about learning yourself and the people around you. You can either stay strong and become a better person or become weak and give up all hope. In this blog I express how much of a better person I have become because of college. I know that if I had not experienced this year I would not know how strong of a young woman I am. I would not have figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. College has brought out the best in me and my abilities to move forward.

My final example of my minor writing is my blog Out with the Old in with the New. At this point in the semester I had experienced changes in the people that I surrounded myself with. I noticed how positive things had become in my life and also how many negative people dropped out. The thing that I like most about these weekly blogs is the fact that your writing is never questioned. The writer is never judged or questioned by anyone based on their writings. Furthermore, this blog helped me realize that everyone in my presence is not in my life for the better. I had to learn how to weed out those that did not stand for my benefit or happiness. Those that were in my presence for negative reasons had to be put out of my life because in order for me to have peace I have to surrounded by positivity. This blog expresses that in every way.

As I compare my minor and major writings I see a complete difference. I did not put much effort into my major writing assignments because they did not help me with expression. They were challenging because they had limitations and a certain criteria to fill. I could do or say exactly what I wanted to and receive a perfect grade.

With my minor writing assignments I could say how I felt. I could be more open and write however I wanted to all within the rhetorical situation. I do well with expression better than major writings because I am more artistic than contemporary. I do not like doing the same things as others. I stated in my introduction that I began to focus on actually having a peace of mind. During the first semester I found myself becoming a machine. All I did was homework, work, and sleep. That is not the way I wanted to live. I did not want to lose my mind being caught up in the midst of writing papers, and finding answers to questions that did not connect me to my future goals. Although I should not have given up I should have learned to find a balance but that is extremely hard when your focus is simply to not lose your sanity.

Overall this course has given me the most challenge. That is for the better rather than the worst because I can say that I have learned something. This course has challenged my thought process and has made me realize that everything I do I should complete to the best of my ability. Whether I want to or not, my work reflects who I am. I appreciate taking this course because of the differences in the writings. I have built a strong liking for writing even if only expressive writing. Being in this course has taught me how to be more descriptive, which was my weakness at first. I have improved greatly and I know that I will continue to write effectively if I do not give up. It is all about the effort that I put into my writing that will either make or break me.

(makeup blog) Applying my makeup!

To most women makeup is an everyday task. Every lady has her own way of applying makeup and has a step by step strategy. I am going to tell you the steps I use to apply mine. They are very simple and quick.

First, I moisturize my face and begin to sculpt my brows. Brows are very important because they make the face. I use concealer,  brown eye shadow, an eyebrow brush, and a brown eyebrow pencil to make sure that they are sculpted the correct way. Brows are the most important but most time consuming task in applying makeup.

After I have finished my brows I then apply liquid foundation. I make sure that it is very light, yet covers well. I add a little concealer to make sure that every area not covered by the foundation is lightly covered. Once the concealer  is applied I add powder foundation. I make sure that the powder is blended well with the liquid foundation and it is also very light.

Then, I finish up with eyeshadow. Eyeshadow not only depends on what you are wearing but your skin tone. Everything is not for everyone. Sometimes you have to play with your shadows and blend. Blending is a key factor in applying eyeshadow. Once I have finished with my eyeshadow I add eyeliner and mascara.

The last step to applying my makeup is lipstick/gloss. I always use a chapstick first to make my lips smooth. After that is applied I add lipstick to give it a bold color. Then I add a gloss on top to make the color stand out a little more. After that I use a flesh toned lip liner and outline my lips. The process of applying my makeup is then over!

 

College

As the semester slowly comes to an end I am slowly realizing a lot. I now know what I want to do with my life. I also know that some of the things that I thought would be my biggest fears are actually my biggest hopes. Being in college has helped me conquer some of my biggest fears and has also given me the opportunity to use what I know to pull me through. A lot of things that I have been through this semester has helped me see that I am my biggest supporter. If I had not come to college I probably would have never known how strong of a young woman I am. I would have never created such goals that will eventually help me reach success. This first year of college has been a wonderful experience for me. Although I may have been through a lot I know that it was only a test to see how I can handle different situations. College has made me a better woman by helping me organize everything in my life. I look at college as eye opener. Being here has opened my eyes to what I HAVE to do to become better. I come from a place where there is little to no hope. Making it out of where I was is a big accomplishment for me and that is something that I am extremely proud of. I can only go up from here. If it was not for this college experience I may have been able to see what my purpose in life is.

