Greetings from a Galaxy far, far away

Nathan De La Cruz

Hello my name is Nathan De La Cruz and I'm 19 years old born on the day of November 19 1998.  I was born in Hawthorne California. Currently living with my Mom and Dad with my two little sisters one is 14 and the other is 11 years old their name is Alyssa and Aryanna. Growing up I've never been a great social skill person due to my weak will to get to know other people. I'm the type of person you don't want to hang around because I bring people down due to my laziness and inability to do the right thing in life. During my elementary school year I was a bit of a troublemaker always going to classes that were different from the normal ones to the daily school life. Then onto my middle school it started to get better and it did for awhile because I was a good student trying to do my best and never trying to get in trouble. Then onto my High school years it all started to get worse since it was tight and sturdy on the education development part it started to make a strain onto my brain function and that was not wonderful because all I could feel is suffering and torment on my mind it drove me crazy that I cursed right in front of the P.E. coach in front of the students. I just never liked my high school it was all study and no fun it was boring that I just wanted to leave but, my parents wouldn't allow it and told me to keep on going no matter what happens. I just wanted to be a writer like the comic book creators of Marvel and DC. I want to write my story to share to the world so they know that these characters have hope and a belief people can change no matter what they have done. 

In John Langan's book, Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In College, I have learned that people may need some time to do there work. For example, I am a complete mess with my time schedule and that it needs to be clear up so that I have time for myself and the other time to do my work or what not. If it's mot clear then I'll be trapped in an endless schedule of being stuck with one thing after the other. 

Another example, is that everyone has a messed up past and that some people can have a world of their own by using the books. By reading them you can create your own world based off an imagination. With that knowledge you can share it with others and create a world in books by the tales of adventure or romance or any other type genre it's the person own creation. 

Kindness

     Kindness is a factor to Hope. Because being kind is about forgiving those who done wrong by moving on from the past and lighting a new future with people you can trust. It means to appreciate the things you have and don't let anyone judge you for it because its all that matters is the decision on you not anybody else who disagree on your point of view. Just be kind to others and they'll give back that kindness to others because it's better to be happy then to be angry all the time.

About Me and My Growth

Destiny Collins

My name is Destiny Collins. I have one little sister her name is Dynasty we are five years apart. I have been raised by my grandmother since the age of 5 years old. Some interesting facts about me is that I have three cool birthmarks one is a happy face on my right hump, another is a heart on my left cave, and the last one is the letter D on the left side of my face. I got First place in my high school’s talent show back in 2016 for singing and dancing. In 2017 I got Second place in the Lausd Regional Talent show for my poem titled Shackled In Chains . In middle school and high school I had great grades for the most part . But in my last two years of high school I started to slip. Especially in my senior year of high school I had got horrible grades in my first semester due to the personal struggles that I was dealing with at that particular time in my life. But, I picked myself back up in my second semester and I saw improvement in my grades and in myself. College provides a deep connection between one’s self and the career goals that one has for themselves. So that an individual knows how to deal with difficult situations, make wise decisions, and how to treat others with kindness.

One thing that I can take away from the Book Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In College. Is the fact that it is up to the individual to make their own success happen. If you don’t put forth an effort to pass your classes and to manage your time wisely. That it is your fault if you do not pass your classes. For example, I know that I have been off course this entire first semester of college. I haven't been doing all of my work, studying like I am suppose too, and I haven't been managing my time wisely. But I have no one to blame but myself. I have to want this for myself in order for me to be successful in college and in life. So I plan to do better next semester by doing all of my work on time, managing my time more wisely meaning not spending time doing stuff that won't help me get my Nursing degree that I want. I want to do better for myself and I am going to hold myself accountable for not completing my work.

Another thing I have learned from the book Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In College is that you can do anything that you put your mind to. If you want to pass your classes you will put forth an effort to do so. When you have that drive and dedication for your education you will do whatever it takes to get that degree. You shouldn’t use your personal struggles as an excuse to not complete your school work. So it is up to you to make something out of your life.

My Ideal of Kindness is a poem that I wrote. It talks about what kindness is and how to make kindness an action instead of just words. How you treat others reflects on how you feel about yourself. So treat others the way that you want to be treated.

