http://sofrep.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/chess-wallpaper-sofrep.jpg

The summer before college was enjoyable because of the relaxation, but scary because college was right around the corner. The first impression I had about college was that it was going to be a complicated experience, just like chess. In chess, there are 16 pieces per player, but these 16 pieces can be played a ton of different ways. Similarly, in college you are given groups of classes which you can manage several different ways. Overall, college seems very complicated but can become simple once you make a plan.

The trick, however, is to be adjustable, because that is what college is about. I’ve learned that college is a time where you can personalize your education. Defenses, or in other words, backup plans, should be established as a fall back. There’s no reason to be scared when something doesn’t go as planned. Instead, a student should feel excited and be creative to set up a plan of action. In chess, you will develop a plan, but there is a great chance for the opponent to challenge your plans. With the pieces set up defensively, just like the backup plans for college, pick up where you left off and set up a new plan.

The objective of both is to keep moving forward, because there will always be new paths to create. Even though they might take time, it’s better to set up something late, than give up and never do it at all. A player can make a come-back from almost losing if the right moves are made at the end. A student can retake classes and change majors if what they are currently doing isn’t going as planned. There is light at the end of the tunnel for those who are willing to work hard and make it all the way through.

The theme we chose as a group was education. All our group members took interest into articles about education, so we decided to make that our central theme.

I chose my two articles early, so I got our group on track for the theme of education. I also worked with Abil to set up the site and discussed how our detailed paragraphs should be structured.

The first article I chose was titled “Losing Is Good For You.” The title of the article is peculiar and caught my attention. You wouldn’t expect losing to be good for you. I loved the idea presented because it was something that was true, but something no one really focuses on. Winning isn’t necessarily the best thing because it takes away from the aspect of learning and growing. The same goes for my second article, “Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Educators.” In Shanghai, the education system is valued greatly. It gets a lot more attention than recreational activities. This is why they have scored higher than other nations on the Program for International Student Assessment. The article discusses how America is always behind, ranking third in the PISA, and it needs to advance in certain areas before other nations.

America, like the students of America, needs to focus more on learning and growing, not just winning. Students today believe getting good grades is the goal, but they are missing the part where they actually learn and advance themselves.

This experience got me interested in news articles. I was able to draw connections between articles that were discussing different things. They were interesting and I felt more aware of the changing world. I will definitely continue searching up articles.

Taseen Khan (Team GACK)

Subject: Missed Midterm

Professor Braimah,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/103722634@N02/?details=1

Hey, my name is Taseen Khan, and here are 8 pictures that represent the important things in my life so far. A significant television show in my life is Breaking Bad. It is very interesting and complex, but based on such a simple idea. It actually gets me motivated to be innovative and different. One thing that makes me different in my family is my passion for cars. I’ve been waiting years to drive, and I’ve finally been able to after getting my learners permit and license within the past year. One of my dream cars, to get when I’m in my early 20’s, is the Infiniti G35. It is a simple car, but it seems so exotic to me. I want to have a car of my own, a car that I can invest my money, hard work, and sweat for to see an amazing final product. It’s also been a great experience learning how to drive manual transmission. My cousin, who has learned recently, has been teaching me. It is always good to get help, which some people decline due to a misinterpretation of pride. I love learning and experiencing new things, so trying to learn how to drive manual transmission has been exciting. It forces me to be more alert while driving while having more fun. But I can’t say fun, without thinking of pool. Even though I’m not the best, I love playing it. I enjoy simple things, and pool is definitely one of them. It’s really fun without getting really complicated. Just like school. As you can tell from my next picture, I attended the Bronx High School of Science. Even though it seemed impossible to handle at first, it turned out to be very simple. It didn’t get complicated, but it actually got fun throughout the years. Just like pool, it seemed difficult, but soon got fun as I spent more time with it. Kobe Bryant has taught me to be fearless and to try hard, no matter what. He entered the NBA at age 17, my age right now. He was able to complete with other superstars at that young age, and was able to join their ranks. He led the Lakers, my favorite NBA team to multiple championships. It is good to get help from others, and Lakers have taught me teamwork is everything, and dedication leads to success. They always had good players, but played great because of their teamwork. Teamwork applies to my position at KT, otherwise known as Khan’s Tutorial, as well. I’m currently the Quality Manager there and making sure everything is running smoothly is my goal. This is achieved through teamwork and the cooperation of all the staff and managers.