Saturday, December 15, 2012

Journal #24- Semester Exams




Semester Exam week is always a stressful and trying time for students.  I am not looking forward to next week with all its tests and long study sessions.  I have to have a plan made this year because I have a pretty difficult schedule.  With AP Chemistry, AP US History, Physics, and Pre-calculus I definitely need to study to ensure that I hold all A’s.  In previous years, I have studied hard for many finals, but have never really been worried that I was not going to get a good grade.  Freshman and sophomore years were not very challenging and this year has been very different.  I have been struggling through advanced placement chemistry, and that is the one I will study most for.  This weekend will be the time when I write up all my study guides and figure out how to best approach each exam.  The worst part about this year is that I actually have a written final in every class.  This means I will have to study for eight different tests.  Of course, there is a hierarchy of classes on my to do list. At the top is AP Chemistry and Precalculus, my two lowest grades.  After that I have Physics, English, Spanish and AP US history.  At the bottom of my study ladder is band and general PE.  For most of these classes, I will write myself a study guide to review the information that I have learned.  After this I will review different types of problems if it is math or science.  In English I will probably review my sentence studies and punctuation rules.  I think the worst part about finals week is that we are so close to Christmas break.  No one wants to be in school anymore and it is hard to stay motivated and focused on the exams.  With only a few days left before break, this is the time that I need to be most focused.   

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Journal #23- Self Sufficient



Self- sufficient is being able to think and take care of yourself.  There are multiple levels of self- sufficiency.  This is true for students like myself.  I can be self- sufficient, yet I must still live at home and my parents do take care of some of my needs like food and a vehicle to drive.  The type of self- sufficiency that is probably   most important is being able to rely on yourself and not others for ideas and making decisions.  If you always have to ask someone else what to do in a situation, you will never learn, and therefore will never be self- sufficient.  This is also true in relationships.  You cannot come to rely on your boyfriend or girlfriend for everything because you lose your own sense of identity if you were to break up.  Being self- sufficient in your mental and emotional state of health is very important.  It gives you a sense of identity and purpose instead of constantly doubting yourself.  I would like to say that I am self- sufficient when it comes to this area of my life.  I try to problem solve on my own and only ask for advice after I have given it a try first.  This is an important quality to have later in life in college and beyond.  There will not always be people there to take care of my every need so I must learn to be self- sufficient now.  I have to thank my parents because they did a good job of explaining the importance of this to me.  I am more confident as an individual now.  Being self- sufficient is not only important for living a more enjoyable life, but it also gives you the feeling of accomplishment.  After I have conquered a challenge all by myself, I feel a lot better about what I can do.  Being self- sufficient influences many areas of life and its impacts are far reaching. 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Reaction to Kateb's Emerson Essay


      George Kateb’s analysis of Ralph Emerson life and values were clearly demonstrated in "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind".  He thought very highly of Emerson and analyzed nearly every significant quote that Emerson spoke.  He explained how Emerson’s essay “Self –Reliance” was the best example of Emerson’s individuality.  The concept of self- reliance is now linked with individuality due to Emerson’s work.  George Kateb’s essay about Emerson proved to be packed full of quotes and evidence to back up every statement he gave. 
      Kateb clearly admired Emerson because he shared many similar values.  I believe, to our own thought about individualism—especially the sort of individualism that I have been calling democratic individuality” (Kateb).  This form of individuality is more complex than it seems.  Kateb goes on to connect Emerson’s ideas of individuality with both actions and thoughts.  In order to have democratic individuality, one must believe it and then live it.  Kateb explains that “Emerson as a theorist of self-reliance is a theorist of democratic individuality. 
      One topic that George Kateb brings up is that Emerson seems to contradict himself at moments.  “It is well to emphasize at the start Emerson's difficulty and elusiveness. He is full of assertive sentences that may seem unconditional. Every sentence seems a declaration of faith. He seems to stand behind every utterance with his whole being, and risks his being by the completeness of his candor. His variety of declarations tempts us to say that he contradicts himself, but even if we resist the temptation, we are still not sure where he finally stands” (Kateb).  Even in this example he managed to make it seem like Emerson was still right.  Kateb does not really criticize Emerson in any section of the essay.  He highly regards Emerson’s individuality. 
      George Kateb also addressed Emerson’s attempted theory of the universe.  He explains it more as a code that is a flexible line.  It is not definite in any way.  “His theory is not complete or self-evident. One man thinks he means this, and another that; he has said one thing in one place, and the reverse of it in another place” (Kateb).  This way of thinking fits the tone of individualism that Emerson demonstrated.   “His belief in the possibility of truth requires him, he thinks, to commit himself only for a time to a particular value, principle or idea (or to any practice or institution derivative from them), and then to a contrasting one for a time, trying at the same time to withhold a final judgment, a definite assent, whenever possible” (Kateb).
      Kateb’s analysis of Emerson’s vision of self-reliance was well written and well structured.  There were good transitions between different topics and it flowed well.  The numerous quotes added in as support aided in making it a reliable and established essay.   Kateb backed every opinion with quotes from various works either written by or about Emerson.  Even with being as long as it was, very little information was repeated, making it an interesting and well written essay.


Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind." In Emerson's Transcendental Etudes. Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 2003. Quoted as "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind" New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= MCVRWE011&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 9, 2012). 

Friday, December 7, 2012

Journal #22- Snow

Snow is one of the most exciting parts of winter.  I look forward to it every year, and I hope this year does not turn out like last year where there was no snow.  Last year I even went to Minnesota and there was no snow there over Christmas.  There is just something about snow that makes it so special.  It adds a unique feeling to winter especially around Christmas time.  I hope it snows this year because it could mean a day of school cancelled and sledding in my yard.  I have a huge hill in front of my house that I always go sledding on in snow.  The one bad thing about snow is that it is a pain to drive in.  Since I just got my license last year, I do not have very much experience in it, so I am not looking forward to that aspect of it.  When it snowed a lot two years ago, when I have my permit, I got some driving practice in.  That same year I went to Minnesota also.  There was over a foot of snow on the ground there.  It was one of the best Christmases that I have ever had.  My grandparents have a near vertical slope on their farm that had four feet of snow in the bottom.  Me, my cousins, and my family all played king of the hill.  It was so much fun.  We were out there for like five hours, and we were all pretty sweaty afterwards.  I really enjoyed that Christmas and was sad to see that there was no snow last year.  I am hoping that this year has at least some snow.  It is a great feeling to wake up in the morning and find out that school was canceled due to weather.  It is great at the moment, but I do not always enjoy it when I have to make up the missed days in May.  Other great times I have had in the snow was at track practice.  We run no matter how bad the weather is, so it makes for a very interesting practice.  One day it was five degrees outside and six inches of snow on the ground.  We decided to go on a woods run that day, and it turned out to be a bad idea.  The team had a great time, but we were wet and cold after the run.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Journal #21- Emerson Quote



   This quote by Emerson talks about individuality and self- reliance.  In the line "that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion" refers to living how you morally believe you should and not following the ideas of other.  He promotes the importance of individuality in choices and decisions.  He also talks about "imitation is suicide" which means that he believes being a follower is a good as killing yourself.  He even goes as far as saying that "envy is ignorance" so one should not even compare themselves to another.  Emerson is strong in his belief of the importance of individuality over acting as a group.  His convictions heavily influenced this piece of writing.  The extent of his beliefs in being an individual is quiet amazing. 
    Self- reliance is another thing that Emerson stressed in this story.  The entire quote reads “There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till” stated by Emerson in his essay titled Self Reliance.   The last part refers most directly to his stress on self- reliance.  The line talking about nourishing corn and toil illustrates that humans should be eager and willing to work for their own food.  This also ties back into the first part of the quote.  Emerson’s ties to Transcendentalism are apparent in this quote because of his philosophy of peace and individuality.  He leaves a lasting impression on the reader by striking at the core beliefs and tendencies of human nature.  Emerson encourages avoiding the pull of acceptance into a group that you do not really belong to in favor of being an individual.