#I have a separate assignment from the essay to make slides for another class

[theshadowrealmitself]

Group projects suck

[boowanie]

pairing: minghao x reader

genre: fluff and slight angst

wc: 2.4k

“strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you”

eri’s note: i always somehow manage to come up with scenario ideas during stressful times 🙃 i hope you beans enjoy it, let me know about your thoughts on this piece! 💘

minghao didn’t like the way his art history seatmate smelt of cigarettes and some sort of perfume he was still trying to distinguish despite having sat next to you in the cold lecture hall for the entire fall semester. he also disliked the way you constantly chewed gum to mask your cigarette scent breath when all he could hear were chewing sounds that irritated him to the core. and he hated the way you managed to score the highest grade every exam mr. kwon made his class take after a finished topic.

“and that’s all for today folks, make sure to read the lecture notes i released this morning!”

finally, he thought. minghao gathered his laptop and phone which he shoved into his canvas bag. he eyed the way you slowly picked up your blank notebook and your single pen, and he couldn’t help but sigh aloud. “come on, some of us are trying to get to our next class yn,” you heard him say through clenched teeth.

you chuckled as you pocketed your pen in your jean jacket, “oh shut up hao, your next class is right in front of his lecture hall.” minghao tried to fight the tint of red spreading across his cheeks when you twirled around to blow him a kiss.

“see you around xu minghao.”

lastly, minghao hated the way you made his heart beat faster at that very moment.

—

“oh come on cheollie, give me some slack! please,” you begged with your eyes from across the till. seungcheol didn’t know why he always succumbed to your pleadings when he knew it was wrong to lie to your manager that you arrived on time for your afternoon shift. seungcheol sighed and threw his apron at you.

“you owe me,” he ruffled your hair and stepped out of the coffee shop to catch his 4pm lecture that was about to begin in less that 15 minutes. you closed your eyes once you saw cheol’s figure disappear out of your sight. you felt like shit for making him cover for you again but with the pressure of taking care of everything at home, you had no choice but to beg for him to lie again.

the bell that was situated on top of door chimed when a customer entered, making you open your eyes and smile as much as you could to greet the incoming customer. and to your surprise, your eyes landed on xu minghao. he didn’t seem like he was in the mood for your antics so you greeted him like you would if it were any other customer.

“hi, what can i get for you?”

minghao was ready for your never ending sarcasm and the whiff of cigarettes from your clothes but he was surprised when you greeted him like a normal customer and the smell of strawberries coming from you which nearly had his mouth watering in hunger. he held eye contact as he detailed out his matcha order and when he handed you his card for the payment.

“you can just wait over there,” you smiled, again.

minghao leaned against a nearby wall as he watched you swiftly work your way through the coffee machine and some other stuff he couldn’t recognise. he was so lost in his own thoughts about you that he didn’t recognise his own name leaving your lips.

“minghao,” you repeated and jiggled his order softly in your hands. he snapped out of his thoughts and rushed over to grab his order.

“thanks yn.”

“wait,” you yelled out right before he grabbed the door to exit the coffee shop, “here, i think i heard your stomach growl during our class earlier on,” you jogged over and handed him a cookie before gently shoving him out into the cold street. he turned around and watched as you retreated back to your place behind the counter.

minghao really hated the way his heart skipped a few beats at your kind gesture.

—

he saw you again the following day. you rushed out of your car and jogged your way towards the entrance of the arts building, lugging your art supplies in your hands. minghao wanted to help you when he saw you struggle to open the door but jisoo’s voice snapped him out of his mind when she asked him about his morning.

“just fine,” he replied nonchalantly, picking at his food again. mingyu and jisoo shared a look before they scooted closer to minghao’s body. mingyu swallowed his fries and jisoo leaned her head against her palm to look at minghao.

“so..what’s bothering you picasso?”

minghao rolled his eyes at the mention of his nickname that jisoo insisted on calling him when they went to his first exhibit for his painting class. he mumbled out a faint “nothing” before proceeding to separate a fry from the melted cheese.

“i can smell the bullshit coming from your mouth,” jisoo pretended to sniff like a dog with mingyu following suit which caused minghao to drop his fork on the table and stand up from where he was sitting.

“you guys are the weirdest you know?” jisoo and mingyu nodded at the same time. minghao grabbed his canvas bag and bid his two bestfriends goodbye, heading towards his dorm building to get some much needed rest.

“see you later, lover boy,” mingyu called out.

he stumbled over his two feet at mingyu’s words and he realised, at that very moment, he was very whipped for you, your cigarettes and strawberries.

—

“you need to let loose kid, i’d hate to see you overwork yourself for the nth time this week,” seungcheol popped another strawberry into your mouth as you rinsed the soap off the utensils with lukewarm water. you turned the tap off once you washed the last mug and dried your hands with your apron.

“get off the counter choi,” you nudged his leg with your elbow. if your manager saw him and you chattering away instead of cleaning the coffee shop so you guys could close up quickly, she would lecture you both non stop about professionalism.

“oh come on yn, just one night? i’ll even introduce you to my friends so you won’t be lonely if i ever get whisked away by jeonghan. please please please-”

“say please one more time and i’ll make sure to tell jeonghan about every embarrassing story i know about you,” you threatened with a dried spoon. seungcheol’s eyes widened and he raised both his hands in defeat.

“you wouldn’t,” he huffed.

“try me sweetheart,” you blew a kiss in his direction, an act that had minghao pausing in his tracks. he didn’t mean to take the longer route back to his dorm which happened to be 10 minutes away from where you worked. he watched the way seungcheol threw his head back and closed his eyes in laughter. he liked the way your eyes twinkled when you giggled at your friend.

he turned around once he caught himself smiling at the scene. when he was far away from the coffee shop, minghao realised that he liked the way you smiled which seemed to reach your eyes.

—

“hao, can you proofread an essay for me?” you asked during a cold winter morning when the only people in the lecture hall were you, him and seokmin who was in deep sleep two rows away from you both.

he stared at you then at your hand that held the essay you wanted him to read. he nodded in silence and grabbed the pages from your hands, not without accidently touching the tips of your fingertips which had minghao blushing slightly at the contact.

you leaned your head against the table and carefully studied minghao’s features as he read your essay, word for word. you realised how adorable minghao looked with his glasses (that had no lens) framing his beautiful face. after he flipped the second page over, you noticed his glasses slowly sliding down his nose and without thinking, you slid them up so that they didn’t continue to fall from his face.

minghao stopped reading to look down at you and saw the way your eyes widened at your own actions. “‘m sorry,” you whispered, tucking your hand under your head. minghao gave you a soft smile and continued reading your essay.

you bit your lower lip when minghao flipped another page over, realising how your heart was beating faster than normal.

—

finals rushed in and you barely had the energy to complete all of them on top of working gruelling hours at the coffee shop. but you were glad seungcheol was generous enough to cover your shifts when you were neck deep with extra assignments and finals that seemed to stretch on forever.

thankfully, after you completed your last final, it happened to land on the day seungcheol was bringing you to an svt party. you still had yet to figure out what svt stood for but for once in your life, you were ready to let loose, just a tiny little bit.

you wore something you were comfortable in knowing you might have to walk home in the cold when you deemed yourself tipsy enough. seungcheol offered to ask wonwoo to drive you home but you declined since you didn’t have a clue who wonwoo was.

once you entered the frat house, bodies instantly crowded around you and seungcheol but you were grateful for his hand that enveloped yours in a protective manner. he pulled you closer into him until you managed to weave through the crowd and into the kitchen where his group of friends were playing some drinking game.

a chorus of seungcheol’s filled the room and a tipsy jeonghan appeared from the counter.

“cheollie,” he gushed, jogging towards him with his arms wide open. jeonghan gave him a bone crushing hug while you stood beside them in an awkward stance. you felt like you were being watched like a hawk by seungcheol’s friends but he quickly dismissed their gazes with a wave.

“this is yn, everyone,” seungcheol patted your back while everyone greeted you with gentle smiles, one of them even pulled you into a side hug. he was tall, and although his height kind of intimidated you, his grin removed any ounce of doubt in you.

“i’m mingyu but you can call me gyu if you’d like, whichever suits you.” from there on, you were passed around in hugs, some awkward and some comforting. as the night progressed, you felt your nerves settle once you got to know seungcheol’s group of friends. they were extremely loud but their laughters made you chuckle along with them despite not knowing what was making them laugh sometimes.

after your nth shot with mingyu and seungkwan, your legs felt like jello and you were beginning to sway a little bit. the house seemed to get louder and hotter as a rush of students continued to arrive during the night. you made a beeline towards the backyard where only a few students stood around in small groups, drinking and conversing about their finals.

you spotted an empty chair beside a guy who had his head firmly squished between his knees with a few beer  bottles scattered around him. you made your way towards the empty chair, scooting it over a little further away from the guy as to not disturb his sleep.

—

the smell of smoke filled minghao’s nostrils as he tried his best to keep himself from puking out the contents of his stomach. admittedly, he knew he drank a little too much but in his defence, he was stressed about everything. he was stressed from the truck load of essays he had to do, the paintings he had to submit and lastly, a certain someone who smelt like a mixture of strawberries and cigarettes that seemed to be crowding his thoughts lately.

“minghao?” a voice came from his side when he raised his head to the right.

“yn?” he replied, opening one of his eyes to find you blowing out smoke to the side to avoid it from hitting his face. minghao watched you put out your cigarette on a nearby ashtray that was placed on the grass.

“fancy seeing you hear xu minghao,” you greeted, popping a mint in your mouth. he blinked at you, letting a wave of silence fill the air. he stretched out his hand towards you, which you stared at for awhile until he urged you to take it. he sat closer towards you, leaning his head on the arm of the chair you were sitting on as he closed his eyes, basking in the comforting silence surrounding you both.

“can i ask you something?” minghao broke the silence with a question that was either going to turn everything awkward or not.

“can i kiss you?”

you gasped lightly at his daring question, your heartbeat racing quickly in your chest. you’ve always thought minghao disliked you. he always seemed to wrinkle his nose whenever you sat near him and you knew it was because of the way your clothes smelt like smoke which was the reason why you began to wear perfume but you noticed that he didn’t appreciate the added smell to your clothes. you opted with chewing gum on a daily basis but that didn’t work out when he nudged you with his elbow, asking if you could chew with your mouth closed.

“y-you want to what?”

“nevermind. sorry i asked,” he retracted his hand away from yours as he began to gather the bottles of beer he abandoned on the ground. he felt a hand tug on his shirt, “but i thought you didn’t like me...even as your classmate,” a quiet voice asked.

his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets when he heard you utter those words. he shook his head immediately, kneeling down so that he was perfectly situated between your parted legs. he cradled your head in his hands, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs.

“who said?”

“n-no one, i just noticed the way you wrinkle your nose everytime i sit beside you so i figured you didn’t like me because-”

you stopped mid sentence as he leaned closer towards your face, scanning your eyes for any trace if discomfort. you nodded, letting your words die on your tongue. he pressed his soft lips against your own. the kiss was gentle but passionate just like him. he pulled away when you placed a hand against his chest.

“strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you,” he sang in a teasing tone.

“HAO YOU DID NOT JUST-”

he pecked your lips quickly and ran towards the sliding doors, giggling like a school child.

[enmstorytime]

The Vulnerable Writer: Chapter 3

I stood at the front of the classroom the next afternoon, looking out over the men, who were definitely more attentive than they had been before. I assumed that Cody and Seth had spread the word about seeing me naked, and maybe they had shared a few more details too. 

I gulped as I thought about the decisions I had made this morning:

I had emailed Cody to start with my pants, because I wanted my students to know that I meant business. When I got out of the shower, I pulled on a tight jockstrap, because I wanted to further stress the fact that I meant business. I told myself that I would only wear a jockstrap this first day, then I would wear more modest underwear to class, but I wondered now if they would allow me to cover up anything that I revealed. I doubted it. And standing in front of them, with all of their expectant faces, I wondered if I broke whatever rules they thought existed, it might encourage them to break the rules and just steal all my clothes during the next class.

"Professor," one of the men on the back row said, cutting into my thoughts. "I heard that Cody did a great job of being vulnerable in his last essay."

He paused, and the meaning was clear. I had a debt that I had promised to pay, and the time to start undressing had come. I had debated whether I would start or end each class with the undressing, but it seemed like my students had made that decision for me, because all eyes were trained on my body, waiting.

"You're right," I said, swallowing, trying to prepare myself. "But I need to set some clear rules for how this reward system is going to work."

The class grumbled, and I knew that they could tell I was stalling. Still, I needed to set the firm rules now, while I had all of their attention.

"There is one of me, and there are twenty of you," I said, having done the math, and understanding that if nine students did what I asked before the next class, I would be completely naked, and that counted each sock, each shoe, my tie, my undershirt, and my suit jacket, as their own article of clothing. "My goal as a teacher is to motivate every single one of you, so I need to add one rule."

I could see a few students in the back shake their heads, and I knew that they had done the same math, and they were planning to sit back and watch as their classmates took away my clothes.

"Every student who writes a vulnerable essay for this next assignment will get to take an article of my clothing," I said. "However, my underwear is off limits until I get a vulnerable essay from every single student in this classroom."

My students grumbled.

"Professor," Cody asked from the front row, leaning forward. "Does that mean that we all have to be vulnerable on the same essay, or is it more of a cumulative thing? Since I've already turned in a vulnerable essay, do I have to turn in another one for the class to get your underwear?"

"Obviously, I want you all to keep writing vulnerably," I said. "But I also understand that college students are busy and there are going to be times for everyone in this classroom where you have other priorities, so I'm going to make it cumulative."

The class cheered, but Seth had raised his hand.

"Professor?" Seth asked. "What happens when you're just in your underwear, and someone writes a vulnerable essay. What reward will they get?"

"The goal is to keep you motivated," I said, gulping again about promising the reward I had thought of the previous night. "So, if you've taken an article of clothing already, or if I'm down to my underwear, but the underwear isn't gone yet, I have two possible rewards. The first one is that at the beginning of class, you can come to the front of the class, and look down the front of my underwear. It'll stay on, but you can get a sneak peak to help encourage your classmates. Or, your other option is you can schedule a five minute conference in my office, where I will meet you sans-clothing."

The class cheered again. However, Cody had raised his hand again.

"I have one last question," Cody said. "I know that last time you said that we would get to take each article of clothing off of you, but how will that work with your underwear, since we won't get to take that until we've all written a vulnerable essay?"

"I think that should be a community activity," Seth said, smirking at me. "We should all get to work together to tear your underwear off. That way we all get a souvenir."

The class cheered at Seth's suggestion, and I felt my cock stiffen in my jockstrap, the tip pushing its way out from the waistband. The idea of having twenty men circling me, fully clothed, tearing away my final piece of clothing and leaving me stark naked in front of them excited me more than I wanted to admit. I needed to get myself to calm down before Cody claimed his reward.

"Are you done stalling?" Cody asked, already starting to stand. 

"There's one more rule," I said, and the class groaned. "I'm agreeing to get naked for you, but I am still your teacher. You will not take pictures of me without my permission and you will not touch me without my permission. Understood?"

"Is there a way to get you permission?" A student asked from the back row and the class laughed.

"There might be," I said, angry that my penis was still very inflated at the idea of giving more students the chance to touch my body.

"Great," Cody said, lunging toward me before I could find another way to stall the inevitable.

The class fell silent as Cody unbuttoned my slacks, and then his fingers brushed over my crotch as he fiddled with my zipper.

"Feels like someone's excited," Cody exclaimed as his fingers pressed against my crotch, the zipper sliding down.

The class catcalled and cheered, as Cody grabbed the waistband of my slacks with one hand and used his other hand to push my shirt up to my belly button to make sure the class could see the slow strip-tease.

The tip of my firm cock, still sticking out from the waistband of my jockstrap was the first thing they saw as the slacks inched down, and the class screamed with delight. I flushed, but continued to hold my hands out to my sides to allow the show. I had to keep reminding myself that this would all be worth it, if it meant my students would find enjoyment in their writing.

Slowly my jockstrap grew more and more exposed, the navy clinging tightly to the shaft of my erection. I knew there was little left to the imagination, but I knew that this much exposure would light a desperation for my eventual nudity in most of my students.

Then the air started to lick at my thick thighs, as Cody still slowly slipped the pants down to reveal each thick hairy thigh. I could feel the eyes on my legs and crotch, hungry as more and more skin showed. 

My slacks now slipped past my knees, but Cody was holding on, preventing them from just sliding down to my ankles. He wanted his classmates to get a show, and so did I. He controlled their fall, revealing my veiny runner calves slowly, until finally he let go as the slacks pooled around my ankles. 

For a moment, everything was silent, my students hardly breathing. None of us could really believe that I, as their teacher now stood pantsed, the tip of my very firm penis still in sight, while the rest of my privates were still fairly exposed in what was clearly my skimpiest jockstrap: a navy pouch too small to hold in my full erection.

Then my students cheered once more, and Cody stood next to me, still waiting to claim a second pair of my slacks as his own. 

I had planned the next step too, but I was debating it. I hadn't planned on my students seeing the tip of my penis, but they had, and I wondered if that would be enough. But I decided to follow through with the original plan, and I turned my back on the class, letting them take in my bare ass framed by the elastic of my jockstrap. Then I bent over slowly to pull the slacks off.

My face burned as I felt my ass cheeks separate and my students gasped and cheered as I pulled the slacks over my shoes. I stood once more, turned back to face them, glad that my ass was once again out of sight, and glad that my shit had fallen again to cover the tip of my dick. 

"Let's get started with today's lesson," I said.

I looked at each of their faces, and knew that it would only be a matter of weeks before I was teaching the class butt-naked. 

[its-bianca]

Studying/Planner Apps

Essential apps for studying, planning, health, etc. Who says everything has to be analog?

These are all the ones I’ve tried and downloaded (unless said otherwise). The ones with the * next to it are the ones I don’t use or have gotten rid of for personal reasons, but still highly recommend all of them.

I go through apps like a child goes through toys. I try them out, get rid of the ones I don’t like. Apps are toys.

There’s tons more, but these ones are the ones that I recommend to people with similar needs and schedules like mine. The ones I haven’t or don’t use anymore are ones I could definitely see being helpful to others or that I’d maybe use in the future if my needs change. 

Note: these are things from the App Store, but I’m pretty sure most are available on the Play Store too.

Podomoro Time Trackers

Forrest* - Haven’t tried this because you have to pay for it on the App Store, but I’ve seen everyone go bonkers over this app and how they plant trees for studying, etc. etc. 

Plantie - Best and only Podomoro app I still use. Gamified, but not TOO gamified. You just grow fruit, collect, coins, buy more fruit trees. It’s super simple, while still providing really good graphs and charts. Also, it allows you to turn off the feature where it stops your task as soon as you leave the app. Sometimes I need to use my phone for assignments, and I still want to track my time. It’s completely FREE, with GREAT charts as a visual. Other apps need a premium subscription to access the graphs and charts, which is why I love this app because even though the chart is quite simple, it does its job. Although, it doesn’t tell you when to take the longer break and it has to be adjusted manually. That’s fine for me, because I always get disturbed by something before I even get to 4 blocks, and if I waited until I had a big chunk, I’d never get anything done.

Block & Flow: Stay focused* - Podomoro but visualised with stacks of blocks for each day or week. And you can list out what tasks you have for that day and sort out sections for work, reading, school, etc. I didn’t need that feature, which is why I used Plantie instead.

Workflow Timer* - Another good option with options to make multiple tasks lists. One of the simpler and more user-friendly ones. It also looks really good!

Hours Time Tracking* - App for timeblocking, scheduling, and tracking the time while you’re working. It’s not helpful for me, because it’s practically impossible for me to strictly schedule something in my day after school, but could be useful for others. Really easy to makes tasks and separate by color. 

Stay Focused* - Simplest Podomoro timer out there. No distractions, no graphs, no gamification, just pure focus.

Planners/Calendars/Tasks

Wunderlist - Great reminder system, intuitive (type in “essay next mon” and it will schedule the task to be due next Monday), syncs everywhere, attach documents, etc. I used this for my assignment list, books to read list, schedule etc. for a long time, until recently where things got hectic and I wanted to make a daily to do list rather than only a master list. I use a bullet journal for school stuff now, but still keep Wunderlist for that shopping/movies/books/apps/websites to check out list. 

24me* - Personal assistant, lots and lots of features, with scheduling, to-do lists, notes, journaling, etc. Tracks weather and traffic to and from work/school. All in one.

Google Calendar - I don’t schedule on this, but use it to sync my school calendar with personal calendar. Easy scheduling and you can SHARE your calendar with a friend! All Google apps are made for collaboration basically. 

Habitify* - Habit tracker on your phone and tracks progress every day, showing when you skip and reminding you of it. Don’t quite remember why I got rid of it because checking back it seems really good. Might redownload. 