Kindness

Kindness is an action word just like love is. In order to show kindness you have to be humble. Humble means even when someone does you wrong you wish them the best. When they need help you will be the one to rescue them. If only people would put down the weapons that they are using animosity, negativity, and showing disrespect to others. Some people’s mouths are like guns. They are ready to use their bullets on anyone. Kindness is when you see an old woman that needs help crossing the street you help her. When you see someone fall you help them get back up. When you see someone who is hungry you feed them. People who don't have kindness in their hearts. Is like a waterfall without water. How can you have love in your heart but you don't show anyone any type of kindness. I wish people would stop judging each other by the color of their skin. But by what they have living within. Everyone has beauty but some people are too blind to see it. When you see someone getting bullied you be their friend, you be their voice, and stand up for them. Showing mercy to others is kindness. Giving respect to others is kindness. We must show love one to another. Because, that is what kindness is. Being humble even when they deserve the wrath that is within. But two wrongs don't make a right. Two people hurting each other is not right. Two people fighting each other is not funny at all. We as people are fighting the wrong thing. We should fight for each others rights. We should fight for what we believe is right and just. That's what the government and society wants us to do eliminate each other. We must come together and eliminate the loopholes in our system, and the loopholes in our justice system.

Kayla Averill

          Talking about myself can be very hard sometimes because I never know what to talk about.  Lets just start with my name. I'm Kayla Hope Averill. I have a younger sister who is pretty cool and so is my mom and dad.  I grew up surrounded by Disney.  Me and my family would go to Disneyland almost every week if we could.  Now we try and go at least 2 times a month if we aren't blocked out.  This is probably why I have never really been interested in school.  Why would I want to learn stuff when I could be somewhere like Disneyland all the time? But I didn't really have a choice.  High school was hard because I made it hard for myself by not trying which carried with me to college.  College will give me the tools and skills I need to have a career in something I love which will give me an amazing future for myself.

          One thing I learned from the book is being able to manage my time.  I started writing down all my assignment that I had to do.  It started to get difficult because I was not used to being so organized.  With softball, work, school, and homework I had to figure out how to do all of it.  I made planner with dates and times so I wouldn't forget important thing I had to do.  When I had Everything planned out, it felt nice to know that I was prepared. 

          Another important thing I learned for the book is taking notes.  I never knew how to take proper notes even when I just had to copy them from the board.  Towards the end of my senior year, our teacher gave us a lesson on how to take proper notes for college.  It was really difficult to understand and there was all these steps that we had to follow and it just looked super sloppy.  It was like someone told me to read an essay that I did not want to read.  She basically told us to write everything down word for word which is a waste of time and i could miss a lot of thing.  The books says to write as fast as I can but write key words down.  This made taking notes so much easier because I actually wrote down a lot and it helped with studying too. 

          My Idea of KINDNESS is this painting.  I painted this for me Spanish teacher my sophomore year and gave it to her so she could put it up in her class.  She loved it so much she actually has it hung up in her house. 

