The Class Everyone Dreads “Is EN100 a useful class to take?,” this was a question I got asked by a junior at my school. They were looking for classes to take next year; I told them that it was an abundant amount of writing, but it was a great class to take. I went on to explain to them, that taking it in high school would be easier and cheaper than in college. Beginning to explain to them that it helped me grow as a writer and helped improve my English vocabulary, I realized it helped a whole lot. Throughout the first semester of school, we had to write essays over four different topics. These included informative, observation, reflection, and descriptive essays. I told them about my experiences while writing with these certain types of essays. This is what I said: The first essay we wrote was the descriptive writing style. I wrote an essay called, “Burger King’s Crusty Castle”. In this essay, I wrote about the filth inside of the restaurant. Throughout this essay I got better with describing every little detail in the story. I started off by saying, “The tea urns (used to keep all of the freshly made tea in) smell like something had crawled in them and died” (“Burger King’s Crusty Castle”1). I eventually changed it to say, “The tea urns (used to keep all of the freshly made tea in) smell like a skunk that has just been ran over” (“Burger King’s Crusty Castle”11). I added detail to the sentence to make it sound more fluent and to make you feel as if you could smell it. It
this water to survive, and our loved ones at home worried sick wondering if we are even still alive. Then again the view a had while doing this wasn’t all that bad. Most likely a better view than what I would have originally had at the resort we were heading to.
There were waves of adrenaline pumping through my body. A million heart beats per second. I was beyond curious to see what lie behind those huge sliding doors. So many cultures and places I was ready to explore. I could not wait to see a whole new way of life. Once I stepped out of the airport, I could feel the warm and humid air against my skin. Thoughts rushed through my brain all at once. I was so excited to see part of the world that I have never seen before. My family managed to find a taxi that could fit us, and all the baggage that we came with. The leather seats of the car were cold, a relief from the hot weather. I sat in the car, glancing out of the window the entire way to our hotel. The hotel was tall and had a cubic shape. A turquoise green color with large, white beams running across it. When I stepped out of the taxi, there were people at the entrance to greet us. My father checked into the hotel, and then we traveled out near the pool and lounging area. Their was a crystal clear pool. As well as a gargantuan, abstract structure. It was white and resembled a giant goldfish. We looked out and could see the ocean. There were people parasailing and jet skiing. I immediately remembered the time I was in Mexico, all the people out on the water. The sunset reflected perfectly on the ocean. Distinctly remembering the fresh water scent ventilating around in the air. I got a similar rush being in both places, excitement and overwhelm took over my body completely. I felt two emotions at the same time, all tangled up in me. The view of this place was utterly breathtaking. The sun was beaming, and people below us were bustling. I could smell the ocean from the hotel, it was a comforting smell. As if I were on the beach or on a boat sailing away. The feeling that I got, when I stood above the new world below me, is something that is hard to forget.
In English 101 there are several aspects of writing that I did not get to explore while attending my high school. I appreciate that this class gave us freedom to write our stories without harsh guidelines that twisted our creativity. In the beginning half of the semester I wrote a narrative essay about a night in high school that I will never forget and a profile essay that included an interview about my advisor’s advice for freshman engineering students. The second half of the semester, I wrote an analysis essay about a politically incorrect advertisment and an essay exploring a current issue in the world. The broad topics, themes, and formats of each essay provide students like myself a stronger foundation in writing essays. I
My first essay, “Positive mind, Positive life”, had countless errors within it. I quickly learned I needed to break out of the typical five paragraph essay style of writing. Throughout high school, my typical style was a simple five paragraph essay and to just state all the facts then turn in the paper. The problem with my past essays is they did not include enough details, the papers just stated the facts for each paragraph. In the literacy Narrative essay I wrote at the beginning of the semester, I did not end my conclusion correctly. There was not a smooth transition to finish the idea of what my paper was about. I wrongfully included “The point of all of this is not just to point out that I had a good day at school, it’s about how changing your thinking can change everything” (“Positive Mind, Positive Life,” 3). By including that statement I came out and explained what my essay was about rather than explaining with details what the meaning actually was. By stating what I was writing about it did not follow the guidelines of a personal narrative and the reader was left with being told what they were reading rather than deciphering it
I look outside the car window and see the colorless, grey sky and white clouds fly on by. Next to me is one of my best friends, Natalie, and my dad sitting in the front seat humming to a song. “This is going to be such a fun day.” I thought with a grin across my face. As we pull up to the drop off area, you can see the enormous and neon roller coasters rolling by. People of all ages scream at the top of their lungs as they go through flips, loops and drops. “This looks super safe,” I thought in my head. My dad reminds us to be safe and to drink tons of water. He drops Natalie and me off, quickly getting to the gate with a big sign reading, “Six Flags Magic Mountain”.