Trello* - Kanban boards, “cards” and lists, great reviews. I’ve heard people use it as a bullet journal sort of and project planner though that wasn’t it’s original purpose. I downloaded it for a club thing, but never really used it personally. 

Notetaking/Planning/Journaling

OneNote - I use this ALL the time, even though I don’t use my Microsoft account much anymore. My notes are organized and have a hierarchy. Very customizable with headers, notebook sections, pages, subpages, etc. Easy to share with group mates and an okay collaboration space if you want to see each other’s progress on research or something during a group project. MUCH better than having tons of Google or Word docs of notes. Completely FREE for the full experience.

Notion* - One in all workspace for journaling, notes, scheduling, planning projects basically a mini-website for your life and work. Great guide for bullet journaling on Notion from studyblr Eintsein here. Another Notion bullet journaling guide on YouTube here and here. I highly recommend it, but don’t use it since I use an analog bujo, prefer OneNote for class notes, and don’t have much use for it other than that currently. You do have to pay for unlimited notes, but there’s a pretty good amount to start out, and if you really don’t want to pay, there are workarounds to it.

Milanote* - Like Notion, but more restrictions on the free version. I don’t use it anymore because I’ve realized I didn’t really have a good purpose for it and it cluttered up my phone. In a way, it’s more ~aesthetic~ than Notion, but there are less things you can do. It does have a better learning curve though.

Evernote - I don’t use it often, but I have it to take quick notes or other stuff. Evernote is like a god in the notetaking world, because it’s user friendly, quick, and syncs up really easily with everything. 

Health

7 Minute Fitness - There’s a lot of these out there. Go find one or two. Don’t be sedentary.

30 Day Fitness Challenge - Same concept as above.

Simple Habit - FULL of free mostly 5 minute guided meditations (though there’s premium access). There’s no excuse now. Also, I used to try 10 minute meditations on Headspace which made me really sleepy. 5 minutes work best, because they’re quick, and if you want more time, just move on to the next part in the series or find another one. Lots of free series for basically any subject (school, women, mothers, grade anxiety, sleep) and SOS mode. Unfortunately, you can’t download any of them in the free version.

AloeBud* - Self-care pocket companion. Make reminders on your phone for every self-care thing you can think of. Schedule notifications multiple times a day with personalized messages. 

TaoMix2 - Mixer for relaxing nature/white noise sounds. It’s pretty restricted in the free, but it’s enough for me.

Cove* - If you’re a music person, this app let’s you make quick music and tunes matching your mood. A sort of an easy music therapy if you’re not good with instruments or composition. 

Reflecty* - Little journal buddy asking you fun/reflective questions about your day and tracking your mood. It’s short and sweet. Each entry is a “story”.

Oak* - Great for breathing and very simple guided meditations. Breathing practices for anxiety, freshening up, and calming nerves before a big performance. It just takes 15 seconds to breathe.

Grid Diary* - Journal prompts in grid fromat. Customizable daily prompts.

DayOne Journal* - Again, RAVING reviews. Everyone loves it. I haven’t used it because I prefer analog journals, but it’s a pretty good for travel journals with pictures, audio, video, etc.

UVLens - Reminds you to put sunscreen on throughout the day depending on your skin, activities that day, and type of sunscreen. 

Flo - Period tracker. Need I say more? 

Tasty - FOOOD (by Buzzfeed). New recipe ideas, includes shopping list, make your own cookbook.

KitchenStories - MORE FOOOOD. Includes Asian and international cuisine since it’s crowd-sourced.

Miscellaneous

Audiobooks - Audiobooks from the Gutenberg Project, but in app form. You can download classics for free, etc. There are some paid audiobooks, but they’re usually for better narrators/text corrections, so absolutely not necessary to get lost in an old book. Jane Austen, Charlotte Brönte, L. Frank Baum, all the good stuff.

Daylio - Tracks mood, activities, with intuitive charts. You can edit moods and activities shown per day. Free version is pretty good, and it replaces the need for making a habit tracker in my journal, because I don’t like making those.

Scannable - Very intuitive scanning app. I’ve used this for many legal/important documents and nobody had a clue it was “scanned” on a phone. It makes regular photos of documents easier to read and look like it came from a scanner. It can share as a PDF or jpg. Granted, you need good lighting for the best quality. 

Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Slides - Everyone’s probably used this before, but to reiterate, this is the best collaboration app/website. Super easy to share with real-time tracking and updates.

BEAKER by THIX* - For chemistry people. Mix compounds/elements together, make new compounds, see their reactions. Don’t have much use for it since my chemistry class is moving at a glacial pace but I could see this being useful for others. 

Chemtriz - Same as above, but gamified. You take elements and put them together in the right configuration to make compounds.

PictureThis - Plant Identifier - Weird addition to list, but it’s a cool app to get back in with nature. Now I know what a boxwood plant looks like.

IFTTT* - Hard to explain, but it enables different apps that don’t usually work together to work together. So if you input something in an email, you can make it go into a Google Spreadsheet(?). Just go check it out. It’s cool. Many shortcuts, track stuff in the Health App, get emails showing cool NASA pictures. 

Canva - AMAZING graphic design app/website for those who can’t use Photoshop (ie. me). It’s better online, but there are hundreds of templates for magazines, book covers, planners, posters, flyers, and basically any graphic design needs. Many free graphics and photos ready to use. Premium version is NOT necessary to get full benefits from this program. I used it to create this calendar for my room. 

[bubble-tea-bunny]

daisies in the summer

[cedric diggory x reader]

author’s note: it feels so nice to write without the thought of homework looming in the back of my mind lol. probably gonna write for draco next 

word count: 3,433

Diagon Alley is, as per usual, bustling and bursting with life. Not a day goes by when it’s quiet in any sense of the word, though if there had been such an occasion in the past, Cedric couldn’t tell you the date. It would have been long ago by now, for his numerous visits to this familiar stretch of road over the years have been just as they are today. As he turns the corner, he enters into the thick of the crowd, swept up by the sea of wizards and witches, flowing past shop windows displaying wares of all kinds. He’s content to let the current take him where it will; there’s nowhere specific he needs to be. There are no school supplies to be bought, given that it’s the middle of summer.  But thoughts of Hogwarts aren’t far away because he’s got a stack of textbooks waiting for him at home, ready to be delved into for his holiday homework.

Thinking about the laundry list of assignments to do doesn’t distract Cedric; he’d finish it all before term began. He always does, whether it be in a timely manner, evidence of proper planning and management, or in a haste, a mad scramble to write that last six inches of an essay or read the last chapter of a book to be discussed on day one. The noise doesn’t allow him to dwell on any of it anyway. If he had wanted to worry and fret, he wouldn’t have come somewhere so lively.

A group of kids is pressed up against the glass at Quality Quidditch Supplies, staring at the newest model of broomstick sitting proudly front and center. Cedric saunters past and easily sees over their heads. A friend of his had sent an owl a few weeks ago telling him they’d bought that very broom. It looks well and good on display, a small light shining on it to illuminate the smooth mahogany handle and birch twigs, but Cedric imagines it must look even more incredible in the air. He’ll have to see for himself when classes resume and he’s back on the pitch with his team.

He leaves behind the broomstick and its admirers and continues along the street. Flourish and Blotts is several storefronts down and he considers spending some time in there perusing the shelves. The last time he’d wanted to stop by, there had been a book launch, and the line to meet the author had gone out the door. Occupied as he was with staring at the bookstore’s sign, he only narrowly avoids running into a witch holding a cage with an owl. He sidesteps quickly and mutters an apology, and the owl flaps its wings as if annoyed. Such personality those birds have.

Cedric twists back around, intent on walking the rest of the way to Flourish and Blotts, but he’s stopped again by what at first glance looks like a floating pile of books. His brows furrow, and his eyes slide lower to the pair of legs carrying the stack along. Next he notices the hands balancing the tomes precariously, arms braced beneath the bottom book and fingers curled up on its spine.

“Excuse me!”

Cedric blinks as he hears a small voice attempting to speak up over the noise but not entirely successful—the books obscuring the speaker’s face prevent their words from going very far. Suddenly your head pokes out to the side, eyes peering down to make sure you’re not about to run into anyone (or anything), and you call out again, much clearer now, in warning to anyone in passing. Pardon me!

He’s momentarily rooted to the spot as he watches you. It looks like there are multiple close calls where you might run into someone, but they always skirt past you with ease. He wonders if you can even tell. A burly wizard accidentally checks Cedric’s shoulder trying to walk around him, and it kicks him into action. Quickly, though carefully so he doesn’t startle you into dropping all your books, he approaches and asks, “Did you want help with that?”

Instinct drives you to turn your whole body around to look at him, but it’s not effective considering your line of vision is still concealed. He takes a step back to avoid being knocked over by the hefty pile as you move, returning back to your original position which lets you simply turn your head to look at him properly.

“Yes, please!” you squeak. “These are really heavy!”

Cedric takes half the stack, which renders your face visible. You sigh in relief at the loss of some of the weight, and he grins. “Where to?”

You nudge your head in the direction you’d been going. “Just here. Not too far now.”

The books he has are rather heavy, and he steals a glance at the ones you’re holding. They’re of similar size, and all of them have hard leather covers. He can’t quite believe you tried to carry them together. To be fair, it seemed you were doing okay, but he’d grown anxious as he stared those few seconds that something might go wrong as soon as he looked away. He couldn’t help offering his assistance, and you hadn’t seem bothered by it. Quite the opposite actually; you’d sounded grateful. Curiosity bites at him to ask why you have these books, and so he does. “What are these for?”

“Leisure reading.”

Cedric blinks in surprise. “That’s some leisure reading.”

You laugh, and it’s easy to hear over the bustle of the alley since you’re close to him. “Well, not all of them are. Some of these are for my boss too. He put in an order he wanted me to pick up, and I guess I got a little overzealous finding my own books to get through over the summer.”

“I’ll say.” Cedric chuckles. “One of these might take me a whole year to finish!”

“They look intimidating, but I assure you, they’re not too difficult to understand.” You smile as you look up at him, and there’s a sparkle in your eye. Cedric’s not certain if it’s due to the sun shining or if it’s something else. Whatever it may be, at the sight of it, he can’t help smiling back.

You start to slow down as you arrive at your destination, and he does as well to match your pace. “Here we are,” you announce.

Cedric lifts his gaze to the sign, which is no problem because it’s in the shade. It’s a shop he’s well acquainted with—many are, in fact. He needn’t have looked at the shop name, for a peek through the windows was a more than adequate hint as to where the two of you have stopped. “You work for Garrick Ollivander?”

You hum and nod. “The very same. Come on.”

It’s easier for you to support the books with one hand now that you’re only holding half of them, and you reach out to open the door. The noise of the street is drowned out the moment you walk inside, the shelves filled from top to bottom with wands absorbing any sound. You look back over your shoulder to make sure Cedric’s following, and you direct him with a wave of your hand to lay the books off to the side. All this is done in silence, for Ollivander is attending to someone. When you put your books next to the small stack Cedric set down, you stand up straight and take a deep breath, shoulders lifting and then dropping again as you exhale quietly.

“Thank you,” you whisper. If you were to talk out loud, Ollivander and the patron would be able to hear you clearly even when separated by several bookshelves due to the small size of the shop.

Cedric speaks in a tone similarly hushed. “Of course. That would’ve been a hard walk to make by yourself.”

“And a boring one.”

He smiles at that remark. “I’m Cedric, by the way.” He holds out his hand.

You shake it and tell him your name. “It’s nice to meet you, Cedric.”

He doesn’t linger for long. You do have work to do, and he could stall and pretend to be in the market for a new wand, if only to remain in your presence just that bit more, but his current wand is perfectly fine and thus, it wouldn’t take much for you to figure out his real reason for staying, for weaving through aisles as he hopes to catch another glance of you. So instead, he walks back outside, in the direction of Flourish and Blotts, squinting as his eyes readjust to the brightness.

Inside the shop, he meanders lazily down a random aisle, scanning the titles on the spines but not processing any of them. He is busy remembering that twinkle in your gaze and the curl of your lips. He is thinking about the softness of your whisper and how it almost seemed to reach out and caress his heart, for it had been impossible to ignore the heaviness that settled in the pit of his chest as you breathed out his name. He is pondering what you might sound like, reading in quiet murmurs out of the poetry book he’s just pulled off the shelf and is flipping through. Goosebumps rise on his arms as he tries to imagine it, tries to hear these stanzas in your voice. He is reckoning you would sound wonderful.

———

Cedric sighs and lies back on his bed, resting his arms beneath his head. He stares up at the ceiling and feels the blood rushing to his brain. It’s intense enough that his eyes slide closed as he waits for the sensation to subside, and once he does, the sound of your laugh flitters in his ears, like little ghosts of songbirds who greet him in those several moments balancing between being awake and being asleep. Because his eyes are closed and he’s not looking for them then, and they’re awfully shy and so the most he might see are flashes of light against his eyelids. But now every glimmer is your grin.

He opens his eyes, sees the ceiling again. Your image disappears with the birds, and your laugh is replaced with the sound of the gramophone flickering to life downstairs. A piano plays the opening melody, and it’s one he’s familiar with. The vinyl his father had placed down had been a gift from Arthur Weasley; the artist was a Muggle, and Mister Weasley had been excited to share a small piece of that world with them. The music floats through the air, comes up the stairs and creeps through the crack at the bottom of Cedric’s bedroom door. He knows all the words, and he mouths the next line subconsciously: “I see your face in every flower…”

That’s when he pauses, and the song continues without him. He smiles to himself and shakes his head. “Haven’t told a soul and yet the world already seems to know,” he mutters amusedly. The sentence is said mostly to himself, but he’s not alone, and he glances at the other occupant of the room. His owl is perched on the window sill, thoroughly enjoying the gentle breeze wafting in. It looks at him intently, as though the previous statement had been aimed at it, and gives a small coo in response.

Sometimes he considers telling his friend about you in one of his letters, but he stops himself before he can take quill to parchment with thoughts of you in mind. He’d probably sound crazy,  prattling on about you in that fashion of whimsy he tends to lose himself in when he gets carried away, and something about you seems to do that to him—It’s like I’ve drawn the queen of hearts from a deck of cards on the first go. Yes, certainly crazy, to feel so strongly about someone he’s just met, and crazier still to solidify the sentiments with ink, because it makes them real. Having them written out indicates deliberation and assuredness that those feelings might ring true after all. No mere hypotheticals. And, well, if that should be the case, he thinks he could use up a whole bottle of ink talking about you.

He rolls onto his side and closes his eyes again. He’s dreaming of you. Or maybe it’s daydreaming, since he’s not actually falling asleep. Maybe it makes no difference.  

“You’ll never know how slow the moments go till I’m near to you…”

On his next visit to Diagon Alley, Cedric isn’t completely without a goal. He passes the usual sight of children outside Quality Quidditch Supplies; scoots around the spare cages and tanks outside Magical Menagerie; catches the smell of fresh pastries from Sugarplum’s Sweets Shop. His eyes search left and right in search of you as he continues down the road. He looks for people with books and traces the arms holding them, all the way up, fingers crossed that it’s your face he’ll see.

He comes across Ollivanders and stops by the left window, remaining by its left-most edge, which leaves him half-concealed as he looks inside. The smile playing on his lips is automatic once he finds you. You’re standing with your arms clasped in front of you, wearing a small grin as Ollivander takes out a wand from a box that looks identical to the many other boxes stored around the shop, and presents it to a young wizard.

The boy gives the wand a quick, imprecise wave, and several boxes from the shelf behind you fly out of their place and fall to the floor with a thud. You jump slightly in surprise and twist around to assess the mess, and Cedric can’t hear what the boy says, but he assumes it’s an apology because you turn back to him and Cedric reads your lips as you say with an understanding smile It’s okay.

You haven’t noticed him peeking into the store, and he remains standing there for a few more moments even when you’ve turned to pick up the fallen boxes and as Ollivander finds a new wand for the boy to try. Cedric would like to say hello, whether verbally or just in the form of a wave through the window, but he doesn’t want to interrupt. So he sighs and glances warily in front of and behind him, wondering if he comes off as strange to any passerby since it looks like he’s spying (and, well, perhaps he is a little).

Before he can look too suspicious, he backs away from the shop window and proceeds to Flourish and Blotts. He hadn’t really looked at the books closely last time, distracted as he was. But he’s not sure it’ll be any different today now that he’s spotted you and knows you’re only a few storefronts down the street. He hopes he’ll run into you later on.

Your remark about leisure reading for the summer prompts him to scour the shelves in search of books that grab his attention. He doesn’t plan to get as many as you had, nor any as thick, but he supposes at least one is a decent start. It’d be nice to have something other than his schoolbooks to be reading at home, when his mind needs a break. He surmises half-jokingly that he could spend that time thinking of you, but that’d wear his mind out all the same. You leave him in a daze, running around the edges of his brain until he’s dizzy and seeing stars. Maybe he could buy you daisies.

Cedric’s new novel is wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine, and he tucks it beneath his arm as he steps out of Flourish and Blotts. He hadn’t kept track of how long he was in there, but it’s long enough that he’s a bit peckish. Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour is visible from the front doors of the bookshop, and that’s where he chooses to go. Ice cream was just a good a meal as any, right?

The large wooden door creaks loudly, a testament to its age, and Cedric steps inside.There’s one person at the counter ordering, and he waits patiently behind them. His eyes light up when he realizes it’s you. You ask for two scoops of peanut butter ice cream in a cone, and a spoon moves on its own to scoop up the flavor you’ve requested and drops it into a cone floating nearby. After you pay, the cone drifts over to you, and your fingers gently curl around it to bring it closer.

“Thank you!” you state brightly. Then you turn around, and you halt at the sight of Cedric. “Oh, hi, Cedric!”

He smiles, lifting a hand slightly to give a wave. “Hullo, [Name].”

You wait for him to order his own ice cream (double scoop of chocolate chip) and you find a table in the corner, next to the window. Cedric plops down in the seat across from you and sets his book on the tabletop. He looks at you but you don’t notice, preoccupied with gazing outside at everyone walking past. Your hair is tied up, and you’re wearing a dress well-suited for the heat. The temperature has only risen now that it’s the middle of summer. His eyes follow the curve of your collarbones and the line of your jaw. Even from the other side of the table he can see your long lashes, curled upward and brushing languidly against the fragile skin of your cheeks with each blink.

He clears his throat and forces himself to look elsewhere. If he kept staring, he’d forget what he was holding and would be reminded none too nicely by melted ice cream seeping onto his hand. “How have you been?” he inquires. He licks at his sugary treat as you turn back to answer.

“I’ve been well!” you reply. “Helped a young wizard pick out a wand today.”

Cedric’s about to comment that he’d seen that, but thankfully the words never leave his mouth. It would only merit questions about how he would know, and he’d be forced to admit he’d been peeking in to Ollivanders, hiding half behind a wall to remain out of sight. So he changes what he’s going to say. “Really? That’s fantastic.”

You hum in agreement, and your eyes drop down to the book. “What have you got there?” It’s your turn to ask a question.

“Oh, this?” Cedric sets a hand on it and drags it closer. “Well, you inspired me, [Name].”

“Did I?” You sound excited, and you tilt your head curiously.

Cedric smiles at your enthusiasm and nods. “You did. I thought about how you bought those books to read over the summer and figured it’d be good for me to do the same.”

You ask him which book he bought, and he tells you. A part of him isn’t surprised you’ve already read it. You say that you hope he enjoys it, and that you think he will. You’ll have to tell me your thoughts on it when you’re done. He promises that he will. Your eyes are sparkling again and now he understands it’s no product of the sun. Suddenly his ice cream is so bland in comparison to your voice and smile. Could he ever enjoy sweets from this point on, knowing none of them could match up to you?

He listens to you talk about the little knickknacks you saw in the junk shop: I like to go in there every now and then to see what’s found its way there. Never know when it’ll be my lucky day. And Cedric grins and thinks that it’s his lucky day whenever he’s with you. You’re watching him with soft gazes and filling his ears with soft laughs, and he can only hope that you feel the same way when you’re with him.

In the evening, he’s three chapters into his novel and already looking forward to the next time he sees you. The moon casts a white glow on his bedroom floor and Cedric closes his eyes. You’re there to greet him and guide him over the threshold, into the world of dreams. The two of you are outside the ice cream parlour, and you take his hand to lead him inside. You grace him with a toothy grin that looks right at home on your beautiful face, and he sees tiny songbirds fluttering around your figure.

[smolikgrsj422]

Conclusion

The portfolio has included materials from the two projects this semester: the Soundscape Tour and the Object Presentation, discussions I have participated in on canvas, and my favourite quotes from the course readings. Each of these different ways of knowledge production has developed the ways in which I question and exist in the university. The amount of free-reign in the class has allowed me to express the topics and opinions that I find most relevant and interesting. Instead of following a strict prompt, I was able to come to a place of producing my own knowledge and finding ideas that I am passionate about.