What I learn from the book, Ten Skills You Really Need In College

My name is Brandon Tram. Actually, that just recently became my name because my birth name was Brandon Le. When I came out of my mom, I had to take her last name since my father was still living in Vietnam. Once he finally arrived to the States, it took 17 years for my parents to legally change my last name. I think my parents are procrastinators. Anyways, I'd like to think I had a pretty fun childhood. Although I was the only child, I lived right behind my two cousins and they are basically like my siblings. As a kid, I was super shy and would only talk to people really close to me. I still remember when my pre-school teacher literally had to pry me off my mom when she dropped me off. Some days, my mom would be at school with me all day so I wouldn't cry. Next, middle school was an odd time for me. Due to my severe shyness, I would usually wander off somewhere else by myself. However, I would still play basketball and dodge-ball with other kids during recess. After recess, I did all the other activities alone. I met my first real friend in the 7th grade. We would do everything together and play stupid pranks on everyone. I became more confident and started talking to other people more. By the end of 8th grade, I had two really close friends and a small circle of people who I talked to a bit. In the beginning of high school, I didn't know anyone and became so desperate to have a group. As a result, I eventually hung around a group of people who I didn't connect with at all. My sense of humor and my interests just didn't match up with their personalities. I was so scared of looking like a "loner" that I just wanted to be seen with a group. Beginning of junior year, I had just moved to a new high school and I just didn't care this time around. I kept to myself and sat in the library during lunch. This time, I just wanted a group of people who I genuinely enjoyed being in their company. Senior year ended and I still didn't find that group. This was mainly my fault because I never made a true effort to make friends. Currently, I'm attending El Camino College. My only real friends are the ones I made in middle school. Personally, I feel like I have made a massive improvement in overcoming my shyness. However, I still find it difficult to open up to new people and express myself. To me, college is more than just about getting a degree. College is my chance to create connections and learning to express myself freely and openly. It's a process but I can definitely see myself improving each and everyday. The number one lesson I have learned from my experiences is to enjoy life as it is, this includes the joys, the struggles, and the simple things.


In John Langan's book, Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In College, I have learned that success is all about perseverance. I read about people with rough childhoods that overcame their struggles through sheer grit and grind. For example, Ben Carson went from being bullied in school to a neurosurgeon and a politician who lost in the presidential race. At least he got the chance to run for president. This just goes to show I have no excuse considering I am blessed with good parents and a solid education.


Another important lesson I learned in this book is that everyone can be successful in some way. You don't have to be the smartest or the brightest person to succeed. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and it is important to acknowledge them in order to improve yourself. I truly believe that everyone has the chance to make something of themselves and leave a positive impact on this world. I feel like a motivational speaker. Honestly, I truly believe what I just wrote.

My Life In a Few Words

Jill Boyd

Prof. Otsuji

English A

27 November 2017


I grew up in a small family, with my parents and my younger sister whom I'm now very close with. I look like my mom and my sister, Amy, looks like my dad. I grew up having an obsession with Blue's Clues, (which is now a Disney obsession) in all my baby pictures it was on in the background or I had her on my shirt. I loved her. As I got older, I started becoming the nerdy kid and I grew a huge love for Star Wars. I was about 7 when I watched the first movie and my mom's side of the family was so happy to hear that I liked it because it was our family's thing so to say. My sister wasn't a big fan of Star Wars or Harry Potter, that's why I like to say that I'm the cooler one out of the two of us. I've been interested in art since I was about 16, I'm self taught. Art is very important to me because it has been there for me in very dark parts of my life. I hope to one day draw out my own tattoo and have the courage to get it done.

One thing I have learned from the 10 skills book is how to manage your time. Ever since I have started college, I always tried to manage my time properly. In high school, I grew to be very lazy and my classes were pretty easy to wear I didn't have to worry about them unless it was something involving stage tech. I was the set designer and that's something that you have to plan out because it was basically like my school job. Once I have started college, I knew I had to prioritize and make sure I had enough time to for the amount of homework in each class, so far it's been rocky since this is my first time being a full time student.

Another thing I learned from the 10 skills book is taking good notes, although some people might not find this chapter helpful like I do, I felt a connection. I always took notes and in college I have learned to take better notes thanks to my health teacher from last semester and to my psych teacher this semester. Both of them would write what we should take note on on the whiteboard. And from there, that information would be on the test. Nothing that we did not know or take notes on wouldn’t be on the test. Since then I have known what I should take note on and what I shouldn’t. What’s important and what’s not. I believe that making notes as well as taking notes is also a good thing a person can do. Since my senior year of high school I’ve always made notes and reminders of assignments due or projects coming up. I’d stick them on my closet mirror because I knew I would look at it if it was on there. My planner I would forget about since it was in my backpack. I believe that this is a helpful strategy.

The picture below is my first self portrait I have ever drawn. I drew it my senior year, it had to be abstract. I consider this a kindness to myself because I never had the courage to draw a self portrait, I had so much doubt, but I knew I owed it to myself to at last try and I was very happy with the result.

