Summary reflection essay

Yifei Wang

ENL 21000, section p

12/15/19

                                              Summary reflection essay

     In this semester of writing, I learn the knowledge of grammar. Especially the singular and the pulura of “a group of people.” I’m always confused by the “people.” Before each assignment, the practice material would help me how does the essay should be like. Concrete details that is rarely be used in my writing. In the narrative essay, I described the visual sensation in the essay. I also used this concept of my world humanities essay. The metaphor is the technique that I’m not doing in my essay. I have tried figurative language in this semester. I need more practice of this technique. 

     Punctuating compound also is a big step of my writing skill improvement. Place the punctuation at the right position of the sentence helps me connect the throughs fragment of the whole essay and when I can easily make the second draft. The formal letter format gives me the scheme of how to write a formal letter. I used the dense information in each paragraph of the format to write my argumentative essay. Parallel construction is the writing skill that I have used in my other class’ essay. It is useful for me to demonstrate some examples in detail.

     For the argumentation or research essay, common logical fallacies such as ad hominum, bandwagon appeal, and slippery slope. This concept of logical fallacies help me to define what kind of logical fallacies I have. Subject-verb agreement is a challenge for me. Because most of time, it is hard to self-aware. So I go to the writing center for correct my essay.

     During this semester, the practice of this details help me to construct academic writing skills.

Reflection essay of Argumentative Assignment

Yifei Wang

ENL 21000 p

12/15/19

                              Reflection essay of Argumentative Assignment

     Comparing argumentative assignment with narrative assignment, argumentative assignment requires a clear theme which is supported by evidence. In the past, I would choose a fact as my theme statement. But a clear theme statement should be specific, debatable, and supportable. That helps me to deliver my message clearly to the readers. Not just the theme, every subtitle should be specific, debatable, and supportable. That is easy to develop a paragraph when I give a clear subtitle.

     In this argumentative assignment, the diet topic is hard to debate with for me. Because this topic is a more scientific topic. Without the professional knowledge of biology, the only thing I can do to demonstrate to the readers of my theme’s significance is showing the  research data of others to support my theme. The result of this is the assignment becomes a google search result. Next time I may choose a philosophy theme as my topic. 

     The audience of this argumentative assignment is the people who believed in a strict diet is the key point for getting a healthy life style. The people around me are concerned about how to lose weight. So, I want to through this essay to learn the knowledge of diet and let them be knowledged as well.

     In the class, the comma of a sentence has been mentioned. But when I’m in the writing center, the problem of the comma showing up. In the writing after this assignment, I would double check whether or not I lost my subject in a sentence. 

Reflection essay of Narrative Assignment

Yifei Wang

ENL 21000 p

12/15/19

                                    Reflection essay of Narrative Assignment

     This assignment is meaningful to me. Because when I’m thinking about the past and try to figure out what is the meaning of the things I have been through and what is the impact of some certain event which effect on me, the thoughts is fragmental. Writing in essay that requires me to link my thoughts as a whole. However, I think I should include a larger time period of my life, not just a particular event of my life. My opinion on the event not just the thoughts that I have in that moment but also is the combination with the opinion to other thoughts. 

     This assignment is using active voice to describe the thoughts. The instruction of narrative assignment gave hints about different approaches, anecdote, microcausm, and portrait. I choose anecdote. The reason I choose anecdote is the experiences I have are the most relate with me and I could recall in detail to find out the thoughts in different angle and the detail that was not noticed at that time which could adjust the opinion of the event. 

     The readings (Once More to the Lake, …) that had been given is helpful to me. It provide the scheme of what is a narrative assignment. I enjoy the reading of Once More to the Lake, the vivid description of environment inspires me to have the motive to create a lively environment of the concert to readers by words. 

     When I look back at this assignment, I’m glad that I “record” this moment when the feeling of happiness of the concert is faded.

Reflection essay of Definition Assignment

Yifei Wang

ENL 21000 p

12/15/19

                                        Reflection essay of Definition Assignment

     The main purpose of definition assignment is writing an extended, exploratory definition of a term with cultural significance. The reason of choosing “education” as my theme of this assignment is the word “education” is a controversial topic. Instead of scientific topic, education is the theme which I can have my personal opinion. Education are functional at two parts, learning the facts of the physical world and personal moral development. Students and educationists talk about how does modern education destroy their creativity, they want to change the education system. On the other side, the government wants as many as possible educated rate of population. It is an argumentative word which has many different points of view.

