The Importance of a Scholarship

A scholarship is a grant or payment made to support a student's education, awarded on the basis of academics or other achievements. Pretty much every young adult knows that a scholarship is able to pay for their tuition, books, and primary living expense. Not only does a scholarship help pay toward current and future fees, it can also look good on a student's resume, leading to working at a well-paying job. Once a student graduates from college with a scholarship, potential employers will be very impressed with reading the resumes of these students. Students that have earned a scholarship shows representatives that they have discipline and responsibility by being able to get the award. An applicant who obtained their education via a scholarship is highly respected in the eyes of most potential employers.

College Application

A. What else do I have to do in order to apply to a college:
1. SAT/ACT Scores
2. Essays
3. Letters of Recommendations
4. More credits for the classes I am taking
5. Funds to pay for the application fee.

B. Timeline

• After getting a summer job, I would be able to pay for the application fees. (August 9th of 2015) 
• During my senior year, I would be able to be able to send off my letters of recommendation and essays (November 1st and February 1st, )
• After I take more of the SAT/ACT tests, then I would be able to fill in the boxes. (November 8th & December 13th of 2015)
• By the end of my senior year, I would have all of my credits filled up. (May 24th of 2016)

C. Academically, I feel that I am where I want to be when speaking terms of my class rank (2nd). I wish my GPA would increase even further, but that is up to me. As for the SAT/ACT Scores, I need to study in order to get a higher grade. All of these will determine my future so I need to do what ever I can to do great.

D. I believe the colleges I have chosen are the ones for me. They provide my majors & minors, athletic sports, and my sense of environment. I do need to keep looking at other colleges, but for now, these are the colleges I hope to attend. I need to start looking more at the undergraduate funding and the school's personality.

Education

1. Is the college degree necessary/worth the cost (not just dollars but time) for economic and social success?

In my perspective, a college degree is definitely worth the cost for economic and social success. With a degree, many young adults are able to fund themselves in order to live a healthy, easier lifestyle. Money that comes form the degree can help towards bills and taxes. It can also lead to more income in their banks. Not only are they able to pay for remedies toward their future, it would also help young adults find a good career. Many companies or businesses love to see what their applicants have on their resume, such as what type of degree they possess. The bigger the degree, the more vital they would become towards the job.


2. How would you rate the US School system in terms of opportunities it gives its students v. 1 other country you saw in a presentation?

I would rate the U.S. school system as pretty low and needs improvement compared to international countries, such as China. The U.S. scored below the PISA math mean and ranks 26th out of the 34 OECD countries. Parts of China topped the rankings for math, reading, and science. The American government needs to find a better way to educate our young leaders in order to compete with China and almost every other country. Even though the U.S. ranks fifth in spending per student for their education, a higher expenditure on education is not a highly predictive of better education. This means the American society is in need of better learning techniques in order to become as smart as international individuals. The students will need to demonstrate the skills that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life, thus resulting in the education they receive.

Spring Break

During the week of spring break, my family and I will be taking a trip to Orlando, Florida for vacation. We plan to relax and attend the different amusement paks in the area. I have gone to Florida many times so this adventure will add on to my story. Also, I plan to catch up on any assignments that need to be completed. I hope everyone have a wonderful spring break!

Influence Through The Dead Poets Society

1. My father is he most influential person in my life. He has done 21 years in the military before I was born, showing leadership back then and even now. He is a Christian that has so many stories based on the connection he has with God. He is highly respected among his peers and makes me proud to call myself his son.

2. Poetry, beauty, romance, and love are the essence of what human society lives for. Without these elements. our human race would just be filled with sadness and boredom. They fill our lives with meaning, which encourages the thought of this being what we live for. My views on poetry is that it is great because people are able to speak their emotions through the rhythm and flow of the words.

3. I totally agree with Mr. Keating because things are different if you look at it in another perspective. Mr. Keating tries to get his students to think and look at life different. I once was afraid of heights, but I had to look at I from another stand point and perspective in order to overcome the fear.

4. The verse I want to leave for my life is that I want to be the man God wants me to be. I want to live as a respected, intelligent Christian that only wants to help make a difference in the world. The last impression I want to have is to known as a kind, loving man who cares about others more than himself.

