#like there’s readings for the class everyday which usually is an entire textbook chapter and I just don’t do it

[iloveyoumorethansoup]

Some classes r like oh this is fine I guess and then some classes r like I would drop this class lightning speed if it was not a requirement

[maddie-the-princess]

If you love me, Let me go (Part 2)

Fandom: Sanders Sides

AU: High School 

Pairing(s): LAMP

Summary: Virgil and his family are new to the neighborhood. He starts a new school where he learns to love himself, and maybe, love his new friends. 

Warnings: Virgil’s parents being jerks, some mild language

Thank you to @kuroyurishion for helping me with this chapter. Please enjoy the story. 

Chapter Two: Patton and Dee

Virgil’s POV

I was jolted awake by the blaring alarm on my phone. Groaning, I rolled over and turned it off. It was 6:45 AM, and it’s my first day at my new school. That’s just great. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and wandered into the bathroom to take a shower. A half-hour later, I got out and got dressed in whatever I can find in my dressers. I stood in front of my mirror wearing a Panic! At the Disco t-shirt, ripped black skinny jeans, black jacket and black converse. I put on my black eyeshadow, fixed my hair, and painted my nails black. I have now become fully emo. I heard my mom call me from downstairs.

“Virge, honey?” she yelled. “Breakfast ready!” I walked out of my room, bracing myself for what they’re gonna say about my outfit. ‘Please don’t tell me to change.’ I thought desperately. In the kitchen, he sees his dad reading the newspaper and his mom bustling around, putting pancakes and bacon on plates. She’s all smiles, but it vanishes when she sees me. She looks at my outfit with pursed lips. I grimace.

“Honey,” she says as politely as she can, “what are you wearing?” At her question, my dad finally looks up at his son with indifference. I grimace again.

“Isn’t that the same thing you wear everyday son?” my dad asks. My mom nods in agreement. 

“That’s right Virgil! This is your first day at a new school! You should make a nice first impression! You should wear something nice, and look presentable, and not look like,” she waved her arms, gesturing to my entire body, “that!” she concluded. Without another word, she brushed past me and went upstairs. “Hold on honey, you still have time to change. I bought you this nice shirt and sweater you can wear. And while you’re at it, take off your makeup, too. It’ll ruin your new look and-”

I heard enough. I grabbed a Tupperware from the cabinet and stored piles of bacon in it, before closing it tightly. Grabbing my bag, which contained my books, wallet, keys, and other necessities, I stormed out of the house without even a goodbye. I didn’t want to listen to my parents judge me for what I was wearing. I knew what my mom wanted me to wear, and there was no way in hell I was gonna wear that. Sighing softly, I walked to school, crunching on the bacon I stole from the kitchen table. My school wasn’t too far away, only about a ten-minute walk. 

The school wasn’t small, nor was it too big. It was perfect enough to house at most 400 students. I walked into the school cautiously. My heart was beating quickly. I pulled my hood up as I walked toward the receptionist’s desk. There was a young person sitting there with short hair colored a vibrant blue. Smiling, the receptionist beckoned me over. 

“Hello! You must be the new student!” the receptionist greeted me professionally. “My name is Talyn, they/them pronouns. And you are?” they asked. I was surprised. No one ever asked me for my pronouns before. Maybe this school will be different. I snapped out of my musings to answer them.

“My name is Virgil Sullivan. He/him pronouns.” I replied quietly. Talyn smiled and gestured down the hall to my left. 

“The principal would like to meet with you before classes start. Good thing you came early.” they said. “His office is the first door on the left.” I nodded my thanks and hurried over to the principal’s office. A man seated at a desk was talking to another man in a suit. They both looked at me when I walked in, making me nervous.

“Oh so you’re the new student!” the man in the suit exclaimed. He smiled warmly. “My name is Thomas Sanders, he/him pronouns, and I’m the principal of this school.” He gestured to the person at the desk. “And this is Joan, my secretary. They/them pronouns.” 

I smiled and repeated the greeting to Talyn. Joan nodded and typed something up on their computer. Thomas decided to make small talk with me. “Because you’re new, we’re gonna have someone with a similar schedule as yours to show you around.” he said. I nodded when I heard the printer spit out what I believed to be my schedule. I took it gratefully. Then there was a knock at the door.

A shorter boy with curly brown hair walked in. “Hello, I’m Patton Hart. Nice to meet you!” I swore there was positivity just radiating off of him and he was very, very happy. 

“H-hey.” Dang it, why did I have to sound so nervous. He's just going to show me around nothing more. 

“So can I see your schedule kiddo?” I nodded, his question bringing me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I handed the bubbly boy my schedule and he looked even more excited than before.

“We have Art together!!” he squealed. Well I guess he likes art, and that's something we have in common but why should I care? He's just going to show me around and then we will go our separate ways. I glanced back at him, he had a bright smile and looked really excited. Well maybe we’ll go our separate ways.

I followed him out into the hall and he immediately started pointing out people and saying hello. It was a little overwhelming, but I guess that's what he’s normally like. About 10 or so minutes later he had shown me where all my classes were and the bell rang. That was the five-minute warning bell. He gave me a hug before running off to his first period class. ‘Well, he was cut- nope he was nice and nothing more.’ I thought.

I turned back to my new locker and put a few of my books in, then headed off to math. Arguably the subject I detest most. It just doesn’t make any sense! Groaning when I reached my class, I walked in to find my teacher already standing in front of the class. She looked like the stereotypical no nonsense strict teacher, her hair in a bun and everything. Wordlessly, she pointed to a desk in the very back corner of class and told me to sit there. Well damn, I didn’t even get a chance to introduce myself. Silently, I sat down at my seat and took my textbook and notebook out, ready to at least try and pay attention. 

I worked for about ten minutes. I took notes on whatever she was teaching, and she handed out a worksheet for homework and let us do whatever we wanted for the rest of class. When she reached my desk, she also handed me the syllabus for the year and told me the basic rundown for her class. She asked me questions on what I learned in my previous school, what I needed help with, the usual questions. I answered whatever she was asking and she finally left me in my little corner. I sighed with relief. She didn’t seem to like me much. 

“Psst.” I heard someone whisper beside me. I looked over to see a tall boy wearing a yellow shirt with a black jacket. He had vitiligo, and honestly, he looked pretty cool. He had dark skin with paler patches, especially over the left side of his face. He grinned at me.

“‘Sup short stack.” he said teasingly. I huffed out a greeting. “You can call me Dee.” he continued. He leaned towards me. 

“What do you want?” I asked quietly. Dee hummed. 

“You look like you need a friend.” he replied. 

“Why?”

“Because, short stack, if you hadn’t noticed, all the preps in this class are looking at you like you’re fresh meat.” I was true. Looking around, people were looking at me strangely. They looked at my clothes, my makeup, my pale face. I could almost hear their whispering. My heartbeat quickened. Dee gently placed his hand on my arm. “Calm down. This is why I’ll help you. You seem cool, and I don’t want someone like you to fall victim to these guys.”

I nodded my thanks. “My name is Virgil.” I introduced myself quietly. Dee smirked. 

“I think you and I are gonna get along quite nicely.”

Anyone wanna be in my taglist? Let me know! 

Taglist: 

@sure-i-exist

[purplesurveys]

945

A Survey For College/Uni Grads Survey by emptyspaces

What year did you graduate? 2020. It’s only been a little over a month, too.

What degree do you have? Journalism, but I might as well have had a minor in history because of the amount of history electives I took as well haha.

What classes did you take your first year? The first semester of my first year was purely for general courses, so I took basic courses on English, biology, math, philosophy, and Philippine history. By the second semester I took more basic courses on public speaking, physics, and social science, but by then I was already allowed to take two journalism majors.

Second year? My general courses included a basic course on art history, chemistry, English, Filipino, Asian history; my majors were on communication and media, news reporting, media law, media theory, journalism ethics, and an introductory course on broadcast communication.

Third year? The only general courses I had by this point were an intro to political science and a class on Philippine government and politics. I mostly took majors this year though, which wiped me the crap out: my majors were on media and society, feature writing, public relations, international relations, fact-checking, broadcast management, Southeast Asian history, and introductory courses on macroeconomics, film, psychology, and communication research.

Fourth year? I took up journalism design and layout, contemporary Philippine history, Philippine social history, pornography in media just because lol, an introductory course on anthropology, and I also got started on my thesis as well. My second and final semester got cancelled entirely because of the pandemic, but I would have finished units on business reporting, online journalism, community press, and the history of women in the Philippines.

Did it take you longer than four years to graduate? No. That would have disappointed my parents big time and considering how much effort they’ve put to send me to good schools, the least I could do was to graduate on time. Even if I wanted to shift out of my course, it would’ve led to a delay and I didn’t want that for them and I personally didn’t want that for myself either.

Did you start at 18, or did you have a gap year(s) after high school? Again, I didn’t want to take gap years for my parents’ sake. I immediately went to college right after graduating high school, like what the majority of students here do.

Was it a small or large college/university? Very large. The competition is even bigger – 100,000++ high school seniors take the entrance exam every year but they only take in around 10,000 passers. Still, 10,000 new students every school year is so many, and it’s always a bitch to get class slots because of our population.

Public or private? Public. 

Is there anything the school is well-known for? All sorts of things. It’s one of the top schools in the country, so we hog the spotlight in the national news pretty much everyday. I think the biggest things we’re known for though is our reputation for research and our activism history. It also makes us a popular target of pro-government trolls.

What were some of your favorite classes? I loved taking up art studies and all of my political science and history electives, and as for my journalism electives I really only enjoyed public relations and that one class where we ran an online magazine for a whole semester.

What were some classes you hated? Fucking economics. And fact-checking. And the fact that I took both in the same period...got my lowest average for that semester because of those classes, too. I feel like I would have done better if my economics class didn’t have a population of 200 and if I had a more experienced professor fact-checking but shit happens, I guess. I also felt like my porn class was a waste because the readings were so pretentious. And of course, philosophy.

Did you have any super-long classes? Like 3 hours or longer? All majors in my college are 3 hours long. So classes like PR, journalism ethics, feature writing, business reporting, media law, communication theory, etc. all definitely took a big chunk of my weekdays.

Did you ever change your major? No. I had multiple conversations with myself to decide if I should, but aside from not wanting to get delayed I also accepted the fact that as much as I had grown to not like journalism as a practice, the technical skills taught in it were still going to be super useful in the industry I want to get into, which is communications and PR.

Did you do any internships? If so, where? I did. I interned at a PR agency last year but it was part of my requirements to complete my course, so it felt forced to an extent. I’m currently interning at another PR agency, but this time I’m out of school and it’s a personal choice of mine.

Did you ever take any online classes? If so, which ones? I only had one or two online class sessions at the beginning of the lockdown, but my school ultimately cancelled the semester altogether in consideration of disadvantaged students who may not have laptops of their own or wi-fi at home. In the end they just gave a grade of ‘P’ to everyone, which meant Pass.

Were textbooks expensive? I didn’t need to buy entire textbooks because my professors usually just took excerpts or chapters from certain relevant books and let us photocopy the pages, which costs a lot cheaper than having to buy books.

What other supplies besides books did you have to buy for your classes? Other than course readings I didn’t need to spend much. Journalism isn’t a material-heavy course like how film or broadcast communication is.

Were you in any clubs or student organizations? Yes. I was in a journalism org, our graduation committee, and was part of a student publication at one point. I also tried to join AIESEC but my schedule was so hectic at the time that I had to drop it.

Did you ever volunteer anywhere? I was a lecturer and facilitator for the journalism workshops that my org regularly held (and will probably continue to volunteer even as a grad, since I know they appreciate alumni lecturers lol), and one time I also volunteered to be an usher for Batch 2019′s graduation.

Were you on any sports teams? Nope. I liked playing table tennis, but I was never trained properly enough to make it to varsity. 

Where was your favorite place to eat on campus? It depended on how much of a hurry I was in and how much I was willing to spend. The cheapest option was the network of kiosks scattered around campus which sold the same instant noodles and street food. If I wanted to reward myself but was on a tight budget, I went to Area 2 which is a residential street in campus that was also dotted with small food booths ran by the homeowners; if I had some money to spend and the time to stay in a sit-in restaurant I used to go to Chocolate Kiss.

Did you work while you were in college? I did not. I was lucky to be in a privileged position where my parents were able to provide for me and where I never had to worry about finances.

If so, where? How many hours per week?

How many times did you move throughout college? I didn’t. We lived in the same house the whole time I was in college.

Did you live on campus, in an apartment, or somewhere else? I lived at home and I just drove to and from school everyday, since the campus was near-ish enough for me not to avail of a dorm or condo.

Did you live with roommates? Alone? With a significant other? I lived with my family, but tbh it was mostly my mom and brother at home since my sister stays at a dorm and my dad works abroad.

If off-campus, how much was your rent? Never had to pay any.

How often did you go back to visit your parents? I went home to my mom every night lol, unless I had a sleepover at someone else’s place.

Did your parents help you out with living costs? Sure did. Nothing changed with my living arrangements and I still lived under their roof.

Did your parents (or someone else) pay for your tuition? They paid for the first two semesters; then by my sophomore year the government passed an act implementing free tuition for all state universities so since then they never had to pay a cent for my education.

Was it an expensive school? Not at all, which is why the competition to get in is so fierce. To illustrate, four years in my school is just equivalent to one semester in my sister’s college. Last time I checked one unit is ₱1500 or roughly $30.

If you paid for it, do you still have student loans you're paying off? I don’t have student loans. Idk if that’s a thing here, actually. I don’t think it is.

How many people did you date throughout college? One.

What was your longest relationship while in college? The whole four years. I was in the same relationship when I started and ended.

Were you in a sorority/fraternity? Fuck no.

Were you into partying? Just occasionally. I wasn’t a wild partier but I did go to a few college parties every now and then, and I certainly went to nearby bars nearly every Friday.

Where did you and your friends usually hang out? Along Katip, since there were enough places there to hang out in. Occasionally we’d go to Maginhawa, but I prefer it a lot less because the parking there sucks balls.

What did you and your friends do for fun? Drink, eat, play games.

Do you still keep in touch with any college friends? Very much. I support those who remain in the org, and I occasionally catch up with those who had already graduated.

Did any of them graduate with the same degree as you? Most of them did. It’s how I met them.

What did you do after you graduated? I rested for a bit but an existential crisis quickly came over and now I’m in a bit of a mental slump, but at least I’ve scored this internship to keep me occupied.

How was the pay at your first job out of college? The company I’m currently interning for objectively pays well, but they acquired me as an intern because they aren’t offering full-time positions for now. That said, I get an allowance rather than a salary so it isn’t much at all, but I’m still happy to be in the company because it’s supposed to be one of the top agencies in the country.

What classes prepared you the most for your career? PR, feature writing, public speaking, news reporting, online journalism...and tbh org work. 

- Five favorite memories from your college days -

1: UP vs DLSU basketball game from September last year HAAAAAA

2: Attending my organization’s orientation and encountering them for the first time, not knowing I was going to bloom so much there and gain my closest friends

3: High Def 2018 and 2019

4: Drinking at VSpot with Angela, Hans, Gabie, and whoever else from their Ateneo gang that also got invited

5: TK with orgmates

[leejihoonownsmyheart]

Chaos of Life

Summary:

Yoongi doesn't do things he doesn't like to do. He doesn't talk to people he doesn't like. He doesn't go to class if he doesn't want to. He doesn't even bother to look at those he doesn't think deserves his attention. So, Jimin can't help but wonder what on Earth he did to deserve this strange boys attention.

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Yoonmin University Fanfiction. Multiple Chapters. Warnings Don’t Apply. Good for General Audiences.

You can also read it on: Archive Of Our Own and Fanfiction.net

Chapter Nineteen:

When Jimin said that things fell back to normal as if nothing had ever happened, he truly meant it.

Like a dream, everyone found themselves able to just… Go back to the way they had always been.

Without so much as a passing word or a strange glance. Everyone just accepted the new information they had been provided about Yoongi and Namjoon and everything and went on with life. The only new addition to pop out of the entire debacle was the appearance of Moonbyul in Jimin’s everyday life.

She didn’t spend all of her time with you guys, which honestly nobody had expected from her, but she still spent more time than most people had thought she would.

Her reunion with the guys had been one of the more heartwarming things that Jimin had experienced since meeting Yoongi. He had hardly ever seen Yoongi smile so largely or get up so fast to greet anyone. He saw her before Namjoon did, and when Namjoon realized what was happening he smiled too, giving Moonbyul a hug.

It was so cute to watch the three go back and forth about things that they used to do together their first year. They’d all poke fun at one another for old habits (and habits that they still partook in), and they spent the longest time just catching up on all of their dreams and hopes for the future. It was so precious.

Jimin found it hard not to smile too goofily as he watched his boyfriend interact with his friends… People he had cared about so much he had risked his everything for. Jimin’s hand grasped at Yoongi’s and he rested his head on the older boys’ shoulder. It made Yoongi look at him every time, no matter what he was doing.

“I love you so much,” Jimin would murmur, even though he knew he didn’t have to say anything for Yoongi to know that at this point. It still made Yoongi’s smile grow just a bit warmer. Jimin knew that he liked to hear those words, that affirmation, and Jimin was more than happy enough to give him at least that.

“I love you too,” he would murmur back, his voice just loud enough that Jimin could hear it.

Jimin loved these interactions just a little too much. Not only because of the way they made his heart skip a beat or because of the small little smile that Yoongi would hide with a cough and the back of his hand, but because when they had those moments, they were only for the two of them.

No one else ever noticed the small interactions and made fun of them or anything. They would instead just be little secrets for Jimin and Yoongi to share amongst themselves.

But, anyways, on days like these, when Yoongi was busy with homework, and Jimin had finished all of his he was extremely difficult to handle. Even he knew that was true.

In the past he had been described as clingy, and he knew that some people found it to be a little annoying. He used to try and keep the feelings to himself, but Yoongi always told him to be himself, so recently he had decided to lean right into it.

… Quite literally.

His body was splayed across Yoongi’s lap, his arms crossed to prop his head up on the armrest. He was humming softly to himself, nothing important as he played distractedly with his fingers and Yoongi was using his back as a place to set his homework.

They were in Jimin’s dorm, as per usual and pretty much everyone was around. Well, except for Moonbyul. She had been busy this week with other obligations and so she was there instead of here.

It felt kind of like it had when they had all first got back to school. Just a bunch of boys, doing homework, and having a good time. In-between more homework of course.

Jin got up from his desk and sighed a bit loudly. Jimin turned his attention to the taller boy and watched as he walked over to Yoongi, setting his hand on his head. Yoongi grunted at the action, his face drawing together tighter in frustration at having been bothered.

“What?” He mumbled. Jin’s lips drew into a small pout.

“I’m hungry,” he replied. Yoongi rolled his eyes, his gaze falling on Jimin’s. Jimin smiled up at him and it made Yoongi smile a little too. He felt Yoongi’s body relax and he closed the textbooks he had out, tapping Jimin’s back, once, twice, and three times. Jimin was quick to sit up, letting Yoongi wrap his arms around his waist loosely while Jimin buried his face in his chest.

He wasn’t sure if he was tired, or bored or all of the above, but he wanted nothing more then to be as close to Yoongi as possible. Yoongi could kind of just sense when Jimin was being clingy.

Of course, he shouldn’t be surprised by that. Yoongi was always really good at being there for him, he always knew when something was up.

“You should go get something to eat then,” Yoongi murmured, his voice unwavering. Jimin couldn’t help but snort at the deadpan reaction, and he laughed even more when he felt Yoongi lurch a little- knowing that Jin had hit him lightly on the head.

Yoongi shushed Jimin’s laugher by burying a hand in his hair.

It seemed like the two were going to go back and forth more- but before either could put in a word, there was another loud exhale from across the room. Jimin jolted at the noise, looking across the room at the source of the sudden sound.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to find that it was from Taehyung. He raised a tentative eyebrow at him and watched as his friend threw his papers on the floor, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

“I’m so done with this!” Taehyung exclaimed dramatically. “School is too much, if I have to look at one more math problem, I think I’m going to die.”

No one responded. Not because they hadn’t heard him or anything but just because they all knew he wasn’t really done. They all knew he had more to declare, and they were just waiting for him to finish his statement.

He didn’t until he had shifted his body a little bit, giving himself a much more dramatic pose.

“We have to do something to unwind. We should all go to the amusement park!” He exclaimed. They all stared at him.

“What?”

Namjoon was the first to speak, looking up from the thesis that he was already starting to write. That was his mistake. Taehyung stood up and pointed at Namjoon.

“Amusement. Park. We are all going,” he grunted. “School is too hard for us to not all let loose sometimes you know?”

Everyone continued their blank stare at Taehyung, which made Jimin feel the need to speak. He knew that Taehyung was frustrated because his parents had forced him to study all break, not allowing him a single chance to unwind, but that still didn’t keep Jimin from feeling the need to poke a little fun at him.

“You do know that school just started right? We haven’t even had midterms yet,” he stated pointedly. Taehyung cut Jimin a glare.

“So, you’re telling me you don’t want to go to the amusement park?” He asked Jimin. Jimin’s nose scrunched.

“Well, actually-”

Taehyung sighed.

“I hate you guys,” he mumbled. “Jin. Funnel cakes, Jimin, date night opportunities, Namjoon, physics. Jungkook will have a blast on the roller coaster, Hoseok is creepy good at those fair games. It’ll be fun.”

Hoseok jolted at the mention of his name, and Jimin noticed him shrug offhandedly at that.

“It will be fun,” he agreed. “What do we say we buy tickets to go this weekend?”

Namjoon’s papers shifted as he dug around for his calendar. Jimin thought it was funny- how a guy that smart had to write down everything in his calendar or else he would forget to get certain things done. He was in most people’s words a mess.

But Jimin kind of envied him anyways.

“I’m free.”

“If Namjoon’s free, everyone is,” Jin commented softly. He patted Yoongi on the head again, making Jimin gaze up at his boyfriend curiously. He was surprised to find that Yoongi’s eyes were on him, not on any of the other guys. Jimin’s cheeks flushed red and he swung his legs off of Yoongi.

“Time to go home?” He asked him. Yoongi nodded.

“If we’re going to be going to the amusement park, then I have a lot that I am going to need to get done between then and now,” he mumbled. He got to his feet and wandered over to the door, beginning to slide his shoes on. Jimin got up too, brushing his jeans off. He smiled at Taehyung.

“We’re in too,” he murmured softly. He pulled a coat off of the back of his computer chair and kicked on a pair of his own shoes. “I’m going to walk with Yoongi okay?”

Yoongi smiled at Jimin’s words, waiting until he was close enough to draw him in against him, draping his arm over his shoulders. He beamed at the rest of their friends.

“Don’t wait up. I might keep him out all night.”

Everyone rolled their eyes at that. As if Yoongi would let Jimin be out past ten on a school night. He wasn’t himself if he wasn’t insisting that Jimin take better care of himself. Jimin could almost swear that since he started dating Yoongi he hadn’t been healthier in his life. Yoongi had him walking thirty minutes every night, going to sleep early, and eating breakfast every single day.

In the past he would have scoffed at the concept, but alas, it was now his reality.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You sure you have time this weekend? Don’t you have a test this Monday?” Jimin asked Yoongi softly. He just shrugged.

“I have all Sunday to study for that test. I think I can manage to spend a day out with you guys,” he stated thoughtfully. Jimin hummed and glanced at Yoongi’s things, his eyebrows furrowing.

“You’ve been carrying your backpack around all day,” he murmured. “Let me carry it for a while.”

He took the backpack off of Yoongi’s back before he could protest it and stuck his tongue out at the older guy when he gave him a strained expression at the action.

“You’re too much Park Jimin,” Yoongi said with a thoughtful sigh. Jimin laughed at Yoongi’s words.