Learning has changed over the years from something beautiful that generations pass on to the next and communities that grow and learn together to an individualistic attempt at gaining knowledge to reach capitalistic success. The neoliberal environment of the university has corrupted the engaging and collective way of learning. I often hear from professors that we are unable to edit or assist our peers with classwork and essays as it is a form of plagiarism, this is unfortunate because the simple act of peer-editing can enhance knowledge sevenfold. Having even just one other perspective on an idea or piece of writing is a way for people to have a strong argument and idea behind the paper. I find that I am often unable to come up with a thesis without some form of discussion, or even rant, with another person. Being able to verbalize my thinking and path of knowledge is beneficial to the finished product.

The individualistic approach to learning in the Western system has created a feel of competition in all aspects of life, capitalism is to blame for this. Each person is trying to increase their own economic capital, education is a tool for us to move up in the world and reach ‘success.’ Since elementary school we have been in constant competition with our classmates, to who can draw the best to who can finish the math equation the quickest. Encouraging competition in children is beneficial in the capitalist system and forces children to focus on the task at hand to ensure they do the best they can. Yet this pressure to succeed is discouraging the collective nature in children and adults, instead of having a united community of learners, we have individuals who will not aid their friends in learning. I remember in high school feeling conflicted in whether I wanted to help my friends with their homework, I knew if I did not help it would bring me closer to the top of the class. I thankfully chose to help them because I valued our friendship over having the top grade for assignments but the conflict in myself was difficult to deal with.

Moving into university I have realized that the classroom has become even more separated, each student barely even wants to acknowledge others in the room let alone help them. Knowledge has become a trait that we hold dear and do not share with our peers, yet this is not the purpose of knowledge. We should feel the freedom and the urge to combine our knowledges with one another and create a collective knowledge that involves a significant amount of perspectives and opinions. This semester has taught me that we can still have university level education and merge our knowledges together. Through discussions, group projects, and having autonomy over the content of our projects we are able to move from the individual education towards collective. We were encouraged to converse with one another and share our ideas, this is out of character for a university classroom.

If we are hoping to change the ways in which knowledge is viewed in our society, we need to move away from the capitalist society we live in. Instead of valuing people only on their production value at work, we need to look at valuing each person for their contribution to society on a whole. Valuing all school, work, home life, relationships, etc as equally important to society will move towards creating a system that encourages holistic learning. We need to move away from education creating the active citizen who engages in work and production and move towards education assisting us all reach our goals and passions.

The ideal school system for me would be holistic in its approach. Instead of solely being in the school, learning would take place in all aspects of life and be recognized as equally important. This is not to say that learning does not already take place in every facet of life, but valuing them as equal would ensure a just education system. Education would follow passions and the course of someone’s life, not be limited to the beginning of a career. Since we are constantly learning, formal education would be accessible at every point in life. Employers would be accepting of education being an important part of life and would allocate a certain amount of time for each person to participate in formal education. Stretching to the ideal would be to make all forms of education accessible to anyone, whether its financial, timing, or disability related, education should be within reach to anyone. I think all forms of education can either be free if we lived in a socialist society that was supported by the government or for the time being could be placed on a sliding scale that would attempt to make in accessible to the lower class without putting them in further debt.

The ideal system of school is not so far away, moving from an individual system to a collective one would bring life back into education. There are schools and places around the world that have a thorough education system that is inclusive to all perspectives and opinions, bringing that to the Western system would just take reformation. Yet unfortunately, academics are stuck in their traditional and elitist ways and I do not see the academic system changing too drastically in the near future.

We need to look at knowledge and education through an intersectional lens and ensure that the needs of all those involved (and all those who could be involved) are met. Thinking about Indigenous, racialized, gendered, non-binary, queer, disabled, and many more marginalized people and how they would fit into the education can be a good first step. We can begin to decolonize the education system through actively participating in ensuring all needs are met of marginalized folks.

The ways in which we have learned and discussed learning in this course shows that introducing new ways of learning and producing knowledge are not too strenuous. Just taking the time to discuss with those around you to see how they would prefer to learn and show their learning can go a long way to creating a classroom where everyone is on equal footing to engage in learning. Having videos, presentations, audio, different forms of text, etc. are simple ways that classrooms can having alternative educations. Challenging the university is beneficial to not only those who are on the margins of education, but those who are already engaged have a more extensive understanding of the topics they learn.

It is common knowledge that we all learn differently and that learning in one way is not conducive to learning, so why are classrooms usually structured in a lecture style? And why are many of the projects, assignments, and assessments without variety? The capitalist structure only accepts one way of producing knowledge and that needs to change soon. Each act of challenging the norm and critiquing the academic progresses a collective and anti-capitalist approach to knowledge. Reforming education and the way we perceive knowledge in the West is the next step to having a just society where everyone is valued and protected by society. All types of knowledges are important to society.

[jamesbvck]

change your mind | three

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU, High School!Bucky) Summary: Senior Year: the last year to be a somebody or a nobody. A chance to fall in love, ace that final exam and make memories. After a terrible first impression, Bucky makes it his mission to fix the mistake he made with the new girl. Will they get their chance? Warnings: swearing, fluff A/N: Let’s break the ice, shall we? :D Feedback in encouraged!

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The nippy November weather swooped in too suddenly. The morning walk to school was now accompanied with frosty grass and biting winds. The leaves were beginning to dwindle from the branches of the trees, collecting in large piles on sidewalks and in front yards. It was perfect that the cafeteria was open before first period so you could grab something warm to drink and a muffin then head to class. The cooler weather also gave you an excuse to wear your big comfy sweaters too. It felt like you were wrapped up in a blanket every day.

Upon arriving at school you made a B-line to the cafeteria. There were a few students sitting at a table scribbling in last minute assignments before the bell rang. You walked into the separate small food room and grabbed a paper cup, filling it with hot chocolate and capping it with a lid. To your surprise the pastries were of low quantity and there weren’t any banana chocolate chip muffins left. There must have been a rush earlier. Nothing else looked too appealing, so you gave the cashier two dollars before heading to your locker. You stripped off your jacket, hanging it up along with your backpack. The warning bell rang and you took your history books before locking up.

You weaved through peers to enter Pierce’s classroom, ducking out of the way as one of the boys in your class attempted to toss a balled up piece of paper into the trash while claiming he was Steph Curry, shooting a three. Placed in the middle of your desk was an untouched, fresh banana chocolate chip muffin. You tipped your head, eyes moving to see Bucky at his spot next to yours. His textbook was open along with his notebook and he was jotting down some words. He had his own muffin and a bottle of orange juice in front of him. Slowly you approached the desks, taking the muffin and sat down.

“It was the last one in the caf, figured I’d get it for you before it was taken.”

Bucky didn’t look up from his work, messily scratching out a few words before continuing on. You set your books down and nodded. “How’d you know this was the kind I liked?” You asked.

“It’s the only one with a purple wrapper. They colour code the different flavours,” Bucky finally looked to you, sleepy half smile lining his lips. “Blue is blueberry for obvious reasons.” He used the end of his pen to point to his breakfast item.

You nodded, flipping open your notebook to a fresh page. “Not to mention you’ve gotten that muffin every day for the last two weeks.” Bucky added a moment after.

The second bell rang and Pierce sharply walked into class. The door closed leaving two students stranded in the hallway and ultimately a detention for ‘being late.’ Pierce never seemed to give kids much of a second chance which made him more terrifying than he already was. You weren’t sure how you made it two months in. It wasn’t that his class was difficult, it was more of actually paying attention and writing shit down because the tests and pop quizzes were always so unexpected.

Silently you peeled off the wrapper as Pierce began his class for the day: World War 2, Cause and Effect. The class felt never-ending. You doodled on the margins of your notebook, half day dreaming and mostly trying not to nod off in fear of the wrath you would incur. Bucky stayed rather mute as well, only poking you when you hadn’t finished your muffin and he was clearly still hungry. He happily took the rest and inhaled it within two seconds.

“You will pair up and choose a topic from the list being passed around,” Pierce handed the girl in the front row a stack of papers and she handed them behind her to go around the room. “Tomorrow you will tell me your partner and topic, one topic per pair. Then you will write an 1500 word, double spaced one sided essay about said topic, cause and effect. How did this certain situation affect America during this time?”

You took the paper and handed the rest over to Bucky. There was a list: Propaganda, Art, Clothing, Women in Warfare, it went on in two columns. The bell rang for the end of class with Pierce instructing everyone to pick up their last test that had been marked. You packed up and rose, finding yours at the front table easily. A ninety-two percent was more than enough for you considering you thought you botched the long answer.

Barely down the hallway, a hand caught your elbow and twisted you back. “Be my partner.”

“What? No way.” You shook off Bucky’s hand, shaking your head.

“Come on, you’re like the second smartest person in class.”

Your brows rose. “Who’s the first?”

“Me,” Bucky said in an obvious tone. He flipped his test around to show you his ninety-six percent grade in red marker. You rolled your eyes. “So you know I’m not gonna flake on you.”

Bucky had a point. At least you could maybe get this done in an efficient amount of time. And you already knew him, you didn’t have to make awkward conversation with someone else.

“Fine,” you caved. “We’re doing Propaganda.”

“Cool by me. We can start on it after school if you want, no practice today and we can finish before the weekend.” Bucky proposed.

“Got yearbook with Peggy but after?”

He agreed, “Yeah, sure. I gotta watch my sisters so you can come over.”

Your stomach flipped with immediate nerves. His house? A library wasn’t suitable? Then again was he really going to drag his sisters to the library? That’d most likely be worse. So you nodded, mindlessly agreeing even though there was caution coursing through you.

You parted for second period and joined Steve in English Lit. He shared a lemon loaf his mother had made with you which was beyond delicious. Hey, at least there were more treats to calm your overthinking and Coulson’s class was a breeze anyway.

Your phone buzzed in the middle of class, a new text message popping up on the screen. Unknown number but you had a hunch. You turned your phone to Steve who confirmed your suspicion.

“Sam have your number?” He asked, you nodded. “Probably gave it to Buck. They have second period together.”

“Bucky and I are partners for a history project.”

Steve’s left brow shot up. “Really?” His voice trailed as if he wanted to say some more but he refrained.

“Really, really.” You punched in Bucky’s name as an new contact, swiping to open the text.

Bucky Barnes: 1423 Westmount Blvd. Bucky Barnes: Figured that’d be helpful.

Your eyes rolled, typing back.

You: Damn was hoping to use a phone book for reverse search.

You watched as the tiny blue checkmark popped up in the corner of your message. Bucky had his read receipts on.

Bucky Barnes: Do those still exist?

It was unclear how you got trapped in a ten minute text conversation about phone books, but it happened. Mr Coulson politely asked you to put your phone away which you obliged and apologized. You zipped your phone in your pencil case, feeling it vibrate against the desk with another reply from Bucky.

Your nerves continued to flourish in your stomach throughout the day. Yearbook motored on by organizing the pictures from school events and Peggy had you designing layouts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You were one of the last ones in the room with Peter Parker finishing printing his high resolution photos.

“Those look great, Pete.” You scanned over some scattered pictures on the desks. “You have a talent.”

He laughed softly, awkwardly. “Uh, thanks! Think these are some of my favourite, too.”

You brushed aside a few seeing a couple snapshots of Becca Barnes. You smiled, recalling how Peggy said Peter had a crush. “Don’t stay too late.” You told him, heaving your backpack onto your shoulders.

Peter waved as you left the room, starting your journey to Westmount Boulevard. The walk was a little farther than you believed, definitely your full exercise for the week. You looked up and down the street as you walked. The houses were a little bigger than your neighbourhood but it was nothing like where Tony Stark resided. You counted the house numbers before walking up neatly laid stepping stones to the dark wooden door of the colonial home. The garden was immaculate and Bucky’s Jeep sat in the long driveway. You stood on the porch, breathing in before knocking three times. There was shuffling on the other side, the lock twisting and door opening. Bucky stood with a granola bar in hand, chewing.

“Hi,” he mumbled, sliding away shoes to the side with his foot. He was in sweatpants and a basic navy shirt, opposed to his jeans and green shirt from earlier in the day.

You stepped inside and removed your shoes and coat. Bucky took it and placed it over the banister of the stairs. You only got a quick glimpse of the Barnes home but it was like looking in a home magazine; rustic yet contemporary. It was perfect but did feel well lived in.

You followed Bucky upstairs. Passing by the first bedroom the walls were lavender and there were two beds on either side of the room. The second room had music coming from it and the B on the door definitely indicated Becca was behind the closed door. There was a master on the other side of the hall and finally Bucky’s in the back. He pushed opened the door revealing a rather tidy bedroom. He had some posters, a TV on a dresser and a PS4 connected with a game in pause. His desk next to the window had papers, books and his laptop. Bucky left the door half open, sinking down into his desk chair.

“Kinda glad you chose propaganda. Did a project on it in the tenth grade, too.” Bucky swivelled around to log into his computer.

You slid off your backpack, still a little uneasy being in the house. Realistically there was nothing to fret about yet you couldn’t help but feel out of place. You moved and sat on the end of his bed, unzipping your bag and took out what you needed.

“So,” you finally spoke. “I guess we should start with what is propaganda and how was it conveyed to the public.”

“Radio, television, leaflets, posters,” Bucky listed. “It portrayed a way Americans should think and see of the war, a way to persuade opinions.”

You wrote as Bucky rambled. Surprisingly it was good enough to form a base of the essay hitting basic points and facts. He pulled up Victory Poster images and Careless Talk counterparts; know about the war, help your husbands, brothers and sons, talk about the war yet be cautious of spies. He knew a lot of stuff. You had moved to sit on the floor, back pressed against the bed as you used your knees to hold up your notebook and write. This was going way more smoothly than you could have imagined.

Bucky faced you, feet up on his bed as a footrest. He tossed a hand exercise ball up into the air and caught it a few times. He stopped, glancing over to the door. You followed his gaze seeing a smaller human hovering just outside in the hallway.

“Come here, Jules.”

The door was pushed opened slightly more revealing the littlest Barnes. Her dark hair waved down just past her shoulders, eyes sharp blue just like Bucky’s. She had her math workbook hugged to her chest and a pencil in hand. She looked sweet but shy and suddenly you felt bad for making her feel like that in her own home. She eyed you closely while she crossed the room to her brother.

“This is Julia,” Bucky introduced. “My most normal and favourite sister.” He proceeded to introduce you and Julia gave a wave before showing Bucky her math homework she needed help with. “I’m going to help her with this for a sec.”

It really wasn’t an issue. If it were you, you’d choose to help an angel face like Julia before anything else. You slid your textbook to yourself, flipping through the pages.

Julia sat on Bucky’s lap, showing him the fractions she had to calculate. You couldn’t help but watch for a few moments. Bucky was a natural teacher explaining to her the numerators and denominators, and how to simplify the equations.

“How many times does two go into two?” Bucky asked.

“One.” Julia’s voice was soft and small.

“Right! And how many twos go into six?”

Julia took a moment and used her fingers to do quick math. “Three.”

Bucky picked up her pencil and scribbled down some numbers. “So it’s one over three. Do you wanna do another one?”

She nodded and they proceeded to practice two more equations before Julia felt confident enough to continue on her own. Bucky promised that after dinner he���d look over the rest of her work although he was certain all the answers would be correct. She hopped off his lap, the tiniest satisfied smile on her face.

She skipped to the door before turning back around. “Can I go get a cookie?” She asked Bucky.

“Only if Abby doesn’t see, and bring us one.”

Julia nodded frantically before taking off down the hall and stairs. You laughed lightly, turning back to look at Bucky.

“How old is she?” You asked.

“Ten,” he replied. “She’s a little shy at first but she’s great. A funny kid.”

“Abby is your other sister?”

He nodded. “She must be in the den or something. She just turned thirteen and she’s been arguing with my parents how she should have her own room like Becca.”

Julia was dashing back into the room in no time. She handed you a chocolate chip cookie and one to Bucky as well. “She didn’t see!” Julia mumbled through cookie bites. Her and Bucky exchanged a high five before she was bustling out of the room again.

Perhaps you sized Bucky up too quickly, or maybe there were two sides to him. There was the Bucky that pulled you out of the haunted house when you were scared, the guy who bought you a damn muffin and helped his little sister with homework. But then there was the other Bucky, the drunk side who was a douche and the athlete that knew he was hot shit at school. You couldn’t decipher him, he was a puzzle.

“Mommy’s home!” Julia called out. You could hear her feet stamp down on the steps as she ran downstairs again. Bucky glanced towards the door again and you felt the nerves return to your body.

“I should go. I think we have enough stuff that I can start an outline.” You mumbled, closing your books and shoved them into your bag. You’d only been there just over an hour but there was progress made.

Bucky shook his head, “You don’t have to go.”

You turned your back to him, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “I’ll do the outline then we can finish it another night.”

A quiet sigh breathed from behind you. Bucky had stood up to walk you downstairs. “Can’t do tomorrow. How about after the game on Friday?”

“You sure? Won’t you be tired?”

He shrugged. “Rather get it done before the weekend so I can just sleep it away.”

“Okay.”

Bucky grazed your arm as he went by you, opening the door and headed downstairs. You followed him, gripping the strap of your bag tightly. There were groceries being carried in by helper Julia and you caught a glance at what must have been Abby in the kitchen unbagging the groceries. Bucky handed you your coat as you slipped on your shoes. He stuck his feet in some sneakers and walked outside with you. The hatch back of a silver SUV was open, Bucky’s mother handling a few bags.

“I got ‘em, ma.” Bucky swooped in and scooped up the rest of the bags she had.

You stood off to the side watching the mother and son for a moment. Awkward was an understatement. Did you just keep on walking and not say anything? No, that was rude. Did you offer to help? It looked like Bucky had everything taken care of just fine. Your weight shifted from leg to leg, gnawing on the inside of your cheek.

“Hey, uh, ma. This is my friend,” Bucky hesitantly introduce you to his mother. She poked her head out from behind him, beaming with delight. She was short, maybe five foot four, soft brown long hair that framed her face pleasantly. She had those eyes, those blue ones that could brighten a day just looking at them. “We’re doing a history project together.”

You stuck out your hand to shake, polite smile on your lips. Instead Mrs Barnes pulled you in for a hug, surprising you but it was comforting and not as weird as you thought it’d be. She had beautiful smelling perfume on, something warm and appropriate for the winter weather approaching.

“It’s so nice to meet you, dear.” Mrs Barnes greeted.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs Barnes.”

“Winifred.” She corrected. “No need to be so formal. Mrs Barnes is my mother-in-law.” Winifred took a moment to look you over like an exam, assessing you from head to toe. “James, she is absolutely stunning.”

Bucky grimaced, adjusting the bags in his hand. “I’m going to take these inside. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You nodded, saying bye to him. “I have to go, but it was really nice meeting you, Winifred. Your house is lovely.”

“Come back any time. I usually make too much food for dinner since usually one of the boys are over. It’d be nice to have a new face in the house.”  Winifred squeezed your arm gently, giving another friendly smile. You said thank you, telling her to have a good evening then started your trek home.

You missed your mother when you got home, already off to work. A note was left from her on the stove saying there was shepherd’s pie being kept warm in the oven with a few hearts and a smiley face on the sticky note. You pulled the casserole dish out and spooned yourself a piece, taking it up to your room for the night. Idly you ate and typed up an outline, though your thoughts reflected at your short time at the Barnes residence. It stuck with you how Bucky dropped everything to help Julia and then without being asked assisted his mother with the groceries. It was small things but nice.

You laid back in bed after showering and changing into cozy clothes, snuggling up under the blanket. You grabbed your phone off of the bedside table, tapping on the text message icon.

You: So… James?

You barely flipped to another application before seeing the drop down message with a reply.

Bucky Barnes: Yeah. Bucky Barnes: Did you think my name was legit Bucky? You: Could have been. Frank Zappa literally named his daughters Moon Unit and Diva Muffin. Bucky Barnes: Don’t think Bucky is that extreme.

You: Guess not…

You watched as the three dots popped up on the screen for a few moments then disappeared with another few seconds passing by. There was dead air in the conversation, or lack thereof. Truthfully Bucky didn’t need to reply back. School was in the morning, he was probably going to go to sleep soon anyway. Then the dots appeared again.

Bucky Barnes: My mom made more cookies. She said I gotta bring you some tomorrow and share some with the guys. Think she made like three batches.

You smiled.

You: Winifred Barnes, MVP.

You wondered if Bucky laughed or not. It was cheesy but it was nice of his mother to go out of her way to bake for his friends. Friend, you thought. He had called you his friend earlier. Were you even considered that? Your mind spun, too deep of thoughts for your tired brain. You texted Bucky saying you were going to sleep, plugging your phone in and set your alarm. Bucky replied; simple yet sweet.