     The knowledge of previous assignment is used in definition assignment. I break the whole essay into several paragraphs and each paragraph has its own subtitle. The aspects opinion of education is showing in every paragraph. The differentiation of this paper between the similar paper I have written is I’m taking the reference of videos. Researching video become an interesting processes, because there are many celebrities publicly talking about education. The videos are more powerful than the essay online.

     This assignment is in the middle of research essay and argumentative essay. A research essay uses passive voice to deliver the information to the readers. An argumentative essay uses passive voice and active voice to deliver the information. Different voices create different style of writing.

Narrative Assignment

Yifei Wang

ENGL 21001 P, 

9/17/2019

     Last few months, I have been went to my idol’s concert and song along with the fans together which is a dreamful experience to me. The night before the concert come, I’m rolling back and forth try to fall asleep, but the imagination about how the concert would be and does they look the same in real life than on the video, this kind of assuming and the image like a car without breaks rushing around my brain.

    My friends and I was gathered at Brooklyn and we rented a car ahead to New Jersy. The frosted glass cloud floating above the ocean of iron, I was quivered all the time. The tail of winter still surrounding at the beginning of spring. In the car we were talking about our own life, what class they need to take and how does the part time job exhausted them. The driver join the conversion as well. When we were arrived at the stadium the fans already queue in front of the gate. Half of my view was occupied by pink color, everybody hold the light stick and the poster with idols’ picture. For a second I thought that I was take a part in a religion group. The eagerness to the idol led the believers into one place and I was one of them. As we get in the stadium, the staff of the company are selling the merchandise of the group. The stadium became a supermarket and the idol group is on the shelf. I was seating in the bowl with cereal and look at other cereals which dancing the movement of the music video with each other in front of the stage.

     The purple light shot from the stage which mixed with the dimness, the screen sparkle the idol group’s name. All of these visual sense gives me an illusion. The stars form the stage are jumping between us, we are drifting in this parallel universe. The people are taking pictures of the moment for remember the precious memory in their treasure box, otherwise nothing left.

     The familiar songs went several times then the group show up with blasted music, the light turn into brightly red that draw my attention to them. They are gleaming on the stage, the fine white outfit with sparkle and their still looks elegant even when they perform the dancing part, lights are changing along with the beats and everything in this stadium seems isolated with reality. The reality that we struggle with. All the audience are boiling for them. Maybe my skin system doesn’t work as it used to, the temperature is climbing up for several degrees. The powerful melody notes though the air pumping into my veins and provides me the strength to screaming louder than ever. The cheer of the audience echo around the stadium, I can’t tell which one is come from my mouth. Over thousand fireflies twinkle in the stadium, the mild pink light shined the satisfy expression of everyone. I’m such a little figure among the pink sea, we are all have different background, religion, race, culture with each other. However, we are the same type person who are admire to a well design figure. Do we really like the the idol, the person and their personality? Look back to that time, all the things appear to us is a fine product. The group’s appearance, personality was wrap by candy paper which the company gives them. This kind of design are also worked on our social media. We are chasing the dream that we pretended and the dream others knitted. We are seeing what we want to look at because life isn’t as perfect as the idol groups’ life.

     Once the first song finished the following is solo stage. The audience was quiet as the lights vanish in the dark. Everything back to the beginning, the gentle piano sound was flowing around the air stroked the crowd’s ears. The autumn’s afternoon alike light is aimless full fill the air, the steam from the dry ice machine made the singer seems like step on clouds. This member of the group is my bias because I find we has common point on personality, in other hands I want to become the person who has strong will and strive for the goal, just as the person on the stage.  Listen the live makes me thinking a lot. They work hard for their dream and become one of the top stars of the industry, I like their attitude of never give up for chasing your dream and put your effort to achieve that. But those trails are showing on purpose for attracting people become a fan. Their perfect illusion makes me want to escape form my life and trying to connect with them in star-fans relationship to release the bored emotion and the pressure form the reality. My friends who came with me and my parents even me are also fighting hard for what they want. Isn’t they can be the idol as well? At the day which doesn’t have class, I’m fighting with my one and only enemy called English. Moring sunlight come in through the window with bright awaking energy, fresh cool wind reminds me is the middle of September already. I’m flipping the pages of next chapter and write down the main point in my notes, trying to decode the cipher one by one that in the text book. This unexceptional moment can also as bright as the singer on that stage. 

