14.Writing and Reading Progress

    I feel my writing skills has improved since I took this course. For instance, as I learned description. I know how to make essay longer and enrich. Through writing in 5 senses, my essay will convey the pictures in my mind to readers. Also after I learned the basic structure of academic writing, I have a more clear mind before each time I write. With lots of practicing in class and homework assignments, I find myself more comfortable in writing. Namely, when I was writing the first essay, I really appreciated the peer review and teacher’s feedback that has a great help during revising of my essay.

    As for writing, I’m lack of vocabulary that I still need a lot more reading. On the one hand, I don’t have enough time to read. On the other hand, I need to improve my reading strategies. Instead of looking up the dictionary all the time, I should try to guess the meaning of words, this kind of strategy can promote my reading efficiency.

In fact, I’ve never keep writing a diary or blog. Although I don’t really like this kind of assignments, this free style writing helps me a lot of getting familiar with different sorts of topics honestly.

13. "Lose Weight" for A Better Life

Nowadays, overweight has been a big problem in society. Because fat is incompatible with good health and lead people become lazy, or losing confidence.

In fact, the word "skinny" has no bearing on me since I was young. People called me chubby girl because I have a baby face. My mother always says that girl’s will become thinner when they are growing up. However, when I turned to teenager, I don’t believe in baby fat anymore and start thinking of how to lose weight and become thinner just like other girls do.

In other word, to keep a nice body figure is not all about losing weight, it’s a life attitude. Living in a healthy life style of regularity daily schedule, weekly work out and eating habits. Those are things you should keep in mind to build a good body instead of focusing on lose weight.

Always remember there is no short cut of losing weight. Sometimes people try various ways to lose weight, such as take some medicines, drink tea and by some equipments. They are seems like the most efficient methods to lose weight that you can see the result immediately. But if you don’t do any exercise at the mean time, the losing pounds will quickly come back. Even there are people get sick by the special medicines which have a risk of their health.

Actually, the most effective way to lose weight is quite simple---- living with a good diet and properly exercising. What makes it work is determination. In my senior year in high school, after I was accepted by the University, I didn’t take the general college entrance examination. I took some classes in the Foreign Study University in Beijing and started body training. During that time, I worked out three times a week and keep in a well-balanced diet. It wasn’t totally on a diet but ate only fruits and vegetables every day. In addition, I got enough sleep since said “goodbye” to tons of homework. First, weights were come off so slowly. But as I was keep doing the same things for three months, I finally lost 15pounds.

Maybe it wasn’t an idea weight compare to other skinny girls, but at least, I accustomed to a healthy lifestyle.

12. The First Snow in My Memory

I was born in Hunan, a province in south of China where is humid and warn. So, usually it doesn’t snow for a few years there in Hunan. Conversely, it was colder than the winter in Beijing. It might be snowed sometimes when I was little, but the most impressive snow in my memory happens in the year when I was nine. I have never seen snowing like that before, and the heavily snow was memorable in my childhood.

One day I woke up in the morning, some white crystal things cover on the ground and the whole world turned to silver. I could hardly believe that was snowing. The whole world just covered by snow after one night, and still snow little by little during the day. I dressed warm then went out excited. I couldn’t wait to come close to the world of fairy tale. Feeling soft by stepping on the snow and it melted in a flash even though I treated it lightly.

Later on, my best friends and I made snowmen and had snowball fights in front of my house. The snow was perfect for snowball fights. Cold but happy, the snow brought me an unforgettable pleasure in my childhood.

10. Education

  

The education system in American is much more individual than in China. Namely, there isn't any optional course in Chinese normal high school. Even though for Chinese college students, they have to take courses that called "optional" those are suppose to be taken depend on whatever they like. With regard to study, students are forced to study and have no time to do things for their own interests. In some case, students perhaps don't know they take responsibility for themselves once they leave from their parents since they were demanded to do everything.

    As for making change of Chinese education system, the College entrance examination would definitely be the first critical point which I want to change since I am from China. The worst part about the special college entrance examination which called Gao Kao in China, is that the simple exam which takes two days will in somehow determines a student's whole life. That seems unfair to judge someone’s ability by one exam. Regardless of what they did before the exam day, the scores they get in Gao Kao will be the only inference or indicator to determine who is qualified for better education. However, it doesn't necessary indicate who really deserves it.

9. CAN's BBQ Event

Going through a midterm-week with no more than four hours sleep everyday and cramming for exams, I was extremely exhausted. When I was done the whole week, I went back home to checked my mailbox as a daily routine, and then I found there would be a BBQ event holding in two hours by CAN “Chinese American Network” ---- a student association that I involved in. At the moment, I decided to go without hesitate.

The BBQ event was hold at Father Hennepin Park where located along Mississippi river. It wasn’t a place you would pay attention while people were passing by, but there was no doubt that it was a good spot for BBQ and fishing. When we got there, the BBQ was already started. Some people were eating around the fire, some people were chatting around and meeting new friends, others were playing frisbee and football on the grass. I was on a diet last week. But actually, I ate a lot on Friday night

While I was about to leave, someone told me to get some s’mores. “S’more? ” I asked what is it. My friend Heather told me that was a kind of dessert made of three simple treats: marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers.

Firstly, toast marshmallow above the campfire still the surface turn brown and molten inside. Secondly, place a piece of chocolate and toasted marshmallow in graham crackers. Finally, eat as eating a burger. It tasted so soft and sweet with the smile of chocolate. Besides, I’ve heard the name of s’more came from a camp, when a girl asked her father if she could have some more food. Soon I asked for more s’more as expected.

Luckily I went to a fun and delicious BBQ which was the best ending of a tough week!

8. What I want to be?

        When I was young, everyone around me had a fantasy of becoming a scientist, and I was no exception. Not only by reason that scientists were the top talent in our society, but also due to their contributions to human. They could invent machines to improve our life; they could also explore nature to protect the living environment. At that time, scientists was the greatest occupation in children's mind. Because it seems cool! But later on, I found that it had nothing to do with me because I wasn't good at science at all. I chose arts for my subjects preference when I was in high school and then set up new goals in my life.

        However, my dream was keep changing over time. When I was in primary school, I found myself interested in music and saw most of my friends can play an instrument, then I asked my mom to send me to learning piano. I started dreaming about  become a musician, a pianist. But I soon found I wasn't kind of person who would be easily concentrated on doing a long time repetitive work.

        After three years involved in my high school TV station, I found myself comfortable working in the media. Therefore, my goal is to be a radio and television producer so far. That's why I'm planning  to major in mass communication.


        What am I going to be? I'm still exploring.