“Yeah, but you know that you prefer it that way,” he murmured back. He hooked his fingers on the straps of Yoongi’s backpack and lofted it a bit higher on his shoulders. He winced at the weight of it all. “What do you carry in here? Bricks?”

Yoongi rolled his eyes.

“I have a lot of textbooks- you know that.”

Jimin did know that. He honestly didn’t really know how Yoongi was able to find so much time for him when he was taking 18 entire credits of classes. He never seemed stressed or worn out, even though he practically had a quiz a day, and ten pages of homework every night.

The only person that Jimin had seen to be busier was probably Namjoon, and that was just because Namjoon had decided to join every club ever along with his 16 credits of classes.

It kind of made him wonder… After all, Jimin knew how classes worked nowadays. They started off easy and as the classes went on Yoongi would get busy and need to study and go to office hours and Jimin knew- just knew that he wouldn’t really get to see him in the later months.

He-

“Don’t worry too much,” Yoongi mumbled, interrupting Jimin’s rapid fire of thoughts before they could get too out of control. He placed his hand on Jimin’s head and ruffled his hair. “I will always find time for you; I promise you that much.”

Jimin tried not to smile at the sappy statement, and he considered denying that he had been thinking that exact thing, but he knew that there was no point in it, so he just fell silent, letting his fingers reach blindly beside them until the cool air was replaced by Yoongi’s warm hand against his.

“Sometimes I feel like… I just don’t deserve you,” Jimin thought aloud. Yoongi glanced at him, but there wasn’t a trace of surprise littered over his face.

“You’re stuck with me either way,” he replied confidently. Jimin smiled and squeezed Yoongi’s hand.

“I know,” he murmured. Yoongi squeezed Jimin’s hand back and let their shoulders bump as they walked.

“Well, what do you want to do at the amusement park this weekend?”

Jimin couldn’t help but smile at that. He knew that Yoongi really only brought it up as a way to distract Jimin from his own thoughts, but he appreciated it either way. He liked spending time with Yoongi. He liked talking with Yoongi, and he couldn’t wait for the amusement park this weekend either way.

“I can’t in words tell you how much fun it’s going to be. First we have to…”

[urdbell18]

Madamspellman Teacher AU Chapter 4: The One With Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

A/N: Yay a new chapter. And yes I did make a Wizard of Oz referance. Don’t judge me. Don’t know if I mentioned this or not but I also posted this story on AO3.

Teaching was an up and down battle for Zelda. It became apparent by the results of the practice test that her French 3 class was nowhere near where Zelda wanted them to be. She spent Sunday rewriting her lessons to accommodate what her student’s weren’t taught the previous year. However, she did not slack on the expectations of her students. She spoke very little english in her lessons and she expected the same in return. There was no point in teaching a new language if you didn’t use it. She could tell that her students were a bit frustrated, but their results showed improvement. Zelda saw the pride on their faces when they read her notes in their journals underneath the daily warm up. She was even harder on her second period Russian, third period Italian, and sixth period Chinese. She made it clear on day one that her class was not going to be easy. Everyday she went over something new and some of it she expected her students to study on their own. By the end of the week she got notice that three of her students have dropped out, but she expected that reaction. Students at Baxter High were encouraged to take Spanish or French, enrollment from level 1 to level 2 was automatic. All students had to do was earn a ‘D’ average and they moved on. Italian, Russian, and Chinese weren’t even counted as Language Arts credits. They were electives that students could take to boost their GPAs, and there were much easier classes offered other than hers. It was insulting really, Zelda put in a lot of hard work to get to where she was, and her expectations were exactly the same as her own teachers had of her.

Hence why she started to ignore Seth Grinwis and his friends. It was clear that they did not come to her class to learn. They sat at their desks not taking out a single pen or book, and never turned in homework or a journal. At least she curved their disruptive behavior after kicking them out of her class three days in a row. They came in on Thursday looking thoroughly cold but they stayed silent. It was better than nothing. On the flip side, the students who did come to learn were making great strides. On Friday, Zelda had them start reading out loud from sections of the textbook to test both their pronunciation and comprehension.

And while her classes were going relatively well, there was one major problem that Zelda couldn’t figure out how to solve. On Wednesday, she came to the sudden realization that she still hadn’t bought the tickets for the zoo like she promised. She spent her lunch on hold with the box office only to find out that the zoo was closed to the public until spring. Zelda sat in her office, trying to control her breathing. She could feel her anger bubbling to the surface, not that she could do anything with it. She was at work and she didn’t want to get fired over her yelling at an automatic phone message. She took her anger out on the one thing she could, her phone. She slammed it down on her desk, it slid and hit the corner of the trash can before falling to the floor.

“Now I believe that’s a form of technological abuse.”

“Hello Mary.”

“Zelda.” Mary entered her office stopping only to pick up Zelda’s phone from the floor. She handed it back to Zelda, it now sported some new cracks in the left corner. “Here you go. Now, tell me what happened?” Mary perched herself on the edge of Zelda’s desk. She crossed her legs at the knee, causing the black pencil skirt she wore to ride up, it showed off her long legs.

“I promised Vida that I take her to the zoo. They’re closed as of last week. And I-”

“Let me guess. You were going to take her but Hawthorne happened.”

“I don’t know what I am going to do.” Mary tilted her head and hummed. Zelda couldn’t tell what Mary was doing exactly but it sort of looked like thinking.

“You are going to leave it all to me.” Zelda quirked an eyebrow at Mary’s smirk but the bell rang, ending lunch. Somehow, she wasn’t even sure how, she was able to put on a brave face and continue teaching. When the last of her students left for the day she started cleaning and prepping her blackboards for the next day. The scent of diluted vinegar and chalk kept her grounded. She never fully let go of her anger from lunch, she was good at hiding her feelings.

“Knock knock.” Zelda looked up from her notes for her second period Russian class to see Mary leaning against the doorway.

“Mary.”

“Come now Zelda have a little bit of humor. When someone says ‘knock knock’ you’re supposed to say who’s there.”

“Is there something I can help you with Ms. Wardwell?”

“Now, there’s no need to be mean. Especially since I fixed your little zoo problem.”

“You what?”

“I called a person who knows a person and they arrange admittance for you and Vida this Sunday.”

“Oh my god Mary I…” Zelda didn’t know what came over her but before she knew it she was hugging Mary. Mary gave a quick gasp of surprise but didn’t stiffen in discomfort. It only lasted a minute before Zelda grabbed hold of herself and released Mary. “You didn’t need to do that Mary. I don’t… I don’t even know how to repay you.”

“Well one, you can stop thanking me, it’s unnecessary. Second, say ‘hi’ to Stolas for me.” Zelda’s eyebrows scrunched together but before she could ask, Mary winked at her and left.

Vida was beyond excited when Zelda told her after dinner. She was never a hyperactive child, but that night she wouldn’t settle down even as Zelda tucked her into bed. She was still awake when Zelda came out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed in her nightgown.

“Vida you need to go to sleep. You have school tomorrow.”

“I know but I’m so excited!” Zelda smiled as Vida squealed, clutching Oso close to her chest. Zelda sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed, her daughter scooted closer to her.

“We have to thank Mary for getting us the tickets then.” Vida nodded, ringlets brushing over her pillow. Zelda didn’t tell her daughter the whole truth, mainly about the zoo being close. She told Vida that she couldn’t get the tickets because of work and Mary offered to get them for her. Vida’s face turned bright and she started stuttering over her words. “Vida calm down and think for a minute.” Vida stopped and took a deep breath. “Okay now tell Mommy what’s going on in your head.”

“I want Mary to come with! Can you ask her?”

“Baby, I don’t think Mary will be interested in going to the zoo. She might have plans.”

“But how do you know unless you ask?”

“That’s a good point. Okay, I’ll ask but you have to go to sleep.”

“Okay! Goodnight Mommy.”

“Goodnight baby.” Zelda hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek. Vida finally settled down in her blankets, moving to her side to curl around Oso. She was finally asleep when Zelda came back from downstairs. Zelda gave her one last kiss before going to bed.

Zelda didn’t ask Mary until Friday.

There was no reason other than Zelda didn’t know how to go about asking Mary to join them. At first Zelda was hesitant to ask at all. She promised just to get Vida to sleep, but now her daughter expected an answer. Zelda could lie and say Mary said no and was busy with adult things, but every time she thought of it, Vida’s hurt face flashed in her mind. If anything Vida deserved an honest answer. And what in god names made Mary Wardwell so special? Before her very eyes Mary Wardwell was slowly winning over her entire family, and Zelda didn’t know how or why. It started first with Sabrina, and now with Vida, it had gotten to the point that even Hilda commented on how lovely Ms. Wardwell was. It was strange the way they were all so captivated by the woman, and Zelda would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the slightest twinge of jealousy. But she was equally captivated, and even if she wasn’t Zelda would do anything for her daughter, which was why she found herself knocking on the door frame of Ms. Wardwell’s office.

“Zelda, what a surprise.” In a way it was, this was the first time Zelda had proactively seeked out Ms. Wardwell rather than vice versa. Mary usually came to her, coming and going like a gust of wind.

Mary’s office had an old vintage scholar vibe to it with tall arched bookcases stuffed with books and small pieces of artwork in neat square frames. Mary was sitting in a round curved back wooden chair with her long legs crossed on her desk. Zelda found it unlady like.

“Vida has asked if you would like to join us at the zoo this Sunday, as a thank you for getting us in.”

“Well that’s an invitation I can’t refuse.” There was something about Ms. Wardwell’s tone that Zelda she didn’t like. It was almost similar to the way that Mary would talk about Hawthorne.

“I don’t quite care for your tone Ms. Wardwell.”

“That makes two of us Ms. Spellman.” Zelda fought her reaction to gasp. Instead she spun on her heel and left.

By lunch, Zelda’s anger had subsided and it dawned on her what she had done. She took her anger out on Ms. Wardwell for no reason other than to satisfy her uneasiness towards the woman. The realization made her sick, and Hilda’s tuna salad wasn’t helping. It went straight to the trash. The right thing to do was to apologize, but for what? ‘Sorry I was a bitch to you because I can’t stand the thought of someone else winning over my family?’ Zelda would rather die than admit that. She couldn’t think of anything else to say and she didn’t see Ms. Wardwell the rest of day. Which led to her next dilemma, what was she going to tell Vida? She had just turned the woman away and essentially withdrawn the invitation. There was no way Mary would join them after what she had done, how she had acted.

Zelda ended up telling Vida that Mary couldn’t go, and her daughter wasn’t happy, she jutted her lip out in a pout that only lasted a minute. What Zelda would never admit to her daughter was that her own actions were the reason Mary wasn’t coming. Regardless, the next day Vida woke up excited, wanting to run out the door still in her pjs.

It was a long drive to the zoo, which was in the next town over. Riverdale was bigger than Greendale by a few thousand people and a whole business district, where Greendale was mostly woods and farmland. It was thirty minutes out, forty with the traffic, but it was worth it when they arrived. Zelda had to let go of Vida’s hand because while her daughter wasn’t very strong, her shoulder was starting to hurt from all the tugging this early on. When they reached the gates, it dawned on Zelda that she didn’t know how they were going to get in. Mary used her connections to get them in when it was closed to the public, and Zelda was reminded again that she had bit her head off for no good reason just two days prior. She didn’t have the luxury to panic this time, her daughter was with her, and currently fascinated with a large sign with penguins on it. Vida counted on her, but that didn’t change the fact she had no idea what to do to get them inside.

The sound of Vida squealing snapped Zelda’s attention back to her daughter, her heart stopped for a moment thinking something was wrong. It only lasted for a moment because Vida was perfectly fine, she was laughing as Mary tickled her from behind.

“You came.” It came out in a gasp, but that was all Zelda could manage. Mary turned away from Vida to look at Zelda, who’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Why?”

“Because I was given an invitation that I couldn’t refuse.” Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but came up with nothing. She didn’t know what, but she felt like she should say something, anything.Vida was growing impatient, jumping up and down, it was clear she wanted to start seeing the animals. Zelda followed as Mary grabbed Vida's other hand, and led them into the zoo.

They took a break at a quarter to two, and by then Zelda was exhausted. There wasn’t anything Vida didn’t want to see, so they saw everything. The lions den, the reptile house, the monkey exhibit, they did it all. And by the time they made it through the African wing of the zoo, Zelda was desperate for just a five minute rest. Near the picnic areas was a lake with dispensers of bread crumbs for the ducks and birds. Zelda gave her daughter some loose change from the bottom of her purse, and Vida was content with throwing crumbs at the ducks while Zelda rested at a picnic table. Mary came back from the vending machine with a bag of chips and two bottles of water. She then sat on one corner of the table with her feet on the bench, while Zelda sat on the other with her back facing the table so she could keep an eye on Vida. They hadn’t said a word to teach other since early that morning, most of the conversation since then was dictated by Vida, which was fine. But now they were by themselves, their buffer was happily running around while the ducks followed her.

“Pretzel?” Zelda raised an eyebrow towards Mary who was looking straight ahead, her left arm outstretched to her. In Mary’s hand was the bag of pretzels.

“No, thank you.” Mary just shrugged and took back the bag. It was then that Zelda noted one of the bottles of water that Mary came back with was closer to her on the table. Zelda looked at the water bottle, almost hesitant to take it, but her throat felt dry and the cool water was exactly what she needed. It went back to being quiet, other than the quacking of ducks and the rustle of leaves. Zelda sat there with the water bottle in her hands, not knowing what to say or if she should say anything at all. “I’m sorry.” It was out before she could stop herself, but once it was out she oddly didn’t regret it. “I’m sorry for the way I acted on Friday. I don’t know why I did that. ”

“To be honest I almost wasn’t going to come. I was confused after Friday, worried I did something wrong, but you said Vida wanted me to come. So here I am.”

Zelda accepted that. She knew when she was in the wrong and it was wrong what she did to Mary. “I’m glad you came.” She turned and gave Mary a quick smile before Vida came back, out of breadcrumbs as the ducks had moved on. With a seemingly satisfied smile, Mary got up from the table to continue their tour of the zoo, and Zelda couldn’t help but follow.

The trio left the zoo at sunset.

There wasn’t much left when they continued on from their break. There was the penguins, the big cats, and the bears. They couldn’t leave until they visited all the bears, as they were Vida’s favorite. There was a grizzly bear exhibit that according to the plaque housed bears recovering from injury before they were released back into the wild. There was a large polar bear habitat with high plexiglass walls including an above ground tunnel that was similar to the underground one with the penguins. The bears were the best part, because Vida always loved them. Oso was her first foreign word, and her second full word right after momma. Vida went around the habitats  repeating oso and watching the bears like they were the greatest things in the world.

The last thing they did that day was visit the bird sanctuary. Throughout the day Mary kept telling Vida that they should save that for last. She never said why, and the other habitats only served as minor distractions until they reached the last leg of the zoo. The bird habitats were large cage enclosures with large trees and not much else. Except for the flamingos, their enclosure was all water with large sitting rocks and large bush-like plants. Mary led them further into the sanctuary until they reached an opening that was surrounded by one caged enclosure that housed several big red macaw parrots and another a single raven. The raven started cawing loudly and batting its wings against the cage as they approached. A little intimidated by the raven’s behavior, Vida hid behind Zelda. Zelda placed a reassuring hand on top of her daughters head.

“This is Stolas.” Producing a key from her pocket, Mary unlocked a small door and Stolas perched himself on her offered hand. “I found him when he was a young bird  with an injured wing. When I took him to the vet the next day, it was explained that he ‘imprinted’ on me, which meant he couldn’t be released into the wild. They arranged for him to stay here, so I come to see him every once in a while. Do you want to meet him?” While Mary kept her distance, she kneeled down so that Vida could get a closer look, but Vida hid further behind Zelda. There was no use in pushing Vida, so she placed Stolas back in his cage. He didn’t want to go but she threw a quarter and he flew right for it. “Silly thing will only listen for shiny objects like quarters.”

On their way out, Vida whined to be picked up and Zelda recognized how worn out her daughter was. Vida was indeed tired, and fell asleep not long after Zelda picked her up. Mary walked with them all the way to Zelda’s car.

“Is Stolas how you got us in?” Mary hummed, but she had a slight smirk to her lips. Zelda took that as a yes. “I think I owe him a quarter.”

“Please don’t. His keeper says the guests over indulge him. They do a deep cleaning of his enclosure every few months and at one time they found $50 in coins.” Zelda chuckled and after some juggling she managed to get Vida into her car seat.

“I can’t believe the raven got $50 in quarters.”

“They don’t always give him quarters. Sometimes it’s nickels or soda can tabs. I think one time I gave him an eraser holder from a pencil, he bit my hand the next time I saw him.” The parking lights above them went on, catching their attention. For the first time Zelda realized how late it really was. “I should get going.”

“Mary, wait.” Mary had made it three feet before turning back to face Zelda . “I wanted to apologize again, and thank you for getting us in today.”

“You already apologized Zelda and it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, I like spending time with you and Vida.” As soon as Mary said it a blush grew on her face, and she looked away, embarrassed. Zelda wasn’t aware before of how fond Mary was of them.

“How would you feel about getting dinner, later this week?”

“Just the two of us?” Mary looked up at Zelda now, a hopeful gleam in her eye.

“It can be.”

“I’d love to, how does Friday sound?”

“Friday sounds great.”

“Okay then.” Mary closed the distance between them, stepping squarely in front of Zelda who was leaning against the passengers side of her car. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Zelda.” And then Mary did something that Zelda wasn’t expecting, she kissed her. It was a small kiss on the cheek, quick and straight to the point, but it was still a kiss. Mary left quickly, as quick as she had kissed her. She said nothing as she pulled away, a blush growing on her face. Zelda didn’t see Mary’s car, but she heard an engine come to life in the distance. That left Zelda in the orange glow of the street lights, trying to fully comprehend what had happened. It consumed Zelda’s thoughts on the drive home. What did it mean? Mary has admitted she enjoyed spending time with her and Vida, and she had said yes to a date. That had to mean she was interested. It was too much to think about after the exhausting day she had. She was tired when she got home and wasted no time getting herself and her daughter ready for bed. When Zelda looked at her reflection in the mirror from where she was removing her makeup, there was a faint lipstick print on her cheek. She scrubbed it away but it did confirm to her that at least she hadn’t imagined it. It was real, today had happened and Mary had kissed her. But that left questions, ones Zelda knew she would be pondering until Friday. What now, what was next, and how could she possibly be ready for it?

[lafeae]

Prompt: Broken Nose

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!

Characters: Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya/Joey Wheeler

For: @badthingshappenbingo

Read on AO3 | Chapter 1

When Jounouchi got home after the sunset, the laundry wasn’t done. A single light made it cast a long shadow in the living room, still laying in the middle of the floor where he left it.

Sighing, he began to pick up the pieces of the bowl still scattered in the doorway, and wondered briefly if he should try and patch the hole in the wall. Why bother. The place was old and moth eaten anyways.

The apartment was still and quiet, save for the hum of the neighbour’s window air conditioner. He could almost imagine it being cool as he peeled his work uniform from his skin and laid down on the futon.

“Shoulda bought the fan...”he murmured, but at least his stomach was full. The food won him over. Besides, it was hard to concentrate on anything: the heat, his stomach, sleep, or the blank period of time he spent lying in bed thumbing through textbooks and cramming for exams he was fairly confident he wasn’t going to pass. That was just the nature of his operation; he was better suited for a factory job, or being a professional Magic and Wizards player.

Not even that daydream could escape the fact that Kaiba was on the brain. Specifically, how to talk to Kaiba, other than their annoying passing remarks. They sat next to each other—they didn’t have to pass notes.

Where the hell did he start?

‘Oi, Kaiba, your dad as messed up as mine?’ No, too forward.

‘So, guess workin’ guys got to stick together!’ Yeah right.

Maybe something a little less focused. Just a ‘hey’ and a ‘what’s up’.

All too informal for moneybags, but all they had to bond over was the shirt and their shared forbidden zone. Not really typical, or light, topics of conversation.

He dozed off mid-muse, with Kaiba heavy on the brain.

—

For once, Jounouchi slipped into class just on time, nodding and waving to Honda and Yuugi as he sat down.

He laid out his book and pen knowing full well his face would be in its spine before long. Before he had the chance, Kaiba remarked:

“You do know what time class starts.”

“Miracles happen.”

“Hn.”

There was brief moment that Jounouchi thought that he and the prick—was he really a prick anymore?—could have a dialogue. It was easy if Kaiba started it, too, because Jounouchi could never tell when Kaiba was willing to talk, even if he was being hateful or quippy. The man had the emotional range of a hard boiled egg, and the boredom in his eyes showed. For being a good student, Jounouchi highly suspected that absolutely nothing was being learned, given how Kaiba rarely turned the pages or wrote things down. The brief moment was lost as soon as it started.

“So uh, what’s the detergent you used on the shirt?”

Kaiba side-eyed him and sneered. Yeah, that was a glorious way to start a conversation.

Getting Kaiba to talk probably wasn’t going to happen.

That didn’t stop Jounouchi. He was nothing if not persistent and hard-headed. He figured as long as Kaiba didn’t deny him outright, or make threats, all conversations were fair game. The executive had invited him back to estate, even if it was just to deliver laundry which he swore he would do. He would have to.

His efforts were usually between classes, waiting for the next teacher to arrive, and while they were small, he found that asking less specific questions garnered more responses. Nothing too cerebral.

“So why ya bring your laptop everyday?”

“Work.”

“Well, yeah. But whatcha gettin’ done at lunch that can’t wait like, three hours?”

“International companies don’t sleep,” Kaiba explained. Jounouchi’s mouth formed an ‘o’, and he nodded in semi-understanding, though he was almost more grateful that Kaiba replied at all. Somewhere in the back of his head he thought it was because, maybe, they were talking about Kaiba. A selfish topic for a selfish teenager. But for this experiment, he knew he couldn’t think that way. The clean shirt he had tucked into his trousers said Kaiba was capable of altruism somewhere, under the right circumstances.

“Do you sleep?” Jounouchi asked.

“Enough.”

“Yeah, me too,” Jounouchi replied, laughing nervously. When Kaiba looked his way, he rubbed the back of his neck and ruffled his hair. “Sometimes I get off at like, I dunno, 9 or 10. Which isn’t bad. Ride home’s like a half-hour, but then Wakuba-sensai always gives us long lit essays an’ I jus’,” he let his lips loosely flap, imitating snoring while still chuckling to himself. His knees were knocking together between the desk, only stopped by one foot stepping on top of the other. “Ya know?”

“No.”

Kaiba was staring again. Not just Kaiba, but the range of other students a that encircled them. The classroom had gone deathly quiet, and Jounouchi flattened against his desk.

“The hell ya all starin’ at!” Jounouchi shouted.

They turned away. Kaiba was back to leaning on his fist and looking bored to his notebook, but Jounouchi was sure he caught a quick glance and small smile.

—

It was wash, rinse, repeat for five days. All of Jounouchi’s attempts between class were small. Simple conversation on sometimes ridiculous topics, because there was something fascinating about Kaiba’s face screwing in confusion.

Kaiba had a face full of childish wonder. When he wasn’t brooding or bored or focused, he retained an innocent look; wide eyes, long cheeks in his quickly hidden slackjaw, and a cute (Jounouchi couldn’t find a better word) nose that would turn red as he tried to decipher what gibberish Jounouchi had spouted.

For the life of him, Jounouchi couldn’t decide what he was doing that was any different from Yuugi’s attempts at befriending Kaiba. Maybe because he wasn’t so much befriending Kaiba as much as he was being curious. It wasn’t like Kaiba was always open. Most questions were shot down with acerbic comments or flat-out ignored; it just took the right ones, the off-guard ones, that by no means said Jounouchi was really interested in friendship, because he wasn’t. He was more or less interested in cracking the Kaiba Seto code. Friendship, whatever that meant to Kaiba, would have been accidental by-product and probably unspoken or denied.