     The chorus part as same as the audio verson, professional and emotional. The song become a story which be represent by the singer. Her chocolate like voice has sweeten everybody’s sensation. Over thousand people focus on the stage, it is the first time I have been experienced these wonderful moments. Everyone and I was holding their phone for recording this unforgettable moment, we are shifting the attention form the singer’s performance to our cell phone; just the few of our loose the leash of our phone. Generation changes quickly, not just machine has improved its efficiency, human as well. My friends and I waved our light stick along with the song. Little stars are light up our lighthouse which in our mind. Through the dancing part, I can feel a storm is forming in my palm. My heartbeat pumps as the bass beats, speed up as fire a rocket and launched when we are jumping together.

     Feels like just an hour past but the concert is nearly end. I stuck my eyes on the screen trying to remember all the second that we been through. I was doing as hard as I can for scoop up the water of time by using a net. We only cherish the time when we run out of it, every page of our life also be abused when we at that moment. I’m such silly thought everything is constant as the diamond. My parents and I came to America five years ago and someday I found the family pictures of that time when I check my photos on my phone. The river of age running on my mother’s face and my grandparents’ face doesn’t fit the face of my memory. Time is a sneak thief who steal the person from your childhood memories. 

     When we were out of that stadium, the numberless tiny water-drop apply a film filter of the night view, seems like I was standing the scene of the Hongkong movie, Chungking Express. The cozy yellow light from street lamp spread on our jacket. Foggy rain crumbled the cold night of early spring into pieces. Green and red lights twist with each other, reflects on the wet tar road. For all the things had happened to me is a flower in the mirror when we were moving from a place with thousand people to an open place. We were jumping into the car when the driver waved at us. Look though out the window when we were on the bridge, cargo ship was slowly pushed the water away and ahead to somewhere else. The orange light from the house are outstanding in the blue-blackish spring night. Those lights remind me the warm of my bed. Even is nearly mid night there still has a lot of cars on the high way. After listening the loudly music for two hours and switch into a comfort and peaceful environment that makes me feel emptiness. Entertainment is entertainment, once we put most of our focus on it all we got is the hollowness filled our emotions. Facing to an iron square which has image in it for hours and hours, but at the end of the day the seed of emptiness grow bigger than before. As I grow up interesting things in my phone are bombarding my life which block the chance of close to the nature. I remember when was a kid, I went to outside for riding bicycle. Even it’s still one player activity but I can recall the cloud was fired by the sun which makes me squint my eyes. I press down my foot on the pedal for give a dash, I could vaguely smell the scent of the grass and the noise of the wind hit my ears makes me worry about do I ride it too fast. The sound of cricket was the best background music when I stop for rest. But I’m satisfied with the video of the concert which was the shiniest moment of this year. 

     I was seated at the front seat and listened to my friends talking about the concert and wandering what is the time when I arrive at home.

Argumentative Assignment

160 Convent Ave, 

New York, NY 10031
29 October 2019

The staff member of FDA Consumer

27500, Drake Road
Farmington Hills,
Michigan

Dear recipient:

I’m Yifei Wang, a student of the City College of New York. I’m interested in the dieting topic and I have seen your article, “More People Trying Vegetarian Diets”, which was published in the book of “Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources.” As a person who was born in the twenty-first century, we care about issues such as overweight, fat, nutrition this concern shows a different focus shift from the last hundred years. I agree with the article in the book about vegetarian diets that are effective ways to accomplish the goal of being healthy. However, I have different thoughts on vegetarian diets. The well balanced meal is healthier for our body than vegetarian diets.

The reason I write this letter to you is I want to provide other facts to your article. A lot of people are trying to diet but do not know what should they eats. Your article provides great knowledge to vegetarian diets, but the article is missing the part of the disadvantage of vegetarian diets. Diet is not just about how much calorie should be limited but also is about using diet as a tool to provides the healthier nutrient. And a comprehensive with information about vegetarian diets is more persuasive than the article which is only showing the good side.