What has college taught you?

Building my own Empire

Today I came to the conclusion that there is nothing I would love more than to be my own boss. I noticed that every action I have taken thus far has prepared me to make my own decisions and to being to strategize something great for my future. I refuse to accept anything less than greatness. I want to be able to start my own businesses and help others to become successful through me. I want to be a leader to those that come from rural areas. Everyone has a dream but it takes someone or something to give them that extra push to move forward. I want people from rural areas to know that they too can accomplish anything they set their minds to. I want to help them because that is where I come from. If I can do well for myself first I can help those that strive to be something spectacular in life. There are way too many businesses and companies that need to be made for people to sit around doing nothing. I want to be apart of that. I want to start something that will not only make me tons of money but I want to begin empires that will bless others also. Everyone deserves to live wealthy. Everyone deserves to be happy and I want to be the cause of peoples happiness. If I start something positive it may cause other people to begin something positive also. If everyone is filled with the same motivation and drive to reach the top we cannot go wrong.

What kind of business would you start if given the opportunity?

Colorism

In what ways do you think gender may play a role in colorism? Is there a double-standard?

U N I T Y

Accordingly, why do you feel the African-American community appears to lack unity? Does this community tend to “hate” their features, as the one of the presenter’s sources indicates?

The African American community lacks unity because we are always worried about the next man stealing power from us. Instead of empowering the next person we tend to look down upon them. I have noticed that jealously lies in a lot of peoples hearts and that is the root of our lack of unity. I do not think that we hate our features but we hate the fact that someone else is doing better. It should not be that way. We should all uplift one another and instead of being jealous at those at the top, we should strive to become better than what they have become. After all our race has been through there are still African Americans that do not realize that we have the power to achieve anything if we help our people. If others see that we belittle our race they will also. Many people wonder why we are looked down upon and the answer is because we have prejudices within our own race. Unity has to be established in order for us to receive the respect that we argue for. It all begins with us and the way we view one another. If we make changes within our race and the things that we do to support one another there will be changes from the way we are treated by other races. We have to be willing to have respect for one another in every aspect.

Out with the old in with the new

Have you ever noticed that the main people or person you want in your life always tend to leave? What we see as “good company” is not always good for us. Those that we place in our lives should be placed there with care and consideration for ourselves. We have to be more aware of the characters that we place in our lives because they reflect who we are. The saying “birds of a feather flock together” sums it up pretty well. I learned early on that we have the power to regulate what and who comes into our lives. If we place negative people around us eventually we will become negative, but if we surround ourselves with positive people we will receive positive results. We allow those people to come and interfere with us but we also have the power to separate ourselves from them. Sure it may take time to figure out a person’s true purpose your life but you have to be willing to make changes or room to allow them in or out. Making decisions like these should not be as hard as they are but when we realize everyone’s loyalty is not dedicated to us it will become easier. Most of the time God does not give us a chance to decide whether these people should be apart of your circle. Just as sure a He brings them in he will take them out. I never knew why He did this but now I realize that everyone comes into your life for a reason. The different people we come in contact with teach us lessons in life from Him. We just have to be ready and willing to accept his choices for us.

Do you think the phrase “good things don’t last forever” is true or false? Why/Why not?

19 years

My birthday is in two days and I didn’t even realize it until today. I’ve been celebrating my birthday every since the first of March so actually getting closer to the 24th is kind of a surprise. I’m so excited and blessed to be turning another year older. I also appreciate having people in my life that I can enjoy my special day with. This month has really been amazing for me but it’s not over yet. Everyone keeps asking what I want for my birthday but honestly people can’t give me what I really want. I keep wishing and praying for my mom to surprise me with a visit to Atlanta. That’s all I really want. I haven’t seen my mom since Christmas and being without my best friend has been so difficult. My mother gives me so much hope and motivation that it’s unbelievable. If she comes to Atlanta I’d be the happiest person alive. If she doesn’t I’d be fine but when I come home I expect chicken breast smothered in cream of chicken, green beans, white rice, cornbread, red velvet cake and a small caramel cake. I’ve been dying to eat my mom’s cooking. Nobody understands me when I say that my mom cooks everyday and her southern food is extremely addictive. Nothing would make me any more happier than her coming here and cooking for me. I honestly just want to be in her presence. The wisdom she gives me helps me through each day and I know that having her here would give me the boost I need to keep me going.