Which meant it was easier not to get his friends involved.

Yuugi would have been gung-ho to allow Kaiba into their group at lunch, which Jounouchi had considered plenty of times as he stumbled to his seat. But it wasn’t really Yuugi. It was Anzu and her little comments of being “creeped out” by Kaiba’s stares at Jounouchi, or Honda’s egging to just go up to Kaiba and do something about the intimidating stares, or Ryou’s comments muttered into his thighs.

Still, he considered it every day.

“Yo, moneybags,” he called as he walked up, carefully moving around other students. Kaiba’s head raised an inch. Jounouchi swallowed hard and his guts clenched. Instead of words, he nodded towards their table.

Before he could get a response, someone barrelled full force into him, knocking his tray up into his chest and spilling food down the front of his shirt. He froze, with the entire lunchroom staring at him as he shivered.

“Oh Jou-kun, jeez, I’m sorry...I...”

Jounouchi’s eyes squeezed closed. “Nah, man, it’s a’right.”

It was more about what the food cost, Jounouchi thought for a second. It wasn’t often he actually bought his lunch. Today, he had felt like he earned it after having the pleasure of cleaning up the Old Man’s mess and had cut his palm open on a liquor bottle fragment. But no, it wasn’t really that. It was that Kaiba had seen it and promptly left.

—

The shirt was ruined. Not that most of his clothes weren’t for not having been washed for close to two weeks.

When he dressed out for gym he was thankful it wasn’t Kaiba’s shirt. He’d changed out of that after the third day, when the bath soap smell went away. It was the shirt that Kaiba had washed for him. Now, it unfortunately smelt like some teriyaki mess crossed with the lilac-lavender.

Gym was probably the only time he and Kaiba didn’t talk. They were too busy jabbing at each other over tennis, even when they weren’t playing one another.

The coach was merciful and had them rotate partners, though he and Kaiba always seemed to face each other at least once, which meant that he was sweat-soaked and frustrated from chasing the ball.

“Go on, mutt, it’s natural instinct!”

“Piss off, ya ain’t funny,” he chuckled.

But Kaiba laughed full-belly. Not quite as maniacal as in the past, but Jounouchi was sure he could have lobbed the ball into Kaiba’s mouth if he tried hard enough.

There definitely wasn’t much friendship going on between them. It was more like a symbiosis of misery over some weird, backwards empathy or sympathy, he still hadn’t decided which yet. Jounouchi was a chew toy that bit back, and it was kind of fun in the weirdest way possible. Weird for the weirdo, who would have thought?

Jounouchi liked hearing Kaiba laugh, though. It was passionate and raw. A small side of his strange dual personality. A part that was hidden like the innocent confusion.

Maybe Jounouchi was being soft. When Kaiba arched his back and legs to serve, he did look at Kaiba’s abdomen. Milky white, taut, swirling around a small belly-button with just a small touch of hair where his short would slip down at the arc of the serve. It almost made his taunting worth it every time Jounouchi missed, and the ball hit the back wall.

But he wasn’t as interested on Friday. Drove down by the oppressive heat, the lack of sleep, and the pain in his palm every time his racket made contact with the ball. He was tired and ready to leave.

Spending a few useless hours at Yuugi’s going over flash cards and mock exams while they nibbled on snacks sounded appealing. Very appealing. More appealing than getting a few seconds to stare at Kaiba’s washboard abs and sweat-flushed cheeks, but mainly because they would eventually ended up playing a video-game. Yeah, that sounded nice.

Jounouchi snorted and hit the ball. It had become a little easier to lob the ball back, even if Kaiba served it ninety miles an hour on a backspin. He’d learned enough pattern to slide into the hit.

“I didn’t think old dogs learned new tricks,” Kaiba quipped.

“Surprise, surprise.”

“Might actually be a challenge.” The ball barrelled back at him. “Not.”

“I’ve had some practice.”

“Oh? On who?” Kaiba asked.

A heavy grunt as Jounouchi hit it barely over the net. “Got a face in mind.”

Kaiba spiked the ball back. “Heh. I have a few guesses.”

There it was, that subtle empathy, that little look of curiosity coupled with a smirk that came off as condescending to others. Slowly, Jounouchi was beginning to deconstruct it.

Weakly, the ball hit the net before flopping back towards Jounouchi’s feet. He served it, loosely gripping his racket and sending the ball into the net. He wasn’t even keeping score. 45-0 probably. Or maybe they were on the next match. Kaiba told him but he wasn’t listening.

“Please, mutt, you’re wasting my time.”

“Now or always?”

Kaiba didn’t respond. Which was normal, because moneybag didn’t reply to a lot of things, but Jounouchi had figured out that his silences were their own communication. Words without words, and it hurt. ‘Yes’ would have hit him with so much less frustration.

The ball fired at him like a bullet, and Jounouchi double-handed the racket to hit it back.

This was an actual match. Back and forth, running until his lungs felt like they were bleeding and he was sure his palm actually was. Because fuck it, Kaiba was still a prick, a weirdo, an asshole who was pretty damn happy making sure people who just how much he didn’t like or need them for anything. They were obstacles, that was it.

Well, Jounouchi would be a damned obstacle.

He kept up with Kaiba until his arms and elbows ached. Maybe Kaiba would actually lighten the hell up if he was able to keep pace. That’s all he wanted. Whatever that casual, calm look he got when things were his way or in his favour, waving his magnanimousness around when it suited him.

The ball bounced out of bounds, and Jounouchi hung his head. He squeezed the semi-wet racket, not bothering to look if it was sweat or blood.

“What, you give up?”

“Zip it!”

Kaiba’s lip curled. He followed Jounouchi’s trek to the ball like the camera that had checked Jounouchi at the gate.

“When did it happen?” Kaiba asked, nodding towards the bloody racket handle.

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Jounouchi’s heart throbbed in frustration, and he bounced the ball several times while refusing to look at Kaiba drilling a hole in the side of his head. Now he wanted to ask? Whatever.

When he went to serve, he caught a strange, resigned look hooded in Kaiba’s eyes, but it was too late. All of his embarrassment, his annoyance, his frustration went into the contact of racket to ball.

It wasn’t Kaiba, he thought as the ball ripped through through air.

Kaiba was something to take his anger out on. Just like the kids he used to pummel. They were distractions, easy targets, prey. He’d loosened up with Yuugi, who sort of got it, who supported him but didn’t ask questions and let him stay over when things got a little too overwhelming.

If he thought for half a second, he knew Kaiba was just Kaiba. Doomed to be a prick; he was forged by his unmentioned, screwed up raise, same as Jounouchi. Two personalities walking parallel on the same path. And it made him so easy to target. To challenge. To be a mirror.

Right up until the tennis ball smashed him in the face.

Jounouchi didn’t know if Kaiba reacted or not. He only saw the racket slipping out of his hand and clattering on the ground, echoing across the gymnasium as the last of the tennis balls bounded to a stop. Not even a murmur, though every last eye was on them.

Kaiba gripped his face, and blood spackled the floor in fat, red drops that slipped between his fingers. He squatted down on curled his face close to his knees.

Shit.

Sprinting to Kaiba, Jounouchi knelt beside him and slung an arm over his shoulders. Gently, he urged Kaiba to pull his hands away to look at the damage. When he wouldn’t, Jounouchi tore of his gym shirt and offered it for cover, pressing it into Kaiba’s hands.

Kaiba gasped at the touch, and shoved Jounouchi to the floor while greedily pressing it to his cheeks. His eyes flicked to Jounouchi, pained and innocently confused, while he sucked in muffled, panted breaths and attempted to stand up.

“Kaib’ you—“

“Save it.”

Jounouchi stared at Kaiba’s knobby knees in a daze, a single blood drop trailing down his shin. The coach jogged over and began to guide Kaiba away.

“I’m sorry!” Jounouchi shouted. The room went still again. Even Kaiba stopped, half-turning to look back. “I’m sorry. Really, it was an accident, I didn’t mean t’ do it. It jus’...”

The shirt dropped long for Jounouchi to see the medley of colours blossoming across the now strange new angle of Kaiba’s nose, mostly covered in globs of blood and snot. There was never a hint of defeat in his face, but something indecipherable, something that stung Jounouchi’s heart as he jaw ticked and continued to walk away.

“Fuck...”

Jounouchi could forget figuring Kaiba out, or whatever the hell he was doing. None of this made any sense to begin with. It was just confusing, embarrassing, humiliating. What was he thinking?

Kaiba would kill him. No, not kill. That was too kind. Sue probably, though Kaiba’s pocket lint was probably worth more. Make an example out of. Shun, somehow worse than before. Which meant no more casual glances or creepy stares or magnanimous gestures.

Somehow, he’d managed to hurt the only person who he was honest and willing to share with, who he thought he might have been able to have a heart-to-heart with. Or more, whatever more was.

Love, probably.

Not that he knew a thing about it. Not that it mattered anymore. Better to fuck it up before it got too far and either of them fooled themselves in thinking there was actually something going on.

That didn’t make his heart hurt any less.

[jungflowers]

ocean waves // t w o (taekook au)

masterlist << || >>

genre: College! AU/ light angst

pairing: taekook/vkook

word count: 1,967

read it on AO3 here!

summary:  Taekook AU in which Taehyung, an aspiring writer and professional cynic, learns from the mysterious stranger outside his cafe window that life is more than letters on a page

A/N: technology hasn’t kicked my ass yet so here’s chapter 2! Comments and advice are very welcome. My message box is always open <3

“A picture paints a thousand words.” This had been one of the few assignments that Taehyung had truly been excited to work on. As soon as he had seen the words printed on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom, he knew exactly where he was going after class. His cherry wine derby shoes clattered against the clean marble flooring of the museum just a little way away from campus. He often came here in his free time, whenever he was suffering from writers block or even when he wasn’t. The art had a habit of comforting him, sort of like an old friend.

Although it was Tuesday, the middle of the week, the large building with its pristine white walls and intriguing architecture was still cluttered with people. Tourists and locals alike lined every hallways and gallery, cameras in hand, chattering and pointing at every statue and painting they could lay their eyes on. As he treaded through the crowds and corridors towards the gallery he was searching for, he crossed his fingers that the paintings he had had in mind wouldn’t be too occupied.

His prayers were answered when he found just a couple people admiring Van Gogh’s sunflowers. Even better, he found an empty bench just a few feet away from one of them that was perfect to write on. He examined every detail of the painting, admired every brush stroke of golden yellow and orange, every shade of light and dark until he could picture it perfectly in his head. Then, he pulled his red notebook out of his messenger bag and let his hand scribble down anything his mind had to offer.

Van Gogh had been one of his favorite artists for a long time, simply because of everything about him. Taehyung wasn’t a professional artist, but he could still appreciate the way he used every color and every line to create something that seemed better than reality itself. He loved how he had been able to channel his disappointment and hardships into something purely good. He loved how even though he had started down on his luck, he never stopped dreaming, and although it came after his death, he still got what he deserved in the end. His story might have been a little tragic, but it was still beautiful, and Taehyung saw that weaved into the pigment of every painting. He couldn’t remember how long he had been sitting there when an unfamiliar voice startled him from his trance.

“You look like you’ve escaped from one of the paintings,” the voice said.

He jumped, pulling up his head to look at the owner, only to be in more shock. In front of him stood a familiar pair of doe eyes, framed by the same large round glasses, dressed in a white t shirt, jeans, and camera in hand. He was so stricken by disbelief that he had almost forgotten that the boy was referring to him.

He looked down at his baby blue dress shirt tucked into his black jeans, beige trench-coat still cold from the bitter October air to verify the other boy’s statement. “Y-you’re too kind,” he mentally punched himself for stuttering.

The boy just smiled back, eyes phasing into half moons in amusement. “I got hired to work here through my university class, just pictures for the city bulletins and stuff. Could I maybe...” he lifted his camera in proposal.

It took Taehyung a moment to understand what he was asking, jumping in exclamation when he finally got it. “Oh! Oh, of course, yeah.”

He shifted in his seat, trying not to freak the hell out as the boy backed away onto one knee, adjusting the camera carefully before taking the picture. As he finished, standing, he nodded a small thanks and flashed a smile that felt like sunshine before walking to another painting. Taehyung looked at the sunflower field positioned behind his head, and then back to the notebook in his hand. He picked his pencil up once more, looked back at the painting, back at the notebook, and found that he had nothing to write. Maybe it was because his mind was still racing from what had happened just a few moments before, or maybe it was because somehow, he had felt the paintings around him change. For that moment in time, he couldn’t find a single trace of tragedy in them. There was something else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

The tinkling of a bell announced his entrance into the coffee shop once again at 10 am that Wednesday morning. Taehyung was still groggy from his morning calculus class, so much so that he even considered ordering actual coffee. However, no situation could ever make him crazy enough to stomach the bitter substance. Ironically, he absolutely lived for the smell of ground coffee beans that surrounded him whenever he entered. As he waited in the quickly growing line forming at the bright counter in the center of the store, he breathed in the sweet scent, letting it fill his chest. A large chalkboard painted on the wall behind the counter had every drink and pastry option imaginable scribbled in beautiful lettering, adorned with white Christmas lights even in broad daylight. The store itself was beautiful, but he still preferred the window seat view. It was better for his imagination. Unfortunately, as he peeked behind him at his usual location, the spot was already occupied as was most of the shop. Thankfully there was one table not too far from the counter that was completely unoccupied, and he prayed that it would stay that way until he was finished ordering.

When his turn finally came, he was greeted by a smiley barista who’s hair coincidentally reminded him of the color of coffee. “One vanilla chai, large with whipped cream?” The boy recited like a mantra.

“H-how-” Taehyung could barely form a response from his bewilderment.

“You come here everyday. Keep it up and you could get your order named after you,” he teased with a blinding white smile.

Taehyung giggled nervously back, claiming his seat at the table he had been eyeing just a few feet away. Instead of his laptop, he pulled out an economics textbook and a notebook filled with the most boring words he had ever dared to write. He had fallen asleep studying it the previous night, before he was able to finish the chapter they were taking an open book quiz on in less than one hour. He wasn’t too worried, though, since somehow economics was one of the few subjects that made some type of sense in his head.

“One chai tea!” The barista yelled louder than he had to, considering the distance. Taehyung got up from his seat and thanked him before sitting back down. “Hey, do I know you from somewhere?” The barista gave him an analyzing look that struck him as intimidating despite the boy’s smaller physique. “You look familiar.”

“Not that I know of..” he trailed off. The boy gave him one more scrutinizing look before nodding. Taehyung continued sipping his tea in confusion.

It wasn’t until an hour later that all hell broke loose.

He slid into his seat in the lecture hall and got out his notebook to go through his notes one more time when he realized something was horribly wrong. Not only was his notebook gone, but so was his entire laptop. The only things sitting pathetically in his bag were his textbook and a measly pencil case. He searched frantically around him in places that would have seemed ridiculous to look, wondering how he could have been so stupid. His weary, sleep deprived brain was filled with all sorts of confusion and frustration, drawing every blank imaginable when he tried to mentally retrace his steps. He was so panicked that he barely heard the person next to him.

“Can I borrow a pencil?” They said again.

“Oh, sorry, yeah.” He dug through his dumb pencil case and pulled out a sharp tipped wooden pencil, handing it to a familiar face. “Vanilla chai?” The barista chuckled in surprise.

“Long time no see,” Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh at the nickname. “Told you I recognized you from somewhere. Oh- by the way, you might need this.” And like an angel from above, the quirky mocha haired boy unzipped his backpack and handed him both his notebook and his laptop.

“Oh man, holy sh- thank you so much. I’ve been freaking out for the past 10 minutes trying to find this.”

“That’s usually what happens when you order tea at a coffee shop,” he teased.

“You didn't have to do that,” he said, examining his newly returned items in relief. “I mean, I'm really, really glad that you did, but I feel like I owe you."

“Don't worry. You gave me this pencil," he smiled shyly. "We’ll call it even.”

“You have a strange definition of even,” he pulled out a pencil of his own as the class got ready to begin.

“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen you look up from your desk in all the time we’ve had this class together. No wonder we’ve never met. What’s so interesting down here anyways?” He peered over his shoulder at Taehyung’s table, teasing him.

“I transferred here from Daegu this semester,” he chuckled. “I just don’t know anyone yet, I guess.”

“My name’s Jimin.” He held out his hand, introducing himself. So now you know me. And now you can stop walking to class alone and leaving your books everywhere. So now we’re even.”

A small smile bloomed on Taehyung’s lips as the professor stepped into the lecture hall. “Deal.” He replied. “Even it is.”

[silvergrimoire97]

Chapter 1

You open the door to the strong aroma of coffee. The smell jolts your brain into reality and you take out your gold Starbucks rewards card.

‘The usual Y/N?” Hoseok asks you’ve been coming here ever since Freshman year of college.

“Yep, today is the calm before the storm.”

“Which final has your panties in a twist?” he wiggles his eyebrows as he swipes your card.

“The MCAT, I need to get at least a 520 to get a good shot into Seoul National University med program, and I got a 518 on my last practice, so my mind is buzzing with frustration on those two problems.”

“Well saying that you're already going to SNU for a master I think you have a good shot.” He winks at you as you grab your cup of coffee.

Just before you leave a wall of hard muscle bumps into you.

“Whoa!” You steady your coffee before looking up at the person who has a firm grip on your arms.

“Watch where you’re going,” his low voice huffs.

“Sorry?” You reply with a slight bite in your tone before walking around him and out into the busy street. But before the door closes behind you, a faint call tells you to stop. You ignore it and continue walking to the bus stop.

You grab onto one of the dangling handles in the bus as you sip your coffee. You stare out the window, watching the busy streets go by in a blur as you head to university.

The bus comes to a slow stop and you hustle out with all the other students as you head to your 8 am class. As you walk towards the lecture hall someone slings their arm around your shoulders. You stumble a little but look to see it was Taetae.

“Who pissed in your cornflakes today?” he jokes.

Ah, your best friend since junior year of high school. Tae also wanted to be in the medical field, but his dream is to become a pediatric surgeon since he loves kids so much. You, on the other hand, have no patience for such things because they are mere burdens to take care of.

You raise an eyebrow at his question.

“Please, you had a resting bitch face on which only meant that in the two hours that it took for you to come here, something went wrong. So?”

He knew you like the back of his own hand and you always saw him as an older brother, you both tried kissing to see if things could get farther, but it was merely teen hormones messing with your friendship. As sexy and hot Taehyung was, both of you knew that your relationship was just a protective platonic older brother-sister relationship. So sometimes people thought you two were acting too cozy, but that’s only because you had no boundaries.

“I ran into a jerk leaving Starbucks and his rude attitude got on my nerves.” You explain before taking a sip of your coffee.

“Really? Could it be because you were too busy gazing after Hoseok that you weren’t looking where you were going?” He wiggles both of his eyebrows at you.

“Oh shut up, you know that I would never date Hoseokie, I just admire him from afar, like a celebrity crush. You know that they will never be with you, but you still love them to your heart’s content.” You look up to see him give you a pointed look. “Well besides that, the sheer annoyance in his voice just ticked me off, as if I stained his 200 dollar Gucci tie or something. By the way, I didn’t spill my coffee, so it was a win-win situation sort of.” You puff your chest at the last sentence because people usually spilled theirs, but you didn’t because surgeons have to have steady hands.

“My oh my, could this be a new love interest?” he swoons.

You sigh with longing as you stare up into Tae’s big chocolate brown eyes, how you wish they could be yours, but all the same, you didn’t because you couldn’t force anything.

“I love you,” you blurt out, to gauge any emotion from him.

Without missing a beat he responds with, “I love you too sis.” He smirks knowing that we both had no chance with each other. Some people would think that he’s gay, but he isn’t.  I just happen to be his long lost twin and we understand each other in an unspoken way.

“You know what if this rich guy is a secret gangster who makes his money off of killing people? I would be dating a murder and then you’ll never see me again.” I pout up at him.

“Well, it was nice knowing you Y/N.” He salutes as the two of you head into your premed course.

One lecture and three classes later…….

You and Taehyung head to the library and as you set up the little wall of books, Taehyung pulls out two bowls Jajangmyeon. The librarians would kill us if they found out that we bought food that can stain the precious pages of the books. You usually studied with Taehyung at the library because it was quieter and there was an actual sizable desk to spread out all your textbooks and notebooks.

You take out your pencil pouch along with your laptop to type up the notes rather than hand write them. You highlight in the textbook since you got a full ride scholarship to university having worked your ass off since elementary school spending everyday in the library reading anatomy books. Taehyung on the other hand printed out the entire textbook one night when he snuck into the teacher’s lounge and decided to use the free ink and paper. To make the story short, he came back with a gleam in his eyes and his cheeks were flushed from physical exertion.

You begin skimming over your lecture notes and working on the assignment and paper at hand while Taehyung looks like he’s texting Jimin to find out what time is the party' this weekend. Tae somehow managed to keep a 4.0 GPA while also getting slam dunk drunk every other Friday. How you don’t know, but you are somewhat envious of his hidden brain. Of course, you were smarter than him since those long hours crying in the library weren’t for nothing.

“The party starts at 10 so I’ll be gone from 10:30 till noon the next day, so while that is happening and I’m getting laid, go call that Yoongi guy up and go out on a date with him,” Tae says over a mouthful of noodles.

“How about no because we have a quiz coming up and that quiz also has bonus points on it so it won’t hurt to study a little.” You remind him as you highlight a section that was a little confusing.

“Or maybe you can quit your dry spell and have some fun in your life since being a doctor also means to have creativity. You gotta think outside the of the box when you’re faced with a challenging case.” Tae says as he sketches out the surgery that you had trouble remembering.

He was always a visual learner and it helped since he drew badass diagrams for you to help study with. While he drew you filled in the picture with words, which made you two the ideal study buddies.

You and Taehyung spend the rest of the night studying at the library and finally leave when the librarians kick you two out. You slide into Tae’s car and the smell of coke and popcorn greets you. Tae’s parents are well off, but to an extent Tae survives off of his allowance. Not needing to work a single day in his life. Well he did become a lifeguard with you because he wanted to show off his body and get a good tan, plus him being the perv that he is, there were people in bikinis all the time at the pool, so there was that reason too.

Tae drives his matte black Porsche back to your luxury studio apartment that Taehyung’s parent spay for. You’re like the daughter they never had, so you don’t feel that guilty that you freeload off of them.

You look at your phone and realize that Friday is two days away and maybe you should give that person a call just because. Maybe he won’t answer and if he doesn’t then fate has spoken. Yeah, you will give him one chance and one chance only.

Throwing your backpack on your bed, you take out today’s books and replace them with tomorrow’s, but it’s only a couple since you have two lecture and one philosophy class that you decided to take just for fun. After making sure you’re prepared for tomorrow you head into the shower and grab your pajamas, which is just one of Tae’s shirts since their the perfect length of covering your ass, and big enough not to show your perky nipples.

After showering and washing up you holler goodnight to Tae and he does the same before you close your lights and wall asleep.

RRIIIINNNGGGG

The alarm blares in your eardrums and curses out as you hit the off button. Rolling out of bed and waddling over to the bathroom to wash your face and do your daily skin routine that takes about five minutes since it’s just toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. QUite basic for people in Korea. You walk out the door and don’t bother to lock it because of the fingerprint lock.

You walk the one block to Starbucks and stand in line for your usual order.

“Good morning.” Hoseok flashes his sunshine smile.

“Ah,” you grunt out as you hand him your card.

“No, it’s on the man that you ran into yesterday.” Hoseok winks.

“Well then, I’ll pay for his order and tell him that I call it even.” I sigh.

“Someone has her panties in a twist.” Hoseok frowns.

“Well, you don’t have a sugar daddy making moves on you.” You deadpan.

“Well, that sugar daddy said to give you this.” He slides a receipt across the counter and on it reads a phone number and the sugar daddy’s name.