Dieting is a big subject, but first question pop in my mind is do we really need to diet? In this society that each of us is under our own stress. The stress from others’ expectation, the stress of others’ judgements, the stress of being a good person in all different aspects. These tiring emotions push us into an unfamiliar area that we typically do not wish to try it. I’m pretty sure that we are all heard about someone loose ten pounds weight but that person gains more than ten pounds after dieting. This situation is caused by the confusion of the concept of being skinny and being on diet. Behind the good-looking body is a healthy life style that a person maintain their whole life. Once the person reaches his/her goal, the person gives up the diet and for a short period of time, that person’s weight would bounce back to the weight lost. This kind of model is called yo-yo dieting. According to a study in South Korea, “All told, people whose weight fluctuated most dramatically between appointments (and who experienced related swings in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar) were 127 percent more likely to die during the study period, as well as 43 percent more likely to have a heart attack and 41 percent more likely to have a stroke” (New York Post, p. 051). Thus, I believe diet is a tool to reach our health goal instead of being the health goal.

Human are animals, we can’t resist the biological factor. Vegetarian diets can be considered as a diet which is an effectively way to reduce weight and also build in metabolism (Taylor & Francis). The fiber of vegetable can reduce the risk of cancer, “A diet high in fiber and yogurt is associated with a reduced risk for lung cancer, according to a study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers published in JAMA Oncology” (Vanderbilt University Medical Center). But all these studies relate vegetarian diets with low calorie. In biological aspect, the low-calorie diets can cause the hypothalamus of our brain release hunger signals which would made us hungrier. When we get the food, eat become a reward which encourage us to eat more. (Guisinger, Shan). In short term vegetarian diets would made us loose more weight than other method of diets but it would gains the desire of eating in long term. In Taylor and Francis’ study, they claimed vegetarian diets can improve metabolism. But when we only eat vegetables, our digest system would slow down. The reason caused this slowly digest system is when we were starving the digest system would remain the food in our stomach longer for extracts the nutrients from food and for fat storage (Guisinger, Shan). Even we conquer the unpleasant flavor of vegetables but our body’s reaction to diet is opposite to our health goal. In some extreme case, someone would restricts the amount of calorie in diets for loose weight in a short period of time. The disadvantage of this extreme case is greater than its advantage. “All the human eating disorders can be triggered in rats by restricting calories. If starved or if food is limited to one hour a day rats spontaneously develop anorexia behaviors where they ignore their food to run on a wheel. … … Gorging, which is part of bulimia and binge eating disorder is a normal response to starvation” (Guisinger, Shan). Cause by the biological factor, vegetarian diets is a more challenging way for loose weight.

Vegetarian diets are a burden to us or a highway toward the goal of being healthy? Dieting is a big challenge, I have asking the people around me, vegetarian diets is not the first choice as their response. The bitter taste of vegetables is the nightmare of my childhood, I would rather take the risk of getting heart disease than only eat vegetables every day. Your article has mention that “with a plant-based daily diet, eating a variety of foods and sufficient calories for energy needs will help ensure adequate intakes of calcium, iron and zinc” (K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, pp. 416-420). Because vegetarian diets only consider vegetables as the main source of daily nutrition, people need to spend more attention on build the knowledge of the nutrition of vegetables for have a balanced meal. People spending time on family, friends, personal relationship, job, school, so on. And now we need to split a little more time or money for learning the nutrition knowledge. I suppose only few of us can done these tasks perfectly. So, why do we give a harder task to ourself and let the “skinny looking” goal even further from us. 

Eating moderate amount of red meat is good for health. In your article, “‘Some may choose to eliminate red meat but continue to eat fish and poultry occasionally, and such a diet is also to be encouraged,’ said Jack Zeev Yetiv, M.D., Ph.D” (K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, pp. 416-420). However, according to a recent study by University of Nottingham that having a little amount of red meat would reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood which is the one of the reasons that can cause heart disease (University of Nottingham). When people are talking the pros and cons of vegetables and meat, the stereotype would come up first, meat is harmful to people’s health and vegetables improve people’s body condition. But the article on Medical New Today would break the stereotype. Red meat is contains the nutrition of vitamin and iron which can be used for synthesize red blood cell. Usually only taking vegetables are lack of vitamin B-12 and meat is the main source of vitamin B-12. Taking moderate unprocessed meat would prevent B-12 deficiency anemia (Berry, Jennifer, Medical News Today). These facts remind us that both diet menu which is only eat meat or only eat vegetable are not helping people become more health or loose weight.

