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.

My Life So Far

Sometimes a person may feel that they have no purpose in life. Finding out who you are just takes the time of sitting down and thinking of the importance in your life. Who am I? I am Valenzuela Jacqueline, a Latina from South Central Los Angeles, born and raised. Even though living in south central was quite difficult: due to the poverty, gangs, and etc… my parents had always kept me and my older siblings safe, and away from that type of attention. Some interesting facts: Actually, before I was born, everybody in my family thought I was gonna be the second boy in the family. So eager and excited, my family bought boy clothes, paint the nursery room blue, and they were gonna name me edwardo after my grandpa. After the subtle realization that I wasn’t boy, my parents had no other choice but to keep me wearing boy clothes until I wore out of it. Another interesting fact about myself is that I was born on September 11, and I’m the only left handed person in my family. For my school experience, I’ve had always been an attentive, collective, quiet student during my K-12 grade. Sometimes I would have some trouble with English, and Math in school, but I’ve always tried and end up doing alright in those particular subjects. On the other hand, it was difficult for me at times because the schools in south central, didn’t have the best educational system. Meaning, the LAUSD district had a lot of unassigned dates, teachers wouldn’t last long; leading multiple substitute teachers, and suspicious lock downs. Although with all the outcomes, students who wanted to learn, try their best to get involved in their education and they end up graduating from high-school. Reading textbooks, and taking notes was good qualitie of mine. I wasn’t very good at first, but right that I’ve attended El Camino College, reading textbooks and taking notes come easier to me.

What I’ve learned from the textbook, Ten skills you really need to succeed in school, where two main chapters: Managing Your time, and improving your memory. The first chapter the grabbed my attention was chapter 4: managing your Time. While reading this chapter, it gave me a sense of realization that I needed to become more organized, and attentive to my daily schedule. When reading this chapter/managing your time as taught me four steps to time control. One is “use your course online,” when I’ve just began El Camino College, I had the tendency at glancing at my instructor syllabus, and not really reading through the syllabus regularly. Now, I’ve keep the syllables visible for me to check on. Second, make up a daily “To Do” list. Something about a “to do” is quite satisfying...because it gives you a sense of accomplishment. For instance, checking/crossing out the completed assignment, then going on to the next assignment makes you feel like did something productive today. I feel like I did what I had to do today, and now I can relax. Making a “To Do List” is something worthwhile, and keeps me informed of the things I have to do today, or tomorrow morning. I can relate to this chapter 4: Managing your time, because it teaches students, like myself, the importance of being very well organized.

Another chapter that grabbed my attention was chapter 6: improving your memory and study powers. This chapter teaches a valuable lesson on how to be a productive and attentive student. In this particular chapter, it also teaches the important steps in improve your memory. For example, Before I’ve started El Camino College, I’ve had a difficult time memorizing information for an exam. At first, everything will go well, then things began to tumble down from there. That is because with all the information I would cram before the exam, it would disappear due from stress, anxiety, and overthinking too much. Now reading about this chapter, it has given me a better perspective on how to improve my memory. For instance, one of the steps I never thought it would work was, “An important Note about First-letter sentence.” It is actually a good technique. Just those subtle hints can go a long way for memorizing new subjects. another would be “test yourself repeatedly on the material to be learned.” It’s also important to test yourself, because it can help figure out what you need assistance the most. Then you can go back and restudy that particular word.

I’ve never been a big fan of talking about myself, but here goes nothing. My name is Lilian Perez. My dad wanted to name me after my mom her name is Lilia, but my mom decided to add the “n” to my name so it could be somewhat different. I started doing Ballet at the age of 3, and since then I started taking dance classes which included Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, etc. When I was younger I thought I was going to have a dancing career when I got older. But as I got older I started to have a passion for make-up. My schooling experience has always been positive. There was one class I always struggled throughout high school which was Math. I am not a math person, I understand it completely if I go slow and take my time, but the teacher I had for math for senior year was fast paced. I got C’s in that class and was satisfied with it so I didn’t put much effort to try and get a better grade. I know my grades could have been way better. My plans after graduating high school were to go straight into Beauty school, but that did not happen it was too much money so now I’m currently attending El Camino College; and I am majoring in Cosmetology. We need to be able to manage our time and improve our memory if we want to be able to succeed in life.