882- 576-8765

Call me, Min Yoongi

You give an amused smile and thank him for the drink before crumpling the receipt and tossing it into the trash can.

Little did you know that someone in the corner saw you throw away his number and his eyes glinted with an emotion he hasn’t felt in a while.

You walk to the lecture wall and set up as your little desk as you prepare for a two-hour lecture, fun.

After what seems like forever your phone vibrates and you see an unknown number pop up with a text.

Unknown id: Friday night I’ll pick you up at 8

Y/N: Buy me a dress, shoes, and clutch, what is the dress code?

Unknown id: Formal so wear makeup and don’t look like trash

Y/N: Wow thanks for the compliment :)

Unknown id: Don’t be late or else I’ll murder you in your sleep

Y/N: huh, I was right. You are a murder. Do I need to send my address or do you already know where I live?

Unknown id: I already know where you live since I followed you home once, but don’t worry I’ll sprinkle your ashes down a river if you want ;)

You smirk and save the number as Yoongi.

The day goes by and you flop onto the sofa as you soak in the peace and quiet since Taehyung is at his night class doodling the time away. You don’t particularly miss him because he’s always screaming into his headset playing Overwatch.

After a couple minutes of looking up at the ceiling, you sigh as you go and make yourself cereal for dinner. Pouting yourself a generous amount of Frosted Flakes the doorbell rings and you walk over unsure who it could be. You weren’t expecting a package of any sort and Taehyung has his fingerprints in the system. But as you turn the door handled it dawns on you that it was probably Yoongi sending over your outfit. You open the door and a guy who is a couple inches taller than you with a small smile hands you over a large white box tied with a blood red ribbon. You thank him with a smile and wonder if you can hook up with him instead of Yoongi.

Your phone buzzes in the back of your pocket and you see Yoongi flash on the screen.

Yoongi: Did you get your very expensive outfit that you had me buy for you

Y/N: I did not force you to buy it only strongly suggested and thank you I did get it. You really did stalk me and get my address

Yoongi: you think I was kidding?

Y/N: Yes because I didn’t think you were creepy

Yoongi: I was merely making sure that you weren't some criminal living in a dump. By the way, you seem pretty rich yourself.

Y/N: I suck off of my rich boyfriend Taetae and maybe I’ll cheat on him with that delivery boy you sent over.

Yoongi: well I may just have to kill him then along with your boyfriend

Y/N: So I’ll be going out with a serial killer??!!

Yoongi: Don’t worry it’ll be painless

Y/N: The date is tomorrow so I have one last day of freedom

Yoongi: Freedom?

Y/N: Of being single

Yoongi: What about your boyfriend taetae?

Y/N: I never said that it was a closed relationship ;)

Yoongi: hhhmmmm

You give a small smile and continue eating your cereal as you watch Grey’s Anatomy catching up on last week’s episode. You wish being a surgeon was that easy, but it’s not and that’s why you were drawn to it. A challenge that can be conquered.

Looking at the time you give up on waiting for Taehyung and head to bed.

RRRIIINNNGGGG

The familiar sound wakes you up and you head to the bathroom to wash up and head to class, this time choosing to ride with Taetae instead of taking the bus. Waiting at the door eating a granola bar you wait for him. He was always late somehow, don’t know how. After giving him an extra minute, you walk to his bedroom and knock on the door first, giving him that decency at least. After waiting a second you open the door and see bruises mar his face and dried blood from a split lip. He snores softly and you walk over to him quietly.

Taking in a breath you lift up his shirt and see fresh stitches. And curse under your breath. What the actual fuck? You don't disturb his slumber but go to your room and quickly write on a sticky note.

Took your car because you made me late by not telling me that you are basically dead. Will be home around 3ish after my lectures.

You run out of the apartment and unlock the Porsche pressing on the gas pedal accelerating from 0 to 100 in just a few seconds. Racing out of the apartment’s garage you head out onto the road and make it to university in record time.

As you get into the lecture hall and choose a seat in the middle you pop a stick of gum into your mouth. The burst of spearmint wakes you up and you sit at the desk looking at your phone to realize that Yoongi has spammed you.

Yoongi: Where are you

Yoongi: Y/N

Yoongi: Y/N answer me

Yoongi: Y/N I’m going to track you down and make you answer me

Y/N: I’m at school

Y/N: Do not follow me and how do you get this worked up at not seeing me get coffee?

Yoongi replies a second later

Yoongi: It just seemed out of character for you to skip your daily coffee, Hoseok said that it was like a grandma taking her daily meds.

You roll your eyes and begin texting back, but out of the blue Yoongi responds with another text.

Yoongi: How’s your boyfriend Taetae doing

You smirk at the slight tinge of jealousy laced in the words.

Y/N: Tae is doing fine why?

Yoongi: Just making sure the playing field is, even so, when I snatch you it will be fair

Y/N: LOL

You place your phone face down on the desk as the professor walks in and you bounce your leg as you wait for the minutes to tick by so you can see Taehyung quicker.

Halfway into the lecture, your phone makes a small noise and you quickly turn off the ringer and see tae texted you.

Tae: Why did you take my car :(

Y/N: it’s not like you need to go anywhere with how bad you’re bruised and don’t even get me started on how you could not TELL ME ABOUT THIS just be lucky that I  prioritize my education over you. Or else you would be DEAD! DEAD KIM TAEHYUNG

Tae: please show me mercy, I beg of you. I’m injured, you can’t kill me. That would be unfair.

Maybe you were thinking too much about things but you ask.

Y/N: Do you know anyone named Min Yoongi

Tae: yeah he’s super rich why

Y/N: if he’s super rich then why does he buy his own coffee and not his secretary?

Tae: Idk maybe he’s a high-end snob with a specific order that no one can get right

Y/N: KIM TAEHYUNG I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU SET THIS ALL UP

Tae: don’t u have a lecture u should be paying attention to

Y/N: fuck u this is not over

Tae: :p

You continue typing your notes as the teacher drones on and on. After what seems like forever you decide to skip your next two lectures which are optional but tell the professors you are sick and ask if they can email you a master copy of the notes. They agree and you drive home to kill Kim Taehyung.

You lock the car and take the elevator up, pressing your finger to the pad the door gives a soft click and you drop your backpack in your room and walk to Tae’s. The door is a ajared and you hear two voices, one being Tae’s obviously. Leaning against the wall you listen to the conversation.

“Why didn’t you just stay at the house?” A low male voice asks.

“Because if I stayed Y/N would think that something was up because it wouldn’t make sense for me to not come home after a night class,” Tae responds.

“You could have just texted her that you crashed at a friend’s place after a study session.” The man counters.

“Remember that Y/N has known me since I was in elementary school and she is my other half, so if I didn’t return home then it would scream that something was wrong,” Tae states a matter of factly

The man sighs, “She doesn’t know right?”

“No, she thinks you want to be her sugar daddy, but I mean it. If you hurt her in any way I don’t care about ranks or anything, I will kill you.” Tae states in a cold voice that you had never heard him use, ever.

“I know.”

You look through the crack and see the man come into your view. As the Min Yoongi opens the door and closes it behind him with a soft click, you put your finger up to your lips and grab his hand you drag him into your room, locking the door behind you.

Yoongi’s eyes widen and you lean against the door.

“What happened to Taehyung last night and what do you do for a living?” You deadpan.

“Do you promise to listen until the end?” He asks slowly.

You give a nod and he lets out a breath before sitting at the foot of your bed.

“That cute delivery guy is park Jimin and he’s our messenger of sorts. Taehyung had a mission to infiltrate a gang and do so by any means, things got out of hand he had to call for backup. He got captured for a couple of hours and got interrogated, but didn’t give the, anything valuable just plant seeds of discord amongst rival gangs. My real name is Min Yoongi which is true, but I’ve known about you since the first day of high school when Taehyung told us about you. I’m the CEO of Min Corporations which is a software system and I make billions, but I’m also a part of a gang called BTS. I’m not the leader, but I’m in charge of the all the technical aspects such as changing the security cameras, hacking into computers and those type of things.”

He looks up at you, anxiety filling his eyes and fear.

“Let me see your gun?” You push off of the door and walk over to him.

He does so and hands you the weapon with the safety on. You take the gun from him and the barrel warm from his body. As your hands slide over the material you turn the safety off and cock the gun. You aim the gun at the door and on cue Taehyung flings the door open, how he picked the lock within milliseconds only confirms your theory. Yoongi stills beside you and Tae freezes at the barrel pointed square on his heart.

His eyes widen with fear and you smirk as you turn the safety on and hand the gun back to Yoongi.

“I’m going to leave now, but are we still on tonight?” He asks in an unsure voice.

“Yeah, but should I bring my own Glock or will this dinner be peaceful?” You quirk an eyebrow.

A small playful smile graces his features as he says,”Bring your own just in case, you never know when danger can come.” He winks before closing the door.

“You will not need to bring a gun on your date because Yoongi is not taking you anywhere dangerous and if he does I will gut him in front of you,” Tae says through clenched teeth.

You bat your eyelashes at him and ask, “Do you not think I can carry my own gun?”

“From the way you were aiming at my heart, I would say that you know how to use one from experience which both worries and excites me.”

You stand up from your bed head to walk out of your room before saying, “Order pizza and then I might just tell you my secrets as you tell me yours.” You give him a pointed look.

He nods and follow out to the living room couch. As you plop down Taehyung asks, “Heads or tails?”

“Heads.”

He flips the coin and it lands on tails. Heaving a sigh you look at Tae and for a second you wish that he could be your boyfriend so you can distract him with a kiss.

“I love you,” you blurt out again.

“Nice try,” he glares at you.

You lean over and go to kiss his lips but he sticks his hand in your face and pushes you back. He laughs as you groan. Why must you be unlucky?

“Spill the details,” he says in a serious voice.

You roll your eyes and lean onto his shoulder for warmth, knowing that some part of you is going to go numb at reliving your past.

“I was an orphan as you know and somehow I managed to scheme my way into that high end elementary school so I can start my life outright. Did you ever wonder how an orphan can go to a private school that cost more than a car? How a girl with no money managed to be at the top of her class and pay for all the textbook and eat the school lunch while also owning enough uniforms to not look like a slob?” You look up at him waiting for him to respond.

He nods for you to go on and you nestle deeper into your position.

“I was an orphan, but I had an older sister who whored herself for us. She fell in love with EXO’s Baekhyun who took care of my schooling. I always went to your house for play dates and study sessions, you never came to mine. My sister loved me, she really did, but Baekhyun didn’t love her the same way. He dumped her and gave her enough money to keep her contempt. She took care of me for six years, so it was time that I returned back the favor. In middle school I would always say I was too busy studying at the library when really I was worming my way into EXO and learning how to hack from Sehun. They didn’t know of course because I watched from the vent. I also got payback on Baekhyun, till this day he’s still afraid of bunnies. He sleeps in fear every night,” you give a hollow laugh at the memory of him writhing in pain from that time his chest turned into nothing but shredded flesh.

 “Back to the story. At first I transferred one thousand into our bank accounts taking one dollar from a thousand bank accounts. As time drew on and my sister needed to go to college I began taking money from other gangs, it was already dirty money so why not get it dirtier? She was able to go to any college she wanted and now she’s a kindergarten teacher dating a wonderful CEO of some stock market company. She sends me money for school and instead of using it I’ve been saving it to buy myself a house and car along with money to get by in case I need to run away. All those sleepovers we’ve had well, while you were sleeping safe and sound, I was out in the night sneaking into stores shoplifting, getting jewelry to pawn, or sneaking into banks to crack open safes. Along the way I made a few enemies, and that was when I taught myself how to shoot. At first I practiced in abandoned building and then I went into gun ranges overnight to work on my shooting at night. I used a flashlight for some guidance, then I trained my vision to guess and then I bought night vision goggles, well stole them.”

“I’ve been in this world from the day I was born after finding out that my mother was a whore who overdosed and my father is now dead after I killed him. He was a pimp who worked under a rather dirty gang that has now been dealt with. I guess the only thing that I need to tell you is that I knew who you were from day one. I have dirt on all the gangs in this district and I still keep up with it from time to time. But it’s been awhile since I checked on my tabs, so it was quite a surprise that you were in a gang. Although I never took you for a gang member.”

As he opens his mouth to talk the doorbell rings and Tae jumps over the couch to get the pizza as you go to the fridge to get two cokes. After settling back in and sitting cross-legged, eating pizza, and looking at each other Taehyung begins his story.

“I was born rich obviously, but when I was in preschool I got bullied, the kids were jealous and I would come home with bruises under my shirts. One day a kid saw me being cornered and scared the bullies off. Jimin, the delivery boy who you thought was cute, Park Jimin. He saved me. His parents are rich, but they’re rich because his father has another company that takes place underground and deal with things that should not be said. Everyone knew not to mess with Jimin or else their parents would suffer along with them. We became friends and he’s close but not as close as you are with me. You may be equal though once you start dating Yoongi and I’m left alone though,” I look up and he’s wiggling his eyebrows at you. You just roll your eyes and take a bite of your slice.

“Anyway, Jimin told me that he was going to join BTS when he got in elementary school so he can be powerful and stop bullies, so I wanted to join too and protect a kid like Jimin did for me. So I did the initiation which was just getting back to the base from any given location and they prepared us for that. I haven’t killed a person if that’s what you’re wondering. We don’t kill by the way, well out of self-defense, if we’re under fire then we don’t pay attention to the life, just making sure that we come out alive. But back to my story. I knew something was fishy with you from the moment you walked in elementary school darting your eyes all over the place like there were cameras everywhere. One day I found you hacking into the principal’s computer and change your grades to all As and then gave us that teacher workday. You were in kindergarten how did you learn how to do that? I began following you and at one point I did have a crush on you and kissed you in your sleep one night at a sleepover, but when I didn’t feel the tingles I thought I would, I decided it would be better to be your older brother, so there are no romantic feelings between us. By the time it was high school and we already knew each other I began getting another crush, this time it became an obsession sort of because I wanted to know what you did that made you so hot and sexy, it turned me on to be honest.”

“Oh shut up, you were just curious,” you laugh playfully hitting his chest.

“Well I was curious and not knowing what you did make me hard and I wanted to know more so I dug deeper and found more about your past. I didn’t know anything about your parents because you erased them, but read about your sister with EXO and that all Yoongi could dig up for me. I decided to invite to a sleepover even when we were high schoolers, you still said yes. Well, I did bribe you with homemade cookies and pizza, but still, you came. I made a little sensor go off when my window was opened. After the shrill ringing in my ears went off, I quickly woke up and followed you. For the whole night I saw you win car races, sneak into jewelry stores, still designer clothes, and pickpocket quite the number of wallets. I was amazed and yet I wanted to protect you, why did you have to do this why did I see you give a wicked grin before hooking up with a complete stranger. I told Yoongi about it because at the time he seemed like he would understand you since you did hack a lot and I thought he could see where you were coming from since he grew up with a rough past also. So I asked him to watch out for you and one day he found your sister and went to talk to her. That day you were stressing about finals taking the preMCATS, so I didn’t want to say anything. Months went by and you didn’t come home with bruises or with split knuckles. I decided to not go any further and here we are now here we are 14 years of friendship and counting.” He raises his bottle of coke to toast.

“What’s Min Yoongi like?” You ask after a couple minutes of silence, both of you processing one another’s hidden life.

“I trust him with my life and with yours. I think you two would be a fit and I’m not pressuring you or anything, but you’ll always have a family with BTS.” he says quietly.

“I know, that day you followed me, it was sort of obvious because you were acting weird the next day and I saw a kid that looked strangely like you and from the way you were shrinking back in the shadows at the car race, I knew it was you. You were such a dweeb.” You laugh looking at his face.

He flicks your nose and you turn the tv on to a rerun of Friends. As the episode ends you check your phone and a reminder pops up for your date at 8. The time reads 7:30. He’s picking you up at 8. Shit! You only have time to take a quick shower and put on BB cream. After missing up your light makeup you undo your hair and quickly blow dry it. As you deem your hair somewhat decent you slip on the shoes, shove your daggers, phone, and a wad of fake hundreds just for fun. You look at your phone and see that you have a minute to spare. Smiling to yourself you walk to the front door slipping on the pumps that are awfully tall and open the door to see a wide-eyed Yoongi.

You put your hand on his chest and gently push him away as you call over your shoulder, “I’ll be back tomorrow hungover probably so don’t wait up for me.” You flash Tae a wicked grin and close the door before he can retort.

“Wow, you look pretty nice for someone who got ready in just thirty minutes.” Yoongi remarks as you wait in the elevator.

“Taehyung texted you?” You roll your head at him.

“Yeah, he told me to be late since you two were busy having a pow wow moment, so I was planning on giving you an extra second.” he smiles sarcastically at me.

“So where are we going?” You ask as the both of you step into the garage and he walks you over to his red Ferrari 488 GTB. Show off much.

He opens the door for you and you smile as you slide into the low seat. After he turns the car on with his fingerprint he asks, “Wanna go gambling?” He pulls out a wad of cash from the inside pocket of his suit.

“Why I thought you would never ask?” you match his devilish grin as you pull out your wad of Benjamins.

His grin widens into a smile as he asks, “Are those fake?” he raises a brow.

You gasp and place a hand to your heart and ask, “How could you know me so well?” You smile at him.

“What’s the bet then?” A playful glint shines in his eyes.

“I say we last thirty minutes before they throw us out.”

“I say twenty-five if we start winning too much. Do you know how to count cards?”

“I only know a little bit, but I can easily make a million throughout the casino. How about we make a deal?” You propose.

“And what deal would that be?”

“The one who can get away with the most money real or fake within thirty minutes. Do you know how to count cards?” You turn to look at him.

“No, but I know when to add and when to stop, so I would say that I’m more logical and luck.”

“Well I’ll give you a head start with letting you get one thousand more than me, think of it as leveling the playing field.” You flash him one of your wicked grins that made prisoners quiver in their chairs.

“A gentleman’s deal and no pickpocketing.” He sticks his hand out to shake.

“Fine, I guess I’ll just keep that money for myself.” You sigh looking out at the window as the buildings pass by you.

“What does the winner get?”

“The loser pays for the next date.” you look at him.

“Why would that be losing? Because I plan to rent out an entire amusement park and it’s been awhile since something was at stake for me, so why not?” You pull out one of your sparkling daggers and you hear Yoongi take in a breath.

The blade reflects the city’s lights off of its blade and the curved edge glides easily across your palm, not drawing blood, but the motion of using it makes your blood sing. It’s been a couple of months since you lasted used them for a mission of sorts, but tonight might be a night that will make your blood boil with excitement.

“Have you ever killed a person?” He asks in the silence.

“Besides my dad yes. The enjoyment of having all the power and making those big buff men scream in pain makes me sleep soundly every night. I do not kill unless the person deserves it. I only make those you raise their hands on a woman or gamble their daughter’s college savings away suffer. I make sure karma comes back to them. Whether it be them losing a finger or their family is entirely up to them.” You answer him in a bleak voice, letting him gauge whether or not he can handle your storm.

“So you’re a vigilante on your nights off of being a med student?” he muses.

“Occasionally, but I’m also a hired assassin when I need some quick cash,” you shrug.

He gives a bark of laughter and quickly looks at you fondling your beloved dagger.

“Who gave you those?” he asks.

“I stole them from a rival assassin who I lost my virginity to.” You say nonchalantly.

“Wow, you have quite the life.” he jokes.

“How much do you know,” you ask quietly.

“That you were safe and never in danger I never dug deep it felt too invasive, so I just made sure you had no police record and any stray cameras that caught you on their feed disappeared or turned elsewhere.” He says with equal quietness.

“Thank you,” you give him a small smile as you hold his hand.

“You know that if things do go array tonight call Taehyung, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, J-hope, or Namjoon. Their numbers are already saved in your phone.” His voice leaves no room for questions.

“I can handle myself if you haven’t already noticed,” you smirk at him, giving his hand a little squeeze.

“Is that what this tough girl act is?” he raises a brow at me.

“That plus to see if I can scare any dates off. If they can’t handle the little things then what would happen if I came home covered in blood and he needed to stitch up my bullet wound?” His hands tighten around yours and you roll your eyes at his inner protectiveness come out. Ah, men and their primal instincts.

After a couple of minutes, the car slows down and you look at each other.

“May the best scammer win and the loser suffer,” you smirk at him before opening the car door and glide into the casino looking like a single woman looking for a good time.

[optomstudies]

Somehow I feel like this post is incomplete, but I can’t think of what I could write. If I think of something else, I’ll add reblog and add to it. Hi everyone! So the story is I received an ask from a high school junior who was stuck with a teacher for her Latin elective who champions self-learning and has apparently been teaching extraneous content. The asker wanted to know how to get good grades for Latin when they’ve lost their passion, so I thought that I would make a post about Dealing with Bad Teachers. 

DEALING WITH THE TEACHER

Firstly, self-learning is important and the teacher has good intentions for you. But it’s something that develops over time, and isn’t usually enforced for entire course loads. It is should be a legal requirement that the teacher teaches you the core syllabus set by your state/government, so politely and privately (via email or otherwise) request her to follow it, emphasising that you feel a lack of support ("it’s me not you”). If she refuses to change her teaching method, take it up (again privately) with the faculty head teacher. Of course, you need to actually collate the syllabus points which have not been covered so that you can present your case. 

STUDYING FOR A SUBJECT WHERE YOU HAVE A BAD TEACHER

If you can’t do anything about the teacher, unfortunately you’re going to have to put in extra work to stay on top of things. 

Get a support network of friends, and maybe even students in the other class can help; ask them to send you resources that the other Latin teacher is supplying so that you can self-study. 

Get your friends to give you feedback and help you study. 

Find textbooks, and schedule a chapter a week or however many you need to cover all the content by the end of the term when you have exams. A textbook teaches just as well, or even better than a bad teacher (though it’s not anywhere close to a good teacher unfortunately). 

STUDYING A SUBJECT YOU AREN’T INTERESTED IN

As for learning something that you’re really uninterested in, this is something I had to face every year whilst studying English. I hated English since I was more a maths/science student, but I still forced myself to study, and just do it for the marks.

I hated the idea of getting low marks for the subject more than actually doing the subject, so like the pottery story, I would just write essay after essay, story after story, until I improved. I had an older cousin that I would send my work to, and she would give me feedback so I could improve the story. And you know what? At the end of all that, I actually didn’t find English so bad, because I raised my English marks to a Band 6 (which is the highest band in Australian HSC), and I felt proud of the work that I did. Usually, you only start liking what you’re good at. There’s this really nice quote that I found that sums it up:

When you work hard at something you become good at it. When you become good at something you enjoy doing it more. When you enjoy doing something, there is a good chance you will become passionate about it. (source)

LEARNING A LANGUAGE

As for learning a language specifically, you need to try to become interested in the language that you’re studying. For me, I really liked studying Japanese because I liked reading manga, and Korean because I like listening to Kpop. So why do you want to learn Latin? It’s difficult for a dead language, but find something that interests you; I’ll recommend word origins! That’s the most interesting thing about Latin imo :)

Try working through the vocab and grammar systematically. Learn 1 new grammar structure everyday, and make flashcards with the words you need to know for the exam. There are plenty of tips around studyblr for individual languages :)

MY WEEKLY STUDY TIPS

WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE UNIVERSITY STUDY TIPS SERIES

0 Choosing a Degree , 1 Administration , 2 Getting to Class

3 Studying , 4 Extra-Curriculars , 5 Exams , 6 Social Life

7 Part Time Work , 8 Four Secrets Your Uni Tells You

9 Best Study Spots on Campus

10 Saving Money 1 (Food, Transport, Entertainment)

new!! 10 Saving Money 2 (Textbooks, Tax, Scholarships) new!!

11 Adapting to Uni Study coming 16.02.17!

SEE ALSO

new!! Weekly Planner Printable with Extra Space for Sat/Sun new!!

new!! Dealing with Bad Teachers new!!

