Finals

The best word to describe finals is 'stressful.' They account for a large part of your grade, and they cover everything you have learned in that class. There is so much to remember and so much to study. You flip frantically through review packets and highlight parts of your notes that you know you will have a hard time recalling come test time. And the moment the actual test is handed out, your stomach is in knots. Many times, after reading the first question, your heart plummets. You have no idea what the answer is. But hopefully, you regain your composure and enter the test-taking mode. And perhaps you even do well enough to bring your grade up a whole percentage. Or, it could go down. Either way, the stress building up the test is immense and often times overwhelming.

Driving in the Snow

I pulled out of the driveway with confidence, shrugging as I saw the snow on the ground. It was hardly an inch, so I figured it wouldn't have any effect on my driving. Apparently, I was wrong. As I went to round a curve, the wheels of my dented maroon minivan skidded in the opposite direction. Letting out a shriek, I yanked the wheel the other way, pumping the gas pedal in an attempt to bring the car to a halt. The van slid to a stop, the snow crunching underneath the wheels. Nervously laughing, I began again, slower this time. I made it at least two more miles before something similar happened. I was pressing the gas pedal, when suddenly, the wheels of the van jerked to the side, sending me straight towards a mailbox. I snapped the vehicle back into place, my fingers tightening on the wheel. Needless to say, the rest of the ride home my speed was under 20 miles per hour.

Domain

The domain of my papers for CIS English is the Hispanic community. I have taken Spanish classes for 5 years; the culture and language fascinate me. I choose to do my personal narrative on a mission trip I took to Guatemala two summers ago, which gave me a first hand experience with a Hispanic culture. My partner and I did our trend paper on the American media creating increasingly negative attitudes toward Mexican Americans. For our ethnography, we studied the workers at a Spanish cafe and market, El Burrito Mercado. While our first experience there was somewhat rocky and nerve-wracking, we found by the end that El Burrito Mercado contains some outstanding staff. Finally, for my film critique, I chose to watch the movie From Prada to Nada, directed by Angel Garcia. The film is about two wealthy Mexican sisters in LA who are forced to leave their life of riches after their father dies. It had some valuable lessons, like taking pride in one's family, but it was much too fake to be believable. All of these papers allowed me to study the Hispanic culture, and in some instances, I was able to see how Mexican Americans relate with other American citizens, which was eye-opening and quite interesting.

Studying

All students hopefully have done this. They flip back through their leagues of notes, scanning each filled line, praying that the numbers or letters will ingrain themselves in their brains. The nervous anxiety of test-taking catches up to some, and they clutch at their notebooks until the moment the test begins. Others confidently stuff their notes away long before the test is handed out, knowing that they have the material down. Studying is a part of the schooling process, whether for quizzes, chapter tests, finals, or the ACT. Some people are blessed with the ability to study well and maintain everything they learn. Others are not so blessed, and the words they hear or read pass right by their ears. Tests are becoming increasingly emphasized in the school system, a topic which is controversial. So much of grades are based almost solely on tests. What if a student is a poor test-taker? What if, no matter how much they study, the anxiety of the test gets the best of them? Some say this is the student's problem. Others argue that having so much school results based on tests, those who are poor test-takers are doomed. Because for some students, no amount of studying can take away their test anxiety.

Character Description Practice

My brother Tim wanders into the room, fingers flying across his iPod. I say hello to him, and he raises his eyebrows in response, never looking up. With one long finger, he stabs his screen, wincing as he loses points in whatever game is playing. His eyebrows pull together and his looked intensifies. Stiffening his arms, he forces his slim fingers to work faster, sliding across the screen. With a final swipe, his lifts his finger into the air, poised like a director instructing a band to pause. He taps his feet, his lanky legs twisting as he does a small victory dance as he apparently gains points. Throwing a bony arm into the air, he gives a wide grin to the ceiling. Looking back down, he notices me watching his antics.

"Oh. Hi," he says. I just shake my head and go back to my homework.

Character Description Practice

My brother Peter shuffled up to me, a goofy smile plastered across his face. He ran his fingers through his long, straight hair, pushing it into his eyes.

"I just brushed my hair," he said happily, the grin widening to show his short teeth.

I paused, looking up at him. "Um...great?"

Peter brushes his hair around ten times every day. Also, he hates getting it cut short. Therefore, at the moment, his hair conceals his eyebrows and dangles right into his eyes. He crosses his eyes at me and punches me in the shoulder before bounding away, laughing a fake laugh at the top of his lungs. He snatches up an inflated ball and kicks it around, engaging one of my other brothers in a game of indoor soccer. He smooths down his athletic shirt, bends into a goalie position, and screeches as the ball slips past him into his "goal." Squirming into an odd position of frustration, with his arms twined together, he claims that he was distracted, and that the goal shouldn't count. The two of them begin to bicker, and I decide it's time to move downstairs.

Falling Asleep

This happens to me a lot...when it's not supposed to. I will be sitting in a class, and suddenly my eyes feel very heavy...as if my eyelids are suddenly made of lead. It is a battle to keep them open as I frantically cross uncross my legs or fold and unfold my arms in an attempt to stay awake. Or, I will be sitting at my computer, trying to make it through another round of homework, when I suddenly feel myself drifting away. The clock will seem to be ticking very fast, and time will be slipping away as I slow down, trying to simply keep awake. Once, I lost the fight, and fell asleep on my laptop. When my mom came in and woke me up, I had the imprint of the keyboard on my face. Even now, as my fingers are moving across the keys...I can feel my eyes getting heavy...