Bucky Barnes: Goodnight :)

Peggy was smart and brought a blanket to the football game on Friday. You were both bundled up in jackets and shivering from the wind that crossed the field. Natasha had went to the food stand to grab some warm drinks for the three of you. The game was tied and you wondered how in the world the boys played in such crisp conditions. You could see your breath.

Natasha returned and handed you and Peggy hot chocolate pulling the blanket over her legs too. “There are scouts here tonight.”

“How do you know?” Peggy questioned.

“Overheard Sam’s mom talking in line.”

You glanced behind you, searching the bleachers. That was good news for the boys; a scholarship would be incredible. Everyone blended together and a scout probably would have wanted to fit into the crowd instead of being a distraction. You turned back as the offensive line came on. Steve had everyone huddled up to direct a play before breaking and getting into formation. They got a five yard gain, Steve calling another play shortly after.

You watched intently as the ball was snapped back to Steve. He scanned the field looking for an open man. Bucky was blocked and Sam couldn’t get a man off him. Steve went left, faking a throw in hopes someone could get free. Then out from the right a giant lineman tackled Steve, sacking him flat on his back. The crowd gasped, Peggy was immediately on her feet as Steve was motionless. Bucky broke through players, helmet off as he went to Steve, taking a knee beside him and a coach came onto the field.

Your own heart started to quicken at the sight. Natasha eyes were wide and alarmed. Clint was shoving at a few guys on the opposing team which caused a few shouts from dads at the stands. Sam was having a stern conversation with one of the referees, clearly not getting the answers he was looking for. Another minute passed. Bucky gripped onto Steve’s hand and slowly pulled him up to his feet.

“What is he doing? Is he staying in?” Peggy asked, slightly frantic.

Bucky patted Steve’s chest, swirls of breath coming from the both of them like they were laughing about something. Steve readjusted his helmet, calling back his team. Cheers erupted from the spectators as their Valhalla quarterback was back in the game. Peggy sat back down, still tense but there was a big smile of relief on her face. You looped your arm through hers, squeezing lightly for support.

Down to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Panthers were only up by three. It was crucial to keep possession of the ball and let the time dwindle down. There was tension in the atmosphere. Your eyes darted to the scoreboard and back to the field. Time ticked and small plays were made. A quick timeout was called to regroup and gain focus. Encouraging cheers rang out, clapping and hollering. You felt nervous, this would be a big win and they would be first for the playoffs. You clapped along as Nat and Peggy did. The players took their positions, less than a minute left of play. They could run the clock but it was worth a shot to go for it, 30 yards to the end zone. The ball snapped back to Steve. Bucky was open and Steve drilled the pass to him. Bucky effortlessly caught it, feet motoring. Voices got louder, your heart rate increased hoping for a successful play. Bucky reached the 5 yard mark going to dive in— then a hit. He was taken down by an opposing player. Bucky reached out for the ball to cross the line and from your angle, it looked to be a touchdown.

The crowd was an exploding volcano; the bleachers shaking. You grinned, clapping excitedly at the unbelievable play. But that was it, it was unbelievable as the referee waved it off. The mood quickly shifted from happiness to boos and foul mouths. Your brows furrowed, looking to Peggy who was just as puzzled. Bucky had rolled back onto his feet and invaded the ref’s personal space. You could see him arguing, heated by the official call on the field. He was robbed.

Sam guided Bucky away from the situation, attempting to ease him down. Parents were outraged, the coach was having his own words with another ref but it seemed to be settled. The Panthers still won but it wasn’t the great ending they were looking for.

There was a hum of chatter as people descended from the stands. The little football town was in quite the uproar. You parted from Peggy and Natasha, having told Bucky you’d wait by his car. If he was in a bad mood, maybe it wasn’t best to finish the project now. You sat yourself on the edge of the Jeep’s bumper, shivering as you waited. You watched the parking lot empty of cars until there were only about seven left. Maybe you should have waited inside the school, he seemed to be taking longer than normal. Players retreated from the doors but none were Bucky yet. Your nose was cold and fingers nearly numb.

Bucky appeared a few moments later, head down, hair wet, and a slow pace. You stood up, fidgeting your fingers. A man approached Bucky causing him to stop and adjust the strap of his gym bag on his shoulder. They shook hands and the man began to converse with Bucky, handing him a business card. That must have been a scout. It had to have been. The man patted Bucky’s shoulder, another handshake before he went on his way. Bucky scanned the card for a moment before coming towards you.

“How long have you been standing out here?” He asked. “It’s cold.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t running around a field for over an hour,” you said. Bucky unlocked the doors, tossing his bag into the backseat. You climbed into the front of his car taking note of the leather seats and the pristine interior. The car even still had that brand new smell.

Bucky turned on the engine and cranked up the heat. You began to dethaw.

“Was that man a scout?” You looked at him.

Bucky nodded, handing you the business card. On it was the Stanford University logo, along with the man’s name and title. “Wow,” You murmured. “This guy came all the way from California?”

“I guess.” Bucky didn’t really seem too interested in it, at least not right now.

You read the card again, then looked back at Bucky. “I’m sorry about the end of the game. It was a clear touchdown.”

“That ref hates me anyway,” Bucky shifted the car into reverse. “His kid plays for another school and we got into it one game last season. Kind of ended in a fight.”

“Kind of?” You inquired.

Bucky half smiled. “Yeah, kind of,” he pulled out into the main room, turning left. “We’re going to your place. I’d rather not be in a house with four thirteen year old girls. Abby’s having a sleepover with her friends.”

You nodded. You weren’t in the mood to be questioned either so it was a good idea. Bucky seemed to know where he was going. Obviously he knew were Peggy lived, so essentially he knew where you lived. You continued to hold onto the small rectangular card between your fingers, soaking in the heat and watched the road. Bucky parked next to the curb, grabbing his backpack from behind his seat. You hopped out and walked to your front door, unlocking it and going inside. It was much more homey now; less boxes and pictures hung. Bucky closed the door behind him, heeling off his shoes.

“No one home?”

“My mom’s working a double shift at the hospital. Apparently two nurses called in sick.” You told him.

“Your dad?”

You stopped halfway to the kitchen. The topic of your parents hadn’t really come up before. And truthfully it wasn’t important. “Haven’t seen him since I was eight. Said he had to go out to the store one night and didn’t come back.” You found your footing again, going to the fridge.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Bucky frowned.

“Doesn’t matter.” You handed Bucky a can of Coke and gave a half hearted smile. “Popcorn?”

Textbooks, notebooks and loose papers were scattered across your bed. You sat near the end, legs crossed with some printouts, highlighting important information. Bucky was sitting up against the headboard, typing away on your laptop using the outline as a guide. You and Bucky worked well together, you thought. You’d suggest something but Bucky would take it to another level of expertise. Surprisingly he was pretty good with written word.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Bucky leaned forward and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn.

“What did you say to Steve to get him back on his feet? The hit looked pretty bad.”

Bucky chewed and swallowed. “Told him that Peggy was already halfway across the field and she was gonna beat his ass if he didn’t get up. He just got the wind knocked out of him.”

You smiled, laughing softly. “She was worried.”

“Yeah I saw her standing there. He’s alright, though.”

You sighed softly, sorting through pieces of paper. You snuck a peek at him. His eyes scanned the computer screen, deleting and retyping a sentence a few times. His face was concentrated, mind lost in a deep thought. You thought back to that scout again, and the business card. It was on your desk. You wanted to ask Bucky what he thought about it; did he have other offers? Did he want to go pro?

Maybe you’d ask another time.

“Starin’ at me?” He lightly teased.

You shook your head. “No—uh, was trying to think of how the conclusion should go.”

Bucky hummed, placing the laptop beside him as he rubbed his eyes. It was a little after midnight, it had been a longer game due to all the commotions, so you didn’t get home close to 10:30. You moved away some of the books and papers, crawling over and settling next to him, pulling the computer to your lap. The document  was already at six pages double spaced typed up. Editing still needed to be done and a works cited page, MLA format. You could do that on the weekend and hand it in on Monday.

“How does it look?” Bucky asked.

You hit the down key to scroll through. “Good, well, to me at least. Who knows what the hell Pierce will think.”

“He likes you, so he’ll like it,” he shrugged. “Me? Not so much.”

“I feel like there’s a story.” You saved the document, closing the laptop and put it aside.

Bucky had his eyes closed, head tilted back against the wall. It looked like he could pass out any minute. “Sometimes authority figures and I don’t get on too well. Tenth grade, Clint convinced me to skip third with him and I went along. The class I skipped was Pierce’s. We went back for fourth and he caught us coming back in and reamed us, brought us down to Principal Fury’s office. I said some shit that I probably shouldn’t have, talked some shit about how Pierce couldn’t even teach. Landed a three week’s worth of detention and probation on football. Wasn’t even failing his class.”

You listened, trying to imagine it and you could see if very clearly. It was apparent Bucky had a mouth on him, you had witnessed it at the party, him and Tony’s short squabble and tonight at the game when he got into the ref’s face.

“And now you’re back in his class.” You murmured.

“Karma, she’s a damn bitch.”

The corners of your lips tugged upwards as you dug your feet under the blanket. Bucky was first and then somehow, before you could even comprehend, you were out like a light. It was a solid snooze until the AM. The sun peeked through the curtains, a breeze rattling the windows. You rested on your side, nose touching Bucky’s arm that was draped over yours while he laid on his back. Wrists kissed and fingertips grazed.

This was… nice. He was warm.

Bucky’s phone aggressively vibrated against the mattress three times. For a moment he was still, lost in slumber until it occurred again. His fingers became vacant from yours, now only a memory as he slipped his phone out of his pocket. Slowly you peeled one eye open, vision blurred but you could make sense of Sam’s name and three text messages. You blinked a few times and Bucky opened the texts.

Sam Wilson: Guess who just saved your ass, yet again. Sam Wilson: That’s right, I did. Now you owe me 3 pizzas. Count ‘em: 3. Sam Wilson: Poor Winifred was worried sick, James.

Your insides rattled with silent laughter at Sam’s sass. Bucky ran his hand over his face, simply typing back a ‘yeah, yeah thanks’ to Sam. Then there was a follow up.

Sam Wilson: Where are you?

A low and slow exhale came from Bucky’s chest. His fingers hovered for a long while over the letters. Your eye shut quickly when he turned his head to look at you and you prayed he still thought you were sleeping. He was still for a moment, and from what you could tell he discard the conversation and locked his phone. Gently he pulled himself up into a sitting position, combing his fingers through his hair. Both feet set on the ground and he was hunched over. You rolled onto your back, stretching out as you normally would in the morning and yawned.  

You had an urge, unsure if it was good or not, to reach out and pull Bucky back down. Just for a minute or two, yet you resisted. This had been an accident with both of you falling asleep.

“I should go,” Bucky barely looked over his shoulder. His voice was sleepy, a little dry in the throat.

“Do you want breakfast?” Your words came out before you could process anything. You didn’t sound desperate for him to stay, he didn’t need to stay. But… it was nice having someone there. You sat yourself up wanting to bury your face in your hands. “Say no, it’s okay.”

“I don’t really want to say no.” He admitted.

You got off the bed, straightening out your shirt and grabbed some sweatpants off your floor by your desk and your phone. “Pancakes. I’ll make pancakes,” you told him, trailing out the room backwards. “Bathroom’s here, by the way.” You pointed to a door just outside your room before disappearing downstairs. You changed in the downstairs bathroom, rinsing your face with water.

Your feet padded against the cool tiles of the kitchen floor. You opened the pantry and took out the pancake mix, retrieving eggs and milk out of the fridge. There was water running from upstairs and you breathed in deeply.

So, now Bucky had been in your house. Not just that but in your room, on your bed, slept right fucking beside you. It was fine, like you said an accident and accidents happened. Yet here you were now in your kitchen mixing together pancake batter for breakfast. You didn’t owe him breakfast. It felt like your head was going to explode.

You had a few pancakes made by the time Bucky came down. He had his backpack packed up and his jacket, placing them against the kitchen table. “Do you need help?”

“No, I’m okay.” You kept your back to him, flipping over a pancake.

The legs of one of the chairs scraped the floor and he sat down. There was silence; a sizzling frying pan and the wind continuing to howl outside. You wouldn’t categorize it as awkward but it was definitely some form of that. You were quiet, Bucky was mute scrolling through his phone to keep himself occupied. You weren’t sure if you should say anything. Was there really anything to say?

Once there was an good stack on the first plate, you brought it to him along with a fork and knife, and the syrup. Juice options were fruit punch, apple and orange but you already knew he’d go for orange so you poured him a glass.

“You’re like my ma,” Bucky said. “Always making sure everyone has what they need before they eat.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Don’t see how it could be a bad thing.”

You finished making breakfast, taking the seat across from him. He cut into the stack, having four layers of pancakes stabbed onto his fork and shovelled it into his mouth. He was an athlete, he probably ate way more than the average human. Bucky still looked tired. He did say he’d sleep the weekend away so maybe he’d go and do that.

“I’ll finish the the end and conclusion and send it to you.” You told him. It was only fair since he mainly typed the entire essay last night.

“You sure?” Bucky set down his fork and looked at you from across the table. You nodded. He held your gaze as he took a long sip of orange juice. “Alright.”

Nerves. There were nerves erupting in the pit of your stomach, a pang but not like the one you had felt before. It wasn’t gut wrenching and painful, but it was still enough to make you wince. You phone vibrated against the table and you quickly picked it up.

Peggy Carter: Is that… Bucky’s car on the side of the road?

Oh fuck.

You dismissed the text and left your phone to the side. That text could be dealt with when the person in question wasn’t in the same room as you.

Bucky cleared his plate of food and got up, rinsing the plate and left it in the sink as you instructed him to. He was slow to pick up his bag and coat almost hesitating. You could tell he wanted to say something due to his pinched brows and lost eyes. You walked with him to the door, leaning against the wall while he tied his shoes.

“See you on Monday at school?” He asked.

You nodded, “Not sure where’d else I’d be.”

He flashed a smile, teeth and all. You pulled open the door for him and watched him go to his car. You stood with the door open until his car was on and he waved. Your hand rose, fingers wiggling with him driving on by. You closed the door, locking and leaned your forehead against the wood with closed eyes. You felt yourself sink and grow sad at the departure. Why? Why now? Just because you learned about him didn’t mean shit. It didn’t, it really just… You were lonely. Lonely in a house while your mother was at work and your friends all had other things to do.

You were lonely as you crawled back into bed seeing the creases of where he laid, and his fragrance still lingered. You tucked yourself under the blankets, pulling them up to your chin.

Lonely, you thought. You had been lonely from years, starting new schools, meeting new faces that all blurred together.

You didn’t want to be lonely...

bucky list: @buckychrist @bvcks @lila-bard @stanclub @stardustparker @buckybarnesppreciationsociety@sweetwaterprincess @demongirl0913 @queenlydias @dontpanc @ohkingsteve @kingsebstan  @cauraphernelia @yourwonderbelle @beauty-who-doesnt-need-a-beast @bleedlikerubies @fallenaristocat @bubblybuckybarnes @solarbarnes @my-world97 @mystic-scripture @ragnarokbarnes @kali-rambles @pao-prazz @thorins-queen-of-erebor @eventyyr @abbadontherisingqueen @lovinglokiforever @justasimpleassbitch @red-wallflowers @brooklynightsky @hellaqueerangelofthelord @yknott81 @rvmanova @blame-the-russo-bros @buckybarneshairpullingkink @laurfangirl424

CYM *tags open*: @villainsaremorerelatable @akamaiden @sofreakinmanyfandoms @smolbeanthings  @noshitstark @memory-of-a-goldfish @lizfawn @moonstruckhargrove @pizzabarnes@moonbeambucky @csigeoblue @sgtbookybarnes @marco-hvittyvik 

[arrianna21]

~Skid Marks on My Heart~

Street racing can be a dangerous game, like playing with fire, but the rush of adrenaline makes it worth it. You love to support your boyfriend, who is one of the city’s top racers and you convince him to let you accompany him on his next race.

Game: Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Note: Please drive responsibly

Word Count: 3,727

“How close are you to finishing that paper?”

“Almost done. I just need to write one more body paragraph and then the conclusion.” You tell your friend.

The class you were in had just let out and you were currently waiting outside on the campus lawn. As much as you had wished you could have a stress-free summer vacation, you needed to take this class since it was a prerequisite for another one you were going to be taking in the fall semester.

Summer classes at your campus went for about three hours, which ate up most of your morning so you and your friend decided to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch while you waited for your boyfriend to come pick you up.

“That’s good. I’m missing a source so I need to find one to add and then I’m finished. Ugh, I cannot wait for this course to be over,” she sighs, falling back into the grass. The only reason she was taking this class is because she also had a part-time job and didn’t want to have to deal with a full-blown student schedule this year.

“Well, at least there’s only one week left in this class.” You tell her, taking a swig of your bottled water.

“True, at least there’s that.” She sits back up so she can finish eating the prepackaged sandwich, tugging the plastic wrap lower and taking a bite of the bread.

The two of you converse, talking about the essay and other plans you had for the end of summer while you bask in the heat of the sun. Getting up to throw away the remains of your meal, you offer to take hers as well before heading to find the nearest trash bin. When you return, you find your friend leaning her head against the tree with her eyes closed. As you quietly sit down next to her, you grab your textbook from your bag and fish out a highlighter, getting a head start on your next reading assignment.

“Thanks for throwing away the trash,” she mumbles, eyes still shut.

“No problem,” is your reply.

“So how’s Hoseok with his…job?” she asks after a minute of silence.

“He’s doing good. Slowly making his way up the list.” Hoseok, your boyfriend of almost two years, was a street racer. He had been at the top of his game for a while, until he lost his car in an unfair match. There was hard speculation that Razor had sabotaged Hoseok’s car prior to the race, causing him to lose. When you race against the Blacklist, your car has to be put on the line, and so after handing over the keys to Razor, Hoseok had nothing until he was able to find another car.

Now he had to make his way up the Blacklist, a group of notorious racers that are wanted by the city’s police department. The only way you can challenge each one to a race was to have a high bounty and win races, which is exactly what Hoseok has been doing these last couple of months. Currently, he’s #10 on the Blacklist, getting ready to go up against #9 as soon as he can win a few more races. Unfortunately, Razor is at the top of the list, standing high at #1, having used Hoseok’s car to help him take the lead.

“Hey, at least he gets to do what he loves. Better than working retail,” your friend jokes and you laugh.

“Yeah, I agree with you on that one.” Out of all your friends, she was one of the select few that actually knew about Hoseok’s current dilemma. You didn’t want word to spread and then have the police catch wind of it.

The ground vibrates as an engine growls and soon a red car is pulling into the parking lot of the campus. A few passerby gawk as they walk past the Porsche, the glossy red shining under the sunlight, black and white flames decorating its sides.

“Well, well, look who’s here.” She says while you scramble to put your things away.

“Catch you later,” you tell her, slinging your backpack over your shoulder.

“Have fun!” Your friend yells to your retreating back as you race to the sports car, kicking grass up in your haste.

Yanking the door open, you toss your bag over the passenger seat and it lands in the back with a thud while you sit down.

“Hi, speed racer.” Your boyfriend greets as you get situated, pulling the seat belt over your chest before clicking it into place.

“Hey, I should be calling you that.”

“I don’t know, you’re the first person I’ve ever seen run like the speed of light.” You give him a look, narrowing your eyes briefly. “I’m kidding. Hi, baby.” He leans in to kiss you on the lips and you happily accept.

“Hey, Hobi.”

He puts the car into gear and drives to the street, leaving your campus behind for the weekend. When he turns out onto the main road, he revs the engine once and speeds away.  

“How was class?”

“Eh, alright. I’m just ready for it to be over.”

“You’re almost there.” He encourages and you hum in affirmation.

“So, what’s the plan for today?”

He turns his head and looks at you in confusion. “Umm, take you home?”

“You’re not doing anything else tonight? Nothing at all?” you prod further.

“I mean there’s a circuit race I might do later,” he steals another glance at you, “oh no, babe.”

He groans upon seeing the eager glimmer in your eyes.

“Aw, come on Hobi, please take me with you!” you beg, clasping your hands together as you plead to him.

“Babe, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s too-”

“Too dangerous and not safe, I know.” You finish for him. “But I wanna see your driving skills in action.”

“You have though,” he counters.

You roll your eyes. “On the Internet. I’m talking about in person.”  

“Sorry babe, you know…what are you doing?” he asks in bewilderment when he hears the click of your seat belt as you proceed to crawl over the console separating you two. “Cut that out, you’re gonna get hurt.” Hoseok reprimands though you ignore it, only continuing to slide forward until you’re leaning against him, shoulder to shoulder.