The three of us head back to the motel. We ask if we need to drop Bella off at her house. She responds with a quick, harsh no. I have the feeling she isn’t telling us something… We race to the room and I get there first. I laugh in Justin’s face as he pulls out the couch. We don’t go to bed immediately. We stay up talking.
A cool breeze blew across my face as I lie on the the white leather seats of my family's new boat. The water sloshes around rocking me back and forth ever so gently. I turn my head away from the gleaming sun straight above as it starts to sting my eyes. My furry black labrador retriever comes up and puts her nose right next to my face so I can feel her breath. I reach out and touch her velvety ears as she begins to lay down hoping for a belly rub. I hear my sisters laugh as her and her friend jump into the deep blue lake making drops of water spray up which lightly land on my skin. I sit up and rest my chin on the top of the seat and peer down into the water watching them swim about.
My first essay, “Positive mind, Positive life”, had many errors within it. I quickly learned I needed to break out of the typical five paragraph essay style of writing. Throughout high school, my typical style was a simple five paragraph essay and to just state all the facts then turn in the paper. The problem with my past essays is they did not include enough details, the papers just stated the facts for each paragraph. In the literacy
The brisk cold air lightly touching my bare arms as I walk to the car. A long three hour car ride lays in front of me on our way to Yosemite. Crammed in the back seat with a tower of blankets in between my sister and I. I put in my headphones and try to drift off to sleep. I awoke two hours later, when my car came to a screeching halt. I looked outside to see cars going for miles, as far as my eyes could see. I look over next to me and see my little sister drowsy as she awoke from her slumber. I rolled down the window and a light breeze entered the car. The familiar scent of pine filled my lungs, and at that moment in time I knew where I was. It took only a few more hours to reach our destination for the day. The distinct smell of a new place was intriguing to me. I take in my surroundings and layed down on the soft couch and cuddled in a blanket that was as soft as silk. The warmth embraced me and I drifted off to sleep for the night.
I raced through the city; my heart was beating faster and faster with every stride. The air coursed through my brindle-colored coat. With me is my closest companion, my sister, Mabel. She only came along because I told her there would be birds she could chase. But the real reason I wanted to go was to explore the city in which I was born.
One hot and sunny day, Brooklyn and her mom walked to the city from their new house. While they were walking they spotted some cute stores. SInce they loved shopping they stopped and looked at all of the stores.
When living on campus choosing where to eat is tough. Choosing somewhere to impress a date is even harder. Living on North Campus has its perks; there is beautiful scenery, the building is older and full of history, plus you are close to a lot of classes and the student union. However, for those on North campus who don’t have a car and don’t plan on taking dates on buses, there are few options. One of those options is the 1899 Bar and Grill.
Sitting on the soft sand, I look out over the ocean. The deep indigo blue waters roll onto the beach in sets of white top waves, making a soothing sound as they crash against the shore. I sit there, listening to the the sounds of the ocean, the slight breeze brushes my skin and the salty air fill my lungs. I feel a sense of calmness, a feeling I haven’t felt in years.
Jamaica. A country roaring with culture and beauty, just as I had imagined. Water as clear as glass and a jungle that touched the sky. Locals singing and dancing everywhere I looked. In awe of my surroundings I stood, not knowing that the next turn I’d make would shatter the perfect image I’d built, and change my perspective completely.
It was a hot, sunny day in fort worth, we were both tired because of the exhausting day of classes we had just finished, when we finally got the opportunity to go have lunch outside of the BLUU for the first time. We wanted something different to get out of the routine, something that would restore energy back to our bodies in order to continue our day. We were deciding which place to visit, but the choice was very hard since we both had heard from many restaurants before. Our enthusiasm diminished when we realized we were low on budget, but we refused to spend another lunch at the BLUU. We took our phones out and decided to call some friends and gather some opinions on where would be the perfect place to go.