Overcoming the Planning Fallacy coming 19.02.17!

Study Spaces Masterpost , Studying and your Visual System

Catching Up with Your Studies , Dealing with Bad Results

Sleeping and Waking Up Early , Google Keep

My 2017 Planner and Bullet Journal , Study Space , 2017 goals

+ my cute stationery + washi collection + my spreads!

[mctvcker]

How To Get People To Like SEO 2019

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With voice search arrives two areas of interest in order to SEO folks wishing to link with consumers: intent and framework. SocialSEO is proud to help future experts in the entire world of business and marketing along with the annual SocialSEO Digital Advertising and SEO Scholarship. Finally SEO Wise links enables you to fixed nofollow attribute and open hyperlinks in new window.

Ultimately, simply by the end of 2018 or even mid-2019, we'll see a golf swing back to natural” content created by real humans who may produce valuable content that really provides value. Hiring experienced SEO experts can ensure that your website climbs the search engine ranks with no using any illegal practices or even short cuts that could create short-term spikes in the cyberspace ranking, but eventually lead in order to your website having to pay out penalties. Official Site Associated with BlowFish SEO - Professional Search Motor Optimization Services operated by Robert DiSalvo SEO Located in Hand Beach Gardens, Florida. The takeaway here is definitely that if you might possess LOTS of location pages offering A SINGLE business in one particular location, then those are really probably classed as some type of doorway pages, and possibly Ten Features Of SEO 2019 That Make Everyone Love It old-school SEO techniques for these types of type of pages will notice them classed as lower-quality -- or even - spammy web pages. CRAWL this, like Google does, with (for example) Screaming Frog SEO spider, plus fix malformed links or stuff that result in server errors (500), broken links (400+) and needless redirects (300+). SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION gives you a go at rating for the terms which your own customers use, so you may do better business. The job of the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is to create high-quality articles after which win the attention, the particular love as well as the particular link from a blogger or even editor. The keyword difficulty or even keyword SEO difficulty is the very useful metric for key phrase research.

[writerinthedarkabyss]

all the 'lets get personal' qs plz?!

 Did you mean this post? If so, well damn alright people, buckle up.

 1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

This changes every week but right now on my phone it says, 1)If I Had A Million by Fink 2)Drive by Oh Wonder 3)In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins 4)Rollercoaster by The Bleachers 5)P.I.M.P by 50 Cent 6)Falling by Opia

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

My Great Grandmother on my mom/s side. I’ve heard so much about her and I always wanted to meet her.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give meline 17.

It may or may not be my Phonetics textbook. “Fricatives are sounds made with a small opening, allowing the air to escape...”

4: What do you think about most?

In all honesty, lately I’ve been thinking about my decisions and if I’m doing things in a way that’s going to help me in the future or am I just wasting my life and time. 

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

“Depends you got the answer to a good stress relief, or to my anthropology homework?” 

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Most of the time, I sleep with them on.

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I don’t know if this counts but I can put both legs behind my head without struggling.

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls rule, boys drool. No just kidding.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Not that I know of, although I’ve written poems and sons about people.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

A couple of days ago, I think?

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

Nope, just your average, everyday ones. 

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Uhh, no.

13: What’s your religion?

I’m an Atheist.

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Trying to get back inside. No, uhm, probably reading or writing.

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Behind the camera usually,

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Oh god, there’s too many and they change all the time. But for right now Fink, The 1975, Bleachers, Blink 182, Oh Wonder.

17: What was the last lie you told?

This Wednesday, I might have told my mom that class was cancelled but I really didn’t want to go to that class.

18: Do you believe in karma?

Yes, I do.

19: What does your URL mean?

I do a lot of my best writing at night, and “writerinthedark” was already taken. Also my header is from one of my ultime favorite and underrated shows called Farscape. It was something said to the one of the main characters in the show and it holds so much meaning. 

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

Uhm, I might be jumping on the bandwagon Noah Centineo. But honestly he’s been my crush long before TATBILB. He was my MCM since The Fosters.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Haha nope.

23: How do you vent your anger?

I usually write it out. Either in the form of literal venting or a story/poem.

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a collection of pennies since Canada no longer uses them. I also have about fifteen candles and 150 books, if that counts as a collection? 

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chattingonline?

Video chatting my friends 100%

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

Most days, I like who I am now.

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

Nails on a chalkboard and crunching snow are awful. I love the sound of crackling fire and rain. 

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

What if that thing when I was 6 didn’t happen. 

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

Yep, ghosts have to be real. Too big of a global phenomenon for them to not exist. The same sot of thing with Aliens. While I don’ believe that they’re little green men. Do you know how big the entire universe is? I find it very difficult to believe that we are the only planet it the entire universe that holds intelligent lifeforms 

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Dothe same with your left arm.

My right arm I‘m touching one of my candles and in my left arm I’m touching my soft body pillow.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

Black cherry incense stick that I lit earlier.

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

The depths of my mind at three am during a panic attack.

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

I’m an East Coast girl.

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Uhm, I’m drawing a blank right now.

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

To be happy and leave it in better shape than you found it. 

36: Define Art.

Ahh, getting flashbacks to my Philosophy of Art class. To me, art is anything that someone creates with either and emotional or political message behind it. 

37: Do you believe in luck?

Yes

38: What’s the weather like right now?

It’s finally autumn my favorite season which means it’s raining and cool enough for a sweater right now. 

39: What time is it?

It is currently 11:47pm.

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

I don’t drive yet.

41: What was the last book you read?

For pleasure, I reread “Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang in the 1950′s” by Carol Joyce Oates, which is one of my all time favorite books. But the actual last book I read was Chapter 4 of “The Sounds of Language: An Introduction to Phonetics” for my Phonetics class.

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

Nope, I hate it. Although my mother ans brother like it a lot. 

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Cat, Katie, kitty, freak, KitKat

44: What was the last film you saw?

If we’re talking at home, than it was “Serenity”. If we’re talking movie theaters than it was “Little Italy”. 

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

I don’t seriously injure myself a lot, I mostly get bruised and little cuts but there was once when I sprained three ligaments in my knee and was on a cane (because I’m a klutz and fell on the crutches they gave me) for three weeks. 

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

No, I don’t think so. 

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

Not that I can think of. 

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

I’m cis and straight.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

Yep, quite a lot actually. 

50: Do you believe in magic?

Hell yeah. 

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have doneyou wrong?

For the most part no. Life is too short for that shit.

52: What is your astrological sign?

I am the first day of Virgo.

53: Do you save money or spend it?

I try to save it but I usually spend it,

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

Prime example, I just bought my mom and I matching cat pajamas. 

55: Love or lust?

Love.

56: In a relationship?

Actually yeah, two months today.

57: How many relationships have you had?

Okay, if we’re talking “relationships” like “something more than friends” then 6.If we’re talking actual relationships 3.

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

Nope, I have a really short tongue,

59: Where were you yesterday?

Downtown at school, my boyfriends, my house.

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Yep, there’s quite a few pink items in my room.

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

Yep, it’s a little chilly 

62: What’s your favourite animal?

Kittens :)

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

Use any insecurity that I mention to you in confidence and it will ruin me. 

64: Where is your best friend?

All the way across the country for the next four months. :( She’s visiting her boyfriend but I miss her.

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr

I can’t, there’s too many. 

66: What is your heritage?

I am British and Quebecois.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

Watching reruns of “White Collar” with my boyfriend of the couch.

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

He has too many.

69: Biggest turn ons?

Back muscles, being engaged and interested in conversations, making me laugh, knowing that I’m someone you want to spend your time with.

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as afriend?

I think so. I always try to treat and act towards others the way I’d want to be treated,

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work.There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss hastold you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

I get fired. Puppy is way more important to me.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informedyou that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tellanyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remainingdays? c) Would you be afraid?

I wouldn’t tell anyone right away. Maybe a week before I’d let other know what’s happening so they could have time to process. I would do as many things on my bucket list as I could. But mostly I’d try and spend as much time I have left with the people I love. I would absolutely be afraid. I spent a little while not wanting to live. Now though, now I don’t want to die, I still have so much I want to do. 

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

Love, I believe that if you love someone and they love you, trust is already in the equation.

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hearit?

2000′s throwbacks are my go to happy songs because they just make me want to move and sing along. 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

0024

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Trust, honesty, friendship. Being able to make the other person laugh and making them feel and feeling as though you want to spend your time with them.

77: How can I win your heart?

By listening to me and sharing your stupid or deep or random thoughts. Make me feel like I’m important to you and that I make you happy and you’re interested in all parts of my life, not just the good things. 

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

Honestly, I feel the most creative when I am holding on to a powerful emotion. I don’t know about insanity, although I can see why people would think that. You’d let go of your inner critic and self doubt in yourself or your work and just create. 

79: What is the single best decision you have made in yourlife so far?

Staying alive.

80: What size shoes do you wear?

I’m a size 8 in shoes.

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

Ya dumb bitch I honestly don’t know. 

82: What is your favourite word?

For some reason all I can think of is pumpernickel. 

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hearthe word; heart.

Soul.

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

“Fuck a duck” thanks mom. 

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

Promise by Ben Howard just finished playing.

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

Royal purple and dark blue,

87: What is your current desktop picture?

A picture of my dream book room.

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the worldinstantaneously explode, who would it be?

I can only pick one person??

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell thetruth on?

The secret I’ve never said to anyone.

90: Turn offs?

Being unhygienic, talking down to others, arrogance 

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. Theywere good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-powerof your choice! What is that power?

Either telepathy or invisibility. 

92: where are your parents from?

My father is from Quebec and my mother is from England.

 93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past.What will it be?

The thing that still makes me uncomfortable.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with themusic-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Wow, I really don’t know.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You haveto depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

At the moment, I’d pay for another ticket and go to Kelowna with my mom so she can finally go back there,

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

Not that I know of. 

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

Yep, it was not one of my proudest or best moments. 

98: Ever been on a plane?

Once, when I was very little.

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, whatwould you say.

I’d quote the Doctor, “Never be cruel, never be cowardly... Remember hate is always foolish, love is always wise. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.” 

[hwcampus]

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UNV 108 Full Class

UNV 108 Full Class

UNV 108 All Weeks Discussion , Journal and Assignments – Entire Course

  UNV 108 Full Course

  UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1: Discussion Question 1

  Prior to answering your first Discussion Question (DQ), please do the following to be better prepared to respond to the required DQs each week: Read the “Communications Expectations Resource.” This outlines specific expectations for DQ participation and posts.

Discussion Question GCU provides many resources to ensure your academic success. This includes the tutorials that are located in both your syllabus and in the Course Materials area of LoudCloud. Tutorials can be very helpful in learning new skills. After viewing the required tutorials for this Topic, which do you think is the most valuable and in what ways will you apply it to your academic career?

  UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1: Discussion Question 2

  After reading chapter 1 in your text as well as other readings in Topic 1, discuss what sparked your interest. Please provide specific examples from the readings. How will you implement these in your college career?

  UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1 Assignment: Navigating LoudCloud and Time Management

  Purpose of Assignment: To become familiar with the GCU Learning Management System (LMS) Loud Cloud and the GCU website, and to also help you develop time management, an important skill for college and everyday life.

This assignment will be in two parts. In the first part of this assignment, you will be exploring and navigating around the Loud Cloud LMS so that you are more confident in locating items in the online class as well as resources that are available to you as a GCU student. Also in Part 1, you will navigate the GCU website so you become more familiar with it and can locate information you may need in the future.

In Part 2, you will be tracking and recording your time spent for 3 days to see where and how you manage your time. You will then reflect on your findings and plan strategies to help you maximize your time and help you become a better manager of your life.

Format: Solid academic writing is expected for both Parts 1 and 2.

Grading Criteria: Part 1 will be graded with an instructor answer key; Part 2 will be reviewed based on your data given and presentation of your reflection.

Assignment Due Date: End of Week/Topic 1

    Part 1: Navigating the Loud Cloud LMS and GCU Website

Directions: Please locate the correct response(s) to each of the questions below, and then provide your answer found, in one to two sentences, or short answer format. (The spacing can be manipulated if you require more room for your responses. Please DO NOT forget to SAVE once you begin to answer the questions, so you do not lose any information.)

  The following questions are directed towards the Loud Cloud LMS:

  After logging into the Loud Cloud classroom, list the main tabs you see across the top of the “home” page of Loud Cloud. Include the number to tech support, link is located at the bottom of the home page (hint: it is in blue).

  From the Course Home page in Loud Cloud, click on the TASKS tab and then click on FORUM. Explain the purpose of the Main Forum, Individual Forum, and Questions to Instructor Forum.

  Under the RESOURCES tab in Loud Cloud, click on the Student Success Center. List the three main tabs you find at the top of the Student Success Center.

  Under the RESOURCES tab in Loud Cloud, inside the Student Success Center, click on TOOLS and then click on Style Guides and Templates. What writing style is required for 100- and 200-level courses at GCU?

    Under the Resources tab in Loud Cloud, inside the Student Success Center, click on the Tools tab at the top of the page select Tutorials. List 3 tutorials that will help you most as you begin this course.

  From the Course Home page in Loud Cloud, explain the steps to find your GRADEBOOK.

  Click on the RESOURCES tab in the Loud Cloud classroom. Describe the following resources:

  Course Material

Add-ons

Syllabus

Classroom Policies

Student Success Center

Library

Tutoring Services

  Click on the RESOURCES tab in the Loud Cloud classroom and select COURSE MATERIALS. List the first two resources you find on the page under the Course Contents heading.

  Go to http://library.gcu.edu. Under Help, click on the Frequently Asked Questions (on the left) link. Describe how to get help from the librarian.

  Stay in the CONNECT tab, select and click on Roster. Review your instructor’s profile, provide his/her contact information, including office hours.

  The following questions are directed towards the GCU Website at: http://students.gcu.edu 

On the Home Page, locate and click Student Affairs, then locate and click Spiritual Life. Describe which sections of this page interest you. Why?

  On the Home page, locate and click Campus Resources. Locate and click Learning Resources then locate and click Learning Lounge. What can you expect during your tutoring session with a learning advocate (LEAD)?

  The following questions are directed towards the GCU Website at: http://gcu.edu

On the Home page, locate and click on About GCU. Locate and click University Snapshot. Locate the Mission and Vision Statement for Grand Canyon University. Based on the Mission Statement what will GCU prepare you to become upon graduation?

  Staying on the University Snapshot page, locate and list the Four Pillars of GCU.

  On the Home page, click Academics. Locate and click Majors & Programs, then locate your program. Which program core course looks most interesting to you? Why? Include course name, number and description along with your explanation.

    Part Two: Time Monitoring and Management for College & Life

Directions: There will be two parts to this portion of the assignment, Part A and Part B. Please complete all sections on this document, as this is what you will be submitting for your entire Topic 1 Assignment (Parts 1 and 2).

In Part A, you begin by keeping an informal time log in which you note all your activities for 3 days, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.(even if your wake-up and bedtime alter from this beginning and end time, please use this time-frame and just place what you are doing during the hours allocated). You will use this information for planning ways to make better use of your time.

In Part B, you will briefly analyze the results from your time log to determine the changes you need to make to your time schedule and how you will manage those changes. After analyzing your data, you will construct a reflective 200-250-word summary of your time-monitoring analysis and identify two main discoveries you found; whether this was positive or negative discovery. You may also wish to consider the information from chapter 4 of the textbook as you complete your reflection, as you may wish to reference to help support your findings.

Note: This portion of the assignment will also help in completing the S.M.A.R.T Goals that will come in Week/Topic 5.

Part A: Time Monitoring Activity/Worksheet

In completing the Time Monitoring, you will need to fill out the Time Monitoring Worksheet found below the following directions. *You may also wish to print one to keep for easier record keeping as you track your time, and then complete the chart here to submit with your assignment.

Monitor your time in hourly increments:

Carry your Time Monitoring Worksheet with you whenever you are awake.

Each hour of the day, starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m., write down what you did during that hour. If you do not get up until 10 a.m., do you record 5:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.? Yes, you will just note that you were “sleeping” during those hours.

Do not overdo the recording; record the primary activity for the hour.

    On Day 4, when you have 3 days of time monitored, it is time to analyze your time use. You will need to have your Time Monitoring Worksheet available, as you will need this to review and reflect what you have noted, as well as something to take notes with when analyzing your data.

New college students usually find that most time management issues, fall into three main categories, so this is where you will start the analysis. Brainstorm and organize your data into the areas noted below, and add area(s) where you see necessary. Here are the three main areas students have mentioned when reviewing their data and reasoning:

Making poor judgments about using their time wisely; procrastination would fall under this area or not prioritizing events or tasks wisely.

When stressed, becoming immobilized or shutting down mentally and/or physically.

Giving less than their best efforts when rushed and overwhelmed or when they feel like quitting.

Once you have fully analyzed your data, you will be ready to begin Part B, writing your reflective summary.

    Time Monitoring Worksheet

    Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday 5:00 a.m. 6:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

      Part B: Time Monitoring and Management Reflection

In reviewing your data and notes, you will now write a 200-250-word summary. Briefly discuss your findings, and if you are utilizing your time wisely or there are areas where you need to adjust to be more successful in college and life. You may also want to consider adding supportive information from the readings in chapter 4 to help express your points in your summary.

Please write your summary in the space provided below. You will be able to manipulate the space if you require more room for your summary.

Important: Once you have completed the assignment, be sure to submit the assignment to the appropriate assignment drop box for Topic 1 Assignment. Please be sure to click on the FINAL submit button, as your assignment will not be submitted unless you do this. Failure to do this could result in late penalties or a zero.

To review assignment grade and feedback, you will go to the same place where you submitted the assignment. Please watch for any important announcements that your instructor may post in regards to assignments and grades throughout the course

  UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1 Journal Entry: Motivation

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 1 entry will be about motivation. The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

GCU Style Guide and GCU Style Guide Template, located in the Student Success Center.

Instructions

Reflect on the topic of “Motivation” by answering the following questions in your reflection:

What motivated you to enroll at GCU and pursue a degree in higher education?

How is motivation important for student success?

Explain how participating in the discussion forums can help you feel connected with your classmates. Will this connection help you stay motivated? Explain.

Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using GCU Style Template in Microsoft Word.

Your response must be between 250-300-words.

  UNV 108 Week 2 Topic 2: Discussion Question 1

  The “Time Management and Study Skills” essay in chapter 4 of your eBook discusses various tips to help you manage and organize your time better and put the most effort put into your studying.

Which of these have you had the most problems with in the past, and how do you intend to address these?

  UNV 108 Week 2 Topic 2: Discussion Question 2

  After reading the Topic 2 lecture in the online classroom, explain the following: The relationship between the topic objectives, the assignment, and the rubric. How is each component important to completing an assignment? What are some strategies you have learned from the readings and this course so far, that will help you complete your assignments, both accurately and efficiently?

  UNV 108 Week 2 Topic 2 Journal Entry: My Program of Study

  Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 2 entry will be about your program of study. The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Review your planned program of study on the GCU website. Answer the following questions in your reflection:

What program of study are you enrolled in or planning to enroll in? Identify and discuss some of the courses you will be required to take.

Which courses do you anticipate being the most challenging, and what GCU resources are available to help you?

What skills or knowledge will you need for this program of study and how will you gain them? How will effective time management help you complete your program?

Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using the GCU Template in Microsoft Word.

Your response must be between 250-300 words.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

    UNV 108 Week 2 Understanding a GCU Assignment Activity

  Details:

Purpose There are typically several core components to any assignment at GCU. Knowing how to dissect a GCU assignment ensures successful completion of the assignment. The Understanding a GCU Assignment Worksheet will provide you with an opportunity to practice dissecting the components of an assignment so that you are better prepared to complete assignments successfully.

  Required Course Materials Lecture 2 Chapter 4 in the textbook: Time Management and Study Skills Understanding a GCU Assignment Worksheet Syllabus Tutorial Microsoft Word

Instructions Read the required course materials listed above to assist you in answering the questions on the attached worksheet. These materials are accessible through the course materials tab in your classroom. To complete the assignment, you will review the sample assignment and rubric provided in the worksheet. This assignment is from another course and is only an example of an assignment, not one that you are required to complete. You will review the requirements of the sample assignment and rubric to guide you in answering the questions listed on the worksheet. Please download the attached worksheet, as you will need to record your responses on the worksheet, save this, and then submit this as an assignment for this week.

  UNV 108 Week 3 Topic 3: Discussion Question 1

  Read the article “Student Preparation for Distance Education,” located in the Topic 3 Supplemental Material Document, as this resource discusses characteristics of successful online learners.

Which characteristics would you rank as the top three being most important and why? Which three do you think you will have difficulty with, and what strategies can you use to overcome these challenges?

  UNV 108 Week 3 Topic 3: Discussion Question 2

  Access and view the Four Pillars of Grand Canyon University, located on the GCU website http://www.gcu.edu/About-Us/Four-Pillars.php.

This topic has explored the purpose of higher education. In answering this discussion question, explain what your personal, professional, and educational goals are and in what ways the four pillars will help you achieve these goals.

  UNV 108 Week 3 Student Academic Skills Assessment and Reflection

  Details:

 Purpose Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are will help you understand steps you should take to improve as a student. GCU wants to assist you in improving in certain areas, such as study habits and note taking.

Required Materials Microsoft Word

Instructions Complete the “Student Academic Skills Assessment” worksheet. This requires highlighting the number that best describes your current ability. For help on how to highlight, please review the “MS Word Basics 2 Highlighting” Resource (attached). Please record your answers directly on the worksheet provided. Review each completed section and reflect on the assessment results provided. *NOTE: There are two sections to this worksheet. Section two requires you to write a summary of your assessment results and then write a reflection on what you learned from completing the assessment. Submit your Student Academic Skills Assessment, with the summary and reflection included in the worksheet (do not submit two documents for this assignment), to the appropriate assignment dropbox.

Format Requirements Record your answers, including summary and reflection, on the Student Academic Skills Assessment and Reflection Worksheet. Your summary and reflection response should be between 250-500 words. Solid academic writing is expected.

    UNV 108 Week 3 Topic 3 Journal Entry: Leadership and Service

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 3 entry will be about Leadership and Service. The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Reflect on the topics of “Leadership” and “Service” by answering the following questions in your reflection:

What is leadership? What does it mean to serve others?

How will your program of study prepare you to lead and serve?

Please provide a real-world example of a well-known person exhibiting leadership and service.

Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using the GCU Template in Microsoft Word.

Your response must be between 250-300 words.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

    UNV 108 Week 4 Topic 4: Discussion Question 1

  This topic discusses the importance of communicating. One of the goals of GCU is to help you effectively communicate throughout your life. Read the Topic 4 Lecture and review the “UNV 103: Communication Expectations” located in your course materials under the resources tab.

All of these resources discuss how to communicate effectively with others. Why is it important to communicate effectively with others? In what ways will effective communication skills help you in your personal, professional, and educational endeavors? Give examples.

  Why do you think GCU emphasizes quality discussion posts and proper etiquette in the Discussion Forums?

    UNV 108 Week 4 Topic 4: Discussion Question 2

  Based on reading chapter 3 in your eBook, discuss the following:

Which learning style(s) do you think you exhibit? Give an example of a situation or situations in which you used these.

Which of the nine intelligence styles discussed is most applicable to you and why?

How might knowing your strengths and weaknesses in both of these areas help you as a student and in your career?

    UNV 108 Week 4 Topic 4 Journal Entry: Collaboration and Communication

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 4 journal entry will be about “Collaboration” and “Communication.” The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Reflect on the topics of “Collaboration” and “Communication” by answering the following questions in your reflection:

Describe a time when you participated in a group that had good collaboration. How did this influence the amount of time required to complete the task?

What were some key aspects of good collaboration? How did effective communication affect collaboration?

How might different learning and intelligence styles affect collaboration?

Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using the GCU Template in Microsoft Word.

