I don't think this was the intention

In doing my test corrections, I don't feel like I am discovering mistakes I made, I feel like I am arguing as a devil's advocate for an answer that feels less correct than the incorrect one that I originally chose. 

That being said, I am super-duper thankful that we have the opportunity to do test corrections in the first place.

Everyone saw this, right?

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/187524501.html

The Lesson I Learned

My essay sucked.

It took some major discomfort in class this morning for me to realize that. I can't necessarily speak for other students, but from me, thank you, Mrs. Cardona, for snapping me out of my haze. I thought my essay was fine. I knew it probably wasn't great, but neither were my others, and they got B's. But I was wrong. And after the blog post earlier today, I think I realize some of what went wrong (I'm pretty sure there were sentences specifically referring to me, even). I know I need to figure out how to fix it. I just don't know how yet.

I wish AP Comp was my only class. I wish I didn't have physics problems to do every night. I wish I didn't have a physics test to study for. I wish I didn't have a lab book to prepare. I wish I didn't have to do AP Government readings. I wish I didn't have to study for the FRQs. I wish I didn't have to practice any of my three instruments. I wish I didn't have a band concert tonight. I wish I didn't have a recital this thursday. I wish I didn't have a jazz band performance creeping up quickly. I wish I didn't have music lessons that expect major progress every week. I wish I didn't have college applications to do last weekend. I wish I didn't have to sleep.

I want to write a good essay, or at the very least I don't want to have written a crappy essay. I hate not meeting expectations. For as long as I could remember, the single thing that scared me most was getting in trouble. The fright has decreased as I've gotten older, but the guilt and disappointment are still there whenever I make someone unhappy. When the projector was turned on and showed the letter we had to write, I knew. It was a kick in the gut, a horrible way to start the day. But I have to say we, or at least I, deserved it.

I suppose the only explanation I can give is that I just had too many things. I wasn't able to give my essay the time it deserved as an essay, only the time it was allotted as homework. It didn't help that I had to completely change topics and start over after I had done the first draft and the peer conference.

The lesson I've learned from this, besides the obvious "my essay sucks", is that I simply can't do this many things at once. This whole semester has been proof of that for me. I wish I wasn't stuck in the middle of everything. But I am. I'll see what I can do.

AAAAUUUGGH!

After finishing up my revision, I have discovered that my essay goes ONE LINE onto a new page at the very end. Not even one full line, like half a line.

My Goal

For my essay I am revising the very first blog post we were assigned—the one explaining our writing process. In this revision essay, I expanded the topic slightly, and I am writing an essay called "How Non-Writers Write".

It isn't too big of a topic change, as my writing process that I wrote about originally is definitely the writing process of a non-writer, but I am rewriting the entire thing from scratch. (It still counts as a revision essay, though, not a new essay, right?)

My goal with this essay is not simply to get a good grade. I would be lying if I were to say I would have written this essay if I were not required to for school, and I would be lying if I were to say the grade I get on it doesn't matter to me, but for the first time I actually somewhat care about what I'm writing about.

My mission is to show what writing is like for those whose mission and inspiration is only to get a good grade. What it is like for those whose brains just don't work the way that writers' do. I want to raise awareness. The fact that this is an essay assigned for a writing class is important.

I'm a non-writer. As a result, writing is a special kind of torture for me. Even when I am inspired, I hate every bit of the process. Especially in a writing class, I'm not sure many writers are really aware of the struggle that people like me are forced to go through in class and outside of class. I'm a math guy, and I know that I don't understand as much as I would like the ways people struggle with math. I know I would like to find out that kind of thing from those people. So I am doing it for what I struggle with.

Funny Videos

First of all, the penguin video: 

Next, the onion. Nothing else compares. Warning: Contains very frequent uses of the real versions of the words "bullcrap" and "frick".

Also, CollegeHumor. Warning: Contains a couple school-inappropriate anatomical terms and a four letter word beginning with "f". But it makes a great argument.

Finally, Andy Levy is very sorry (No inappropriate language in this one).

Wait! Bonus: The single video that has made me laugh more than any other. It doesn't really have an argument, but its freaking hilarious.

I don't like morning people.

Pet Peeve: Morning people

I could have just said that I don't like mornings, which is true, but that wouldn't be as broad a statement as it would need to be to summarize my dislike.

It's Monday morning. I have just woken up, 6 hours earlier than I would like, after getting four hours of sleep. I have to drag myself out of bed, and drive to school. I have my coffee, and am just sitting for a bit waiting for the bell to ring, and all of these morning people around me are so happy and energized. It really pisses me off.

They're like people who gloat after winning. Monday morning is a horrible time and everyone should be grumpy. Don't rub it in my face that you are able to fall asleep before 1 am.

And of course they're happy. The world is completely biased in their favor. Everything starts early in the morning. It doesn't have to, but it does. School, along with most jobs, starts at an ungodly early hour.

People who aren't morning people are at a disadvantage in all of these aspects of life. They are not able to do as well in school, because they are forced to get up before they have had enough sleep. They have to take standardized tests in the early morning, too.

So these morning people have everything going in their favor, and then they have the audacity to come up to me at 7 am and say: "You look tired." OF COURSE I LOOK TIRED IT'S 7 AM! Go away and don't bother me again until I've had a chance to drink my coffee.