The health diets include vegetarian diets are released more green gas than we thought. The opinion of eating vegetable has small effect to the earth of your article, “Some believe it’s a better use of the earth’s resources to eat low on the food chain—that is, to eat plant foods, rather than the animals that eat the plant foods. ” (K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, pp. 416-420, pp. 416-420). Nowadays, the green gas is reaches to the highest record compare with history record—412 in parts per million, according to NASA. Another study indicates “‘Eating lettuce is over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon,’ said Paul Fischbeck, professor of social and decisions sciences and engineering and public policy” (Carnegie Mellon University). Does this study means we should eat meat instead of vegetables? However, the carbon dioxide was emitted by cattle is another main source of green gas. Consider the efficiency in terms of land use, “The reason is that fruits, vegetables and grains must be grown on high-quality cropland, he explained. Meat and dairy products from ruminant animals are supported by lower quality, but more widely available, land that can support pasture and hay” (Cornell University). Combine these facts, the using proportion of land is the key point. My opinion to environment issue is as long as the modern civilization exist, the environment issue can never be solved. But all we can do is minimized the effect of human activity.

Diets involving many factors and our diet not just affects ourself but also others. Sometimes people confused their main purpose of being health and be on diet, the vegetarian diets are stressful to us because we need to consider taking balanced nutrition from vegetables. Even we overcomes these stressful situations, our body would slow down digest system for “survival”. Red meat is not bad as we thought. In the environment protection aspect, produced red meat is efficiency than vegetables in term use of land. And eat a little meat is good for people’s body. Thanks for reading this letter, I wish these facts can be mention in your article for knowledge the public.

Sincerely,

Yifei Wang

Reference

Berry, Jennifer. “Is Red Meat Bad for You? Benefits, Risks, Research, and Guidelines.” Medical   News Today, MediLexicon International,                            https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326156.php.

Carnegie Mellon University. “Vegetarian and ‘healthy’ diets could be more harmful to the environment, researchers say: Eating lettuce is ‘over three times worse’ in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151214130727.htm>.

Cornell University. “Diet With A Little Meat Uses Less Land Than Many Vegetarian Diets.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 October 2007. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071008130203.htm>.

Guisinger, Shan. “Low-Calorie Diets Create Health Problems.” Can Diets Be Harmful?, edited by Amy Francis, Greenhaven Press, 2016. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/EJ3010463237/OVIC?                   u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=19dd30b6. Accessed 27 Oct. 2019. Originally published as        “Dangers of Dieting a Body Adapted to Famine,”, Mar. 2012.

Health & Fitness The dangers of yo-yo dieting.” New York Post [New York, NY], 9 Oct. 2018,  p. 051. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.ccny-      proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A557433409/OVIC     u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=88080868. Accessed 26 Oct. 2019.

“More People Trying Vegetarian Diets.” Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources, edited by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, pp. 416-420, Gale, 2006, pp. 416-420. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3456500157/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=0b6591f0. Accessed 27 Oct. 2019.

Taylor & Francis. “Vegetarian diets almost twice as effective in reducing body weight, study       finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2017.     <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612094458.htm>.

University of Nottingham. “You do not have to go cold turkey on red meat to see health benefits.”   ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 September 2019.            <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930101521.htm>.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “High fiber, yogurt diet associated with lower lung cancer     risk.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 October 2019.     <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025113010.htm>.

The Education Complex

Through the twenty first century, education has been a hot topic. Everyone has their own understanding of education. The concept of education is affected by their culture. In my opinion, education is a process which combines learning behavior and logical thinking. If education is missing any of these conditions then it is not complete for a person.