Your response must be between 250-300 words.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

    UNV 108 Week 5 Topic 5: Discussion Question 1

  Read the assigned resource titled “Plagiarism Story” located in the Topic Materials for this week and discuss the following:

What are the potential consequences of Steven’s academic dishonesty?

What would you do if you were in a similar situation as Steven?

What resources are there at GCU to help you so you do not resort to academic dishonesty? Please provide specific examples.

    UNV 108 Week 5 Topic 5: Discussion Question 2

  Please review the “How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay” article located in the Topic 5 Supplemental Materials Document.

Share one element from the article that you learned. How can improving your essay writing skills be of help to you in your professional and academic careers?

    UNV 108 Week 5 Collegiate-Level Writing Assignment

  Details:

Purpose

This assignment is meant to expose students to caveats and common errors in writing at the collegiate level. Working through this assignment will help you brush-up on effective college writing strategies.

Required Materials

Lecture 5

Chapter 5 in University Success

Instructions

Complete the “Collegiate-Level Writing Worksheet.”

Format Requirements

Record your answerson the “Collegiate-Level Writing Worksheet.”

Grading Criteria

Your instructor will grade the assignment using an Answer Key.

  Assignment Background:

The purpose of this assignment is to help you understand some of the academic writing expectations in higher education. Included is a comprehensive list of writing “Rules” you will want to adhere to during your academic career as well as ways to overcome common errors in college-level writing.

  Assignment Instructions:

Before completing this assignment, please reference the Developing Academic Skills Guide and the Academic Writing Guidelines Resource located under Resources. After reviewing these resources and the accompanying links, complete the sections below.

  Section 1: Rules of Academic Writing

  Place the correct “Rule” (the number next to the rule), with the correct description of that “Rule”.

  Rules: 1 Contractions 6 1st Lines of Paragraphs indent 0.5” 11 Spell Check 2 Writing in 3rd person 7 Conciseness 12 Margins 3 Times New Roman 12pt Font 8 Run-on Sentences 13 Text/Slang language 4 Double Space 9 Fragmented Sentences 14 Capitalization 5 Align Left 10 Idioms 15 Essay Formatting Descriptions: Microsoft Word has a sophisticated “checker” to identify most spelling, grammar, & consistency errors. Remove all before submission. An extra line between sentences accomplished by using the “Line and Paragraphing Spacing” option in Microsoft Word & selecting 2.0 Spacing The TAB key often makes a perfect 0.5 inch indentation by default. All four sides of each page in your document must default to 1.0” for the top, bottom, left, and right sides. Separates creative writing from formal academic writing including APA, MLA, & GCU Style. Strict adherence is required. Clichés, or slang, or figurative language should be avoided. Instead, write out or use the definition instead of the cliché. Avoid the shortened forms of one or two words combined. Spell out both words. Be sure to use this appropriately for the first word in every sentence, proper nouns, and Netiquette. LOL is an example of a term that should not be used in academic writing. Most common standardized lettering and size in college level writing. Microsoft Word will underline these errors with a green line. Rewrite the sentence until the green line disappears. Paragraphs should be aligned to the left at the zero or null point on the Microsoft Word ruler. Avoid extraordinarily long sentences. The word “and” can often be a place to split up a Run-on. Avoid wordiness by deleting needless words and using Microsoft Word thesaurus for word ideas, synonyms, and antonyms. One would, A person could, They should, She, He, It.

    Section 2: Spelling & Grammar Checker

  Microsoft Office Word offers a very sophisticated Spelling & Grammar Checker to help you identify errors in spelling, grammar, and format consistency. What underlined color is used to identify the error types below? Fill in the box with the appropriate color.

    Spelling   Grammar   Format Consistency

  Reminder: Microsoft Word will not catch every error. Some green grammar lines are due to Word misinterpreting the sentence. Some red spelling lines are due to correct words not being in its dictionary. However, Microsoft Word will identify areas of concern. It is best that you consider rewording, rephrasing, and removing all of the errors identified with these colored underlines before final submission.

    Section 3: Writing Voice

  Label these sentences; state whether the sentence is in 1st Person, 2nd Person, or 3rd Person.

    Grand Canyon University prepares people for the academic rigor they will face in their first class.   Grand Canyon University prepares me for the academic rigor I will face in my first class   Grand Canyon University prepares you for the academic rigor you will face in your first class

    .

  UNV 108 Week 5 NES Essential Academic Skills Test and Reflection

  Details:

View the “NES Essential Academic Skills Test Tutorial” on how to take the NES Essential Academic Skills test and how to submit your results to the instructor before taking the test. The tutorial provides the link to the NES test website.

  After you have received your score, write a 250-300-word reflection on taking the test. In your reflection, include your score on the test and discuss how you felt going into it, the areas of strength and weakness that were identified, and any plans to address areas for improvement.

    UNV 108 Week 5 Topic 5 Journal Entry Understanding Plagiarism

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 5 entry will be about “Plagiarism.” The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Reflect on the topic of “Plagiarism” by answering the following questions in your reflection:

Personal Knowledge: What is plagiarism?

Academic Relevance: Why do you think plagiarism is a problem in academic work? Why do think students plagiarize?

Personal Connection: How can you avoid common causes of plagiarism? What resources are available for avoiding common causes of plagiarism?

Reflection: Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using Microsoft Word formatted in GCU style.

Your response must be between 250-300 words.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide and GCU Style Guide Template, located in the Student Success

    UNV 108 Week 6 Topic 6 Discussion Question 1

  Read the articles located in the Topic 6 Supplemental Materials Document for this week pertaining to SMART goals.

What strategy do you currently use for setting and achieving goals? In what ways will the SMART goal method help you be more successful? Why?

    UNV 108 Week 6 Topic 6 Discussion Question 2

  Chapter 6 discusses the writing process. A key part of the writing process is being able to revise and proofread your work.

Describe strategies you can use to proofread and revise your written work. How might a lack of proofreading and revising reflect on you as a writer?

    UNV 108 Week 6 Goal Setting Activity

  Details: Purpose

  Setting goals is important to your success because it assists you in staying on path to finding your purpose in life. You may have personal, academic, and professional goals; each of which will keep you focused and engaged with growing and reaching your fullest potential.

  In this assignment, you will write three goals, using the method of creating SMART goals. Please refer to the Topic 6 Supplemental Material in regards to SMART Goals, as this will help you complete your assignment more successfully.

  Required Materials

  Lecture 6

  “SMART Goals Worksheet”

  Instructions

  Complete the SMART goals worksheet.

  Format Requirements

  Record your responses within the worksheet.

        UNV 108 Week 6 Topic 6 Journal Entry Priorities

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on various topics in journal entries. Your Topic 6 entry will be about priorities. The purpose of writing the journals is to provide you with an informal way of learning to express yourself and communicate through writing. Your writing skills will be developed throughout your program of study.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Reflect on the topic of “Priorities” by answering the following questions in your reflection:

What major personal, professional, or academic obstacles do you have to overcome to make school a priority? What are some ways you might work around these challenges?

How do you decide your priorities? Describe step-by-step.

What are some strategies that you can utilize to prioritize school? How will prioritizing your academic responsibilities contribute to your college success?

Reflect on the overall learning objectives from this topic. What was a key takeaway for you?

Format Requirements

Your response must be between 500-750 words.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

    UNV 108 Week 7 Topic 7 Discussion Question 1

  Part of GCU’s mission statement is to prepare learners to become global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and responsible leaders through a values-based curriculum. Students are encouraged to suspend judgment and celebrate a diversity of beliefs.

In what ways are academic and spiritual growth tied together?

    UNV 108 Week 7 Topic 7 Discussion Question 2

  Critical thinking involves self-reflection. You are not the same person who began this course 7 weeks ago; you have learned and grown during this course. Please reflect on the following:

Summarize the highlights of your learning personally, professionally, and academically during this course.

What things have worked best for you as a student in this course? What things did not go as well as you had hoped? What can you do differently in your next course to ensure your educational success? Please provide specific examples.

    UNV 108 Week 7 Topic 7 Extended Journal: Planning for Success

  Details:

Purpose

Throughout this course you have written several journals in response to a variety of different writing prompts relating to the course topics and objectives. Your final journal entry will be an extended journal entry in which you will chronicle various events in your life leading from enrolling at GCU, through program completion, and career success.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Respond to the following prompts in paragraph form (one paragraph per prompt). Use specific examples to support and enhance each response.

Who are you personally? Where are you from? How have your background and family values shaped who you are today? What are some of your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

What are your past academic experiences? Describe your schooling experience prior to GCU. What did you like most? What did you dislike? Who was your favorite teacher and why? How, when and why did you decide to enroll at GCU? What is the biggest or best thing you expect to gain from attending GCU?

Where are you academically? What are some of your academic goals? Personal goals? What will you do now to ensure you will be able to reach those goals? When do you expect to complete your program of study? What type of job do you expect to have upon graduation? Why did you choose that profession? What salary expectations do you have? How will your life change as a result of graduating from GCU?

What does your future hold? Who are people within your planned profession that you think you can learn from? What qualities do they have that you admire? How did they achieve success in your chosen field? Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? The next 20 years? How will your life contribute positively to the lives of others? How will you be of service? How do you define success? How will you know in the future if you have achieved success?

    UNV 108 Week 7 Writing Self-Assessment Reflection

  Details:

Purpose

Developing your writing skills is critical to your success throughout your program of study. Learning to write effectively will ensure your ability to communicate your ideas, thoughts, and feelings as well as what you have learned. Throughout this course you have written several journals in response to a variety of different writing prompts relating to the course topics and objectives. For this assignment, you will complete a writing self-assessment and write a short reflection discussing the results.

Required Materials

Microsoft Word

Instructions

Write a 250-500-word reflection that discusses the following questions:

What strengths and challenges may you have as a writer?

Based on feedback you have received on your writing, what specific areas of writing are difficult for you or need improvement?

What are some steps you can take to improve your writing skills?

What type of writing have you done in the past? What is your favorite type of writing?

How will the writing you have done in the past differ from the writing you will do throughout your program of study? What writing strategies will you need to employ in order to be successful writing for your program of study?

Format Requirements

Complete the assignment using Microsoft Word.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

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UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1 Assignment: Navigating LoudCloud and Time Management

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 UNV 108 Week 1 Topic 1 Assignment: Navigating LoudCloud and Time Management

 Purpose of Assignment: To become familiar with the GCU Learning Management System (LMS) Loud Cloud and the GCU website, and to also help you develop time management, an important skill for college and everyday life.

This assignment will be in two parts. In the first part of this assignment, you will be exploring and navigating around the Loud Cloud LMS so that you are more confident in locating items in the online class as well as resources that are available to you as a GCU student. Also in Part 1, you will navigate the GCU website so you become more familiar with it and can locate information you may need in the future.

In Part 2, you will be tracking and recording your time spent for 3 days to see where and how you manage your time. You will then reflect on your findings and plan strategies to help you maximize your time and help you become a better manager of your life.

Format: Solid academic writing is expected for both Parts 1 and 2.

Grading Criteria: Part 1 will be graded with an instructor answer key; Part 2 will be reviewed based on your data given and presentation of your reflection.

Assignment Due Date: End of Week/Topic 1

  Part 1: Navigating the Loud Cloud LMS and GCU Website

Directions: Please locate the correct response(s) to each of the questions below, and then provide your answer found, in one to two sentences, or short answer format. (The spacing can be manipulated if you require more room for your responses. Please DO NOT forget to SAVE once you begin to answer the questions, so you do not lose any information.)

 The following questions are directed towards the Loud Cloud LMS:

 1.     After logging into the Loud Cloud classroom, list the main tabs you see across the top of the “home” page of Loud Cloud. Include the number to tech support, link is located at the bottom of the home page (hint: it is in blue).

 2.     From the Course Home page in Loud Cloud, click on the TASKS tab and then click on FORUM. Explain the purpose of the Main Forum, Individual Forum, and Questions to Instructor Forum.

 3.     Under the RESOURCES tab in Loud Cloud, click on the Student Success Center. List the three main tabs you find at the top of the Student Success Center.

 4.     Under the RESOURCES tab in Loud Cloud, inside the Student Success Center, click on TOOLS and then click on Style Guides and Templates. What writing style is required for 100- and 200-level courses at GCU?

  5.     Under the Resources tab in Loud Cloud, inside the Student Success Center, click on the Tools tab at the top of the page select Tutorials. List 3 tutorials that will help you most as you begin this course.

 6.     From the Course Home page in Loud Cloud, explain the steps to find your GRADEBOOK.

 7.     Click on the RESOURCES tab in the Loud Cloud classroom. Describe the following resources:

 1.     Course Material

2.     Add-ons

3.     Syllabus

4.     Classroom Policies

5.     Student Success Center

6.     Library

7.     Tutoring Services

 8.     Click on the RESOURCES tab in the Loud Cloud classroom and select COURSE MATERIALS. List the first two resources you find on the page under the Course Contents heading.

 9.     Go to http://library.gcu.edu. Under Help, click on the Frequently Asked Questions (on the left) link. Describe how to get help from the librarian.

 10.   Stay in the CONNECT tab, select and click on Roster. Review your instructor’s profile, provide his/her contact information, including office hours.

 The following questions are directed towards the GCU Website at: http://students.gcu.edu 

1.     On the Home Page, locate and click Student Affairs, then locate and click Spiritual Life. Describe which sections of this page interest you. Why?

 2.     On the Home page, locate and click Campus Resources. Locate and click Learning Resources then locate and click Learning Lounge. What can you expect during your tutoring session with a learning advocate (LEAD)?

 The following questions are directed towards the GCU Website at: http://gcu.edu

1.     On the Home page, locate and click on About GCU. Locate and click University Snapshot. Locate the Mission and Vision Statement for Grand Canyon University. Based on the Mission Statement what will GCU prepare you to become upon graduation?

 2.     Staying on the University Snapshot page, locate and list the Four Pillars of GCU.

 3.     On the Home page, click Academics. Locate and click Majors & Programs, then locate your program. Which program core course looks most interesting to you? Why? Include course name, number and description along with your explanation.

  Part Two: Time Monitoring and Management for College & Life

Directions: There will be two parts to this portion of the assignment, Part A and Part B. Please complete all sections on this document, as this is what you will be submitting for your entire Topic 1 Assignment (Parts 1 and 2).

In Part A, you begin by keeping an informal time log in which you note all your activities for 3 days, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.(even if your wake-up and bedtime alter from this beginning and end time, please use this time-frame and just place what you are doing during the hours allocated). You will use this information for planning ways to make better use of your time.

In Part B, you will briefly analyze the results from your time log to determine the changes you need to make to your time schedule and how you will manage those changes. After analyzing your data, you will construct a reflective 200-250-word summary of your time-monitoring analysis and identify two main discoveries you found; whether this was positive or negative discovery. You may also wish to consider the information from chapter 4 of the textbook as you complete your reflection, as you may wish to reference to help support your findings.

Note: This portion of the assignment will also help in completing the S.M.A.R.T Goals that will come in Week/Topic 5.

Part A: Time Monitoring Activity/Worksheet

In completing the Time Monitoring, you will need to fill out the Time Monitoring Worksheet found below the following directions. *You may also wish to print one to keep for easier record keeping as you track your time, and then complete the chart here to submit with your assignment.

·         Monitor your time in hourly increments:

1.     Carry your Time Monitoring Worksheet with you whenever you are awake.

2.     Each hour of the day, starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m., write down what you did during that hour. If you do not get up until 10 a.m., do you record 5:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.? Yes, you will just note that you were “sleeping” during those hours.

3.     Do not overdo the recording; record the primary activity for the hour.

  ·         On Day 4, when you have 3 days of time monitored, it is time to analyze your time use. You will need to have your Time Monitoring Worksheet available, as you will need this to review and reflect what you have noted, as well as something to take notes with when analyzing your data.

·         New college students usually find that most time management issues, fall into three main categories, so this is where you will start the analysis. Brainstorm and organize your data into the areas noted below, and add area(s) where you see necessary. Here are the three main areas students have mentioned when reviewing their data and reasoning:

·         Making poor judgments about using their time wisely; procrastination would fall under this area or not prioritizing events or tasks wisely.

·         When stressed, becoming immobilized or shutting down mentally and/or physically.

·         Giving less than their best efforts when rushed and overwhelmed or when they feel like quitting.

·         Once you have fully analyzed your data, you will be ready to begin Part B, writing your reflective summary.

  Time Monitoring Worksheet

  Time

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

5:00 a.m.

   6:00 a.m.

   7:00 a.m.

   8:00 a.m.

   9:00 a.m.

   10:00 a.m.

   11:00 a.m.

   12:00 p.m.

   1:00 p.m.

   2:00 p.m.

   3:00 p.m.

   4:00 p.m.

   5:00 p.m.

   6:00 p.m.

   7:00 p.m.

   8:00 p.m.

   9:00 p.m.

   10:00 p.m.

      Part B: Time Monitoring and Management Reflection

In reviewing your data and notes, you will now write a 200-250-word summary. Briefly discuss your findings, and if you are utilizing your time wisely or there are areas where you need to adjust to be more successful in college and life. You may also want to consider adding supportive information from the readings in chapter 4 to help express your points in your summary.

Please write your summary in the space provided below. You will be able to manipulate the space if you require more room for your summary.

Important: Once you have completed the assignment, be sure to submit the assignment to the appropriate assignment drop box for Topic 1 Assignment. Please be sure to click on the FINAL submit button, as your assignment will not be submitted unless you do this. Failure to do this could result in late penalties or a zero.

To review assignment grade and feedback, you will go to the same place where you submitted the assignment. Please watch for any important announcements that your instructor may post in regards to assignments and grades throughout the course

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SOCS 185 ( Culture and Society ) Entire Course

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SOCS185 all weeks discussions , assignments , quizzes and final exam – Latest 2016

 devry socs185n week 1 discussion dq 1& dq 2

 devry socs185 dq 1

  Developing a Sociological  Imagination (graded)

 Sociologist C. Wright Mills preferred to call the sociological perspective “the sociological imagination” and he saw it transforming personal troubles into public issues. Let’s begin our discussion this week by considering homelessness. Why are a high percentage of the homeless veterans? What situations might be a cause in someone being homeless? Use the sociological imagination to explain your observations, and how the sociological imagination helps us consider the causes and possible solutions to homelessness..

  devry socs185 dq2

   Stanford Prison Experiment  (graded)

  In 1971, Philip Zimbardo’s experiment demonstrated the power of the situation and the interaction between social interaction and social structure. There are many videos of the experiment, search two or three videos on internet to see different perspectives about this experiment. After viewing the videos, if you had been a guard, do you think you would have been more likely to go along with the other guards or would you have resisted or spoken up about treating the prisoners the way you would have wanted to be treated if the roles had been reversed??

 devry socs185n week 2 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  The Changing Meaning of Symbols  (graded)

  Symbols can have more than one meaning.

1. The     battle flag of the Confederate States of America is viewed by some as the     rebel flag and is a symbol for individualism against authority. To others, it is a powerful symbol of repression,     hate, and slavery.

2.     Someone wearing the hat or jersey of their favorite team might be     perceived as a gang member (friend or foe) because of the symbolic meaning     of the colors to another group.

3. What     examples can you think of where symbols can have more than one meaning?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  The Games Children Play... (graded)

  In the article, “Games Children Play: An Exercise Illustrating Agents of Socialization” (Teaching Sociology, 26, April, 1998: 130-139). Davita Silfen Glasberg, Florence Maatita, Barbara Nangle, and Tracy Schauer pointed out that most introductory sociology textbooks identify the main socialization agents as family, peers, schools, media, work, and religion. “���what is far less often acknowledged is the contribution that children’s toys and games play in representing and reinforcing dominant conceptions of ‘appropriate’ social identities found in social discourse and in institutional arrangements.” Toys and games can allow us to experience the subtleties of race, class, gender, and political socialization that are embedded in play. Sometimes players may challenge and subvert these images and messages at the delight or disgust of other players.

What toys did you have as a child that you think of as agents of socialization? How did you use toys to understand relationships or prepare for new ones?

  devry socs185n week 3 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  The Milgram Experiments (graded)

  The Milgram experiments on obedience to authority, discussed in chapter five were conducted with groups of subjects who had not met before the experimental session. Here is a brief video from the original experiment: Milgram Experiment. Do you think that groups of people who already knew each other would demonstrate more or less conformity if placed in these experimental situations? What if the teachers were men and the learners were women? Would teenagers conform the same as adults?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  Sexuality and Social Inequality (graded)

  How could sexuality play a part in social inequality? Watch the following video: Girl’s Self-Esteem. Does society hold women to a different set of expectations than they do for men?

  devry socs185n week 4 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  Social Mobility (graded)

  Has your family experienced significant upward or downward mobility over the past three or four generations? How do you think your values and behavior might differ had you experienced the opposite pattern of mobility? How might it have been different had your family been of a different ethnic or racial origin?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  Perceptions of Deviance (graded)

  One of the more interesting topics of study is the area of deviance and social control. Choose a form of deviance with which you are familiar (not necessarily something you’ve done, but something someone you know did) and discuss why society views that behavior as deviant and whether perceptions of that behavior have changed over time. Explain which theory of deviance you think works best for understanding the deviant behavior you’ve chosen to discuss.

  devry socs185 week 5

   Definitions of Race and Ethnicity  (graded)

  What is meant by the social construction of race? Take a look at the this video link:.youtube.com/watch?v=EivX77ORIIs”> Kiri Davis: A Girl Like Me. Is your race more a matter of how you view yourself or of how others view you? In what ways is how you view yourself influenced by our society and culture?

   Man’s Work Versus Woman’s Work  (graded)

  How are household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, child care, auto maintenance, yard work, home repair, etc.) divided up along gender lines in your current residence? How were chores divided up in the home where you grew up? Is the time spent each week on the total about evenly divided or skewed one way or the other?

  devry socs185 week 6

  We Are Family. Get Online And Post With Me... (graded)

  Sociologists stress that family life is not just a reflection of individual decisions but also the social structure of the broader society. Using concepts from this week’s reading to support your points, discuss how society shapes family life.

  What is Religion? (graded)

  How would you define a religion? What characteristics must a belief system have in order for it to be considered a religion? If a belief system did not include faith, a God, heaven, or hell, would it still be a religion? How much of a belief system do you have to believe in order to be considered a member of a religion, 100%, 90%, less?

  devry socs185 week 7

  Think Globally, Act Locally  (graded)

  What steps do you or your families take to lessen your impact on the environment? What items do you reduce your usage of, recycle back into other products, or reuse for another purpose?

   Coming Back To Research (graded)

  Research is fundamental in the social sciences. A common data collection method is the survey. Let’s look at the survey as a social scientist.

Navigate to the DeVry portal .devry.edu/”>(http://my.devry.edu). At the student portal, enter your DSI# and the password used to log in to the student portal and navigate to the End of Course Evaluations and Student Satisfaction Survey directly from the home page. Locate the Quick Links section on the left side of the home page, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the link for Surveys.

Now, let’s discuss the merits and flaws of this survey instrument. Which questions would you add? Which would you delete? What questions would you change? What questions would you keep the same?

  DeVry SOCS185 Course Assignmennts

  Sociological Imagination Assignment

  Our decisions do not simply result from what philosophers call “free will.” Sociology teaches us that the social world guides our life choices in much the same way that the physical world guides influence our choice of clothing or the type of food we feel like eating. C. Wright Mills pointed to the power of what he called the sociological imagination to help us understand everyday events. As he saw it, society—not people’s personal failings—is the main cause of poverty and other social problems.

For this assignment explain how a personal problem can be caused by a larger social issue. It can be a problem that you, a friend or family member, or someone you have read about has experienced. Describe the situation, putting both the personal problem and the larger social issue in boldface, then explain the relationship in terms of cause and effect. Limit your response to a single double spaced page.