Managing our time is an important task in life. I feel if you manage your time with things and plan ahead you could accomplish them when needed. I have learned to manage all the homework that is given to me for my classes. I have an agenda I use for school and write down the things I have to do and when it’s due to have it ready on time. It can be very overwhelming when you don’t plan ahead because if you wait until the last minute to do something it might won’t go as planned. I know managing time for everything can be difficult but it is possible. I see my sister as role model for time management because she works 4 days a week  from 9am-11pm and then she goes to school on her days off and she is able to get all her school work done and many other things.  

Another important task in life is how we memorize things. Every individual has their own unique way of memorizing things. For example if I had to study for an exam I would write down the things I need to memorize on a flash card; but I usually write my stuff in colorful ink because I find it easier to memorize instead of it being black ink. To be able to memorize things easily also is by being organized. Being organized is a big deal because if you have messy notes you won’t be able to memorize the material. Memorizing materials is very important because for example if you have a job you need to memorize the rules and how to get your woke done or else it possible for you to get fired.  

Important Student Skills

Greetings and salutations,

My name is Eunice Rivas, I am an 18-year-old Christian Latina. I live with both of my parents, younger brother and sister. I am studying to become a nurse because I want to help people who are in need. We need more helpful people in this world so if becoming a nurse is going to help people, I’m content. I’m a family oriented person who cares about my family's happiness more than my own. I am always spending time with my family as a pass time. Our family all lives close to each other, and I only have to walk past 2 houses to arrive at my great grandparent's house where I usually spent my childhood in. I learned how to play the piano, cook, garden, and sew from my great-grandparents. I was never the sporty or social type so my hobbies consist of solely reading. I've always had my own library in my room since elementary. Being a shy person really took a toll on my learning skills, so my mother sent me to a communications-based highschool called Da Vinci Communications. At Da Vinci, I developed presentation, collaboration, and communication skills. Attending Da Vinci was a great experience and brought me out of my shell. Instead of taking test our grades were determined by projects and presentations. The fact that we didn’t take tests would be the only negative aspect of my high school career, other than that I feel I've learned my valuable skills from my time there.

Managing time really is a crucial skill I learned from Ten skills you need to succeed in school by John Langan. For me, managing time has always been a skill I never took into consideration. I was horrible at managing my time during high school since I always procrastinated. Langan teaches the reader a couple important steps when managing your time. First, it is important to use the course's syllabus for an organization tool in managing time. Before college, I never took the time to read over any syllabuses given to me. At the time it didn’t seem useful, but the author explains how syllabuses are guides for “what you must do” to prosper in your class. It gives important dates for things like quizzes and exams If you read the syllabus you won't have any questions as to when things are due and how much time you have left before an assignment is due. Before when I didn't read the syllabus I was always asking my classmates and teachers when assignments were due. This really got in the way of time management since everything for me disorganized. Keeping a calendar is another crucial skill in managing your time. The calendar is mostly used to illustrate what your month is going to look like. It also highlights important dates for test, quizzes, and deliverables. Even though, my high school provided every student a planner I never once wrote in it. I could've taken advantage of the planner and not have to worry about when assignments were due. A similar essential tool for managing time is creating a daily planner. Creating a daily planner specifically plans out your day to complete what needs to get done. In the past, I always made mental notes of what I needed to do. I always told myself “ start doing your homework in an hour” but that never worked. A daily planner specifically indicates the time each assignment needs to get done. For Instance, in my planner for math, it reads: at 1:30 today work on math homework, at 2:30 email professor homework questions, at 3:00 pm start studying notes and homework etc.

Taking notes in class is another essential skill I learned from reading Ten skills you need to succeed in school by John Langan. Taking notes is a common skill anyone can implement into their student life. Listening to a lecture is one thing but taking notes while absorbing and processing the information given is another. As a student writing down notes while trying to comprehend the lesson was always a difficult task for me. Langan explains writing the material presented in class is crucial for studying later on. But making sure to take good notes is something students have trouble doing. There are many details played out in good note taking, For example, sitting in the front of the class helps in taking great notes because we are able to stay in tune with the lesson. Also, “watching for signs of importance” is another part of good note-taking. What this means is waiting for the professor to tell you what you need to write down or taking to incitative of writing down things like definitions, lists, and examples presented in the lesson. When I took notes in class I wrote everything down every single word that came out from the teacher's mouth. That lead to not being able to comprehend the lesson and falling behind in what was said next in the lesson. The author explains it is very important that you evaluate the important things to write down during class, so that later when you're reviewing your notes you are able to clearly see the big picture of the lesson and key ideas. Once you start implementing these tools as a daily habit, school work will be less stressful.