     Back in the sixteenth century, the meaning of education was different from now, the Etymology Dictionary gives the definition of education as, “1530s, ‘child-rearing,’ also ‘the training of animals,’ from Middle French education (14c.) and directly from Latin educationem (nominative educatio) ‘a rearing, training,’ noun of action from past-participle stem of educare (see educate). Originally of instruction in social codes and manners; meaning ‘systematic schooling and training for work’ is from 1610s” (Online Etymology Dictionary). Eventually the definition on the Dictionary Website of Education became the well-known definition of today, “the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life” (Dictionary). However, society is only focusing on the first half of the sentence. This is an inevitable result. Because a person’s intelligence can be presents as number through test. A person’s idea, moral view, and world view are hard to be measured. When people ate exchanging their opinions to each other, there is no absolute right or wrong. We have different opinions with each other instead of having an “A plus” opinion or “F” opinion. The meaning of education to society is similar with the meaning in the Sixteenth century. Society does not pay attention on “generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life” (Dictionary). 

     The understanding of education at different societal roles causes conflicts between nation and individuals. Our former president Obama’s, opinion on education was, “What you make your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. The future of America depends on you … … don’t ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country” (Barack Obama). The development of a nation needs education but the attention on each subject are uneven. The nation needs elites of math for space exploration, the elites of biology for the cure to cancer, the elites of architecture to improve city planning, and so on. The expectation of the government towards education is having as many people educated as possible. Thus, they are care about the quantity. Ken Robinson, an educationalist from Britain, has given a speech on Ted Talk, “One effect of ‘no child left behind’ has been narrow the focus onto the so-called STEM disciplines … … A real education has to give equal weight to the arts, the humanities, and to physical education” (Ken Robinson). To a country, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines are necessary for the development of a society. But for individuals, the importance of STEM disciplines’ is less than the country considers. Because not everyone is good at math, science, chemistry, etc. The focus on STEM disciplines would limit personal growth. Robinson said, “and one of the roles of education is to awaken and develop these powers of creativity” (Ken Robinson). For individuals, the education is about the quality. My thoughts about education are similar with Robison, a nation is constructed by people; the improvement of a nation also must be made by people. So, a government should leave the space on education for the creativity of people.

     In society, education is more focused on intelligence tests than the “inner part” education. This situation would make people confused that moral education and the way of thinking is less important than the test result. Education is important to a society in general, but what is the meaning of education for individual? I question myself, what is the meaning of being a college student? The answer is get a nice job when I graduate. A nice job relates to a high salary. High salary relates to a well-being of life. Eventually, education relates with material life. As the result, the education is done when people get a job. A person would most likely not be willing to read a book after graduating from school, so that his/her “data base” is not updated. This is why some people of the previous generation have outdated thoughts. People are trying so hard to get rid of the burden of education, because the “education” will not fulfill the hollowness of their heart. They cannot see the importance of education to them.

     Education taught people how we can find the solution to solve the problems. Education links to thinking. Determining what is right and what is wrong are important, but how do we judge the right and wrong? The hollowness which stays in people’s heart is one of the results of the lack of thinking. Doing things without thinking why, leads us into the maze of life. The people in the maze often say “I cannot find the purpose of life.” The book, Analects of Confucius has wrote about, “The Master said: ‘To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.’” (Confucius). Learning without thinking would lead to confusion and misunderstanding eventually. People cannot determine the right and wrong by their own logic to other’s opinions. We would follow whatever the book said. This situation is still happening now. It is like solving a math problem. The formula is given but the student still cannot correctly use the formula on the test. Thinking without learning would lead to the end of nothing. A person is thoughtful but has no knowledge to support his/her idea, the thinking would tire out the person and that person would be stuck on the problem that is too hard to solve. For example, a three years old kid question himself why is the sky is blue, he may give the answer like an elfin painted the sky in blue or cannot give an answer. Without learning the concept of scattering and the wave length of light, the kid would stuck at this question for a long time.