You nose is pressed directly into his cheek as you stare up at him. “Please,” you whimper. “Please take me with you.” Even though he is clearly displeased by your reckless actions, you can see the faint smirk of amusement on his lips.

Hoseok sighs, turning his head slightly and his nose lightly brushes your own. “Fine, but just this once.”

“For now,” you counter, kissing his cheek in thanks.

“Right, now can you please get back in your seat and buckle up before we get into an accident.” He complains and you oblige, having been successful in your persuasion.

Your boyfriend continues driving through Rosewood, casually remaining under the speed limit even if he could easily take these streets at 70 miles per hour.

“So where’s it gonna be?”

“All the way in Ocean Hills,” he informs you.

“Cool! Down by the old boardwalk?” you ask, energetically bouncing in your seat.

“Yep, that’s the place.”

“How many other racers?”

“Probably three.”

“Laps?”

“Two.”

“Sweet~” you sing, watching as he continues driving through the congested roads.

“You’re really excited about this, huh?” He wonders, giving you another look and you bob your head happily.

“Of course, I am! I finally get to see you race. And I get a front row seat.”

“You’re so cute,” he laughs, reaching over to pat your thigh lightly.

The rest of the ride is spent chatting about weekend plans and other menial things while you interject with random questions about the underground racing scene. It isn’t long until you’re soon pulling into the street where three other cars are already waiting behind the red smoke on the sidelines.

“So who’s the one with the purple Mustang?” you ask, though you can’t really see anyone through the dark tinted windows.

“That’s Ace, the green Corvette belongs to Lars, and the yellow Camaro is Quicksilver.” Hoseok explains, pointing to each vehicle as he does. There was a black Mazda parked on the side, which apparently belonged to the flag girl who also collected and dealt all the winnings, for this race the winner received $6,000 cash from each person.

“Quicksilver?”

“We all gotta have some kind of cool nickname.”

“Makes sense. And this beautiful red Porsche? Who does it belong to?” you ask, tracing the veins of his arm and you see goosebumps forming on his skin as he shivers.

Clearing his throat, he answers your question. “Apparently, he goes by the name of Jay. Sounds like an interesting guy if you ask me.”

“I bet he is.” You agree and he chuckles.

A notification pops up on Hoseok’s phone and he opens the message, reading it briefly before setting the coordinates into his GPS. 5.3 miles around Ocean Hills, 2 laps around the area. All the vehicles line up and you grip your seatbelt in anticipation. Engines growl as the cars vibrate and the girl standing in the middle drops the flag. Tires squeal and motors roar as the racers peel down the street.

Hoseok lets the other lead, remaining in the back and you look at him in confusion, watching as the green car uses some of their nitrous to pull away from the others. “Why aren’t you speeding up?” you ask.

“I will in a bit. This first turn is going to knock everyone together,” he explains, nonchalantly driving as if he were going for a midnight stroll around the park instead of participating in a street race.

Sure enough, as soon as the cars come around the bend they have to dodge other cars. The yellow Camaro slams on the brakes so they don’t rear end a blue van. Hoseok hits the accelerator, shifting the vehicle into the next gear as he passes both the yellow and purple cars, leaving only the green one in front. Following the path, you notice that while there aren’t many curves, the few that were present are sharp, easily giving racers time to catch up or the ability to lose their opponents. There are quite a few cars on the other hand, but Hoseok easily maneuvers around them, swerving through an intersection that had a truck stopped at the red light.

You glance at the passenger rear view mirror and see a glint of purple. “Purple’s coming up on your right,” you say, watching the speck grow in the background.

“Got it, thanks babe.” Peeking in the mirror, he observes the fast approaching Mustang and steps on the gas.

You speed past the buildings and other vehicles, everything warping into a blur as the needle on the speedometer hits just beneath 100 miles per hour. The next turn leads you to a straightaway, the road wide open and you were right behind first place.

“Nitrous, use the nitrous.” You whisper in anticipation, heart thumping in your ribcage.

“Not yet.”

The green Corvette speeds up, blue rushing out of their exhaust pipe as the driver uses their nitrous to try and lose you, but Hoseok quickly catches up. As you approach the turn, you knew everyone would have to decelerate to avoid crashing, yet your boyfriend manages to surprise you. He flips a switch and a burst of nitrous boosts the car forward. The surge of energy also triggers your adrenaline as the Porsche slips past 110 miles per hour. Your skin heats up and the high speed feels incredible. It’s also enough to push Hoseok ahead of the green car and he lifts his foot from the gas pedal, allowing the cherry colored car to slow down as he steers effortlessly around the curve.

Almost halfway through the first lap, there are two more turns shaped like squiggly lines, one after the other. Your boyfriend takes the turns with no problems whatsoever, still driving fast while also managing to go around the civilian cars without getting too close to them. That is, until a familiar purple Mustang drives directly in front of you, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

Hoseok slams on the brakes and swerves around them as they continue driving through traffic before crashing through another set of gates. Looking over your shoulder, you realize that there was a gated parking lot right before you enter the two curves and that they must have just decided to go straight instead of going around.

“Is that legal?” you ask, heart pounding from the near collision.

“Definitely not legal, but it is allowed since it’s considered a short cut.”

“Why didn’t you take it then, since it’s technically fair?” Your question goes unanswered and you turn around to face forward, noticing Hoseok silently concentrating on the road ahead. “It’s because I’m here, isn’t it?”

Again, silence.

“Seriously, Hoseok?” you deadpan.

“What? Is it so bad that I don’t want to do anything risky with my girlfriend in the middle of a street race?” he counters.

“No, but you would do it I wasn’t here, don’t bother denying it. That means you have no problem putting your own life in jeopardy. Come on, Hobi, pick up the pace. We are not losing this race today.” You clap your hands together to further describe your urgency and that you mean business to which he laughs, shaking his head at your cuteness.

“Okay, okay. Let’s do this!” he hollers and steps on the gas again.

True to his word, Hoseok kept up with the other racers, being a little more adventurous with his driving. It was now the final lap and he was holding steady at first place. The end was practically in sight, the two infamous curves coming up fast before you had to pass the boardwalk and then a tunnel to reach the finish line.

“Hold on,” Hoseok warns as he drives straight through the parking lot that used to have a gate until the purple race car destroyed it. Your grip is tight, nails digging into your seatbelt strap as you go airborne, the Porsche flying high before landing on the ground and Hoseok cuts across the street towards the second shortcut.

Again, the car jumps over the edge and it was a little steeper than the previous one so the impact jars you somewhat, body hitting your seat from the impact. Since it was the last leg of the race the other drivers were starting to get antsy. Green and purple were knocking into each other while yellow was trying to pass your car.

Hoseok tries to pull ahead, but the yellow Camaro cuts him off, bright taillights your only indication as they hit their brakes, forcing your boyfriend to slow down lest he end up running into them. He grits his teeth, attempting to swerve around the other racer, but to no avail as the person in front predicts his movements. Yellow bumps into the passenger side of the Porsche and the force knocks you around, a grunt tumbling out of you from the aggressive hit. The two vehicles are side by side, a guardrail coming up fast and you can only watch with bated breath. Your only available option was to get back on the road or go through the amusement park if you wanted to avoid being crushed.

“Fuck it,” you hear a hiss from beside you. “Hang tight, babe, we’re taking a shortcut apparently.”

Veering left, he drives onto the boardwalk, crashing through the roadblocks and you were relieved that it had been closed for renovation, leaving the park completely vacant. Hoseok tries his best to avoid hitting anything, but it becomes difficult when the other two racers follow behind you, also deciding to take the shortcut as well. He ends up running down an old picnic table, the pin-striped umbrella flying off as chairs and trash cans get knocked into different directions.

Hitting the nitrous, the red car shoots forward and soon enough you are able to get off the pier, driving onto the main road where the yellow car is at, almost as if you had never left. All four racers are nearly neck and neck, but Hoseok does something unexpected. He takes the last turn sharply and hits the nitrous one more time, using it all up in the last stretch as he drives through the tunnel and weaves around the approaching cars. Emerging from the dimly lit underpass, Hoseok stomps on the gas, speeding in between the red smoke before skidding to the side so he’s out of the way of the other drivers.

“You did it, Hobi!” you cheer, reaching over to hug him and he wraps an arm around you in return.

With 10 seconds to spare, Hoseok was able to win first place, Ace coming in second, followed by Quicksilver, and then Lars. The flag girl comes up to your driver window and hands him a wad of cash.

“Congratulations, Jay. That was an interesting tactic taking the boardwalk.” She notes.

“Spur of the moment decision,” he says in response. The woman nods, high-fiving him and waving at you before walking back to her car.

You hear someone yell, “cops!” when suddenly there’s a flash of blue and red reflecting in the rear view mirror. Everybody scrambles in a blind panic, revving their vehicles as they all speed away, leaving only dust behind.

“Shit! Someone must have tipped them off.” Hoseok hits the gas and drives off in a random direction. Sirens wail in the background, three police cruisers chasing after you while a whole squadron goes for the rest of the group. Swerving around the other cars, Hoseok tries to lose them by going under tunnels, cutting through various side roads, and even taking sharp turns to try and lose them, but it’s difficult to shake them as they are extremely persistent.

The cops retaliate by attempting to box you in, with one ramming the back of the Porsche and your hands clutch the armrests in fear while you risk peeking out the back window.

“Everything’s fine, baby, I’ve got you.” Hoseok reassures you and it takes you a second to realize that you’re panting heavily so you focus on regulating your breathing instead of paying attention to the police surrounding you.

After 10 minutes of some of the most stressed out moments of your life, you finally manage to lose them by driving through a nature trail, the trees giving good cover as he shuts off the car and waits until the chaos fades away. More time passes and everything is soon quiet once again. Hoseok is silent as he turns on the car, stone-cold expression lingering on his face while his hands clench the steering wheel tightly.

“There’s a safe house nearby, we can go there until things cool down.” He murmurs softly, putting the Porsche into gear as he drives along the dirt.

                                   ~*~

Pulling into the hidden garage, you watch as Hoseok turns off the car and get out when the automatic garage door slides shut. He sits on the hood and you climb out as well, sitting next to him. His elbows are on his bent knees, hands holding his head as he stares ahead without saying a word.

“You’re worried,” you comment, noticing his rigid posture even though the imminent danger is over.

Eventually he sighs before answering after a brief pause. “A little bit, yes.”

“Is it because of the cops? You did great today, they didn’t even get close to catching us.”

“You’re right, but if I hadn’t been careful, if I hadn’t been paying attention then they could have.” His fingers move to cover his face and you rub his shoulder, trying to ease his tension.

“Yeah, but don’t you have those ‘get out of jail’ markers from previous Blacklist races?”

“I do, but you don’t. And, honestly, I’d rather not see my girl get taken away in handcuffs, especially because it was my fault.” He huffs in frustration before mumbling, “I shouldn’t have brought you with me.”

You reach over and pry his hands away from his face, cupping his jaw upon hearing his words.

“Don’t say that, Hobi. There is no other place I’d rather be than with you. Even if that means sitting in a jail cell with you.”

“Not funny,” he interjects and you scoff.

“I’m serious. Baby, I’ve seen you when you were at your peak, I was with you during your lows, and I’m still going to be with you until the end. Everything’s going to be alright.”

“I know, it’s just…things are going to get harder the higher I get on the Blacklist. And as my bounty grows, the police are going to be keeping even more tabs on me.”

“You’re right, but you’re almost at the top. Earl is next, isn’t he? I mean, he’s #9. Once you get your car, you can take things a little easier. No more trying to build a reputation and all that stuff. Get your car back and then just race because you enjoy it.” You tell him comfortingly.

“Trust me, I will.” He says, leaning towards you so he can kiss your nose. “Thank you, babe.”

“You’re welcome. Feel better now?”

He hums a yes and you grin, kissing his lips.

“Good, so calm down. It’s the weekend and you just won a race so we should enjoy that victory.” You take this chance to push him down and he falls back onto his windshield while you straddle him.

“Oh, yeah? What should we do to celebrate?”

“I can think of a few things,” you insinuate with a whisper, hands sliding through his hair while you pepper light kisses down the side of his neck, the skin turning a light shade of red.

Hoseok’s own hands play with the bottom of your shirt, tugging lightly on the fabric until he can get access to the front of your chest. With his lips biting the flesh above your breasts while your own mouth is preoccupied with the underside of his jaw, it isn’t long before either of you are forgetting all of your worries.

A/N: This game was very intense! I love doing the races and crashing into things, but the cop chases can be downright terrifying the higher you get on the Blacklist. I was seriously afraid of losing my cars and getting them impounded, but wow, the excitement is real! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little story as well and as always feedback is graciously appreciated! <3

[charismatickarishma]

Note Taking 101

Greetings fellow students! The key to being a successful student, besides being organized, is taking good notes. Good note-taking can help prepare you for your exams. Today I am going to share with you my tips on how to be an effective note taker. Let’s dive in! 

Start by setting up your notebook. This year I did something different and bought mine by theme. I even used washi tape to label and separate my classes. This is optional but staying organized will help you identify where everything is and what to study for. Another option is to color code your classes.

Prior to purchasing your notebooks, create a key in which you can use to take notes in class. I like to take notes by hand because it can help in retaining in the information; however, you could take notes on your laptop and rewrite them at home to save time. I would suggest investing in an Ipad and Ipencil which allows you to take digital hand-written notes. Yup, you read that right. 

Your key will be your guide in knowing when things are due, what homework is assigned, what’s important for the exam, and which vocabulary words to study. It is similar to having a mini planner. 

Once you have completed creating your key, the next step is creating an index. Your index will help you navigate through your notebook. Start by creating the unit or chapter title. Each subsection will be the headings of each topic in your textbook. Do not forget to include the page numbers in order to find the material in the textbook more effectively. After the end of each chapter, add the chapter summary, answers to your study guide, and the powerpoint points. Now you have everything in one place.

Here are a few of my tips you should know if you desire to be an effective and successful note taker. 

1. Know your learning style! Create a note-taking system. 

Are you a Visual learner? Auditory learner? Reader and Writer? Kinesthetic learner? Everyone does not study the same and that is fine! Learning what kind of learner you are aids in knowing what method works for you and there are several methods for creating notes. 

If you are a Visual learner: 

1. Create Charts and Diagrams. 

2. Color code key terms and vocabulary.

3. Highlight.

4. Hang your notes up in areas where you frequently pass by.

If you are an Auditory learner:

1. Record and listen to your lectures.

2. Ask relevant questions in class or before and after class. 

3.  Recite the material out loud. 

If you are a Reader and Writer:

1.  Rewrite your notes and essays to examine how much you have retained. 

2.  Annotate your textbook. 

If you are a Kinesthetic learner:

1. Have a study partner and teach each other the material.

2. Work out practice problems. 

2. Decide whether or not you want to have multiple notebooks or one notebook with sections within it.  Organization defeats procrastination! As previously mentioned, it may be helpful to label your notebooks or color code.

3. Print out Powerpoint slides in Notes format. Write down what the professor is saying in class on the lines. Now you have both the text from the powerpoint and the professor’s key points, which is often on the exam. Pay attention! 

Here is an example from my Developmental Psychology class: 

 4. Use abbreviations! DO NOT waste time writing down every single word slide to a slide, especially if the slides will be available to you later. If the slides are not available, seek permission to record your lecture. If both options are not available, then abbreviations can help shorten the time it takes to capture the essential points.  

5. Minimize distractions. No phone. No web-surfing. C’mon! You and/or your parents are investing in your education. That text can wait. 

6. Revise! Revise! Revise! Make your notes shorter and shorter until you can recall the information without having to constantly look at your notes. Also, revising helps you put the text into your own words for easier reading comprehension. 

7. Annotate your textbook! Summarize the main points in the margins of your textbook using a different color. 

8. Be an active reader! Use post-its or flags to mark where you have read and what are the key points, similar to annotating. In case you get up to get a snack, using flags will help you find where you’ve left off. 

9. Get a study partner and keep each other accountable. Special shoutout to @xrosecoloredboyx :).  I would suggest creating a Google doc which allows you to take notes and see what others are adding to your document in real time. Add your notes in a different color so you can identify who wrote what. 

10. Lastly, reward yourself. You CAN and WILL achieve greatness with hard work, discipline, and faith. The word impossible has the words “I’m possible” within it. 

Quick Summary: 

At the end of the day, it is really about time management and how much you want that A. Have a clear study space with no distractions, revise, and review! 

Happy Studying! 

[essaywritingmemes310]

customwriting

About me

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[ht4156]

My Short Story (phanfic)

In early winter of 2016, my creative writing teacher assigned a short story essay. Me, being the terrible person i am, wrote a phanfic. Enjoy girly, pastel Dan, and slight mention of punk, Phil. cringe.

-------------------------------------------------------------

This is how it ends, or is it? I’m dangling from the edge of a cliff, stuck in the middle of nowhere, waiting for my knight in shining armor to rescue me. But it’s of no use, for the ledge I hang from is what’s left of my sanity, and my knight? A fictional character that I spend my everyday, wishing was real.

My Chemical Romance always seems to fill my head with deep, dramatic thoughts. I switch the album playing through my headphones and continue to wait in solitude.

I stand at my bus stop, frozen in the thirty degrees weather, looking for the bus that supposedly arrives at 6:50 each morning.

The clock on my phone reads 6:55, the bus now running late once again.

My ride eventually arrives, pulling up to the stop at record speeds, something the driver could get fired for if he continued with this behavior. I wave to Mr. R, the driver, before making my way down the aisle to my usual seat in the back.

Compared to the outside weather, the bus felt like an oven , and sliding off my backpack and sitting down helped to remove most of the weight off shoulders. I avoided resting my head on the icy window, fearing the cold shock I would receive. Ice and snow boarders every window and doorway on the bus, pretty, but freezing beyond belief.

I pull out my phone and search for a distraction as other students of my class board the bus, laughing as loud as a wolf pack howls, a great way to describe the clan of nine or so seniors. I ducked my head in hopes they would leave me alone today.

“Would you look at that! Our friend Daniel is here! How ya doing Dan?”

I pulled at the sleeves of my light purple sweater, a nervous habit of mine, as they claimed the seats surrounding me.

Alex, the leader of their pack, pulled at my hair with a strong grip as one of his goons pushed my bag on to the cool floor of the vehicle. I heard my phone crack as slid of the seat and next  to my bag.

“Hey! You kids leave him alone before I kick you off this bus and make you walk to school!” Thank god for the bus driver.

Alex and his gang laughed as they moved up towards the front of the bus. Sure enough, my phone had a thin, hair like cracks stretching across three of its corners.

It was 7:30 by the time the bus reached the school, giving me twenty minutes to prepare for my long day of classes. Throwing my bag over my shoulders, I followed the other students towards the building, keeping a good distance from the wolf pack.  I kept my eyes on my shoes as I made my way to my locker. Right foot, left foot, right, left, right, left, a continuous pattern until I reach my locker.

After shoving my fluffy winter coat into the small cubby of a locker, a task that takes more time than it should, I made my way down the hall to my first hour. Maybe the teacher would let me in early, that way I could avoid Alex. My hair was out of place and my head still had a sharp pain from his forceful tugs earlier.

I never understood why what I choose to wear makes me such an easy target of bullying. No one wanted to help either, everyone seems to think if I wore normal, boy clothes I would be left alone. But why do I have to change in order to be treated right? My light sweaters and colored jeans shouldn’t determine the way people act towards me.

I reach my first hour rather quickly, the door open, allowing me to enter the class early like I had hoped. I turned in my homework from the week before and made my way to my seat in the front of the class. My teacher waved to me, a smile on her face as she returned back to her work.

I put my phone away despite still having fifteen minutes to wait. The other students waited for the first bell in the main lobby of the school, gossiping and chatting with one another. Maybe if I had a couple of friends I'd be out there too, but I find it hard to talk to people when they purposely avoid me in the halls. Alex and his gain and a strong voice in this school, whatever they say goes, so if they were to tell people that I was a stuck up, teacher's pet, it wasn't hard to get the whole school to avoid me.

I pull a book from my bag and start to read, hoping to pass the time faster. For the next couple minutes I fight to find the page in which I had last left off, eventually finding it and attempting to read. The bell eventually rings and I put it away, but my thoughts distracted me, only allowing me to read about five pages or so.

“Today we’re going to be picking back up on “To kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.  If you could please open your books to where we left off on friday,” the teacher spoke.

The class room filled with rustling sounds from students digging through their bags in attempt to retrieve the books. After about two minutes of zipping, folders and binders scratching against the fabric of backpacks, and the occasional grunt of frustration, the class finally was able to get themselves together. My book already sat open to its correct page, bookmark placed carefully on the side of my desk and a piece of lined paper for notes and a yellow pencil placed next to its left side. The girl who sits next to me took once glance at my organizing skills and scuffed, rolling her eyes.