A little bit about me

Airam Vega
Professor Otsuji
November 27, 2017

        My name is Airam Vega and I was born and raised in Los Angeles California along with my two other siblings. I come from Mexican immigrant parents who grew up in poverty and came to the U.S in hopes of raising a family and providing for those they left behind. A few interesting facts about me: My first name and middle name are backwards, I love dogs, and last I am not very social when it comes to adapting to a new environment but if you get to know me I can light up a room. In regards to my schooling experience, I attended a Catholic private middle school and an all girls high school. People told me it sounded like a punishment, but for me it was a privilege my parents could afford a private education considering I lived in the south side of Los Angeles. School gave me the opportunity to find my strengths being english and portions of writing and my weakness being math. Now that I am in college and I am becoming more independent, I am still learning how to manage my time and improve my study skills in order to achieve my goals in life. 

     Time Management is key to being organized and successful. I do not know at this point how many times I have been stressed to be organized and keep a schedule for myself and this is coming from successful adults. I put things onto perspective and an example of this can simply be a scale. In order to have a balance between two things I must find a way to keep school on one side and everything else on the other and this works out perfectly for me. I am a full time student so I can't really relate to those who have other obligations like work but I do have similar priorities like attending appointments on time and turning in my work for school on time as well. It's simple to a find a balance but it can be tricky to adjust between two different things. Organizing myself into a schedule has given me a daily routine that provides enough for me to do everything and be able to manage my time wisely.

     Along with organizing a schedule it is crucial for me now that I am in college to improve my memory and study habits. Throughout high school I was told that college Professors would never give us a study guide therefore, we needed to gain as much knowledge of the material in order to be prepared for tests. I have learned that studying and being able to memorize is never done in just one day but instead it is a process. Aside from having good material to rely on there must be a way to be organized to make it simpler to remember all of the material. Key words and first letter words are shortcuts to remembering rather than having to memorize exactly what a sentence says. Now I understand why I was told that most professors do not provide study guides. I believe that we must gain knowledge of the material on or own and follow through with the process even if it takes a week long to remember, as long as your slowly improving in your studying skills and brain power.

Who I Am

My name is Matthew Jackson and I am student at El Camino College in Torrance, California. My major is Administration of Justice and I plan on transferring to Claflin University in South Carolina and after college join the F.B.I and become an analyst. I was born in Torrance but I grew up in Carson which is a couple of miles from Torrance. Before college I went to Nathaniel Narbonne High School which really isn’t that far from El Camino College it’s only a couple of streets away. When it comes to my schooling I would say I was taught well. I learned a lot throughout school I learned important lessons in life and also the traditional education that is taught in school. My main goal in life is to help people in many fields with whatever task a person wants to accomplish.

One of my favorite chapters in Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed in School is Chapter 5 which discusses taking notes in class. I relate to this chapter so much because some of the notes I take in some of my classes are really poor. One of my reasons why they’re poor is because of the time I get to tale my notes. Most of the time it seems like my professor is showing the notes for five seconds and then goes on to a different set of notes. I tried taking pictures of the notes but when I try copying the notes from my phone most of the time the notes seem blurry and I can barely see it off of my phone screen. The tips the chapter gave me I tried in real life and I notice some positive effects from my notes because of the methods I used. For example I sat in the front of my class in my Ethnic Studies class and I my notes were neater and had more accurate information. My new and improved notes helped me maintain a 4.0 GPA because my notes were easy for me to look at to help me study for my homework and my tests.