     Education is not just about learning knowledge but also about moral education. Plato, the famous philosopher of ancient Greece, talks about education in a different angle, “And all knowledge, when separated from justice and virtue, is seen to be cunning and not wisdom” (Plato, Menexenus, p. 196). How does a person get his wisdom? The wisdom comes from two parts; one is what are people born with, another one is through what they gain from education. But the education without a clear moral view, is failed. At the same time, moral education is also hard to control. The moral view of a person is affected by the accumulation of the person’s culture, family, friends’ effects. Morals are hard to be explained, moral education requires that the teacher and the parents have good explanation skills and knowledge. How could we answer the question of why should we be nice to each other? Why should we not cheat on test? Why should we not do whatever we want? Unfortunately, the failure of moral education may lead to serious issues. An example of recent event represents that issue. On June ninth, 2017, Yingying Zhang, a visiting Chinese scholar student was kidnapped and murdered by Brendt Allen Christensen, who is a Champaign resident and former physics graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. The University of Illinois is one of the Public Ivies. How should we blame for a graduate student who is from a top college of America to commit this crime? The education of the United States is not totally failing but the moral education of the murderer, Brendt Allen Christensen, has totally failed. 

     Education is needed even if it does not work on everybody. I have heard people said “college degree is useless.” Because the most supportive evidence of them is some famous people drop at of college and they have a successful career. However, society is improving quickly. More and more jobs needs college degree. I want to emphasis that, without a college degree, it does not mean you cannot have a nice job, but instead, you need to work even harder for a higher position in the firm, than those who have college degree. Mark Zuckerberg dropped out the college for his Facebook business. The key point is he drop out from Harvard, and then after starting his business. He has learned the knowledge and personal discipline from the education and also has the ability to solve the challenge and keep the discipline for his Facebook career. When Mark Zuckerberg answered the question about “Is Bachelor’s degree necessary for success?” He answered, “I did not choose to leave, I just happen to build Facebook and it kind of made me leave … … I wish I could stayed in college.” The experience from others became the excuse for someone to escape the stress from school. Steve Jobs had the same situation, “The minute I dropped out, I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and being dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting” (Steve Jobs). He did not totally drop out from the education, rather he dropped out from the building that was called college.

     The meaning of education to me is not just being in school but also about personal growth. The book, At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails inspires me a lot. I was struggling with my life but the opinion from the book said do not find the excuses for yourself. Human have the potential to make change even if the culture, race, or language are obstacles. Education is a window for you to see the outside world and also is a brick which not only breaks the wall that is builds inaccurate of the castle of your mind but also builds up the base of your mind castle. Even though the education of America does not fit the situation of everyone, we do need the education for solving the problems of our life and providing as a chance to be successful.

                            works cited page 

Confucius. “Analects of Confucius.” Translated by A. Charles Muller, Analects of Confucius, http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/analects.html#div-3.

“Education (n.).” Index, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/education#etymonline_v_29710.

“Education.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/education?s=t.

Plato, speech of Aspasia, recounted by Socrates, Menexenus 246e, Plato: The Collected Dialogues (1961), p. 196.

President Obama’s Message for America’s Students, YouTube, 8 Sept. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZZ6GrzWkw0.

Robinson, Sir Ken. “How to Escape Education’s Death Valley | Sir Ken Robinson.” YouTube, Ted, 10 May 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc&t=292s.

Student Ask Mark Zuckerberg “Is Bachelor’s Degree Necessary for Success ?”, YouTube, 13 Mar. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXF_yLYa8j8.

Why I Dropped Out of College | Steve Jobs, YouTube, 21 Nov. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjxhenAHyGk.

Reflection paper

During this semester, I have writing some essays. Writing the topic that I have interest in is an enjoyment even its need me put a lot of time on my paper. I research about how to write research paper, those website gives some points. Outline is important because it helps me to organized my paper, I have changed my outline a few times, each time the outline makes the central idea more clearly. For me the hardest part is how to connect the main idea with the research I did. Dream interpretation is an interesting topic, I can find a thousand of the resources but pick the article which is connect with my paper topic is difficult. Some resources are talking about dreams but not strongly connect with my topic and at some paragraphs which is not related with my topic. Thus, I got a short cut. Some articles have conclusion subtitle, take a look at the conclusion subtitle would save my time. At the same time, because most of the articles are academic paper, so they are not understand easily. Some paper I need to spend a day to read and understand the meaning. Especially the psychology paper, I was trying to conclude some idea which I know nothing about. I can’t conclude something that I don’t understand and my paper would lose logic. But luckily the paper gives some examples to highlight the ideas. Most of the information is compact as one article. What I’m doing is highlight the important ideas and examples from the articles. Next, put out the ideas that are relate with my topic. Because there has a large amount of ideas, thus I can’t conclude all the ideas into my paper. It is hard to select one or two ideas and demonstrate with details. The things that makes me enjoy is I have learnt about the dream during this assignment. Several days ago, I have used the method of interpretation dream to interpret my dream. I know why this idea is in my unconscious mind. The second thing that I concern about is grammar. I’m not good at grammar, so I go to the writing center which is helps me a lot. During the tutoring, my paper was correct and I have learnt some grammar. To improve my grammar needs a lot of practice and it’s a long term result. For solve this problem i need to visit writing center multiple times. Another thing that I learn from the writing center is the research paper needs a reference page not a foot note. The citation also has its own format. My tutor told me its better have more citation than less citation and I need to cite the idea which is not common sense, even the summarized needs the citation. Each paragraph’s subtitle is makes me suffer. Because I was trying to come up a sentence to conclude my points, it takes a while but I finished. 