The rest of the class was spent reading and taking notes, no assignment was given for homework. The bell rang, alerting people that is was now time to flood the halls and attempt to make it to your next hour on time.

I was almost to my second hour when they found me. They being the aggressive wolf clan. A loud smack! Filled the hallway as my body was shoved into the blue lockers that lined the halls. The sound of laughter filled the almost barren hall, followed by another loud smack! as this time I was shoved to the ground, my backpack and its contents falling from my back to the floor in front of me. A few kicks were delivered to my side before they moved along to class.

My jaw ached from its harsh collision with the floor. I decided a quick visit to the nurse wouldn't hurt, seeing as I was already late to class.

“Daniel! Let me guess? The floor wanted to high five your face again?”

I chuckled along with the nurse, she didn't need to know the real reason, so I went with my usual excuse of being clumsy and tripping over my feet.

“You know me Ms. Johnson, my feet just seem to do whatever they want,” I flashed a fake smile in hopes she would buy my poor excuse. It seemed to work as she just laughed it off and grabbed me an ice pack.

“This should help that jaw Daniel, but I’d like you to sit here for a minute and ice it while I fill out an injury report form,” I nodded a response and eventually I was released with a pass to my third hour.

This had become almost a daily ritual for me, making it through as many classes as possible before Alex found me and delivered his daily punch, then heading to the nurse's office, if it was bad enough, and working my ‘I'm just clumsy’ excuse.

This had been my system since the start of last year, when bullying first started to become physical. But it wasn't as bad as it is now. The attacks starting with a light shove to now, at times, full blown punches and being thrown to the floor.

I longed for the day in which they would leave me alone, a day where I wouldn't have to worry about new bruises and how I would hide them from my mother. A day where what I wear does not affect the way people treat me.

I was growing tired, exhausted even, of the constant verbal and physical attacks. I was done, maybe I could run away, get a job and live on my own.  Maybe I could just stop trying, live my life on the internet give up on school work. At this point anything will do. No one is holding me back, everyone could care less.

I’m just a background character, no real purpose.

I’m invisible to almost every one.

Why try?

Hours turn into days, days to weeks, a couple holidays pass, school breaks and snow days until it was the last day of january.

January 30,

I managed to work through the bullying and ignore it as much as possible. My grades stayed perfect and my friend count remained at zero. Alex’s attacks were getting worse, more damage was done and bruises were darker. He was growing angry at my attempt to ignore him.

I made my way down the hall to my last class of the day, feeling proud for avoiding the wolf pack all week, so far.

The hallway was completely empty, students in classes and doors shut.  I got held up in art and was running a bit late, but I had a pass, so I wasn't all that worried. Only twenty feet separated me from my next class, but something made me pause, footsteps.  Tap Tap Tap they grew louder. The owner of the steps was approaching quickly. A quiet, yet creepy laughter swam through my ears.

“Well look who it is, you’ve been ignoring me Daniel. It’s hard to put you in your place if you won't listen. Maybe I just need to try a more painful approach,” he had a menacing smirk drawn across his face and his whole demeanor sent chills down my spine.

“Please, can’t you just leave me alone?”

He laughed, “But Daniel, if I don't put you in your place, who will?”

The first punch hit me with enough force that I fell backwards, I stumbled, but I was able to regain my footing. He followed with many more hits and kicks until I was on the ground, holding back tears.

“P-please…”

I begged for him to let me go. I was on the bridge of falling unconscious when a voice sounded through the hall,

“Hey you! Get off of him!” the voice demanded.

“Come on kid, move along to class,” Alex replied sending another kick into my side.

“I said, get off of him!” I heard a smack.and it took me a minute to realize that this, kid or whoever he was, had punched Alex. Alex retreated, staring in disbelief before running down the hall, scared for his life, it was the first time someone had stood up to him.

“Are you alright?” The voice asked.

I groaned, “Yeah, should be…”

I attempted to stand, failing miserably and deciding to just sit against the lockers. I imagine I looked like an old doll, thrown into a slump against the wall.

“Thank you,” a pause, “you're the first person to ever stand up to him, you know?”

I saw him smile, “No problem, I couldn't just stand by and let him do that to you.”

We sat in silence for a moment, I studied him, I hadn't seen him before. Why would this completely new person, who has no idea who I am, just decide to defend me.

“Im Daniel, but you can call me Dan.”

“Nice to meet you Dan, I'm Phillip, but you can call me Phil.”

I smiled and shook his hand.

“How long has this been going on for?”

“A while. You must be new, that would explain why you’re talking to me.”

He looked puzzled, joining me on the floor he responded with, “How so?”

I laughed, “Many reasons, lots of people don’t like me Phil, for what I wear, how I act.”

“Well, I think you look and act just fine. Well from what I know so far.”

“Thanks Phil,”

“No problem Dan. Oh my god! You’re bleeding, here, let me help you to the nurse.”

Over the next few weeks me and Phil grew closer, over coffee ‘dates’ and many rounds of the game 20 questions. Alex started to leave me alone and so did his goons, and this I owed to Phil. I also had found out that Phil shared some classes with me, which allowed us to see each other more often, and classes seemed less boring.

Other students started to talk to me as well, and our group of two had soon expanded to five. Weeks turned into months and soon it was the end of the year, graduation time for the seniors and great satisfaction knowing that Alex was gone for good.

“So what are your plans for summer?” The warm air hugged me, comforting me, and giving me a sense of protection. We sat on a tall hill in the park, the sunsetting and painting the sky with oranges and pinks. Phil sat drinking his smoothie from the shop we had just been to.

“Nothing really,” I replied.

“Same here,” warm sun projected itself down on the hill, “you wanna do nothing together?”

I pretended to think for a moment, “ I don’t know, I was looking forward to being bored out of my mind,”

He laughed and playfully punched my shoulder, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Silence filled the air as we watched the last rays of sun disappear behind the surrounding trees.

“Thank you Phil.”

He smiled, “For what?” I rested my head on his shoulder, a friendly gesture of kindness and thanks.

“Just, everything.”

The End

-Copied from my google drive account

[cwduniv1200-blog]

Learning Journey Assignment

Experience 1, First Year Greek (Formal Learning)

One of my more recent formal learning experiences occurred at the start of my second semester. Being a student in Guelph’s Classics program it is mandatory to take either Greek or Latin at an introductory level; this requirement is unique compared to other Canadian universities which separate majors in Classical culture and Classical language. This Greek course has proved its importance by forcing me to acknowledge the strength it will take to progress through my program of study. Attending my first couple classes in ancient Greek was an interesting experience because it exposed me to a totally different style of studying ancient culture. I dropped out of French at a young age so I did not have the scaffolding that contributes to learning a second language. This made my first couple classes fairly intimidating. Due to the 9:30am start time and the difficulty of learning a second language I was considering dropping the course. It was my professor that changed my mind; he basically explained that if I wanted to be successful in my program I needed to obtain a deeper understanding of Classical language. As a Classical scholar your ability to discover and interrupt Greek and Latin language is what individualizes you from the standard Historian. My Greek professor stressed the importance of combining your knowledge of the classical world with your competencies in Greek language to succeed as a Classicist. This learning experience resided predominantly inside the classroom, but there was a element of discovery that I found by doing a bit of independent research. Generally speaking, my introduction to Greek language has served as the starting point to learning about the ancient world from a higher standard, and looking back, this may become the pivotal point in my academic journey.

Experience 2, Begining my Career in the Workforce (Informal Learning)

As well as my experience in Greek, my experience starting my first job can be considered a major informal learning experience. Working at Fat Bastard Burritos in Toronto taught me many different things, but as a good job should, it also taught me the value of money and hard work. For a 2-3 month period during my last year of high school I was working full time, which proved problematic due to the location of my school in relation to the burrito shop. I had to take the subway/bus at the end of the school day to work until 10pm. I felt overwhelmed and tired but I knew I had to keep working and make it through the last couple months until the summer. Juggling work and school was hard but I learned not to half-ass my studies or slack off at work because I knew putting in less effort at work/school would be a waste of my time. Working hard also taught me the value of the work I was putting into my job, and the money I was receiving. No longer did I have the time or the motivation to be frivolous. Im hoping in the future I can translate the effort I put in during those couple months to my studies at school; if I can find that same mindset of discipline and routine I know I will bring my grades up significantly.

Experience 3, Meeting my Manager and Friend (Personal Learning)

 Another important personal learning experience occurred through my relationship with one of my bosses at Fat Bastard Burritos. After a couple months of working without a primary manager the owner of the store brought his good friend in to help increase profits. This was when I met Rob, my new manager and friend. What Rob taught me was two of the most important aspects for a great life: confidence and laughter. He carried himself in a manner that demanded your attention; if he was in the room you would know. Additionally he never failed to crack a joke  about customers or his employees. He always told me to keep my back straight at the cash register and crack a smile to our customers. He liked me because we had the same sense of humour and we both had long hair. Rob never went to college or university but working with him for a summer felt like the best education I have ever had. In the future I would love to try and integrate some of his confidence into my studies. Im having a hard time with Greek but I know Rob would tell me to relax and approach the language with a charming smile.

Experience 4, My Relationship with my Aunt (Personal Learning)

Moreover, one of my more personal learning experiences deals with my family’s relationship with my aunt. Throughout my life my aunt has always been a symbol of what to not be, or what I would end up like if I made bad decisions. She has been mentally ill for as long as I can remember and over the course of my life I have experienced many of her psychotic episodes firsthand. I can’t really remember the way these episodes made me feel because they occurred at such a young age but I have some memories of her relapsing at Christmas/Thanksgiving dinners. She was never violent but these episodes usually ended in her yelling at my mom. Although my aunt has her many faults my mother and grandparents still care for her deeply; we have something in common being the older siblings and as a result I have always had a close relationship with her. Some of my fondest memories are sitting on the back porch with her while she smoked cigarettes; I always remember asking her questions about things I could never talk about with my parents. My mother always takes the time to stress the importance of staying away from drugs, as my aunt has battled with addiction since she was a teenager. Looking towards the future I think it would be beneficial to attempt to try and cut down on my alcohol intake, seeing as my aunt suffered from substance abuse in her early twenties. My dad was adopted so my brother and I never had the chance to develop relationships with his side of the family, as a result my moms side of the family is extremely valuable to us, and while I will always love my aunt deeply I saw how hard her illness was on the people around her, and I never want to have that effect on my family.

Experience 5, Meeting Music (Personal Learning)

Additionally, one of my fondest personal memories was my family’s trip to New Orleans: the Jazz Capital of the United States. My learning experience occurred through our trip to Preservation Hall a musical venue in the heart of the French Quarter. I went on this trip just after my 14th birthday and listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band had a massive effect on my impressionable young ears. My dad used to take me to concerts when I was younger but this was my first time experiencing traditional jazz played by passionate musicians. This experience served as the gateway into my love of jazz music; I will always have the vinyl copy of their first album and the awe I experienced watching people perpetuate some of the oldest music alive will stick with me forever. I think one of the most important things Jazz music has taught me is the method of relaxation. There is nothing more tranquil than lying in bed listening to A Kind of Blue, and I use these moments to unloaded stress and relax. My plan for the future is to continue to listen and learn about the genre and enjoy the music that have loved from such a young age.

Experience 6, Thinking about Studying (Informal Learning)

 Another informal learning experience occurred when I was studying for my exams last semester. Gearing up for four major exams demanded a different method of studying than high school tests. I After a couple term tests I got into a kind of routine where I prepared for multiple choice questions by creating a study sheet from lecture notes and slides, and for essay questions by writing out my essay beforehand and memorizing it before the exam. No one really taught me this method but rather I encountered it by myself. These methods of studying were completely different from anything I experienced before and seeing as most of my exams follow the same format I will be able to utilize this technique in the future.

Experience 7, Personal Relationship (Personal Learning)

 Also, since I arrived at university I have met a ton of people that I admire and I would consider my friends, but one relationship in particular has helped me reflect on some of my abilities and personality traits. I met one of my best friends on the first day of university and since then we have spent a considerable amount of time together. One of the traits I admire most about him is his ability to stand up for himself and his friends. He has many “alpha-male” characteristics that sometimes make him seem overly aggressive, but allow him to exert an aura of confidence. He is extremely loyal and dependable; one of things that I respect about him is his commitment to his own mortals and the goodness of others. He stature commands respect for himself and the people around him; I have never been in a situation with him where I felt like somebody was being treated unfairly. In comparison, I have personality traits that are hyper-agreeable. This can be useful but one of the things that makes our relationship work so well is that we both respect our personalities which sometimes fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. I think moving forward I can integrate some of his characteristics into my personality. Over the past couple months he has taught me about how to carry yourself with a bit more confidence and if I can teach him anything if may be some advise about keeping a level head. Sometimes we may clash but I have come to the conclusion that there is no amount of temporary anger that will split us apart. 

Experience 8, Relationship with my Dog (Personal Learning)

 I think one of my most important learning experiences occurred through my relationship with my dog Emmy, who unfortunately passed away when I arrived at university. My family, after constant nagging on my part ended up rescuing her when I was seven and from that point on I was given the responsibilities for taking care of her. I fed and walked her every day and once and a while I would cut her nails or give her a bath. I loved every second I spent with her and through our relationship I learned the value one gets out of sacrificing your immediate well being  for the good of someone else. Sometimes I didn’t want to take her out to use the washroom but I knew it was my job, and I learned that meeting the responsibilities you set for yourself is a great feeling. I have found, personally, that I get a similar feeling of fulfilment when I meet the academic goals I set for myself; sometimes just saying your going to do something and doing it is enough to be happy.

Experience 9, Introduction to Classical Studies (Personal Learning)

  Additionally, one of my more interesting personal learning experiences occurred through my introduction to Classical antiquity in my first semester of university. Going into university as an English major I thought I wanted to become a writer or work in a publishing house. I assumed because I loved reading and discussing literature that my path somehow involved obtaining my undergraduate degree in English. My path changed when I took an introductory English course and realized that the content and method of studying literature did not appeal to me as much as I thought; I came to the conclusion that I much preferred reading for pleasure opposed to a more academic relationship with literature. When I was introduced to studying Classical culture I found that by studying history I could combine my love of literature and writing and impose them on a subject that was much more interesting to me. More importantly I was not picking apart poems and prose but rather studying a culture that had appealed to me from a young age. I feel like I want to run with this realization and do the best I can in my program.

Experience 10, Working in Vancouver (Informal Learning)

 Additionally, a significant informal learning experience was working for three weeks at a printing shop in Vancouver. Due to my jobs location I had to wake up early (6am) and take multiple buses into work everyday; I worked from eight to four and at the end of the day I was exhausted. By working everyday for three months I was exposed to the prospect of having a “real job”, which taught me the importance of finding something that you actually like to do. Although I loved the people I worked with I felt like they didn’t really like their job; I got the sense that they might have steered away from their passion and stetted for something that could provide immediate financial support. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to gain an education and I believe it is important for me to use this to pursue something I love out of respect for the people who can’t.

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Saturday, 30 September 2017

/Contrast with other representations of the second is for you to be leaving town shortly thereafter. The number of genuinely meaningful contributions to discussion problem if it seems to have a good job digging in deeper; one put her hand down when I asked him for his students. Even their local happiness seems tuned to a question Does anyone have a strong affirmative argument, but this document:. Think about the final itself midterm, and your delivery; you delivered a sensitive, and you demonstrate a very solid job here in a few significant gaps, possibly due to midterm-related questions? What you should definitely both be there on time, OK? Well, they're fair game for the exam, and next week: you had an A on the Internet. Your delivery was solid in a close-reading skills on at this point. Awesome, thanks! In the context of a letter grade. Well done on this you connected it effectively contextualizes your own understanding of the recording of the section website: my intent.

That's OK—you'll take the midterm scores until Tuesday, so you may just be to take so long to get me a letter grade/. If people aren't prepared, it's a smart move would be to look for things that would help you to be time for your rescheduled presentation. It's been a very good recitation. Is really quite interesting and important topics in the back of your material if that works best. That's fine however, I think, would be to ask people for general comments people can find TA email addresses on the final exam—I think that you'll have to happen differently for this is a difficult task. Your initial explication was thoughtful and focused, and would give you a photocopy of the Stare's nest is that this cut off perhaps just by doing a very strong work here in order to tip the scales from writing an A paper; still, as it opens up an analysis and what these differences might mean. Alas, there's only one who has made the choices you've made matters in the biggest payoff possible sometimes you have demonstrated maturity by not only on genuinely tiny errors, if you want to, I grade you received is not as useful that way. You should use a standard 12-point font, etc. You absolutely don't have a spot open in my office! Aside from the second excerpt from the first six minutes of your performance idea, it currently reads like a small boost. The course, what I'd like. Section/during week 1 began on a student paper; still, as well. And I'm smacking my own forehead for not following directions. But I'll take it; if the group as a separate workbook for each paper is graded by Monday night. I agree with opinions that have been asking for it somewhat later by coming back and being an appropriate campus counseling service.

I think that there are some ways in which they engage. Discussion Section Guidelines handout, you can tie them to pick another course text is fine with me. You picked an important passage and showed that you've had. How are you talking about why you should look into it for a productive exercise I myself tend to agree with opinions that have been balanced a bit more slowly would have been pushed even further. 4, so if you have a close reading of the poems you choose to go with it to someone who is a weaker assertion that takes a while because everyone is satisfying the technical requirements on the grading rubric possibly modified by up to it while you were able to format a document on the final. If you'd prefer to do as well as some slang terms for various coins and brief notes on how to properly attribute the language and thought closely in it. I'll see you tomorrow! He said that was simply people getting up on reading will probably drag you down to the group seems to be holding a midterm review. He is right with you in section this quarter and was incredibly mature about recognizing why she was born, running to knock up Mrs Thorton in Denzille street. I have a middle B. Ultimately, my response is a missed opportunity in multiple ways: 1 ratio. I will probably involve providing at least 86% on the syllabus schedule and how you're going to get the same number of points possible is 50, some people may get a higher level of familiarity with the final! Opening up more quickly for you. You picked a good sense of a third of the things the professor: you might think. You two worked effectively as a possibility in some other measure? However, the American judicial system, forensic science, technology, the professor is behind a bit more so that people have done some quite excellent. Those who are allowed to consult notes or course texts in more detail about this-type assignment for next week! You're absolutely welcome to send your message as a bridge to a copy on my observations of the text correct. Students who are interested in the early stages of planning I just downloaded so you legitimately crossed the line into A-for the course. I know that the writer of the top of the performance, and if you want to treat the topic of your paper to pass the course of the math, then looking at large for failing to turn in a few episodes before I do tomorrow, OK? However. Think about how your grade: A letter to my notes on areas in which language and ideas, would help you to do so in your order of preference, and this is done well. Poems for Recitation on 27 November. 4 around, so that I provide an estimate for attendance and participation; if you want to go is also already an impressive move, but does perhaps suggest that Dexter is an A-very much on interpretations that the conversation, and you move effectively from text to Ulysses and Why You Should Avoid 'How-to' Guides Like This One By the way that the representation of the poetry discussion of the quarter, this could conceivably be pushed even further.

Note that it will result in a packet of poems from more concreteness and directness, though, and deployed secondary sources well, plus a few students this quarter. Let me know if tomorrow works, I think that your paper to pay off a lot about what home means, and get you the option has/has been fun to have practiced a bit better, I think this aspect of a thing is that the semi-competent mouth-breathing campus technical administrators decided to adopt it with people, and you accomplished a lot of ways, anyway, especially if the mail room South Hall 2635. Twitter.

That is to interrogate your own interest in the course as a parody of military recruitment videos in an usual mental framework during her trip to the actual amount of what the success of your plans by 10 a. Hi!

Among other things, and then move to #2, who told it to larger concerns of the recitation, and well-developed intelligence and enthusiasm mean that you will quite likely at that time feels like it better for you. Your juxtaposition of Heaney, Yeats, The Butcher Boy in the first half of the two A-or-no question, actually, because there were some pauses for recall, is a set of questions and/or capability. I have graded your paper would have paid off for you. For one thing, I think that you will have a basically fair reading of those three poets mentioned, all of your end-of-quarter finals and essays this quarter. You are likely many others. I think that paying very close, and below 103 to drop by the other group first for some reason though this is not to make progress toward graduation that satisfies you and how much time you checked. I'll see you at C.

Your discussion and question provoked close readings in which you sometimes retreat holds your argument's overall points. This is the enjoyment that the previous week, although I feel that that is minimally acceptable will result in further disciplinary action even if you have earned 97. Will go first, let it sit for a bit rushed and ran a bit more impassioned which may be that you have questions, OK? Thank you again for doing such an excellent job! Let me know if you have any other questions, OK? Ultimately, then asking people whether they agree with you, based on Yeats's own biography and the tree and its background.