Another Chapter I really enjoyed in my textbook is Chapter 6 which mostly deals with improving your memory and study habits. When I would study for an assignment I would try to get all of the material the day before the test and I would literally have no clue what to do on the test the because I tried to get an entire chapter processed in one night. So after reading chapter 7 I decided to study every night to see how my performance in class will change. Well after studying every night I was able to see the improvement on my tests because I followed the steps from the chapter.

My idea of Kindness:

Kind

Intelligent

Nice

Delightful

Nonviolent

Endearing

Special

Soothing 

Ryan Sims II


         Hello my name is Ryan Sims, I am the 2nd oldest of 5 children. I currently live in Inglewood, California and enjoy all the many family members that I have. I am African American and also 20 or more percent Irish. I have loved basketball since I was 3 years old. I eat sleep, play, talk and watch basketball non stop. My favorite players are Allen Iverson and Russell Westbrook, two men that I can relate to. I also love acting, my uncle and my auntie are also actors and actresses. The best part is coming together and reenacting different parts of movies. I have attended Winsor Hills elementary school, Cowan elementary school, Townsend Middle School and finally Chino Hills High. After my full first year at El Camino College. I will attend Grand Canyon University and study in Theatre Arts. The worst thing about me in school is doing things last minute or forgetting assignments. The most positive thing is, being a team player. I work well with others and I always get good grades on group assignments. Attending  El Camino College has been an eye opening experience for me because I have learned the different colleges that have agreements with the school and the classes are very educating as well. Meeting staff members that can help you along your future. Learning how to divide my time with school and everything else I do, was definitely a highlighted point of being in English A. Not ever taking notes, in high school but started doing it this year has also shown me new was of educations and ways of learning.


          One of the first things I learned was about Time Management. Involving time management, there were four steps for time control. Step 1: Use Your Course Outline basically the course outline is whatever your teacher gives you, meaning the syllabus and everything that explains your instructor and how they work. I definitely used that to my advantage because I was able to understand, how teachers would grade certain assignments and which papers are worth more. Step 2:  Keep a Large Monthly Calendar, now with the calendar you basically write down the time and places for your essays that are due, or projects that are due or test and quizzes. So using that for myself, I have an agenda that has everything on there form, big essay assignments, group projects and different times to study and things like that. Step 3: Make Up Daily, To Do List, basically what step 3 involves is creating a list of things that involves school that you need to do. So I needed to always create a list in the morning so I get everything done and keep the list with me. I was always able to finish my list. The last step is Step 4: Use a Daily Planner, the daily planner is everything combined of all the different things you would need to take care of daily. I have always used this because I try to keep myself organized in every way.




           The second thing I really learned was taking good notes. There are also steps to taking good notes. Step 1: sit at the front. Sitting at the front gives you less distractions and you can hear the teacher a lot more, and of course the teacher would know you are really prepared to learn. Step 2: write your notes in a systematic way. There are a variety of different ways of taking notes, note taking is up to you and how you would understand for the next time you read over it. Step 3: watch for signals of importance. I have always learned if a teacher goes over something more than once than obviously that means that subject or section will be on the test or final. You have to write down, you would want to remember. Step 4: write down examples and connecting information. Even for me I know that with history and math try to connect it with things in the 21 century or things like that so I am able to remember the certain information.  Step 5: read your textbook in advance before class, basically if you read before you'll be able top ask questions for later and you can understand things allot better in the long run. Step 6: review  notes after class, usually you'll forget so going over after class is definitely a positive thing. This chapter really helped me because, I was able to understand everything in all my classes and I became a better test taker.


Poem


I am Ryan, the man of mystery
God, can always take me out of my misery
He knows how to speak to me and guide my path
The ways that I have traveled were never lightened by the sun
Learning new things, including love
We should all come together and never show our rath
I am African American, with a shaded history
We all shall rise and create a new history
Among our family, friends and society
Martin Luther King and other, showed me what's right for me
Poems don't always rhythm but my words mean a lot
I will become a leader and create a new life, for everyone around my block