presentation of two genre

Message from sprites. 

Dream book, soul, gods are the base of the interpretation of dream. 

psychology  
dream  
dream is a box which fulfillment of repressed wishes in disguised form.  
  
Repressed wishes Disguised form 
The conflict between id and superego repressed wishes are usually unacceptable, thus, when the dream is escape from unconscious, it needs pretend in a different form to escape the check from conscious. 
 eg. john is dreaming about his sister. 
The Structure of Personality  
Id  Pleasure principle 
superego “what should we do?”  “right or wrong?” 
ego Balance id and superego depend on reality 
Disguised form  
Condensation is a figure in a dream may be constituted by fusion of traits belonging to more than one actual person. Ex. two guys were proposed to a woman 
Displacement is one idea or symbol was displaced by other idea or symbol. 
Opposites the tendency of the conscious mind if the conscious life situation is “in large degree one-sided.” Ex. Jung 
dreams are highlight the repressed emotions. Ex. Cring in dreams 

Theory of writing

For me the meaning of writing is convey the information that I want to claim. However, it is hard to do for me. Because when I was in primary school the teacher asked us writing an essay about an event which is affect me a lot. Honestly, the teacher didn’t give us a standard for what is a good essay. So, what I’m writing at that time is my experiences and imagination. When I’m in junior high school, the them was changed from personal experience to reflection of some movies or some outdoor activities. It is horrible task to do. Because in my memory, every time when we have a movie that was requested to watch, the movie must be about “educational”. The theme such as “how harmful does the drugs to people?”, “how does people recover from an earthquake?”, “WWII war”. Those theme is great but it is heavy as well. I have no interest in at all. So, that kind of reaction essay is suffer for me. In high school, writing become easier. The essay was given the certain form and outline, for me the form/outline is like the formula.  

Those practice give me the idea of writing. Now, even though I’m in college, the topic of essay sill not what I’m interest in but I’m loving researching the resource for my essay. The reason I’m loving it is the researching resource is flexible I can chose what is fit my essay and what is not. Until this year, I can write some things that I’m interested. Even though I have to read a lot of articles but I’m enjoy the process. My research topic is dream interpretation, I’m learning from others’ articles. Though those years, I realized I’m not lack of the talent of writing but passion. I have such ability but I can’t force myself doing the “boring” things as excellent level. Also, I’m enjoyable about the essay I’m writing right now, it is naturally what I’m doing in my head, it is free floating as long as I didn’t lose the theme. An artist from Korea who is my role model, he has tattoo a word “passion” on his chest. Back that time I can’t figure out the reason why he chose “passion” and I was thinking he is really strive for his career. I’m understand now. He is loving his job and the passion can lead him conquer the obstacle. When I’m writing “boring” topic, the responsibility for being a student is pushing me to finish the task, I can’t say no. But when I’m writing “interesting” topic that is pushing by passion. Responsibility keeping you on the track, but passion pushing you further. 

Right now, the most important thing for me is grammar. I went to writing center and the tutor was given me helpful suggestions, especially about the non, verb, adj. Writing in second language isn’t easy thing to do. But I think the key to unlock this skill is passion and persistence. The passion about writing are not just about the things I’m interest in but also is the belief of “I can achieve the things that others telling me I can’t.”