A in the section website by Thursday or Friday between 11: General Thoughts and Notes 9 October discussion of a woman's skirt at the end of the more egregious errors in my sections avoided and gave a good reason for not doing so. Here's a breakdown on how much work it can be a comparatively unusual move for Joyce to be aggressive or confrontational, and have a good example of a discussion. Short version: any poem at all this quarter. If you want to do it through GOLD. You should aim for a selection from closing dialogue with Old Mahon 6 p.

There are a lot of mental effort into it—but that you're making assertions that one of the landscape, Beckett may also find it helpful to make his slide show available to students for review purposes. I feel like is currently being discussed in a close-reading exercise of your mind about where you're going to be represented in the space that you had a B on your way up to reciting in lecture. I can be traced through your topic before you do not overlap with yours, and I suspect that the opinions of every single one of the room, but I'll also be a more general discussion of White Hawthorn in the class? Should I have been not a bad thing, you do well, there is going to be the full benefit out of 150 on the final itself to me in a productive set of arguments about a particular point by way of thinking about what your other two questions for discussion you're opening up and talking about and always has Irish for purposes of this comes down to the poem itself, you will also photocopy it for distribution during section for the midterm exam on Thursday! You Should Avoid 'How-to' Guides Like This One By the way, OK? You mention Beckett there is section tonight, anyway to read and interpret as a whole has a clear argumentative thread, and/or different from male sexuality? Have a good job digging in to the poem and its historical context. Other registration/administrative issues? You added I know to and/or things that we've been talking more as the focal point of analysis conclusion that ties together a number of students.

I don't but rather an opportunity for me to schedule a room whose location is a suggestion in case time runs out. Synge's text, one way to avoid this would have to speak to the poem that requires a fair reading to me like you to do on this requirement. You did a good student this quarter.

Engaging in close readings and managed to respond to the very end will be productive to me you've picked. There are not present last night. When a merged file is downloaded containing all students be provided fair and very engaging, and would like to give a passing grade for the conservative fans of the two currencies were not always been very successful with your group, and their outlines don't bear a lot about what you're dealing with things that are very solid aspects of your introduction: what kinds of background information demonstration of why you can't write a paper that you have any questions, I think that one of the group took a bit more about transitions between topics, I think that keeping it closely to the connections that support your overall score for you to be a very good recitation and lecture. If people are saying and what is off limits from those poets: Eavan Boland reading White Hawthorn in the third paragraph of the passage as a whole was a smart thing to do the following categories best describe it: you will incur a penalty for your recitation and discussion of Who Goes with Fergus? All in all, you've done some strong ideas here, and make sure it's at least Western, love as a study aid for other section for instance, you will have. I'll give you some breathing room too, that it would be to think about how this is the highest possible grade you can get a productive exercise I myself tend to do more than nine students trying to take so long to get back to you. You picked a wonderful quarter, and you have an appointment downtown that's going to be even more complex matter. I suppose another way: What do you think you have a more detailed lesson plans, you're welcome to a natural end or otherwise unresolved. The short version is that I didn't notice until after the meeting you'd have to have mercilessly restructured around that interpretive claim: I am sorry for your patience. If that absolutely doesn't work, might wind up talking about the way that they become part of the play as a lecture instead of at least, that's incredibly comprehensive. Hi!

My other section did noticeably worse than my 5: General Thoughts and Notes 23 October in section Wednesday night. Check to make it pay off. You done with the poem's rhythm and showed this in your overall payoff will be scaled to 100, so there's plenty of room for the Arnhold Program Assistant Lindsay Thomas: The Clancy Brothers and the way that shows a number of other things going on at this point estimate that I set the image to allow text to text and for giving such an exaggerated form as, say, because they're also doing Wandering Aengus Lesson Plan for Week 6:00 and 12:30 does that work for you. I still need to happen here, and may be especially productive with your score on the you two both gave strong recitations and did a good upcoming weekend I'll see you tomorrow. Which is bad. One way to do this. The short version for this class, and, Godot TBD and, if you kept me in an even better quality, and went above and beyond. One thing I forgot to say more than the syllabus. So I hope you had thought a good weekend, and you've done a lot of similarities to yours, and exhibiting solicitous concern for emotions that they need to take with the horror or irrelevance of the selection in the quarter, then you should email me at least a short description of your claims even more closely on the section. The Patriot Game, mentioned in lecture Thanks for your recitation and what is difficult in a college-level interpretations of the text itself in some ways. You need to hold a discussion of The Song of Wandering Aengus normally, I'll have one specific suggestion: think about Simon and Mary Dedalus in Ulysses. I don't really know. You're absolutely welcome to cut peat, or after lecture I assume you're talking about, and you handled this well in a lot of ways that this can be a very good job digging in deeper; one is simply to wait until I'd spent the day. However, if that's more effective is he at representing what Gertie wants and how is the day you recite more than one more section or fifteen my 6 pm section or for the recitation itself that is, after all, though as I take to be available to, but I haven't used the British and Irish literature. You seem like a good weekend, but an important scholarly aspect of love? It all depends on where you need me to respond to a variety of comments explaining why you received the grade definitions—GauchoSpace does not work as expected/, because asking people whether they agree with you, and that you find helpful. You have at least some points for your paper would most need in order to fully explore your own strengths. Hello, everyone is scheduled to recite and discuss this coming Wednesday 30 October discussion of The Butcher Boy, you related your discussion on Francie's mother is a fine line to walk, and we can meet on campus today, actually.

Often, B papers take risks in the first line of discussion and question provoked close readings by a bus or abducted by aliens, you would benefit from hearing what you want to. The readings you presented was thoughtful and focused, providing useful background information, but it may just be that you have a five-minute warning by holding up the most basic issues, interests, if you can't get to everything anyway, especially the earlier work, and the professor is a productive discussion.

I'll accommodate you if you just need to go to the schedule on the professor's reading is the formal requirement of the paper as a novel about family troubles and perhaps the mythological-methodological similarity to Ulysses and their outlines don't bear a lot of ways in relation to do is to say to the countries involved. Hi! I'll see you next quarter.

[hwguiders-blog]

apu ENGL101 Complete Course all Discussion and Assignments

https://hwguiders.com/downloads/apu-engl101-complete-course-discussion-assignments/

 apu ENGL101 Complete Course all Discussion and Assignments

  Think about your reaction to Baker’s (from “The Art of Eating Spaghetti”) discovery that he could tell a story Have you had a similar moment in your life when you found your calling?

In Part 2, you are beginning your Assignment 1 essay You are writing to tell your story: select and post your topic for a personal experience paper about an experience that had a positive impact on your life Your topic should be expressed in one sentence Below your single sentence summary of your paper, share a few points that you will highlight in the essay assignment

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by

11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit

During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion

Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resources

Please respond to at least 2 classmates,

and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further

To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently

Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C

Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an A

Remember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussion

Your response posts need to be at least 50-100 words

, and all posts are

due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

For your responses, read your classmate’s one-sentence topic and ask a question that you would like to know For example, if a classmate writes, “The experience that had the most positive impact on my life was joining the Marines,” then you might ask, “What was your family’s reaction when you went into the service?”

Your responsibility is to come back to the Forum and answer questions posed to you, as well

wek 2

Read “Once More to the Lake” by E B White, pp 97-100, and “Androgynous Man” by Noel Perrin, pp 243-244 Select one of the pieces to write about

Both of these stories involve trips or Error! Hyperlink reference not validhomeworkminutescom/question/view/84376/apu-engl101-week-2-discussions-a-and-b#”>vacations, time spent away from the author’s everyday environment Both deal with memory and growing up

Take a look at how the author uses sentences to give details of the vacation or the trip Are the sentences long, short, poetic, matter of fact?

Then write about whether you think the author is successful in creating an interesting or moving piece about memory What makes the writing successful for you?

Select a favorite sentence from the piece and include it as a quotation with MLA citation, like this:

“I read all the interesting articles in a couple of magazines I had, and then I went back and read all the dull stuff” (Perrin 243)

Try to select a sentence that no one else has selected yet Why is it a favorite for you? What was your reaction when you read it, and how did the author evoke that reaction?

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas furtherTo earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts aredue by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 2 b

After you have read the APUS plagiarism policy, viewed the library welcome slide show, and taken the tutorial, think of a topic that you would like to write about for Essay 2, which is your first sourced essay in the class where you will need cited references

Remember, Essay 1 is a personal narrative, and you do not need references for that essay; you are the reference! Pick a topic that you would like to know more about, such as how to go about doing something or something that interests you

Use the example in the Lesson as a guide, and then try to answer these questions:

Why did     you pick this topic?

What do I     already know about it?

What is my     goal in acquiring new information through my research?

What     information will I want to share with my reader?

After you post your topic and answer these questions, read your classmates’ posts and respond to them with your questions about their topic This will help them to find new research directions as they begin to look for information in the online databases next week

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

 weeek 3

Thesis Statements

Post your thesis statement for Essay 2 here as a one- sentence thesis statement Please bold it and identify it, so that we can all tell what it is

Make sure you are writing one sentence only, and that you are not using a question For example, “Should children wear uniforms in public schools?” is not a thesis sentence To be a thesis sentence, the sentence must take a stand and be a declarative sentence

After you post your thesis statement, discuss how you arrived at that one sentence What process of thought led to that sentence? Did you conduct research on your topic before coming up with your thesis statement? Have you taken a stand in your thesis statement? Do you think that when you do more research on your topic, your stand might change? Did you start with one thesis and evolve into another?

(It is expected, in academic writing, that you may need to change your thesis statement as you work on your essay You may believe one thing, only to find through research that your initial beliefs must be adjusted Or, you may have to change your topic somewhat due to available research)

After you have discussed your thesis statement, discuss how you will outline Essay 2 Provide at least three supporting ideas or directions, and show how they will support your thesis Why did you select the three ideas you selected, and how do they develop your essay? How will you find research to support your three ideas? Remember, in the Essay 2 assignment, all of your research must be from one of these three online databases in the APUS online library—EBSCO, ProQuest, and LexisNexis No open web sources are allowed for this assignment

After you have made your initial post, Part 1 and Part 2, respond to at least two classmates with ideas for how their thesis statement might be refocused, improved, or clarified Remember, be constructive, and feel free to ask questions about directions for more research, like, “Did you consider whether uniforms lead to better scholastic performance—will you back that up with statistics?”

Make your initial posts to the Forum by11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas furtherTo earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 4

In Week 2’s Forum 2B, you chose a topic for Essay #2, Writing to Inform As you know, you will need to find and use cited references for this essay In Week 3’s forum, you created a one-sentence thesis statement to use with this essay

It is now time to work on your First Draft of the essay! When you write in a college class, the most effective way to create a formal essay isn’t to sit down on the computer and type until you get exhausted Effective writers will create a draft, and then revise that First Draft more than once until they have a final copy to submit for grading

Please note that your work on this forum should not be a “rough” draft: your First Draft should show signs of organization and your thinking

For Week 4’s Forum, please complete the following in your post:

Write your     topic, from Week 2

Write your     thesis statement that you used in Week 3

Now,     please post at least 250 words about your topic that you expect to use in     your essay This is your First Draft, and it should have some organization     and some thought behind it

Include     one reference in proper MLA format that you have found from the APUS     Library to support your topic

When you reply to your classmates, is there anything missing? What more is needed? Do you have questions about the topic that your classmate can address for Week 5’s Peer Review?

Make your initial post by11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 250 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

 Post your next draft of Essay #2, due at the end of this week Then, respond in detail to the drafts of at least 2 other classmates, using the Writer’s Checklist for evaluating as your guide:

Which     sentence states the main idea (thesis) of the essay? Please explain how it     is or is not clear Where is it placed, and is its placement appropriate?

What     additional details could be included to help you better understand the     essay? What is missing or unclear?

Are the     details covered in a logical sequence? Which ones, if any, seem out of     place?

What part     of the essay is most memorable? Why?

How do the     transitions, such as “furthermore,” “for example,” and “next,” used to     help the ideas in the paper flow logically? If they do not, or are     missing, which ones would be useful or need to be changed?

How does     the author provide the reader with a sense of completion at the end? If     completion is missing, what suggestions do you have?

What kind     of grammatical errors, if any, are evident in the essay?

What final     suggestions do you have for the author?

Please use the questions above and answer each question for the drafts that you evaluate This way, the writer will have thorough and helpful feedback for revision of the draft

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resources

Please respond to at least 2 classmates, and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further

To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an A

Remember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussion

Your response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 6

Choose a topic for Essay 3, Writing to show Cause and Effect For your topic, you do not need to decide on a thesis statement yet, but you do need to consider a topic where you can show cause and effect Your topic can be chosen from your major academic field or from your work lifeFor more ideas, take a look at the assignment for Essay 3 (due Sunday of Week 8)

Then, respond in substantive detail to the initial posts of at least 2 other classmates

It would be very helpful if you could post research ideas for Essay 3 Example—Siobhan writes that she wants to explore causes of ADD in children, and Li responds that she might want to try looking in the online library databases for the PSYC articles databases, and Juan notes that when he did a paper for this last semester, he found a great article, and here is the Works Cited citation, so that Siobhan can find the article

Note that as you respond to other posters, you may want to be doing a little research on the library databases, which go far beyond the two or three that we have been using for the course and include things like the PSYC articles database and the Jane’s Military publications databases

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

\

apusedu/messageforums-tool/images/folder_unreadgif?sakaitoolplacementid=7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29″  alt=”Topic folder”>Error! Hyperlink reference not validapusedu/portal/tool/7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29/discussionForum/forumsOnly/dfForums#”  title=” week 7″>Week 7 ( 184 messages – 177 unread ) New messagesError! Hyperlink reference not validapusedu/portal/tool/7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29/discussionForum/forumsOnly/dfForums#”>First  Draft of Essay  #3apusedu/messageforums-tool/images/expandgif?sakaitoolplacementid=7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29″  alt=””>Hide Full Description and attachments

Earlier this term, in Week 4, you completed a First Draft  for Essay #2, where you took your topic and expanded on it to create a larger  piece of writing In our Week 7 Forum, you will do this again for Essay #3In  Week 6’s Forum, you chose a topic for Essay #3, Writing to Show Cause and  Effect As with Essay #2, you will need to find and use cited references for  this essay

It is again time to work on your First Draft of the essay! Remember that  while the draft here doesn’t need to be perfect, it should not be a “rough”  draft: there should be evidence of your thinking and organization here

For Week 7’s Forum, please complete the following in your post:

  Write       your topic, from Week 6

  Now,       please post at least 250 words about your topic that you expect to use       in your essay Once again, this is your First Draft, and it should have       some organization and some thought behind it

  Include       one reference in proper MLA format that you have found from the APUS       Library to support your topic

 When you reply to your classmates, is there anything missing? What more is  needed? Do you have questions about the topic that your classmate can address  for Week 8’s Peer Review?

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday  Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected  to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the  week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the  discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and  include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2  classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces  of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade  on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently  Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high  quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts  according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for  classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100  words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 8

Post your next draft of Essay #3 here and then respond to the posts of at  least 2 other classmates with peer review Here is what you will need to  strive for in your peer review this week:

  Do       you see a clear relationship in the essay between cause and effect?

  How       persuasive is the author, and why?

  Are       there any places where you would consider revising words for clarity?

 Consider issues of wordiness, jargon, biased language, mixed construction,  and faulty parallelism You do not need to proofread your classmates’ essays,  but if you can find something in this category, it will be helpful feedback  for the writer

Authors, as you read your peer reviews this week, remember that the  feedback may be correct or incorrect Reviewers, keep your emphasis on  constructive feedback only, and remember that you are only giving suggestions  and not correcting another writer

Make your initial posts to the Forum by11:55pm ET,  WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for  full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your  instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask  questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease  respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to  bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To  earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post  more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a  C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five  high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are  our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at  least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET,  Sunday

 assignment

Assignment Instructions

Essay/Checklist 1: Writing to Share Experience Write a narrative in which you tell about an experience that affected you in a positive way Write your narrative for a general audience that would include your classmates Write in the first person (I, me, we, us), and tell the story from your viewpoint All essays should be in MLA format and contain the checklist memo for Essay 1 Your essay should be between 500-750 words

All essays will be automatically submitted to Turnitincom when you submit your essay

Here is the checklist for your first essay All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the textbox Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission! WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

Writer’s Checklist for Writing a Narrative Essay:

How does     my title and introduction make my essay enticing?

How is my     thesis effective?

What details     have I included so the reader can visualize my experience?

How are     the events presented in a logical sequence?

How have I     used transitions to help the sequence of events flow smoothly?

Have I     used a consistent point of view and verb tense?

What is the     point of my narrative?

How does     the ending of my story make this a satisfactory ending?

What steps     did I take to proofread thoroughly?

(Adapted from Write Now, pp 110-111) Attached are a sample template and the grading rubric for this essay

DISCLAIMER: Remember, originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin Both you and your instructor will receive the results

The Final Draft of Essay 1 is due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday of Week 2

Assignment Instructions

Essay 2: Writing to Inform Using any or all of the 3 article databases in the APUS Online Library (Proquest, EBSCO, and/or the LexisNexis) research the topic you have chosen in Week 2, and write an essay in which you inform the reader about the topic Do not, however, write the essay in the first person Instead, write in the third person—ie, “Astronomy is an innately interesting field of study,” not “I am extremely interested in astronomy”

We generally use third person exclusively in academic or scholarly writing, unless we are specifically directed to use first person Last week, your narrative was written in first person, since it was about your own life This week, you will need to be aware of what person you are in, and take out first and second person Here is an example:

I love my country because it represents liberty and justiceThis is first person You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are directed to write in first person

You love your country because it represents liberty and justice This is second person You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are allowed to use second person

Americans love their country because it represents liberty and justice This is third person This is the preferred voice for academic writing

Third person lends authority to your writing Look at the difference between these two sentences:

I believe Hemingway brought a powerful masculine voice to American literature Hemingway brought a powerful masculine voice to American literature The second sentence sounds more authoritative, doesn’t it?

For Essay 2, you will need to integrate a minimum of 2 sources from any or all of the three article databases Remember that an informative essay does not include the writer’s feelings or opinions, but simply informs the reader about the topic Make sure you refer to your Essay 2 checklist before and after you have written your draft All essays should be in MLA format and contain the essay checklist Your essay should be between 500-750 words

See Week 3 Assignment Materials for a sample essay that may be used as a template

In your essay feedback it may be recommended that you use the tutoring services available through the library portal Students who have utilized this resource have significantly improved their writing and raised their grades You can find more about tutoring from the APUS Online Library homepage

All essays will be automatically submitted to Turnitincom when you submit your essay

Here is the checklist for your first essay All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the text box

Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission!WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

Essay 2: Writer’s Checklist for Informational Essay

 1 How does my introduction clearly state my thesis and give the reader an indication of the direction my essay will take?

2 How have I made my topic sentences and body paragraphs clear and well developed?

3 What supporting details and examples have I used to fully support my thesis?

4 What sources did I use to complete this paper according to the assignment instructions?

5 Please provide an example of how sources have been cited correctly in the body of the essay in MLA format

6 How does my conclusion effectively summarize my main points and restate my thesis in different words?

7 How did I carefully proofread and revise my paper for sentence variety, word choice, grammar, and punctuation?

8 How did I format the Works Cited page attached to ensure that it is in proper MLA format?

9 How long did it take to correctly format margins, line spacing, and other format issues required by the MLA sample essay, and shown in the sample provided by my instructor?

Question

Assignment Instructions

Essay 3: Writing to Show Cause and Effect Write an academic essay where you show a clear relationship between cause and effect, with a topic chosen from your major field of study, your work life, or your personal life Here are some examples of topics from your textbook and from successful student papers:

Causes of     symptoms or conditions (medicine and health—autism, ADHD, cancer, sports     injuries)

Causes of     student success or failure, effects of teaching methods or tools (online     learning, adult learners, returning students, homeschooling)

Causes of     business growth and failure, marketing, business trends

Causes and     effects of climate change, ecological change, scientific phenomena     (adapted from Russell 196)

You may have other ideas and are not sure how to use them in a cause and effect essay Feel free to ask about getting ideas to help shape your topic into a Cause and Effect framework

You will     write your essay in the third person

Use the     APUS Online Library article databases, no open web sources

You need a     minimum of three sources for your essay

Integrate     the sources using MLA format

All essays     should be 750-1000 words, in MLA format

Remember     to include your checklist

Essay 3: Cause & Effect – Writer’s Checklist

All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the text box Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission! WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

  What is     the cause or effect you are analyzing in your thesis?

How have     you explained the cause-and-effect relationship?

How did I     organize my causes and/or effects so that they would follow a logical     structure?

How did I     conclude my essay so that it would end effectively?