Category

Points

%

Description

Understanding

10

25%

Correctly identifying a personal  problem and larger social issue

Analysis

20

50%

Explaining the cause and effect  relationship using proper terminology

Execution

10

25%

Proper spelling, grammar, format  and use of boldface

Total

40

100%

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these .equella.ecollege.com/file/8ff9f27a-3772-48cf-9855-4bec4e6706bf/1/Dropbox.html”>step-by-step instructions.

See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.

Discussions

Introduce yourself to your instructor and to the rest     of the class (not graded, but required)

Developing a Sociological Imagination (graded)

Stanford Prison Experiment (graded)

Q & A Forum for your questions and comments (not     graded)

devry socs185 week 3 Your Assignment

 You are a student employee who overhears conversations among your coworkers. While on break, two of your male coworkers usually go off by themselves and smoke a cigarette. These recently hired coworkers are in their first semester and have just graduated from high school. Sometimes you overhear bits and pieces of their conversations. You are concerned that they regularly have conversations that are inappropriate for the workplace. You have overheard these coworkers making crude sexual references about other employees, telling sexist jokes, and sharing images and graphics of a sexist nature on their cell phones. You seek advice on how to handle the situation from others at your workplace.

 KEY PLAYERS

 .equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/femaleBusinesswoman1.jpg” alt=””>You need to decide if you want to file a formal complaint. If you do, the matter will be investigated. If what you say can be substantiated then the young men will be reprimanded. That usually results in their employment being terminated and their student loans/financial aid may be in put in jeopardy. Shirley Wright Manager of Student Employees

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/Businessman15.PNG” alt=””>I don’t care what your boss says; this is inappropriate behavior for the workplace, even if they are on break. They should learn to stop this kind of behavior before they graduate. It’s the sort of thing that could get you fired in the real world. If I were you, I would, informally, have a word with them and tell them that I was offended. Once they have been informed that they offended someone, they may decide to change their behavior on their own. Ron DesVue 30-year-old veteran, student and classmate

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/Businessman10.png” alt=””>Hey, you got a smart phone, don’t you? First thing I’d do is record their conversation on my phone. Don’t let them know you’re recording it. The next time they have one of those conversations tell them that you find it offensive and ask them to stop it. If they refuse or give you a hard time, tell them that you have a recording of their sexist comments and you’ll take it to the boss. They don’t need to know how the boss feels; the threat should be good enough to get them to stop, at least when you are around. Hugh Jim Bissell Close friend since high school and current classmate

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/femaleBusinesswoman2.jpg” alt=””>Let’s not turn this into a federal case. I’d say as long as they’re having these conversations in private, among themselves then it’s not any of your business. After all,boys will be boys. These are young, single men, and this is a way that they bond, work out frustrations, and blow off steam. Look, it’s not like they’re making racist remarks. In that case, I definitely go straight to the boss, even higher up the chain of command, if I needed to. After all, who hasn’t told a dirty joke now and then? As long as they keep it on the down low, it’s no big deal. Frieda Choose Close friend and classmate

 Activity or Assignment

 This assignment covers TCO 6 in terms of interaction among groups and TCO 4 in terms of the meaning of culture within society.

In a 500-word (minimum) essay, using the concepts that you learned from this week’s readings analyze the different ways that sexist behavior is handled in the formal and informal bureaucracy. The following questions should answered in the essay.

The following questions should be answered in the essay.

Does Shirley Wright’s comment make you more or less     likely to file a formal complaint? Do you agree with the likely     punishment? If not, what alternative punishment would you suggest?

Do you agree with Ron DesVue’s perspective where he     says you should speak to the individuals? Why or why not?

Do you agree or disagree with Hugh Jim Bissell on using     your smart phone to make a recording? Why or why not?

Should you take Frieda Choose’s advice that “boys will     be boys,” and that there is a general expectation that men will     occasionally behave badly, and so long as the behavior is kept between     privately, it should be ignored? Why do you think she distinguishes     between sexist remarks and racist remarks? Explain your answer.

Is there a problem with the organization in the     scenario above? If so, what should be done to provide a long-term solution     to the problem

devry socs185 week 5

 Socioautobiography Assignment

 Your socioautobiography assignment is due this week. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to apply the sociological imagination to your everyday life: to make connections between your everyday life and the broad sociocultural structures within which you live. In this assignment, you will reference appropriate Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) that relate to your socioautobiography. You can find the TCOs in this course listed in the Syllabus and in the weekly objectives. This assignment can be related to any and all of the TCOs.

The Socioautobiography is a reflective paper that allows you the opportunity to explore the interconnections between biography (a slice of your life), the social structure, and culture. In preparation for this paper, please read Socioautobiography Guidelines posted in Doc Sharing for detailed assignment instructions and grading rubric.

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these .equella.ecollege.com/file/8ff9f27a-3772-48cf-9855-4bec4e6706bf/1/Dropbox.html”>step-by-step instructions.

See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.

 Question 1. Question :

(TCO 1) The systematic study of human society is known as _____.

psychology

science

anthropology

sociology

social psychology

 Question 2. Question :

(TCO 1) The study of the larger world and our society’s place in it is known as _____.

a social science perspective

a scientific perspective

a social psychological perspective

a sociological perspective

a global perspective

 Question 3. Question :

(TCO 1) When Peter Berger characterized the sociological perspective as “seeing the general in the particular,” he meant that sociology allows us to _____.

recognize that society has the same effect on all categories of people

see that people in general are rather particular about their behaviors

make generalizations about individuals’ particular habits

see McArthur in his Jeep, Patton in his tank, or Bradley in his personnel carrier

look for general patterns in the behavior of particular people

 Question 4. Question :

(TCO 3) Of the major theoretical theories in sociology, which one views society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change?

Social-solidarity paradigm

Social-conflict theory

Symbolic-interaction paradigm

Structural-functional paradigm

Symbolic-conflict paradigm

 Question 5. Question :

(TCO 3) Functions of institutions that are open, stated, and conscious functions; that involve the intended, recognized consequences of any social pattern are known as _____.

Oktoberfest

manifest

latent

obvious

direct

 Question 6. Question :

(TCO 2) Which is the term for a concept that has a value that changes from case to case?

Concept

Measurement

Changeling

Variable

Term

 Question 7. Question :

(TCO 2) Independent variable is to dependent variable as _____.

blood is to water

effect is to cause

cause is to effect

variable is to constant

logic is to intuition

 Question 8. Question :

 (TCO 2) A relationship in which two (or more) variables change together is called _____.

a correlation

a variation

measurement congruence

a replication

an event horizon

 Question 9. Question :

(TCO 2) What research method was used in Philip Zimbardo’s study, the “Stanford County Prison”?

Captive participant observation

Ethnographic field observation

An experiment

Participant observation

The hellgrammite method

 Question 10. Question :

(TCO 2) A criticism of the symbolic-interaction approach is that it

says little about how individuals actually experience society.

wanted to colorize Casablanca.

ignores the influence of factors such as culture, class, gender, and race.

focuses too much on class.

paints a very positive picture of society.

5 of 5

page 2

  (TCO 4) On the first day of basic training in the army, Pvt. N. Terprize has his civilian clothes replaced with army “greens,” has his hair shaved off, loses his privacy, and finds that he must use a communal bathroom and other people decide when he eats, sleeps, and what job he does. Erving Goffman would say that all these humiliating activities are part of _____.

a humiliation ceremony

impression management

the total institution

face-work

a deprivation ceremony

 Question 2. Question :

(TCO 4) Other than perceiving the competing realities in a joke, what is sometimes involved in “getting” and enjoying a joke?

The joke must be universally funny.

The joke must be simple.

The audience must inferentially complete the joke in their minds.

The joke teller must explain the joke and provide more and more information until it is understood.

The listener must be able to tell a joke well in order to get a joke.

  Question 3. Question :

(TCO 4) Which is the order of the stages of human development in Jean Piaget’s model?

Sensorimotor, preoperational, operational, and post operational

Preoperational, post operational, concrete operational, and formal operational

Sensorimotor, concrete operational, formal operational, and post operational

Formal operation, concrete operational, preoperational, and sensorimotor

Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational

  Question 4. Question :

(TCO 4) Erving Goffman makes so many explicit parallels to the theater that his view has been termed _____.

Shakespearean

Theatrical

Stage Directions

Method Sociology

the Dramaturgical Approach

  Question 5. Question :

(TCO 4) Shrimp merchant Sheldon Devane is the son of immigrants, and lives with his aunt and uncle while enrolled at a four-year university where he is studying to be a graphic artist. Which of the following is his achieved status?

Graphic artist

Male

Son

University student

Nephew

  Question 6. Question :

(TCO 3) Taxi cab driver Peacup Andropov maintains that human behavior results from learning and has no gentic component. His position is the fundamental opposite of _____.

sociobiologists

G. H. Mead

interactionists

social paychologists

structural functionalists

  Question 7. Question :

(TCO 3) Mashie Nibblet is a pro at a country club and loves to play golf, but hates to teach it to the country club members. Mashie is experiencing _____.

role conflict

role strain

role ambiguity

role exit

a handicap that, if not ironed out, would leave him feeling below par with a chip on his shoulder resulting in a stroke

  Question 8. Question :

(TCO 3) Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance are _____.

folkways

mores

stateways

nationways

s’mores

  Question 9. Question :

(TCO 3) Standards by which members of a culture assess desirability, goodness, and beauty and that serve as broad guidelines for social living are referred to as _________, and ___________ are rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members.

values; norms

norms; values

values; symbols

language; norms

values; language

  Question 10. Question :

(TCO 3) All of the following are theories of cultural, EXCEPT _____.

Structural-Functional

Social Conflict.

Anthropomorphic

Sociobiology

Feminist

  devry socs185 week 4

  CO 4) Statistician, Marge Innovera has been assigned a leadership role in her project management group. Given North American tradition, what type of leadership would she be expected to show?

Student Answer: Task group leadership

Secondary group leadership

Expressive leadership

Instrumental leadership

Autocratic leadership

Comments:

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 4) Which statement reflects Georg Simmel’s understanding of the dyad?

Student Answer: She was one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time and is a fine sports commentator.

There usually is less intense interaction in a dyad.

Dyads have the least potential for meaningful social bonds.

One member can act as a mediator if relations become strained.

Dyads are less stable than groups with many members.

Comments:

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 4) Ross T. Farrian’s itinerary for the day is to first, go to school; second, visit a maximum-security prison with his criminology class; and third, to serve dinner at the community soup kitchen. Ross is visiting, in order, a _____, _____, and _____ organization.

Student Answer: normative, coercive, utilitarian

coercive, normative, utilitarian

utilitarian, coercive, normative

utilitarian, normative, coercive

normative, utilitarian, coercive

Comments:

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 4) _____ feel they are trapped in the wrong body.

Student Answer: Hermaphrodites

Homosexuals

Transvestites

Transsexuals

Transylvanians

Comments:

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 4) Which statement is true concerning intersexual people?

Student Answer: They are sexually attracted to both sexes.

They are attracted to neither sex.

They have both female and male characteristics.

They have no gender.

They are in the middle of gender reassignment surgery.

Comments:

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 6) Pat Rearc argues that without norms controlling sexual behavior and thus giving the forces of sexual passion free reign, family life and the raising of children would be threatened. To which paradigm would Pat be aligned?

Student Answer: Structural Functional Theory

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Social Conflict Theory

Queer Theory

Exchange Theory

Comments:

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 6) Emile Durkheim proposed several functions of deviance. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Student Answer: Deviance affirms cultural values and norms.

Deviance provides employment for a large segment of the work force.

Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries.

Deviance encourages social change.

Deviance promotes social unity.

Comments:

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 6) Travis Hirschi’s approach to deviance and control proposes that

Student Answer: Hirschi is a deviant spelling of Hershey.

deviance results from differential access to wealth.

deviance is a frustration of ambition.

individualism inhibits the deviance.

everyone finds at least some deviance tempting.

Comments:

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 6) There are four basic reasons to punish: moral vengeance, reforming the offender, discourage criminality, and render the offender incapable of further offenses. The terms for these are in order:

Student Answer: retribution, social protection, rehabilitation and deterrence.

deterrence, retribution, social protection, and rehabilitation.

social protection, deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation

retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence, and social protection.

deterrence, social protection, retribution, and rehabilitation.

Comments:

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 3) In France during the Middle Ages, the third estate, second estate, and first estate refer respectively to

Student Answer: nobility, high clergy, and commoner.

high clergy, nobility, and commoner.

commoner, high clergy, and nobility.

commoner, nobility, and high clergy.

high clergy, commoner, and nobility

 (TCO 3) Kuznet’s curve suggests that

Student Answer: it could be an effective pitch for the veteran who is starting to lose a little something on his fast ball.

industrial societies will, in the longer run, remain unchanged.

industrial societies tend to become less stratified than agrarian societies.

as human technological sophistication has increased, social stratification has decreased.

industrialization and social stratification are unrelated.

Comments:

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 3) _____ is the term for earnings from work or investments and _____ is the term for the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts.

Student Answer: Income; personal property

Profit; income

Wealth; income

Income; wealth

Rent; net worth

Comments:

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 3) Which theory of poverty blames poverty on the shortcomings of the poor themselves?

Student Answer: Individual responsibility theory

Personal chioce theory

Social forces theory

Culture of poverty theory

Legacy or poverty theory

Comments:

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 5) Which of the following did Max Weber suggest were analytically distinct components of stratification?

Student Answer: Conformity, deviance, and social control

Power, prestige, and position

Class, caste, and age

Class, prestige, and esteem

Class, status, and power

Comments:

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 4) Accounts Payable Administrator Imelda Czechs works for a small international corporation. This category of work can be described as _____

Student Answer: blue-collar work.

white-collar work.

pink-collar work.

fur collar work.

no-collar work.

Comments:

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 4) Which type of slavery consists of employers holding workers by paying them too little to cover their debts?

Student Answer: Chattel slavery

Child slavery

Debt bondage

Debit slavery

Revolving credit slavery

Comments:

 Question 7. Question : (TCO 4) Which of the following gives the correct order of stages of modernization according to W. W. Rostow?

Student Answer: High mass consumption, traditional, drive to technological maturity, and take-off

Traditional, drive to technological maturity, take-off, and high mass consumption

High mass consumption, traditional, take-off, and drive to technological maturity

Traditional, take-off, drive to technological maturity, and high mass consumption

Take-off, drive to traditional maturity, technological, and consume mass quantities

Comments:

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 4) Andre Gunder Frank states that poor nations

Student Answer: are responsible for their own poverty.

were “underdeveloped,” or made poor, by rich nations.

suffer from traditional culture.

need to gain more productive technology.

can be helped with the investment of multinational corporations.

Comments:

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 4) According to Immanuel Wallerstein’s view of the global economic system, which type of nation is relatively independent of outside control?

Student Answer: Core

Periphery

Semiperiphery

Marginality

Tertiary

Comments:

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 5) While modernization theory focuses on _____, dependency theory focuses on _____.

Student Answer: poor nations; rich nations

distribution of wealth; production of wealth

production of wealth; distribution of wealth

culture; economics

multinationals; self-reliance

 devry socs185 week 6

 TCO 8) Back in 1900, it was common in the United States to consider people of these ancestries as “nonwhite.”

English, Scottish, or Welsh

Irish, Italian, or Jewish

French, German, or Swiss

Dutch, French, or Swede

Austrian, Norse, or Prussian

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 8) Ethnicity refers to ______.

a group that is set apart from others because of physical differences

socially constructed categories based on cultural traits a society defines as important

a group whose members have significantly less control over their own lives than the members of a dominant group

a collective that has reached very moral decisions about a way of life

all people from the same country

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 6) The unequal treatment of various categories of people is known as

stereotyping.

ethnocentrism.

discrimination.

segregation.

active prejudice.

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 5) The claim that defining members of some minority as inferior will make them inferior is one application of

social distance research.

the iron law of oligarchy.

the Thomas theorem.

authoritarian personality theory.

exploitation theory.

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 8) The barrier that is invisible, but which prevents women from rising beyond middle-management positions, is referred to as

the “glass ceiling.”

the “closed top.”

transparent discrimination.

the “ceiling of upper management.”

the “impermeable barrier.”

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 8) _____ refers to social organization in which males dominate females.

Patriarchy

Matriarchy

Monarchy

Oligarchy

Fratriarchy

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 8) Talcott Parsons explained that males tend to exhibit _____ behavior, while females are more _____.

instrumental; expressive

expressive; instrumental

egalitarian; hierarchical

rational; emotional

emotional; rational

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 8) Which type of feminism seeks to end patriarchy by eliminating the idea of gender itself?

Liberal feminism

Socialist feminism

Radical feminism

Moderate feminism

Libertarian feminism

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 7) Comparing school performance, researchers have found that the most important cause of the achievement gap between rich and poor children is

differences in schools.

differences in home environments.

differences in personal ability.

differences in personal health.

differences in family composition.

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 3) _____ and _____ theories explain that families perpetuate social inequality in U.S. society through inheritance of private property, encouraging patriarchy, and passing on racial and ethnic inequality.

Feminist; functionalist

Social-exchange; feminist

Social-exchange; interactionist

Global; internationalist

Feminist; social conflict

 (TCO 3) When Mort Tality assisted in the death of his wife Fay, who was suffering from an incurable disease, he engaged in

Euthanasia.

Youthinasia.

Homicide.

Misdemeanour.

Kevorkianism.

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 7) The term empty nest refers to

families whose children have grown and left home.

women who choose to remain single.

women who marry, but choose to remain childless.

egalitarian family structures.

couples who are unable to have a child.

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 7) A religious organization that stands apart from the larger society is a _____, while a _____ is a religious organization that is largely outside a society’s cultural traditions.

church; sect

sect; cult

cult; church

denomination; cult

cult; sect

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 7) According to Max Weber’s analysis of Protestantism and the rise of capitalism, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Protestantism held back the development of capitalism for years.

Protestantism, with its conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, fostered social unrest, and averted a socialist revolution.

Protestantism even with its argument with the dominant Roman Catholic Church, still supported the economic status quo.

Protestantism stressed duty and hard work, boosting economic production and fostering the rise of capitalism.

Protestantism, with its conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, fostered social unrest, and a socialist revolution.

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 3) Charter schools are

private schools that typically enroll high-income students.

public schools that have the freedom to try new programs and policies.

private schools that have a religious curriculum.

public schools that are run by private companies.

public schools established through a land grant charter.

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 3) Following the social-conflict approach, patterns of health and illness are seen largely as a product of

technology.

how people define the situation they experience.

how culture defines health and illness.

a mobile society

social inequality.

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 5) Which term do we use to refer to a political and economic system that combines a mostly market-based economy with extensive social welfare programs??

Modernization

Socialism

Welfare capitalism

Capitalism

Communism

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 5) In a capitalist economic system, justice amounts to

doing what is best for society’s poorest members.

everyone being more or less economically equal.

freedom of the marketplace allowing people to follow their self-interest.

no one going hungry.

little more than lip service.

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 5) The Marxist political-economy model suggests that

power is no longer concentrated in the hands of a few.

an anti-democratic bias exists in the capitalist system.

power is widely dispersed throughout society.

many people do not vote because they are satisfied with the political system..

that the only justice in the halls of justice is in the halls.

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 5) Which of Weber’s types of authority is also know as bureaucratic authority?

Egalitarian authority

Charismatic authority

Traditional authority

Rational-legal authority

Representative authority

 SOCS 185 Week 8 Final Exam

   Question 1.

Question :

(TCO 8) Which sociological      approach would emphasize that inequalities in healthcare have clear      life-and-death consequences for some due to the unequal distribution of      resources?

 Question 2.

Question :

(TCO 8) Critics of the      functionalist view of the sick role suggest:

 Question 3.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which type of medicine      refers to therapies in which the health care practitioner considers the      person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics?

 Question 4.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which area of study is      concerned with the interrelationships among people in their spatial      setting and physical environment?

 Question 5.

Question :

(TCO 8) The concept “zero      population growth” refers to the level of reproduction that

 Question 6.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which theory of social      change holds that society is moving in a definite direction?

 Question 7.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which term is used to      refer to the ways in which a social movement utilizes such resources as      money, political influence, access to the media, and personnel?

 Question 8.

Question :

(TCO 8) Which term refers to      the period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture is still      adapting to new material conditions?

 Question 9.

Question :

(TCO 9) David Riesman      described other-directed social character as which of the following?      Chapter 16, page 454

 Question 10.

Question :

(TCO 8) Scholars who take a      postmodernist approach claim that

   Question 1.

Question :

(TCO 1, 2, 3, 4) Identify the      seven basic principles put forth in the American Sociological      Association’s Code of Ethics. Choose three of these principles, and      anticipate how a researcher might encounter controversy by abiding by      these principles.

 Question 2.

Question :

(TCO 3, 8, 9) You have been      asked by a committee of student success coaches to investigate why the      rate at which freshman students post to their course threaded discussions      is lower than the rate for other groups of students. Explain how the      interactionist perspective would analyze and explain the low posting      rate. (In other words, consider the contributing factors that the      interactionist perspective would focus on in trying to explain the      reasons for the low rate of students posting to their threads.) Then      discuss a solution that an interactionist might use to encourage freshman      students to post.

 Question 3.

Question :

(TCO 6, 7) The local newspaper      reports that a middle school had been broken into, damaged, and      vandalized to the tune of $50,000. Security cameras show the vandals were      four high school students, three of whom are on the honor roll. Compare      and contrast the explanation given by labeling theory to the explanation      given by anomie theory of deviance.

 Question 4.

Question :

(TCO 3, 4, 6) List Weber’s six      characteristics of a bureaucracy. Explain a positive and a negative      consequence for an organization from each of these characteristics.

 Question 5.

Question :

(TCO 5, 6, 8) Define and give      examples of ascribed status, achieved status, master status, role      conflict, role strain, and role exit

[stellaturner-blog]

SOCS 185 Entire Course

 http://hwpool.com/product/socs-185-entire-course/

 evry socs185n week 1 discussion dq 1& dq 2

 devry socs185 dq 1

  Developing a Sociological  Imagination (graded)

 Sociologist C. Wright Mills preferred to call the sociological perspective “the sociological imagination” and he saw it transforming personal troubles into public issues. Let’s begin our discussion this week by considering homelessness. Why are a high percentage of the homeless veterans? What situations might be a cause in someone being homeless? Use the sociological imagination to explain your observations, and how the sociological imagination helps us consider the causes and possible solutions to homelessness..

  devry socs185 dq2

   Stanford Prison Experiment  (graded)

  In 1971, Philip Zimbardo’s experiment demonstrated the power of the situation and the interaction between social interaction and social structure. There are many videos of the experiment, search two or three videos on internet to see different perspectives about this experiment. After viewing the videos, if you had been a guard, do you think you would have been more likely to go along with the other guards or would you have resisted or spoken up about treating the prisoners the way you would have wanted to be treated if the roles had been reversed??

 devry socs185n week 2 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  The Changing Meaning of Symbols  (graded)

  Symbols can have more than one meaning.

1. The     battle flag of the Confederate States of America is viewed by some as the     rebel flag and is a symbol for individualism against authority. To others, it is a powerful symbol of repression,     hate, and slavery.

2.     Someone wearing the hat or jersey of their favorite team might be     perceived as a gang member (friend or foe) because of the symbolic meaning     of the colors to another group.

3. What     examples can you think of where symbols can have more than one meaning?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  The Games Children Play... (graded)

  In the article, “Games Children Play: An Exercise Illustrating Agents of Socialization” (Teaching Sociology, 26, April, 1998: 130-139). Davita Silfen Glasberg, Florence Maatita, Barbara Nangle, and Tracy Schauer pointed out that most introductory sociology textbooks identify the main socialization agents as family, peers, schools, media, work, and religion. “…what is far less often acknowledged is the contribution that children’s toys and games play in representing and reinforcing dominant conceptions of ‘appropriate’ social identities found in social discourse and in institutional arrangements.” Toys and games can allow us to experience the subtleties of race, class, gender, and political socialization that are embedded in play. Sometimes players may challenge and subvert these images and messages at the delight or disgust of other players.