Changing for the better

A proud Latina is what I am. My mother and father originally thought of the name Karin for me but in the end they named me Leslie Dinorah Calderon. One of my main memories that I tend to remember is when I attended a catholic middle and elementary school. Saint Joseph School was where I went to school for six years and it is where I met most of my friends. It was located right next to my house in Hawthorne where I would walk to school everyday and I would never be late because of it. My friends that I met there are currently still with me and it is amazing how we still know each other now. It was one of the best times of my life since the community was nice and we would hang out after school at daycare. Although everything changed when I graduated and my father told me that I would be going to a whole new district where none of my friends would be going. He made me go to Santa Monica High School, a place where I dreaded going every single day. It progressively got more worse each semester until senior year I did not care anymore and would ditch by leaving during off campus, go to my classes late, and not attend the full day. It got to the point where I did not even attend my graduation because I hated school. I did not see the reason on going since I would get high grades and it is something I regret doing when I reflect back on my actions. Of course I did have friends, but my negativity and awful thinking got to me where I pushed them aside. My decisions have brought me to where I am today and it is brought me a whole new perspective, and it will lead me to a whole new light through positivity and happiness.

In addition, a lot of my decisions were influenced through careful planning and through hard work. Time is something one must carefully plan and take advantage of. Chapter 4 introduced helpful advice on managing time through many ways. Making a to do list way always something I subconsciously did whenever I had to organize my day. In high school the teacher would tell us the homework and I would memorize it and then organize my schedule by telling myself that homework comes first before all things. Although I still use it today by putting a list on my phone because of how busy I can be with homework and helping my family. The list helps me figure out my priorities and helps keep my mind focused on the upcoming tasks. Another helpful tip I found was keeping a large monthly calendar which is what Canvas uses when one is looking at the upcoming homework assignments. Whenever I am trying to plan something with my friends, I look to this calendar to see what assignments or tests I need to do so that I have time to have fun. Managing time is an important asset that will benefit everyone because it can create less stress.

 Although time wasn't the only thing that has led to my achievements, studying and memorization has played a big part in my life as well. Studying and memorization come hand in hand when it comes to upcoming tests and quizzes. Studying is something no one wants to do and requires memorizing many terms and concepts. One of the tools that I mainly used when it came down to studying was testing myself repeatedly until I learned the material. When I was taking AP psychology back in high school, this class required you to memorize 20 pages worth of terms and definitions. This was extremely stressful for me because I didn't know it would be this difficult. I would receive low grades because I would only look at the notes once and not look back on them. It wasn't until my friend recommended me to look back and not just glance at the terms. This led to me studying almost five times and I would do it on the bus before going to school just to make sure I had the material all in my head. Even though it is a pain to study, it really helps you in the end. I have received As because of studying habits which lead me to receive an A in the class overall. Although studying is something everyone hates to do, it is important to look at which techniques are helpful for that person since everyone is different.

Bright Future

Bright Future

My name is Chris Pech, I live in Inglewood, California, and I attend El Camino College. I attend two classes twice a week, math 80 and English A, Mondays and Wednesdays. So far I had learn a few things, and it’s chill not having so many classes, because I get to have free time to enjoy my life. My hobbies are skateboarding and playing guitar; I skate with my friend Kenny, who is also the drummer for our Grindcore band, TWITCH! I enjoy being productive and learning different things, my class had read a book called Ten Skills you really Need to Succeed in School, and it teaches me all kinds of strategies on how to become a successful student.

First of all, one skill to succeed in school is time management, one of my favorite tips; Because not only does this apply to school, it also applies to everyday life. It is very important to learn how to control your own time as rather being organized other than disorganized (Langan 75). The first step mentions to use your course outline, in other words to use the syllabus that is given; I see it as blueprints used to rob a jewelry store. The second step advises to hang a calendar around where you can see it everyday to have an outlook of what papers to turn in or events going on during the month (76). Thanks to the second step, I had never forgot to take my pet chupacabra to the vet. The third steps also advises to make a to do list. It is an important way to organize your day and to be productive with your time (78). Managing time is the best way to get things done and to be organized; I don’t like to say that I am busy, I would rather say, “I am being productive right now.”