Identify     one change you have made as a result of proofreading your essay

DISCLAIMER: As with Essays #1 and #2, your paper is automatically submitted to Turnitin when you submit it at the assignment location Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin Both you and your instructor will receive the results

Reminder: Your draft is due on Wednesday of the Week 8 Forum, and your final draft is due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday of Week 8

Attached are a sample template and a grading rubric for Essay 3

   r

[ambitiouslyamanda-blog]

HOW I TAKE NOTES AS A UNIVERSITY STUDENT — 07.14.2017

There are a zillion different note taking methods out there right there — mind mapping, Cornell style, just copying straight out from the textbook — and millions of different people who decide on one or several. As I create this post, I’m not guaranteeing that my methods will work for you — but they sure as hell worked for me!

University is challenging and trying to copy down notes from your fast talkin’ professor can always be a challenge when you’re stressed about a number of other things — assignments, being able to afford to eat, paying your rent, relationships, even what you’re going to drink at the bar that night — taking great notes is probably the last thing on your cluttered mind. I decided to share the way that I take notes — a method that engrains your themes and notes in your head, with a little bit of determination and writing. Continue on reading to learn the way I take notes in university!

IN CLASS — TYPING, WRITING, DRAWING, RECORDING, AND ABBREVIATING

Primarily in class, I will type up my notes on a Google Notes document (you can read more on how I utilize Google Drive to it’s most effective here), copying and abbreviating notes from my professor’s lesson; whether he/she is speaking, reading off slides, or writing on the board. I have had professors who do all three at the same time; so make sure to listen and watch carefully!

Usually, when the lesson is done, my typed up notes will look like this:

Professors will often give you breaks or elaborate upon a single topic for a bit, so during that time if I understand the concept, I will go through and edit my notes. If I don’t have time in class, I will edit my typed up notes at home.

However, some classes, like English or Communication classes, require you to handwrite out your notes. I like handwriting because of its retentive purpose, but I get more anxious about missing key points if I have a speedy speaking professor. Abbreviations and side notes while handwriting are CRUCIAL to handwriting notes.

As for the formatting I use, I separate it first by lesson, then theme, then topic. You can see what I mean down below.

If handwriting notes or even if I just feel the need to when my computer is handy, I will take out a sheet of paper and doodle a diagram, formula, or equation if need be. I often don’t have math in my program, but I occasionally have business classes that require me to do basic functions. I find for me personally, to even have a chance of understanding any math, I must write it down and doodle arrows for assistance in how to do things.

Finally, while this is rare, sometimes professors don’t have an issue if you record their lesson with a voice recorder on your phone. You can also take this step to the next level and have a speech-to-text program on your computer to write out your notes, though I would still recommend typing them out yourself and referring to the speech-to-text document to see if you miss anything. However, this is an incredibly unlikely option, as most professors and universities copyright their lessons and prohibit recording for personal usage. You can always ask, but don’t depend on this method!

OUT OF CLASS — EDITING, REVISING, WRITING, AND READING

When I am out of class, I will usually take five minutes to read through the note I just took just to kind of “lock in” the information. While I’m reading through my notes, whether typed or written, I will take the time to mark places that need editing and revision. After that I will simply revise!

I like to revise by elaborating on topics or themes I didn’t get to in class, cutting down sections that are too long, editing grammar and simplifying my notes to make them easier to remember. When my notes are on a computer, I will also make a table of contents for easy access to certain sections. If you would like me to do a whole post on revision for notes and essays, you can let me know down below in the comments!

At home, I also do my textbook readings and will take notes on those as well, usually by computer. I will typically do this by marking each page with a sticky tab, and underlining the importing info with a pencil, and then copy the notes down in my own words.

Usually during midterm and exam time, I will then take the time to step up my notes a notch by taking one medium of notes (like typed or written) and putting it into another medium. I will often copy out my typed-up class notes by hand into a moleskin for aided retention, easy to carry study guides, and nicer to look at material and vice versa. Sometimes, if both mediums mentioned are covered, I will also mind map them down to really drill it into my brain with a visual aid instead of a bunch of writing on a screen or sheet of paper.

I will also make practice questions for myself and answer them to the best of my ability, making sure to be elaborative and thorough.

After all of that is done, I will upload my Google Drive doc and make it available for my peers to view and edit. Doing this allows others to impute any information I missed, answer my practice questions in a unique perspective, ask their own, and also correct me if anything I put down was incorrect.

After that, I read through my notes, taking 45 minutes to study and 15 minutes to break.

So that’s my method of taking notes in university! What methods do you guys use? Let me know down below because I always love to try out new ways to do my notes!

Ambitiously,

Amanda

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[evaholbert-blog]

apu ENGL101 Complete Course all Discussion and Assignments

https://hwguiders.com/downloads/apu-engl101-complete-course-discussion-assignments/

 apu ENGL101 Complete Course all Discussion and Assignments

  Think about your reaction to Baker’s (from “The Art of Eating Spaghetti”) discovery that he could tell a story Have you had a similar moment in your life when you found your calling?

In Part 2, you are beginning your Assignment 1 essay You are writing to tell your story: select and post your topic for a personal experience paper about an experience that had a positive impact on your life Your topic should be expressed in one sentence Below your single sentence summary of your paper, share a few points that you will highlight in the essay assignment

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by

11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit

During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion

Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resources

Please respond to at least 2 classmates,

and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further

To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently

Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C

Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an A

Remember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussion

Your response posts need to be at least 50-100 words

, and all posts are

due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

For your responses, read your classmate’s one-sentence topic and ask a question that you would like to know For example, if a classmate writes, “The experience that had the most positive impact on my life was joining the Marines,” then you might ask, “What was your family’s reaction when you went into the service?”

Your responsibility is to come back to the Forum and answer questions posed to you, as well

wek 2

Read “Once More to the Lake” by E B White, pp 97-100, and “Androgynous Man” by Noel Perrin, pp 243-244 Select one of the pieces to write about

Both of these stories involve trips or Error! Hyperlink reference not validhomeworkminutescom/question/view/84376/apu-engl101-week-2-discussions-a-and-b#”>vacations, time spent away from the author’s everyday environment Both deal with memory and growing up

Take a look at how the author uses sentences to give details of the vacation or the trip Are the sentences long, short, poetic, matter of fact?

Then write about whether you think the author is successful in creating an interesting or moving piece about memory What makes the writing successful for you?

Select a favorite sentence from the piece and include it as a quotation with MLA citation, like this:

“I read all the interesting articles in a couple of magazines I had, and then I went back and read all the dull stuff” (Perrin 243)

Try to select a sentence that no one else has selected yet Why is it a favorite for you? What was your reaction when you read it, and how did the author evoke that reaction?

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas furtherTo earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts aredue by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 2 b

After you have read the APUS plagiarism policy, viewed the library welcome slide show, and taken the tutorial, think of a topic that you would like to write about for Essay 2, which is your first sourced essay in the class where you will need cited references

Remember, Essay 1 is a personal narrative, and you do not need references for that essay; you are the reference! Pick a topic that you would like to know more about, such as how to go about doing something or something that interests you

Use the example in the Lesson as a guide, and then try to answer these questions:

Why did     you pick this topic?

What do I     already know about it?

What is my     goal in acquiring new information through my research?

What     information will I want to share with my reader?

After you post your topic and answer these questions, read your classmates’ posts and respond to them with your questions about their topic This will help them to find new research directions as they begin to look for information in the online databases next week

Make your initial posts to Forums A and B by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

 weeek 3

Thesis Statements

Post your thesis statement for Essay 2 here as a one- sentence thesis statement Please bold it and identify it, so that we can all tell what it is

Make sure you are writing one sentence only, and that you are not using a question For example, “Should children wear uniforms in public schools?” is not a thesis sentence To be a thesis sentence, the sentence must take a stand and be a declarative sentence

After you post your thesis statement, discuss how you arrived at that one sentence What process of thought led to that sentence? Did you conduct research on your topic before coming up with your thesis statement? Have you taken a stand in your thesis statement? Do you think that when you do more research on your topic, your stand might change? Did you start with one thesis and evolve into another?

(It is expected, in academic writing, that you may need to change your thesis statement as you work on your essay You may believe one thing, only to find through research that your initial beliefs must be adjusted Or, you may have to change your topic somewhat due to available research)

After you have discussed your thesis statement, discuss how you will outline Essay 2 Provide at least three supporting ideas or directions, and show how they will support your thesis Why did you select the three ideas you selected, and how do they develop your essay? How will you find research to support your three ideas? Remember, in the Essay 2 assignment, all of your research must be from one of these three online databases in the APUS online library—EBSCO, ProQuest, and LexisNexis No open web sources are allowed for this assignment

After you have made your initial post, Part 1 and Part 2, respond to at least two classmates with ideas for how their thesis statement might be refocused, improved, or clarified Remember, be constructive, and feel free to ask questions about directions for more research, like, “Did you consider whether uniforms lead to better scholastic performance—will you back that up with statistics?”

Make your initial posts to the Forum by11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas furtherTo earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 4

In Week 2’s Forum 2B, you chose a topic for Essay #2, Writing to Inform As you know, you will need to find and use cited references for this essay In Week 3’s forum, you created a one-sentence thesis statement to use with this essay

It is now time to work on your First Draft of the essay! When you write in a college class, the most effective way to create a formal essay isn’t to sit down on the computer and type until you get exhausted Effective writers will create a draft, and then revise that First Draft more than once until they have a final copy to submit for grading

Please note that your work on this forum should not be a “rough” draft: your First Draft should show signs of organization and your thinking

For Week 4’s Forum, please complete the following in your post:

Write your     topic, from Week 2

Write your     thesis statement that you used in Week 3

Now,     please post at least 250 words about your topic that you expect to use in     your essay This is your First Draft, and it should have some organization     and some thought behind it

Include     one reference in proper MLA format that you have found from the APUS     Library to support your topic

When you reply to your classmates, is there anything missing? What more is needed? Do you have questions about the topic that your classmate can address for Week 5’s Peer Review?

Make your initial post by11:55pm ET, WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 250 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

 Post your next draft of Essay #2, due at the end of this week Then, respond in detail to the drafts of at least 2 other classmates, using the Writer’s Checklist for evaluating as your guide:

Which     sentence states the main idea (thesis) of the essay? Please explain how it     is or is not clear Where is it placed, and is its placement appropriate?

What     additional details could be included to help you better understand the     essay? What is missing or unclear?

Are the     details covered in a logical sequence? Which ones, if any, seem out of     place?

What part     of the essay is most memorable? Why?

How do the     transitions, such as “furthermore,” “for example,” and “next,” used to     help the ideas in the paper flow logically? If they do not, or are     missing, which ones would be useful or need to be changed?

How does     the author provide the reader with a sense of completion at the end? If     completion is missing, what suggestions do you have?

What kind     of grammatical errors, if any, are evident in the essay?

What final     suggestions do you have for the author?

Please use the questions above and answer each question for the drafts that you evaluate This way, the writer will have thorough and helpful feedback for revision of the draft

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full credit During the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resources

Please respond to at least 2 classmates, and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further

To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an A

Remember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussion

Your response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 6

Choose a topic for Essay 3, Writing to show Cause and Effect For your topic, you do not need to decide on a thesis statement yet, but you do need to consider a topic where you can show cause and effect Your topic can be chosen from your major academic field or from your work lifeFor more ideas, take a look at the assignment for Essay 3 (due Sunday of Week 8)

Then, respond in substantive detail to the initial posts of at least 2 other classmates

It would be very helpful if you could post research ideas for Essay 3 Example—Siobhan writes that she wants to explore causes of ADD in children, and Li responds that she might want to try looking in the online library databases for the PSYC articles databases, and Juan notes that when he did a paper for this last semester, he found a great article, and here is the Works Cited citation, so that Siobhan can find the article

Note that as you respond to other posters, you may want to be doing a little research on the library databases, which go far beyond the two or three that we have been using for the course and include things like the PSYC articles database and the Jane’s Military publications databases

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

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apusedu/messageforums-tool/images/folder_unreadgif?sakaitoolplacementid=7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29″  alt=”Topic folder”>Error! Hyperlink reference not validapusedu/portal/tool/7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29/discussionForum/forumsOnly/dfForums#”  title=” week 7″>Week 7 ( 184 messages – 177 unread ) New messagesError! Hyperlink reference not validapusedu/portal/tool/7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29/discussionForum/forumsOnly/dfForums#”>First  Draft of Essay  #3apusedu/messageforums-tool/images/expandgif?sakaitoolplacementid=7061150c-ed44-4439-b9fd-0649a7f8fb29″  alt=””>Hide Full Description and attachments

Earlier this term, in Week 4, you completed a First Draft  for Essay #2, where you took your topic and expanded on it to create a larger  piece of writing In our Week 7 Forum, you will do this again for Essay #3In  Week 6’s Forum, you chose a topic for Essay #3, Writing to Show Cause and  Effect As with Essay #2, you will need to find and use cited references for  this essay

It is again time to work on your First Draft of the essay! Remember that  while the draft here doesn’t need to be perfect, it should not be a “rough”  draft: there should be evidence of your thinking and organization here

For Week 7’s Forum, please complete the following in your post:

  Write       your topic, from Week 6

  Now,       please post at least 250 words about your topic that you expect to use       in your essay Once again, this is your First Draft, and it should have       some organization and some thought behind it

  Include       one reference in proper MLA format that you have found from the APUS       Library to support your topic

 When you reply to your classmates, is there anything missing? What more is  needed? Do you have questions about the topic that your classmate can address  for Week 8’s Peer Review?

Make your initial posts to the Forum by 11:55pm ET, Wednesday  Initial posts should be at least 200- 300 wordsStudents are expected  to post on three separate days each week for full creditDuring the  week, read the messages posted by your instructor and classmates and join the  discussion Your instructor may ask questions, provide explanations, and  include links to other resourcesPlease respond to at least 2  classmates,and in your response posts, try to bring together pieces  of the discussion and take those ideas further To earn a higher grade  on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post more frequently  Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a C Four posts of high  quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five high quality posts  according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are our place for  classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at least 50-100  words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday

week 8

Post your next draft of Essay #3 here and then respond to the posts of at  least 2 other classmates with peer review Here is what you will need to  strive for in your peer review this week:

  Do       you see a clear relationship in the essay between cause and effect?

  How       persuasive is the author, and why?

  Are       there any places where you would consider revising words for clarity?

 Consider issues of wordiness, jargon, biased language, mixed construction,  and faulty parallelism You do not need to proofread your classmates’ essays,  but if you can find something in this category, it will be helpful feedback  for the writer

Authors, as you read your peer reviews this week, remember that the  feedback may be correct or incorrect Reviewers, keep your emphasis on  constructive feedback only, and remember that you are only giving suggestions  and not correcting another writer

Make your initial posts to the Forum by11:55pm ET,  WednesdayInitial posts should be at least 200- 300 words

Students are expected to post on three separate days each week for  full creditDuring the week, read the messages posted by your  instructor and classmates and join the discussion Your instructor may ask  questions, provide explanations, and include links to other resourcesPlease  respond to at least 2 classmates,and in your response posts, try to  bring together pieces of the discussion and take those ideas further To  earn a higher grade on each week’s discussion, students are expected to post  more frequently Posting three times in a week will earn a grade of a  C Four posts of high quality according to the rubric will earn a B, and five  high quality posts according to the rubric earn an ARemember, the Forums are  our place for classroom discussionYour response posts need to be at  least 50-100 words, and all posts are due by 11:55pm, ET,  Sunday

 assignment

Assignment Instructions

Essay/Checklist 1: Writing to Share Experience Write a narrative in which you tell about an experience that affected you in a positive way Write your narrative for a general audience that would include your classmates Write in the first person (I, me, we, us), and tell the story from your viewpoint All essays should be in MLA format and contain the checklist memo for Essay 1 Your essay should be between 500-750 words

All essays will be automatically submitted to Turnitincom when you submit your essay

Here is the checklist for your first essay All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the textbox Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission! WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

Writer’s Checklist for Writing a Narrative Essay:

How does     my title and introduction make my essay enticing?

How is my     thesis effective?

What details     have I included so the reader can visualize my experience?

How are     the events presented in a logical sequence?

How have I     used transitions to help the sequence of events flow smoothly?

Have I     used a consistent point of view and verb tense?

What is the     point of my narrative?

How does     the ending of my story make this a satisfactory ending?

What steps     did I take to proofread thoroughly?

(Adapted from Write Now, pp 110-111) Attached are a sample template and the grading rubric for this essay

DISCLAIMER: Remember, originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin Both you and your instructor will receive the results

The Final Draft of Essay 1 is due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday of Week 2

Assignment Instructions

Essay 2: Writing to Inform Using any or all of the 3 article databases in the APUS Online Library (Proquest, EBSCO, and/or the LexisNexis) research the topic you have chosen in Week 2, and write an essay in which you inform the reader about the topic Do not, however, write the essay in the first person Instead, write in the third person—ie, “Astronomy is an innately interesting field of study,” not “I am extremely interested in astronomy”

We generally use third person exclusively in academic or scholarly writing, unless we are specifically directed to use first person Last week, your narrative was written in first person, since it was about your own life This week, you will need to be aware of what person you are in, and take out first and second person Here is an example:

I love my country because it represents liberty and justiceThis is first person You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are directed to write in first person

You love your country because it represents liberty and justice This is second person You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are allowed to use second person

Americans love their country because it represents liberty and justice This is third person This is the preferred voice for academic writing

Third person lends authority to your writing Look at the difference between these two sentences:

I believe Hemingway brought a powerful masculine voice to American literature Hemingway brought a powerful masculine voice to American literature The second sentence sounds more authoritative, doesn’t it?

For Essay 2, you will need to integrate a minimum of 2 sources from any or all of the three article databases Remember that an informative essay does not include the writer’s feelings or opinions, but simply informs the reader about the topic Make sure you refer to your Essay 2 checklist before and after you have written your draft All essays should be in MLA format and contain the essay checklist Your essay should be between 500-750 words

See Week 3 Assignment Materials for a sample essay that may be used as a template

In your essay feedback it may be recommended that you use the tutoring services available through the library portal Students who have utilized this resource have significantly improved their writing and raised their grades You can find more about tutoring from the APUS Online Library homepage

All essays will be automatically submitted to Turnitincom when you submit your essay

Here is the checklist for your first essay All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the text box

Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission!WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

Essay 2: Writer’s Checklist for Informational Essay

 1 How does my introduction clearly state my thesis and give the reader an indication of the direction my essay will take?

2 How have I made my topic sentences and body paragraphs clear and well developed?

3 What supporting details and examples have I used to fully support my thesis?

4 What sources did I use to complete this paper according to the assignment instructions?

5 Please provide an example of how sources have been cited correctly in the body of the essay in MLA format

6 How does my conclusion effectively summarize my main points and restate my thesis in different words?

7 How did I carefully proofread and revise my paper for sentence variety, word choice, grammar, and punctuation?

8 How did I format the Works Cited page attached to ensure that it is in proper MLA format?

9 How long did it take to correctly format margins, line spacing, and other format issues required by the MLA sample essay, and shown in the sample provided by my instructor?

Question

Assignment Instructions

Essay 3: Writing to Show Cause and Effect Write an academic essay where you show a clear relationship between cause and effect, with a topic chosen from your major field of study, your work life, or your personal life Here are some examples of topics from your textbook and from successful student papers:

Causes of     symptoms or conditions (medicine and health—autism, ADHD, cancer, sports     injuries)

Causes of     student success or failure, effects of teaching methods or tools (online     learning, adult learners, returning students, homeschooling)

Causes of     business growth and failure, marketing, business trends

Causes and     effects of climate change, ecological change, scientific phenomena     (adapted from Russell 196)

You may have other ideas and are not sure how to use them in a cause and effect essay Feel free to ask about getting ideas to help shape your topic into a Cause and Effect framework

You will     write your essay in the third person

Use the     APUS Online Library article databases, no open web sources

You need a     minimum of three sources for your essay

Integrate     the sources using MLA format

All essays     should be 750-1000 words, in MLA format

Remember     to include your checklist

Essay 3: Cause & Effect – Writer’s Checklist

All questions should be answered in complete sentences and should be submitted to the text box Do not submit your essay in the text box Attach only the essay to the assignment; do not include the Writer’s Checklist Questions with your essay submission! WARNING: you may NOT use this paper for any other class Using this paper for any other class is a form of academic dishonesty

  What is     the cause or effect you are analyzing in your thesis?

How have     you explained the cause-and-effect relationship?

How did I     organize my causes and/or effects so that they would follow a logical     structure?

How did I     conclude my essay so that it would end effectively?

Identify     one change you have made as a result of proofreading your essay

DISCLAIMER: As with Essays #1 and #2, your paper is automatically submitted to Turnitin when you submit it at the assignment location Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin Both you and your instructor will receive the results

Reminder: Your draft is due on Wednesday of the Week 8 Forum, and your final draft is due by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday of Week 8

Attached are a sample template and a grading rubric for Essay 3