I hate exams....

I just got out of an exam and my heart is still racing. I have been studying for a little over a week now and it’s finally over. Excuse me while I sigh a breath of relief...

I hate taking exams. Exams, quizzes, I hate them all. For some reason when ever I have an exam coming up, it is all I can think about. For instance, the other night, I had a dream that I was on my way to Brownson to take my exam and a dog started chasing me. I ended up missing my exam and not graduating because I failed the course. Think about it, that would never happen. But for some reason my nerves get the best of me and I think the worst, even in my sleep. It’s bad, really really bad! Needless to say, I woke up the next morning exhausted and even more nervous then I was the night before. I hate taking exams.

I am not sure why I let my nerves get the best of me. I can study for a week and feel totally confidant, but the moment I step inside the classroom, I forget everything I knew just hours before. I would much rather write a paper then take an exam. Writing is like talking, and I can talk for days. When taking an exam, especially a multiple-choice exam, you have to know the concepts in and out. There is no room for error. I like the idea of writing a paper because you can show your professor you have learned the material by expressing it in words and relating it to your own life experiences. You can’t do that with multiply choice. Either way, I am not a fan of exams.

Check out some information on test anxiety and how to deal with it.

Good News vs. Bad News

One of the criticisms of the news media that many people make is that journalists emphasize “bad news” rather than “good news.” What do you think people mean by that? Do you agree? Do the news values in this chapter mean that journalists are more likely to look for “bad news” than “good news”?

I most certainly agree with the criticism that journalists emphasize “bad news” rather than “good news.” When looking through a newspaper or magazine, you rarely read a positive headline. All you see these days are articles about crime, war, or economic crises. For example, if you go to the New York Times website, the cover page is full of articles titled, Obama Presses Economic Plan to Confront ‘Crisis’, Death Toll Climbs in Australia Fires, and Rodriguez Admits Using Drug to Enhance Performance. It appears that journalists are much more interested in writing “bad news” rather than “good news.” One reason journalists focus on “bad news” rather than “good news” is because readers seem to be more interested in reading “bad news.” The news values listed in Stovall’s textbook are a prime example. For instance, the first news value listed is impact. As we read in the book, impact is when an event has the capacity to change people’s lives. Even if only a few people are involved the consequences may affect many. For this reason “bad news” is featured more because of the consequences individuals involved may face and the ramifications they may have on society.

Another news value readers tend to focus on is conflict, which we often find in “bad news.” As stated in the textbook “conflict is one of journalist’s favorite news values because it generally ensures that there is an interesting story to write.” Therefore, in order to grab the readers’ attention, conflict is often featured in the media. Proximity is another news value focused on in journalism because people want to know what is going on around them. Proximity is especially important for “bad news” because people want to be aware of any dangers, problems or haphazards happening ‘in their backyard.’ Overall, it appears that “bad news” is featured more then “good news” due to news values and the readers’ preference.

No Modifiers.....what the???

This is hard. Not only do I not know what to write about, but I am faced with the task of writing without using modifiers I guess I will just write what’s on my mind. Here goes nothing….

I cant to wait graduate. I look forward to day when I walk across the stage and receive my diploma. Sometimes this day seems so far from now, but I am sure May 16^th will be here before I know it.

The reason I look forward to graduation is not because I am tired of being here, although I am, but because I feel ready to pursue my graduate education. As stated in my first blog, my goal is to become a teacher. I love to learn and love being around children. Therefore, teaching is the career for me.

When I think about all I have accomplished during the last four years, I can’t help but feel pride. I was the first person in my family to graduate high school and now the first to graduate college. Thus, being here is an accomplishment in itself.


P.S. Feel free to point out any adjectives or adverbs I may have over looked.... and click here to see a perfect example of how this assignment should be done. 

The Rules of Grammar

i before e, except after the letter c. What does this even mean?

Although Stovall makes a strong case for knowing the rules of grammar, I am one of the few people who do not think that this knowledge is extremely important. Believe it or not, I did not start learning the rules of grammar until high school. As a child, I was never taught the rules of grammar, punctuation, or phonics. However, I have always been good at organizing my thoughts in a clear manner and making them sound good on paper. With this said, I always did well in all my English classes and was even placed in English honors all throughout high school. It wasn’t until college did I notice that I would receive lower grades on my papers because of spelling, grammar and punctuation. Therefore, I started getting my papers proofread before handing them in.

As my tutor read over my paper, she would point out any mistakes and explain to me what was wrong with that sentence. As months passed, whenever I took a paper to be proofread, she would find less and less mistakes. The reason for this was not because she taught me the rules of grammar, but because I continued to write. Even to this day I am still not familiar with all the grammatical rules, but I still write well. Writing a paper comes natural to me and I seem to be good at doing it. Therefore, I do not believe one has to know why an i goes before e, except after the letter c, or the difference between an active or passive voice. If you are a good writer and can get your point across in a well written manner, then knowing the rules of grammar is not that important.

Blog # 1- About Me...

Hi. My name is Joan Serpico and I am currently a senior at Manhattanville College. I am a psychology major and a creative writing minor. Although I have a great interest in both psychology and creative writing, my true passion is for teaching. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to teach. As a child I constantly played imaginary school. I would line up my stuffed-animals in random rows and pretend to teach them their ABC’s. I thought I was the best teacher in the world. Moreover, I have always had an interest in young children. Whenever I went to visit family friends, I would always play with the younger children as my mother conversed with her friends. I have always been told I had a gift with children and I should consider working with them in the future.

With this said, I got my first babysitting job at the age of twelve and got my first real job as an assistant camp counselor at the age of fourteen. Needless to say, I have been working with children for many years now and I know without a doubt that I want to be a teacher. Therefore, I am currently in the process of applying to Fordham University’s early childhood education program, where I will take masters classes and work toward certification in ECE. My goal is to work in a New York City public school with under-privileged children.

Lastly, I believe taking this course will help me become a better writer. As stated in class, good writing for the media should be clear, simple, precise, and efficient. Taking this course will help me learn how to be a bitter writer, which will also help me be a better teacher.