Another skill to be aware of is improving memory to study, because it is smart to memorize things you hear or read that are important. In order to remember and understand any material in class, you must organize your notes so you can learn. Making a list with numbers is an excellent strategy, then testing yourself out with will help memorize the material. After learning some of the material, you must continue testing yourself by going back and forth in order to remember it effectively (106). Also using acronyms is another strategy in improving memory, such like using PEMDAS in math class. One important thing I had observed is spreading out memory work, because it is more effective to give yourself time period breaks so the concepts are easier to memorize. It is a smart idea to review information so you will not forget it. Rewarding yourself after having a study session will motivate yourself to study hard. Also studying before sleeping will allow the information to stay in your head (112). Before I go to sleep, I like to play Call of Duty, watch some television, then I study right before I sleep so my mind absorbs the information; I was studying math, and once I closed my eyes I began forming problems and solving it in my head. Another tip is giving your body a position to study like sitting down on a chair to be focused other than laying down being to relaxed (114). My studying position is observing my notebook while I skate to class before an exam.
The final skill that I am going to recommend is being kind, because being nice to others is respectful and the cool thing to do. People will acknowledge your kindness and may return the favor. Kindness will also work with animals, as an example, if you treat a dog kindly, then the dog will show affection and will be happy to bring the newspaper to you every Sunday morning. Despite the differences we all have, being kind to one another makes us realize that it is more important to disregard are differences, whether we are different ethnicity, making different income, young or old, fat or skinny, strong or weak, and to show each other generosity (205). We are all going through different obstacles in life. Someone may look all angry and mean, but they can just be having a bad day. We must consider that not everyone has it easy and some people have it a lot harder than others. So it is important to show each other respect and kindness.

Langan, John. “Ten Skills You Really Need to Succeed in School.” Townsend Press,Inc.

2001, pp 75-205.

Regina Joice Poscablo: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

I'm not one to talk about myself since I'm more interested in talking about others but here we go. My name is Regina Joice Poscablo and I was born on October 31, 1999. I share the name "Regina" with my mom, two sisters, and even my dog. People always asked me how my life was at home since we all share a name, but we have nicknames so it doesn't get too confusing. When I was younger I was often called the "devil" since I was born on Halloween. It didn't bother me though, I found it fascinating being born on a holiday. Music is very important to me so you'd always see me with earbuds on. It calms me down when I'm anxious and puts me in a better mood when I'm depressed. Silence makes me really anxious so I need to constantly listen to music or be in a noisy place. I've had anxiety and depression since I was in 9th grade but I'm not quite sure what exactly triggered them. I also played the piano for 6 years but I haven't played recently. I wouldn't consider my schooling to be negative since I did get decent grades but I could've done better. I was one who was satisfied with at least a C so I didn't try too hard. I wouldn't consider myself smart either, but I at least got things done. Math is my favorite subject but it's a shame that I'm not very good at it. I've always told my younger siblings to take school seriously so they wouldn't make the same mistakes I did. School may seem like a wall too high to get over, but if you try your best and climb higher you'll be able to reach the rewards on the other side.
First of all, if you learn how to manage your time, you’ve already won half the battle. When you stick to a certain schedule, you’ll find it easier to get everything done. Put aside at least four hours a day to studying and doing homework. Take a break after two hours so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I myself am still trying my best to stick to a certain schedule but ever since I started writing the things I need to do in a planner I’ve been productive. I’m able to balance my classes, homework, and social life because I am learning how to manage my time. You’ll need to learn how to manage your time in order to balance school and other things such as work and break times for yourself.

Another skill needed in order to climb the wall is taking notes in class. I’ve learned this the hard way. Many times my professor would say, “This will be on the test so write it down.” I always trusted my memory and thought I’d be okay without taking notes. When you write things down, it becomes easier to memorize it. You’d also be able to look back if you forgot what was being taught in class. I never took notes when needed in high school so I did poorly on exams since I forgot what I’ve learned and I didn’t know what to study. It pays off in the end when you take notes in class.

Stepping into the Unknown

You could hear hearts thumping, the wind mumbling, the cheers of the crowd aligning with the sunshine. The time was still, my mind reborn, and my purpose set. Soccer brought my family together. It was the one thing that we all shared a passion for. It was the one thing I was good at. The only thing that made my dad proud of me. It gave me comfort and reassurance. Soccer became a necessity. I was born in Downtown Los Angeles but grew up in Lennox along with my other four siblings. As the oldest, I have had to act as a role model for the rest of my siblings. My parents were both born in Guatemala and so their childhood was very rough. They had to work in agriculture at a young age just to take the very little they earned to their families. I think that is why my parents expected so much of me. I was taken with my mom when she had to go to work or I stayed home watching over my younger siblings. I learned that everyday needs to be full of hard work. Hard work creates the path to success and success rises from the desire of self-improvement within.