Nicolette Thomson

Dr. Otsuji

English A

10 Skills Project

Well I guess you can say I grew up pretty cultured. At least I see it that way. When it comes to school I had ups and downs such as math not being my strongest subject but by Junior year I found something that fascinated me. Psychology. Leading to me taking AP psych and wondering if I could find a career in this field.  Overall my passion lies within the field of fashion and design. I’ve always had a sarcastic side to my personality,Interesting fact, I professionally model socks.

From the book Ten Skills You Really Need to Succeed in School by John Langan, I learned that I can manage my time with two jobs and school and also that it’s not so hard to make a well rounded thesis. Making a “to do list” for daily to weekly routines. Also evaluate my daily use of time because watching Gilmore Girls before and after class doesn’t always best suit my schedule.

Help with a thesis didn’t just come from John Langan’s book but also from our class. I would’ve never known the three levels of a thesis. Without learning about how to write a well thought out thesis I’d be pretty lost. Probably not even having a thesis more of just a run on paragraph.

My idea of kindness is to always help people even if they don’t seem to need the help. Nobody ever really seems to admit to needing a helping hand. So when I make clothes or at least try to attempt it, I aim for something my friends will wanna wear or something that will wanna inspire. Such as this is the first design I’ve attempted and hope to finish. I hope to design clothes for people, clothes that will inspire others. Clothes that you’re not gonna see at every mall with the same design just made with a cheaper fabric or fake or real suede. To make reasonable priced clothes for everyone. (Both jackets made or designs altered by me

Moving Forward

  My name is Ana Alvarado and I'm the youngest of two older sisters. Being the youngest can be tiring sometimes. Wether I'm 19 or 25 years old, I feel like I will always be treated as a baby. Sometimes they expect to much from me. Then I can't complain because it motivates me to do much better in life. Monica, who is my sister, is a gym rat. She motivated me about a year ago to do a fitness challenge. That challenge completely turned my life around. Not only did I learn how to lift weights, but I learned how bad certain foods are. Everyday I look forward to working out and when I can't workout I feel bad. Don't get me wrong I have my ups and downs. There is days where I don't feel motivated at all. I only slow down my own progress. Yes, I have a long way to go, in order to accomplish my goals in my fitness journey. However, working out has made me both physically and mentally strong. I've learned many things, so I won't be giving up. Going to the gym or working out in my garage have brought me tons of positivity into my life. I was always a negative person through out my entire high school career. I lost many great opportunities to enjoy high school. I made myself think everything was awf
ul and a nightmare. Now its different, college is tough, but I'll be making the the best of it. In college improving studying skills and learning to manage time will lead us to a successful life.

  Improving studying skills has to be one of the most beneficial tools to succeed in college. The book Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In School by John Langan gives a few tips to improve studying habits. One of the tips is to get your body involved during the process of studying. Don't slouch or lay down while trying to study. It will only tell the body to stay unfocused. Go sit down upright in a chair or go study while walking. As long as there is a small tension in the muscles it will help to stay focused. For instance, I used to lay down in my bed when I was going to study. Laying down in bed never helped me stay focused. I would get sleepy and end up falling asleep. I changed the way I studied when I got a low C on my first math test. I decided that before my second math test I would try to study with the tip the book gave me. I did stay focused during my study session and got a better grade on my second test. This time I got a better grade and I knew all the problems except for about two. My point is that this time I felt more confident with the way I studied.

 In addition, learning to mange time is another skill necessary to stay organized. During my senior year I became one of the biggest procrastinators. Procrastinating became a habit and to this day I still am. However, I have improved on managing my time. Habits take time to get rid of. Its our job as students to check when homework is due or what is coming up. I remember the second week of school my English 82 teacher said, "take out your homework." My classmates and I were confused. We obviously did not check the syllabus. Little mistakes that have helped me realize I have useful resources right in front of me. Also, Langan gave a useful tip to manage time. Have an agenda or a large monthly calendar. I found this tip helpful because when I wrote all my assignments in my agenda I started doing them on time. For example, my math 80 class has all the assignments online and when there was an assignment due the next day I would start on it after I was done with the previous. Helped me manage my time to do other assignments. Managing my time helped me be less stressed out.