Neil Blog

1. I believe Neil still would have committed suicide even if Mr. Keating was not in his life. Before meeting Mr. Keating, Neil was already upset at how his father was trying to run his life. One of the aspects would include not participating in the school play a passion Neil took to heart. Neil already had thoughts of disobeying his father before consulting to Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating just tried to make Neil talk with his father about what he felt.

2. Neil was the bravest out of the Dead Poet boys because he had bone against his father's word on not joining the school play. He also inspired his friends to bring back the Dead Poets Society even though they he heard of all the consequences that followed if they were caught. Richard Cameron is the coward because he only tries to abide by the rules the administration and his parents. When the authority starts to get tougher, he squeals about the entire society and confesses that Mr. Keating was guilty in an effort t save himself from consequences. He does not defend Mr. Keating or his friends because he was too scared to get in trouble.

3. The poetry book in Neil's room was placed by Mr. Keating. Even though he knew that the administration wouldn't like it, he was trying to teach the boys to think for themselves, and not always do what people tell them to do. He knew that Neil was ready to do things for himself, due to his acts against his father's word. He gave him the book, even though he knew the administration wouldn't like it.

Theme of The Dead Poet's Society

I believe the central theme for the film, The Dead Poets Society, would be courage and bravery. Throughout the film, any viewer can see the type of courage most of the characters had to face during their time at Welton Academy. Only a few characters will be discussed for their acts of bravery. For instance, Todd Anderson, who is a shy, respectable character, experiences his inner courage towards the end of the film. His teacher, Mr. Keating, was accused of being the reason Neil Perry, another main character, killed himself. When Mr. Keating was packing his bags to leave the school, Todd broke out of his fear and stood on top of his desk, paying respect to his captain. The other Dead Poets followed Todd also to pay respect to their captain. Another type of courage would be from Neil Perry, who had gone against his father's word for not participating in the school play. His dream was to act, but his father would not approve of it, forcing him to quit the production. In an effort to not turn down the leading re in the play, Neil secretly had gone to the play after his father told him not to go. Lastly, Knox overcame his fear of talking to girls by finally listening to his heart and not by his unconfident thoughts. He eventually asked the love of his life out on a date and fought against her obnoxious boyfriend.

Follow Up Questions from DPS

1. To my perspective, Todd was the main character who had his life transformed. When he first arrived on campus, Todd was a shy and not out going when among his peers. Through Mr. Keating's teachings on looking at things in different perspectives and from the craziness from the Dead Poets, he was able to get out of his shell and take a stand for himself, which was later displayed towards the end of the film. He tried to defend Mr. Keating at the end of the movie by standing on the desk in respect for their captain. This leadership lead to the other Dead Poets to follow in his footsteps.


2. Charlie, better known as Nwanda, did not change throughout the entire film. He portrayed rebellion and creativity throughout the entire movie, showing off his true colors above everyone else. He was always the out going Dead Poet that brought amusement and creativity to the Dead Poet Society. Another example of a static character would be the head master of Welton Academy. Throughout the film, he brought in discipline towards the school, enforcing obedient laws and regulations.


3. Mr. Keating is a static and round character. A round character is realistic and complex and shows a true depth of personality. The movie shows Mr. Keating's passion for past literature and music. He also understands the concept of thing out of the box and tries to teach his students about seeing things in a new perspective. Mr. Keating also does not change throughout the film, in which he explains his teachings of thinking for yourself through the school year. He stays true to himself and what he believes, not changing to the threats and consequences that goes against him.


4. Todd Anderson is a shy individual, following fear of authority and acting against the law as character traits. When he has to sign a petition that Mr. Keating is guilty, he is put under pressure by the head master and his own parents to sign the paper. Neil Perry is an interesting character with lots of enthusiasm and kindness. The only thing he struggles against is talking to his father about his problems and what to become in life. His father is basically living through his son's life, making him leave the acting industry to become a doctor from training through the military and Harvard University. Neil wants to express his feelings about his father's decisions, but is to afraid to go against his authority. Knox Overstreet is a bright fellow that later shows signs of courage and bravery. He struggles to talk to a girl he likes, showing signs of uneasiness and unpreparedness. He later asks her out on a date and standing up to her boyfriend, getting his dream girl. Lastly, Charlie Dalton is an outgoing individual that creates his own rules and lwas for himself. He enjoys being the class clown and being himself. He is afraid of becoming like everyone else at the school, such as being a respectable student that cares only of getting good grades. He wants to feel free and express himself to the world.

