Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor

Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor Yasmine Shahbazi English II Mr. Paulsen 15 May 2013 English Portfolio Metaphor Sophomore year has definitely been peculiar to say the least. It has come with great challenges, some overcome, and some not; one thing for sure, it was no walk in the park. Managing to get through this year has been like a poker game. You deal or are dealt to. It includes skill and luck. You bet, check, bluff, and raise. You learn from those you play with. Sometimes you win with a pair or lose with a full house. But whatever happens, it's best to keep on shuffling along. (tying in metaphor to this year don’t know where to put it in essay)******Sophomore year required times when I had to deal with certain situations solely by myself and yet there were other times when I had the reliability of my teachers to help me. This year made me study to the point where my brain physicaly hurt to get a successful grade, or I wouldn’t study at all and somehow do fine. I took risks, yet there were moments when I was insecure. I relied immensely on my peers who always encouraged me to try the best I could. There were tests I would get A’s on, and tests I would fail. But finally by the end of the year, I learned to let whatever happens happen as long as I tried my hardest.**** Over this past year, I know I have truly changed as a whole. I used to be so insecure, and the things that used to be so important to me before are completely irrelevant now. I remember the struggles I had when I was a freshman, not my best time. I was doing horribly in school and no matter how hard I tried, my grades continued to tumble. I remember sitting there with my friends after first semester was over having ended with a 2.8 gpa, and one of my friends was claiming it to be the end of the world because she had one A- along with the rest of her A’s. I was so embarrassed knowing I was by far the dumbest one in that room, I remember sitting there thinking could I quite possibly be the stupidest person in our grade? I feel like Sage is the complete opposite of the typical stereotype of highschool, that if your not smart at sage your a loser. I just always felt people thought I purposely wasn’t trying when I want nothing more than to have good grades! And then theres t he annoyance of people who don’t try at all and get perfect grades while I am studying as hard as I can to only do at best mediocre. For example, my friend and I both had a science test the next day. I had been sitting in my room for ours studying the material ready to have a nervous breakdown when I get a call from that friend asking if I want to go to dinner and the mall that night. When I ask her about the test, she said she hasn’t studied yet and shes just going to fail. Next day, I get an 80 and she gets a 98. This is so frustrating to me and when I am at my worst it seems like the most unfair thing in the world to me. These thoughts and frustrations continued to fluster my mind for the rest of freshman year. I constantly put myself down and was always severly stressed out about my future. Hearing all of my friends talking about all of the extracurricular activites and community service they already have as freshman when I had none. I had very overdramatic days w hen I honestly thought I would not get into college. After a long summer break, going into sophomore year was a way easier transition than I thought. Everything that I was constantly worried and stressed out about freshman year never factored in and I still don’t know why. I have been trying my hardest and for the most part, it has proved to be successful! Not going to lie, I feel a lot better about myself when I hear my friends saying how they think sophomore year is a lot more challenging than freshman year when I feel that I am doing okay! I do not mean to downplay it, however. Sophomore year is slightly less challenging, but its still not easy. And I don’t think that the

10 Best Alternatives to Student Loans

10 Best Alternatives to Student Loans Getting into the college of your dreams is only the first hurdle many students need to overcome. By far the most difficult part of going to college is coming up with the money to pay for it. With student loan problems splashed across every newspaper, blog and financial website in the universe, many students are beginning to explore alternatives to traditional student financing. Weve rounded up the 10 most promising alternatives. 1. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending Peer-to-peer lending, often abbreviated to P2P, is a type of private loans which takes place between two individuals, or peers. Some characterize P2P lending as the corporate worlds spin on one friend loaning another some money†. While perhaps an oversimplification, thats essentially what it is. In peer-to-peer lending there are no credit checks, bank or government involvement in the loan itself. Private lenders offer loans for a set interest rate and its conducted as a private business. The largest lending platforms in the United States are Prosper and Lending Club. 2. Work Study Programs If youre already working part-time, you may qualify for the Federal Work Study (FWS) Program. This is a fund maintained by the government to help students who work part-time and go to school full time. Applications can be submitted through your schools Student Office as well as directly through the programs website. 3. Tuition Reimbursement Many companies offer a tuition reimbursement program. These program pay students back a portion of their school tuition, but does not include fees or textbook costs. This kind of program is typically offered in companies that traditionally promote from within and have various options for career growth. 4. Scholarships You dont always need to have the best grades or crazy athletic skills to land a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded by schools, companies, organizations, clubs and churches. There are thousands of scholarships that range from a few hundred dollars and go up to $10,000 and more. Local scholarships can be found through community organizations, churches and private businesses. Check your local library, community swim team and the local businesses that support softball, baseball, football or other local teams. Have your parents ask at work – many companies offer special scholarships to the children on employees. National and international scholarships can be found easily online or with the help of a high school or college adviser. 5. Grants In contrast to scholarships, grants are typically need based and are offered through the Federal Government. These grants can be applied for directly through the student aid website of the US Government. Several grants are also available at the state level. Grants do not have to be repaid and can be applied for either once a year or, in some cases, during each quarter or semester. 7. The Military Every branch of the US Military offers a number of grants, scholarships and financial aid opportunities for active and former servicemen and women as well as the families of those soldiers. If youre willing to postpone college a few years and enlist yourself, you could easily get a free ride, no matter what your degree. As a bonus youll get plenty of hands on experience in your chosen field and a history of military service makes a great impression on resumes and in an interview. 8. AmeriCorps AmeriCorps is a program maintained by the US federal government. It aims to get people more involved with various non-profit charities, schools and other community centered organizations on both a state and national level. It could involve working with the homeless, teaching children how to read, working with at risk teens or any other kind of public service. A 12 month stint with AmeriCorps snags you a living allowance, help with housing and, once youre done, some nice Education Credits you can apply to your tuition and other education costs. 9. Cap in Hand Where do people turn to in times of trouble and need? The internet, of course! Hitting up people for small (or large) donations online is nothing new, but plenty of people never consider it when looking into ways to pay for college. From asking for financing on a specific university project through a website like Kickstarter to just taking up a page and using it to ask for donations, the internet can be a great way to raise funds. Alex Tew made history in 2005 when he set up the Million Dollar Homepage and sold ad space online for $1 per pixel in order to pay for his university education in Wiltshire, England. The ploy paid off and, in 2006, Tew grossed $1,037,000. 10. Rich Relatives or Winning the Lottery Perhaps a bit less pragmatic than our other options but, hey, if you havent seen Great Uncle Norbert for awhile, this might be a great time to catch up! Failing that, hit the Bingo haul with Grandma and dont forget to borrow one of her lucky troll dolls!