To Thy Own Self Be True

I have never been more proud of myself as I am now. True my classes are hard but I am handling every task because my career depends on it. I surprise myself all of the time by pushing harder and motivating myself and receiving great benefits for it. I have support from family and friends but support from myself encourages me the most. I had to learn that in order to get things done I can’t depend on the support from others. If I want something I have to work hard to receive it. No one or nothing can give me a boost forward better than I can from myself. With the help of prayer and much focus I can accomplish any task. I refuse to let anything step in the way of my success and that’s what keeps me looking forward to waking up each morning. If I can maintain working on my accomplishments things will work out in my favor. I have said before that I speak things into my life and of course I speak success in my future every morning. Believing in yourself is key in any situation because if you don’t believe there is nothing anyone can say or do to make you believe. It all starts with you. I’m so grateful to be at peace with myself and have the mind to believe in myself the way that I do. My main goal is to not only make myself proud but to make my mother proud in the process. I want to be able to take care of her the way that she has taken care of me.

What are some things that have gotten you through your toughest times?

Writing is a Journey

This second semester has been a true challenge for me. After learning and improving so much with my writing I had to learn how to apply my skills the correct way. This semester has been my opportunity to show and prove my enhancement with being more descriptive, broadening my ideas, and digging deeper into the topic presented. With the help of blogging and taking tips from others I have advanced as a writer. I’ve learned that in order to write a good paper I have to think outside of the box and give the reader something to look forward to reading.

My first semester of College Composition was all about figuring out my weaknesses and trying to find a way to turn them into strengths. I found that descriptive writing was something I lacked. I’m usually straight forward and to the point which hurt my writing tremendously. This semester I’ve taken those tips about broadening my writing and used them in my first major writing assignment. In the first draft of my research prospectus John_Quincy_Adams, I explained what my research paper would include. Instead of being dead on about my focus I described what I wanted to highlight in my actual paper and the questions I would answer. In the final draft of John Quincy Adams I noticed that the only mistakes that were made were the formatting and citation complications. Although formatting is essential to my writing, I conquered my problem of descriptive writing which is a huge accomplishment to me.

Because my major weakness in English was descriptive writing, blogging was something that helped me overcome that. I first realized my strengths in descriptive writing in my blog Building Your Way up from the Bottom. In this assignment we had to focus on the differences between two educators and argue their point of view along with our own. In order for me to argue each point and define mine I had to be more expressive and elaborate on each person’s views about the African American lifestyle. Being that this assignment was easy to elaborate on it took no time for me to apply my skills and become expressive. This is one assignment that I appreciated because it allowed me to put my skills into action.

Another blog assignment that put my skills to the test was The Deeper Meaning (Equiano). Not only does this show my improvement in description but it shows my understanding of others writing and reasoning behind it. In this blog I conveyed the symbolism in Equiano’s writing. His writing relates back to history and the things that were happening during slavery. I found his narrative interesting because I not only viewed this assignment as an English assignment but as a tool to use in history. His writing gave me a better understanding of what some of the slaves went through. This semester really shows the connection between the two courses because the things we learn in English are discussed more broadly in USA Africa and World. I love how the two correspond because it makes writing assignments much better. Having information from both courses gives me a chance to elaborate so much more which is wonderful for my writing goal.

Blogging has given me the opportunity to practice writing and has also given me the chance to express myself as a person. The WISE program benefits me so much because it helps me improve by simply allowing me to write. I’ve noticed great improvement throughout my blogs from the beginning of last semester up until now. In my blog Speaking Peace I communicated to the reader my desire to have peace within and around me. I’m not very expressive with people but blogging helps me express my feelings without feeling weak or judged. Not only is blogging in the WISE program a way to improve your writing but for me, to improve with being a little more open. Along with Speaking Peace are my blogs C A U and Adele. These blogs also helped with my expression and broadened my idea of why I attend Clark Atlanta University and why I enjoy Adele’s voice the way I do.

College Composition I has presented my weaknesses to me and given me more confidence in my writing. In College Composition II I now know how to apply my skills and become more expressive with my writing. This course has helped me improve greatly and the progress has given me more self-assurance in my writing. My main goal in the beginning of this course was to find out what my weaknesses were and fix them by the second semester. I can now say that I have accomplished my goal and I desire to find more areas to improve in. Writing is a process and there can also be room for development. Fixing this one weakness has inspired me to find other areas where I lack in and improve in them as well. I know that with the help of the WISE program I can and will improve.