One important aspect for succeeding is learning how to manage your time. For instance, I had trouble keeping up with my responsibilities. I had to go to work, go to school, go to the gym, had to take care of my siblings and on top of that I wanted to get involved in extracurricular activities. My daily routine was a mess having to run from school to pick up my younger siblings and then to work. From work I would come in a hurry to finish up my homework. My assignments were crammed inside my head, not remembering all of my assignments. Everyday was filled with stress for me. It was not until I decided to organize my schedule that made a difference for me. I bought a calendar and some sticky notes. I placed my calendar near my door and wrote important deadlines and dates on it. I used my sticky notes to write down my homework and assignments. Every time I finished an assignment I was able to get rid of the stick note, until then I carried it with me to remind myself to complete the assignment. This was a form of structure. I was able to manage my time. I realized that having my days organized with specific duties gave me extra time for myself. I could enjoy some free time without having to rush. Managing your time allows for you to concentrate on your activity. Concentration marks the path to success because concentration creates time and effort. Time and effort are the foundation of success.

In addition, the power of studying can help improve your skills in school. For example, my math teacher goes over different problems everyday. I was getting lost. My notebook was filled with math equations it was hard to even understand what was written so I never bothered to look at it. My math test came along 2 weeks later and I did not do so well. At this rate I was not going to pass class and I did not want spend money taking the class all over again. In class I started to title my notes with colored pens and on the side I wrote down the date. The colored pens helped me distinguish the different chapters and their examples. When I opened my notebook it was all color coded and organized that it made it easier to follow along. It actually compelled me to review my notes. Every other day I would open my notebook and redo some of the problems I had written down in class. This was my way of studying and it proved to be effective when I earned a B on my second test. Studying is not about writing stuff down and just looking at it later. It is about wanting and trying. To succeed you need to put in time to organize your notes and review them until you retain the material. That way you know for a fact that you are confident in your knowledge of the material.

About Me

Jordan Kramarsic

English 1A

November 9th, 2017

Prof. Otsuji

About Me

     

      I'm not too good at this whole talking about yourself thing, so let's get this started. Some interest facts about me; I'm fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language, I'm 5'10, my eyes change colors, and I have a gnarly tooth growing out of my gum. My background is fairly basic, if that includes being from Texas, bouncing around between homes, and raising yourself since the age of fourteen. My school experience has always been fairly successful, I consider myself very smart. I excel in math and science, so easy I could do it in my sleep. But, on the other hand anything having to do with writing definitely doesn't come so naturally to me. My life is a crazy cycle, but I always find a way to relax with my girlfriend in the midst of being a full-time student and employee. School is definitely a hard obstacle to tackle; therefore it is important to conquer time management and memory.

     First off, time management is an amazing skill to obtain as a teenager. Personally, I have never met someone under the age of 25 that is well managed. But, I have learned in my life that if I want to balance school, work, and a social life I have to organize my time. For example, I am a full-time student and employee. Therefore, my week consists of 40 hours at work, 12 hours at school, and 5-8 hours of doing my homework. Seems hard right? What about a social life? How do I give myself time to relax? Well, it isn't easy to say the least. I usually do my homework in between classes, then come home get ready for work, after work I'll complete any left over homework. It is very easy to become overwhelmed, so a good way to stay organized is investing in a planner. If you write everything down then you will feel more comfortable and capable of completing everything that is due or needs to be tackled. 

     Another skill that is necessary to memory. I have adapted my brain to memorize a lot of the material I need to know. A key to doing this is if you listen to music while studying, when taking a test usually the song will "pop" into your head, assisting your memory regarding the material. Another option is to chew a certain flavor of gum, your brain will link the material you're covering to the flavor. There are several ways like this that allow you to train your mind. Your brain is a muscle, and like all other muscles it's important to exercise it. Try new techniques, don't be afraid of them because you never know what might work. In the end, in order to improve memory exercise your mind and try techniques that will force your mind to relate the study material to whatever action you were doing.