Discussion Questions over Mona Lisa Smile

3. Betty is seen to have a tremendous reaction towards Joan's application to study in Yale. Why? If you were Betty, would you have similar reaction?


A: Betty reacts towards Joan's application study to Yale in a negative way because she feels that this will ruin Joan's future. Betty and Joan had dreamt of becoming married women with a role of taking care of their children and husbands. This was told to be the greatest thing to happen to them and their troubles would have been over. Joan's acceptance to Yale would mean not getting married and not fulfilling their greatest wish. Betty feels that raising a family is greater than to receive a higher education, which is the opposite feelings of their teacher, Katherine Watson. If I were Betty, I would be surprised at this news and would realize that Joan would not marry, resulting into living a lifestyle similar to Katherine Watson. I would praise Joan for considering a higher education, but if I were Betty with her standards of Ms. Watson and marriage, then I would consult Joan like Betty did in the movie.


5. Betty's marriage to Spencer – do you think she was happy? Note her mother's refusal to let her stay with her. Why?

A: I believe Betty was happy with her new lifestyle of becoming a loving wife to her adored husband. It had been her and Joan's dream to marry and to raise their families together. There were times where she was upset of her mother's decisions, but she was still in the joyous mood. She chose not to go back to school after a while to fulfill her duties as a house wife. Later in the film, Betty's husband kept on leaving town due to "unexpected business trips", which Betty eventually found out he was having an affair with someone else. She goes to her mother for comfort and resolution, but was ordered to go back to her house to tend to her husband. Betty's mother liked Betty's husband and wanted her to be happy with him, fulfilling his needs and wants. He is wealthy and able to provide Betty with things, resulting in Betty's mother to make Betty stay with him, even if he is having an affair.

Katherine Watson VS Charles Dickens

Katherine Watson used a teaching method that was out of the box. Compared to Charles Dickens's way of teaching, they somewhat have a similar style. While Charles Dickens just teach students based on facts, Katherine Watson teaches facts but in a style that brings the students into the subject. She takes the students into another level of learning, in which she takes the students on field trips and briefly goes in depth when teaching. Charles Dickens has a sense of boredom when talking about teaching students only facts, while Katherine makes it fun and interesting. Also, teaching straight from the book isn't always good. The facts are usually past the date it was made, so new facts could have rolled in.

Post Mona Lisa Smile theme

The theme from, Mona Lisa Smile, that I favored the most was the fact that it was ironic how someone that you could hate so much would be the one that you love. Throughout the movie, Betty despised Ms. Watson, writing hateful newspaper articles about her and towards her teaching. She would always try to make Ms. Watson feel bad and take over her pride. In the end, she missed Ms. Watson and wanted her to stay with her. She realized that Ms. Watson was a great teacher and friend, helping herself to find her true self. This theme portrayed a lot of hatred and then love towards the end of the film.

Mona Lisa Smile

I think in the movie, Mona Lisa Smile, the main character will go back to school and help the girls to learn and to find out who they truly are. In the movie, it shows that one of the students had stopped going to school because she was married. I believe the teacher will find a way to become successful through her love life and her students, even though the college life was difficult. She will become successful through her friends and husband, while becoming a role model on the girls that she teach. Throughout the struggles that goes on in her life, she finds a way to turn it around and to become the smart, amazing women she always was.

College VS High School Exams

In reality, college exams are the hardest when comparing to high school exams. Even though they are taken less frequently than high school exams, they cover a lot of material. What also makes these exams stressful is that they count towards your overall test grade. The high school exams are the easiest out of the two. College exams cover more material on a test than any of the high school exams, so this will eventually lead an individual to find a great way to study. Cramming should not happen when a student is studying for both exams. In high school, the students should take notes and break each section down until they fully grasp the meaning. In college, the young adults should consider helping each other out by working together in the library or tutoring center. They can look up additional information to their notes and compare them to their fellow classmates.