What toys did you have as a child that you think of as agents of socialization? How did you use toys to understand relationships or prepare for new ones?

  devry socs185n week 3 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  The Milgram Experiments (graded)

  The Milgram experiments on obedience to authority, discussed in chapter five were conducted with groups of subjects who had not met before the experimental session. Here is a brief video from the original experiment: Milgram Experiment. Do you think that groups of people who already knew each other would demonstrate more or less conformity if placed in these experimental situations? What if the teachers were men and the learners were women? Would teenagers conform the same as adults?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  Sexuality and Social Inequality (graded)

  How could sexuality play a part in social inequality? Watch the following video: Girl’s Self-Esteem. Does society hold women to a different set of expectations than they do for men?

  devry socs185n week 4 discussion dq 1& dq 2

  devry socs185 dq 1

  Social Mobility (graded)

  Has your family experienced significant upward or downward mobility over the past three or four generations? How do you think your values and behavior might differ had you experienced the opposite pattern of mobility? How might it have been different had your family been of a different ethnic or racial origin?

  devry socs185 dq 2

  Perceptions of Deviance (graded)

  One of the more interesting topics of study is the area of deviance and social control. Choose a form of deviance with which you are familiar (not necessarily something you’ve done, but something someone you know did) and discuss why society views that behavior as deviant and whether perceptions of that behavior have changed over time. Explain which theory of deviance you think works best for understanding the deviant behavior you’ve chosen to discuss.

  devry socs185 week 5

   Definitions of Race and Ethnicity  (graded)

  What is meant by the social construction of race? Take a look at the this video link:.youtube.com/watch?v=EivX77ORIIs”> Kiri Davis: A Girl Like Me. Is your race more a matter of how you view yourself or of how others view you? In what ways is how you view yourself influenced by our society and culture?

   Man’s Work Versus Woman’s Work  (graded)

  How are household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, child care, auto maintenance, yard work, home repair, etc.) divided up along gender lines in your current residence? How were chores divided up in the home where you grew up? Is the time spent each week on the total about evenly divided or skewed one way or the other?

  devry socs185 week 6

  We Are Family. Get Online And Post With Me... (graded)

  Sociologists stress that family life is not just a reflection of individual decisions but also the social structure of the broader society. Using concepts from this week’s reading to support your points, discuss how society shapes family life.

  What is Religion? (graded)

  How would you define a religion? What characteristics must a belief system have in order for it to be considered a religion? If a belief system did not include faith, a God, heaven, or hell, would it still be a religion? How much of a belief system do you have to believe in order to be considered a member of a religion, 100%, 90%, less?

  devry socs185 week 7

  Think Globally, Act Locally  (graded)

  What steps do you or your families take to lessen your impact on the environment? What items do you reduce your usage of, recycle back into other products, or reuse for another purpose?

   Coming Back To Research (graded)

  Research is fundamental in the social sciences. A common data collection method is the survey. Let’s look at the survey as a social scientist.

Navigate to the DeVry portal .devry.edu/”>(http://my.devry.edu). At the student portal, enter your DSI# and the password used to log in to the student portal and navigate to the End of Course Evaluations and Student Satisfaction Survey directly from the home page. Locate the Quick Links section on the left side of the home page, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the link for Surveys.

Now, let’s discuss the merits and flaws of this survey instrument. Which questions would you add? Which would you delete? What questions would you change? What questions would you keep the same?

  DeVry SOCS185 Course Assignmennts

  Sociological Imagination Assignment

  Our decisions do not simply result from what philosophers call “free will.” Sociology teaches us that the social world guides our life choices in much the same way that the physical world guides influence our choice of clothing or the type of food we feel like eating. C. Wright Mills pointed to the power of what he called the sociological imagination to help us understand everyday events. As he saw it, society—not people’s personal failings—is the main cause of poverty and other social problems.

For this assignment explain how a personal problem can be caused by a larger social issue. It can be a problem that you, a friend or family member, or someone you have read about has experienced. Describe the situation, putting both the personal problem and the larger social issue in boldface, then explain the relationship in terms of cause and effect. Limit your response to a single double spaced page.

Category

Points

%

Description

Understanding

10

25%

Correctly identifying a personal  problem and larger social issue

Analysis

20

50%

Explaining the cause and effect  relationship using proper terminology

Execution

10

25%

Proper spelling, grammar, format  and use of boldface

Total

40

100%

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these .equella.ecollege.com/file/8ff9f27a-3772-48cf-9855-4bec4e6706bf/1/Dropbox.html”>step-by-step instructions.

See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.

Discussions

Introduce yourself to your instructor and to the rest     of the class (not graded, but required)

Developing a Sociological Imagination (graded)

Stanford Prison Experiment (graded)

Q & A Forum for your questions and comments (not     graded)

devry socs185 week 3 Your Assignment

 You are a student employee who overhears conversations among your coworkers. While on break, two of your male coworkers usually go off by themselves and smoke a cigarette. These recently hired coworkers are in their first semester and have just graduated from high school. Sometimes you overhear bits and pieces of their conversations. You are concerned that they regularly have conversations that are inappropriate for the workplace. You have overheard these coworkers making crude sexual references about other employees, telling sexist jokes, and sharing images and graphics of a sexist nature on their cell phones. You seek advice on how to handle the situation from others at your workplace.

 KEY PLAYERS

 .equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/femaleBusinesswoman1.jpg” alt=””>You need to decide if you want to file a formal complaint. If you do, the matter will be investigated. If what you say can be substantiated then the young men will be reprimanded. That usually results in their employment being terminated and their student loans/financial aid may be in put in jeopardy. Shirley Wright Manager of Student Employees

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/Businessman15.PNG” alt=””>I don’t care what your boss says; this is inappropriate behavior for the workplace, even if they are on break. They should learn to stop this kind of behavior before they graduate. It’s the sort of thing that could get you fired in the real world. If I were you, I would, informally, have a word with them and tell them that I was offended. Once they have been informed that they offended someone, they may decide to change their behavior on their own. Ron DesVue 30-year-old veteran, student and classmate

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/Businessman10.png” alt=””>Hey, you got a smart phone, don’t you? First thing I’d do is record their conversation on my phone. Don’t let them know you’re recording it. The next time they have one of those conversations tell them that you find it offensive and ask them to stop it. If they refuse or give you a hard time, tell them that you have a recording of their sexist comments and you’ll take it to the boss. They don’t need to know how the boss feels; the threat should be good enough to get them to stop, at least when you are around. Hugh Jim Bissell Close friend since high school and current classmate

.equella.ecollege.com/file/f0f437bb-eb7c-4fdc-8bf7-8a85fa477144/6/femaleBusinesswoman2.jpg” alt=””>Let’s not turn this into a federal case. I’d say as long as they’re having these conversations in private, among themselves then it’s not any of your business. After all,boys will be boys. These are young, single men, and this is a way that they bond, work out frustrations, and blow off steam. Look, it’s not like they’re making racist remarks. In that case, I definitely go straight to the boss, even higher up the chain of command, if I needed to. After all, who hasn’t told a dirty joke now and then? As long as they keep it on the down low, it’s no big deal. Frieda Choose Close friend and classmate

 Activity or Assignment

 This assignment covers TCO 6 in terms of interaction among groups and TCO 4 in terms of the meaning of culture within society.

In a 500-word (minimum) essay, using the concepts that you learned from this week’s readings analyze the different ways that sexist behavior is handled in the formal and informal bureaucracy. The following questions should answered in the essay.

The following questions should be answered in the essay.

Does Shirley Wright’s comment make you more or less     likely to file a formal complaint? Do you agree with the likely     punishment? If not, what alternative punishment would you suggest?

Do you agree with Ron DesVue’s perspective where he     says you should speak to the individuals? Why or why not?

Do you agree or disagree with Hugh Jim Bissell on using     your smart phone to make a recording? Why or why not?

Should you take Frieda Choose’s advice that “boys will     be boys,” and that there is a general expectation that men will     occasionally behave badly, and so long as the behavior is kept between     privately, it should be ignored? Why do you think she distinguishes     between sexist remarks and racist remarks? Explain your answer.

Is there a problem with the organization in the     scenario above? If so, what should be done to provide a long-term solution     to the problem

devry socs185 week 5

 Socioautobiography Assignment

 Your socioautobiography assignment is due this week. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to apply the sociological imagination to your everyday life: to make connections between your everyday life and the broad sociocultural structures within which you live. In this assignment, you will reference appropriate Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) that relate to your socioautobiography. You can find the TCOs in this course listed in the Syllabus and in the weekly objectives. This assignment can be related to any and all of the TCOs.

The Socioautobiography is a reflective paper that allows you the opportunity to explore the interconnections between biography (a slice of your life), the social structure, and culture. In preparation for this paper, please read Socioautobiography Guidelines posted in Doc Sharing for detailed assignment instructions and grading rubric.

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these .equella.ecollege.com/file/8ff9f27a-3772-48cf-9855-4bec4e6706bf/1/Dropbox.html”>step-by-step instructions.

See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.

 Question 1. Question :

(TCO 1) The systematic study of human society is known as _____.

psychology

science

anthropology

sociology

social psychology

 Question 2. Question :

(TCO 1) The study of the larger world and our society’s place in it is known as _____.

a social science perspective

a scientific perspective

a social psychological perspective

a sociological perspective

a global perspective

 Question 3. Question :

(TCO 1) When Peter Berger characterized the sociological perspective as “seeing the general in the particular,” he meant that sociology allows us to _____.

recognize that society has the same effect on all categories of people

see that people in general are rather particular about their behaviors

make generalizations about individuals’ particular habits

see McArthur in his Jeep, Patton in his tank, or Bradley in his personnel carrier

look for general patterns in the behavior of particular people

 Question 4. Question :

(TCO 3) Of the major theoretical theories in sociology, which one views society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change?

Social-solidarity paradigm

Social-conflict theory

Symbolic-interaction paradigm

Structural-functional paradigm

Symbolic-conflict paradigm

 Question 5. Question :

(TCO 3) Functions of institutions that are open, stated, and conscious functions; that involve the intended, recognized consequences of any social pattern are known as _____.

Oktoberfest

manifest

latent

obvious

direct

 Question 6. Question :

(TCO 2) Which is the term for a concept that has a value that changes from case to case?

Concept

Measurement

Changeling

Variable

Term

 Question 7. Question :

(TCO 2) Independent variable is to dependent variable as _____.

blood is to water

effect is to cause

cause is to effect

variable is to constant

logic is to intuition

 Question 8. Question :

 (TCO 2) A relationship in which two (or more) variables change together is called _____.

a correlation

a variation

measurement congruence

a replication

an event horizon

 Question 9. Question :

(TCO 2) What research method was used in Philip Zimbardo’s study, the “Stanford County Prison”?

Captive participant observation

Ethnographic field observation

An experiment

Participant observation

The hellgrammite method

 Question 10. Question :

(TCO 2) A criticism of the symbolic-interaction approach is that it

says little about how individuals actually experience society.

wanted to colorize Casablanca.

ignores the influence of factors such as culture, class, gender, and race.

focuses too much on class.

paints a very positive picture of society.

5 of 5

page 2

  (TCO 4) On the first day of basic training in the army, Pvt. N. Terprize has his civilian clothes replaced with army “greens,” has his hair shaved off, loses his privacy, and finds that he must use a communal bathroom and other people decide when he eats, sleeps, and what job he does. Erving Goffman would say that all these humiliating activities are part of _____.

a humiliation ceremony

impression management

the total institution

face-work

a deprivation ceremony

 Question 2. Question :

(TCO 4) Other than perceiving the competing realities in a joke, what is sometimes involved in “getting” and enjoying a joke?

The joke must be universally funny.

The joke must be simple.

The audience must inferentially complete the joke in their minds.

The joke teller must explain the joke and provide more and more information until it is understood.

The listener must be able to tell a joke well in order to get a joke.

  Question 3. Question :

(TCO 4) Which is the order of the stages of human development in Jean Piaget’s model?

Sensorimotor, preoperational, operational, and post operational

Preoperational, post operational, concrete operational, and formal operational

Sensorimotor, concrete operational, formal operational, and post operational

Formal operation, concrete operational, preoperational, and sensorimotor

Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational

  Question 4. Question :

(TCO 4) Erving Goffman makes so many explicit parallels to the theater that his view has been termed _____.

Shakespearean

Theatrical

Stage Directions

Method Sociology

the Dramaturgical Approach

  Question 5. Question :

(TCO 4) Shrimp merchant Sheldon Devane is the son of immigrants, and lives with his aunt and uncle while enrolled at a four-year university where he is studying to be a graphic artist. Which of the following is his achieved status?

Graphic artist

Male

Son

University student

Nephew

  Question 6. Question :

(TCO 3) Taxi cab driver Peacup Andropov maintains that human behavior results from learning and has no gentic component. His position is the fundamental opposite of _____.

sociobiologists

G. H. Mead

interactionists

social paychologists

structural functionalists

  Question 7. Question :

(TCO 3) Mashie Nibblet is a pro at a country club and loves to play golf, but hates to teach it to the country club members. Mashie is experiencing _____.

role conflict

role strain

role ambiguity

role exit

a handicap that, if not ironed out, would leave him feeling below par with a chip on his shoulder resulting in a stroke

  Question 8. Question :

(TCO 3) Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance are _____.

folkways

mores

stateways

nationways

s’mores

  Question 9. Question :

(TCO 3) Standards by which members of a culture assess desirability, goodness, and beauty and that serve as broad guidelines for social living are referred to as _________, and ___________ are rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members.

values; norms

norms; values

values; symbols

language; norms

values; language

  Question 10. Question :

(TCO 3) All of the following are theories of cultural, EXCEPT _____.

Structural-Functional

Social Conflict.

Anthropomorphic

Sociobiology

Feminist

  devry socs185 week 4

  CO 4) Statistician, Marge Innovera has been assigned a leadership role in her project management group. Given North American tradition, what type of leadership would she be expected to show?

Student Answer: Task group leadership

Secondary group leadership

Expressive leadership

Instrumental leadership

Autocratic leadership

Comments:

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 4) Which statement reflects Georg Simmel’s understanding of the dyad?

Student Answer: She was one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time and is a fine sports commentator.

There usually is less intense interaction in a dyad.

Dyads have the least potential for meaningful social bonds.

One member can act as a mediator if relations become strained.

Dyads are less stable than groups with many members.

Comments:

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 4) Ross T. Farrian’s itinerary for the day is to first, go to school; second, visit a maximum-security prison with his criminology class; and third, to serve dinner at the community soup kitchen. Ross is visiting, in order, a _____, _____, and _____ organization.

Student Answer: normative, coercive, utilitarian

coercive, normative, utilitarian

utilitarian, coercive, normative

utilitarian, normative, coercive

normative, utilitarian, coercive

Comments:

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 4) _____ feel they are trapped in the wrong body.

Student Answer: Hermaphrodites

Homosexuals

Transvestites

Transsexuals

Transylvanians

Comments:

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 4) Which statement is true concerning intersexual people?

Student Answer: They are sexually attracted to both sexes.

They are attracted to neither sex.

They have both female and male characteristics.

They have no gender.

They are in the middle of gender reassignment surgery.

Comments:

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 6) Pat Rearc argues that without norms controlling sexual behavior and thus giving the forces of sexual passion free reign, family life and the raising of children would be threatened. To which paradigm would Pat be aligned?

Student Answer: Structural Functional Theory

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Social Conflict Theory

Queer Theory

Exchange Theory

Comments:

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 6) Emile Durkheim proposed several functions of deviance. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Student Answer: Deviance affirms cultural values and norms.

Deviance provides employment for a large segment of the work force.

Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries.

Deviance encourages social change.

Deviance promotes social unity.

Comments:

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 6) Travis Hirschi’s approach to deviance and control proposes that

Student Answer: Hirschi is a deviant spelling of Hershey.

deviance results from differential access to wealth.

deviance is a frustration of ambition.

individualism inhibits the deviance.

everyone finds at least some deviance tempting.

Comments:

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 6) There are four basic reasons to punish: moral vengeance, reforming the offender, discourage criminality, and render the offender incapable of further offenses. The terms for these are in order:

Student Answer: retribution, social protection, rehabilitation and deterrence.

deterrence, retribution, social protection, and rehabilitation.

social protection, deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation

retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence, and social protection.

deterrence, social protection, retribution, and rehabilitation.

Comments:

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 3) In France during the Middle Ages, the third estate, second estate, and first estate refer respectively to

Student Answer: nobility, high clergy, and commoner.

high clergy, nobility, and commoner.

commoner, high clergy, and nobility.

commoner, nobility, and high clergy.

high clergy, commoner, and nobility

 (TCO 3) Kuznet’s curve suggests that

Student Answer: it could be an effective pitch for the veteran who is starting to lose a little something on his fast ball.

industrial societies will, in the longer run, remain unchanged.

industrial societies tend to become less stratified than agrarian societies.

as human technological sophistication has increased, social stratification has decreased.

industrialization and social stratification are unrelated.

Comments:

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 3) _____ is the term for earnings from work or investments and _____ is the term for the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts.

Student Answer: Income; personal property

Profit; income

Wealth; income

Income; wealth

Rent; net worth

Comments:

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 3) Which theory of poverty blames poverty on the shortcomings of the poor themselves?

Student Answer: Individual responsibility theory

Personal chioce theory

Social forces theory

Culture of poverty theory

Legacy or poverty theory

Comments:

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 5) Which of the following did Max Weber suggest were analytically distinct components of stratification?

Student Answer: Conformity, deviance, and social control

Power, prestige, and position

Class, caste, and age

Class, prestige, and esteem

Class, status, and power

Comments:

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 4) Accounts Payable Administrator Imelda Czechs works for a small international corporation. This category of work can be described as _____

Student Answer: blue-collar work.

white-collar work.

pink-collar work.

fur collar work.

no-collar work.

Comments:

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 4) Which type of slavery consists of employers holding workers by paying them too little to cover their debts?

Student Answer: Chattel slavery

Child slavery

Debt bondage

Debit slavery

Revolving credit slavery

Comments:

 Question 7. Question : (TCO 4) Which of the following gives the correct order of stages of modernization according to W. W. Rostow?

Student Answer: High mass consumption, traditional, drive to technological maturity, and take-off

Traditional, drive to technological maturity, take-off, and high mass consumption

High mass consumption, traditional, take-off, and drive to technological maturity

Traditional, take-off, drive to technological maturity, and high mass consumption

Take-off, drive to traditional maturity, technological, and consume mass quantities

Comments:

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 4) Andre Gunder Frank states that poor nations

Student Answer: are responsible for their own poverty.

were “underdeveloped,” or made poor, by rich nations.

suffer from traditional culture.

need to gain more productive technology.

can be helped with the investment of multinational corporations.

Comments:

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 4) According to Immanuel Wallerstein’s view of the global economic system, which type of nation is relatively independent of outside control?

Student Answer: Core

Periphery

Semiperiphery

Marginality

Tertiary

Comments:

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 5) While modernization theory focuses on _____, dependency theory focuses on _____.

Student Answer: poor nations; rich nations

distribution of wealth; production of wealth

production of wealth; distribution of wealth

culture; economics

multinationals; self-reliance

 devry socs185 week 6

 TCO 8) Back in 1900, it was common in the United States to consider people of these ancestries as “nonwhite.”

English, Scottish, or Welsh

Irish, Italian, or Jewish

French, German, or Swiss

Dutch, French, or Swede

Austrian, Norse, or Prussian

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 8) Ethnicity refers to ______.

a group that is set apart from others because of physical differences

socially constructed categories based on cultural traits a society defines as important

a group whose members have significantly less control over their own lives than the members of a dominant group

a collective that has reached very moral decisions about a way of life

all people from the same country

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 6) The unequal treatment of various categories of people is known as

stereotyping.

ethnocentrism.

discrimination.

segregation.

active prejudice.

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 5) The claim that defining members of some minority as inferior will make them inferior is one application of

social distance research.

the iron law of oligarchy.

the Thomas theorem.

authoritarian personality theory.

exploitation theory.

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 8) The barrier that is invisible, but which prevents women from rising beyond middle-management positions, is referred to as

the “glass ceiling.”

the “closed top.”

transparent discrimination.

the “ceiling of upper management.”

the “impermeable barrier.”

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 8) _____ refers to social organization in which males dominate females.

Patriarchy

Matriarchy

Monarchy

Oligarchy

Fratriarchy

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 8) Talcott Parsons explained that males tend to exhibit _____ behavior, while females are more _____.

instrumental; expressive

expressive; instrumental

egalitarian; hierarchical

rational; emotional

emotional; rational

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 8) Which type of feminism seeks to end patriarchy by eliminating the idea of gender itself?

Liberal feminism

Socialist feminism

Radical feminism

Moderate feminism

Libertarian feminism

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 7) Comparing school performance, researchers have found that the most important cause of the achievement gap between rich and poor children is

differences in schools.

differences in home environments.

differences in personal ability.

differences in personal health.

differences in family composition.

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 3) _____ and _____ theories explain that families perpetuate social inequality in U.S. society through inheritance of private property, encouraging patriarchy, and passing on racial and ethnic inequality.

Feminist; functionalist

Social-exchange; feminist

Social-exchange; interactionist

Global; internationalist

Feminist; social conflict

 (TCO 3) When Mort Tality assisted in the death of his wife Fay, who was suffering from an incurable disease, he engaged in

Euthanasia.

Youthinasia.

Homicide.

Misdemeanour.

Kevorkianism.

  Question 2. Question : (TCO 7) The term empty nest refers to

families whose children have grown and left home.

women who choose to remain single.

women who marry, but choose to remain childless.

egalitarian family structures.

couples who are unable to have a child.

  Question 3. Question : (TCO 7) A religious organization that stands apart from the larger society is a _____, while a _____ is a religious organization that is largely outside a society’s cultural traditions.

church; sect

sect; cult

cult; church

denomination; cult

cult; sect

  Question 4. Question : (TCO 7) According to Max Weber’s analysis of Protestantism and the rise of capitalism, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Protestantism held back the development of capitalism for years.

Protestantism, with its conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, fostered social unrest, and averted a socialist revolution.

Protestantism even with its argument with the dominant Roman Catholic Church, still supported the economic status quo.

Protestantism stressed duty and hard work, boosting economic production and fostering the rise of capitalism.

Protestantism, with its conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, fostered social unrest, and a socialist revolution.

  Question 5. Question : (TCO 3) Charter schools are

private schools that typically enroll high-income students.

public schools that have the freedom to try new programs and policies.

private schools that have a religious curriculum.

public schools that are run by private companies.

public schools established through a land grant charter.

  Question 6. Question : (TCO 3) Following the social-conflict approach, patterns of health and illness are seen largely as a product of

technology.

how people define the situation they experience.

how culture defines health and illness.

a mobile society

social inequality.

  Question 7. Question : (TCO 5) Which term do we use to refer to a political and economic system that combines a mostly market-based economy with extensive social welfare programs??

Modernization

Socialism

Welfare capitalism

Capitalism

Communism

  Question 8. Question : (TCO 5) In a capitalist economic system, justice amounts to

doing what is best for society’s poorest members.

everyone being more or less economically equal.

freedom of the marketplace allowing people to follow their self-interest.

no one going hungry.

little more than lip service.

  Question 9. Question : (TCO 5) The Marxist political-economy model suggests that

power is no longer concentrated in the hands of a few.

an anti-democratic bias exists in the capitalist system.

power is widely dispersed throughout society.

many people do not vote because they are satisfied with the political system..

that the only justice in the halls of justice is in the halls.

  Question 10. Question : (TCO 5) Which of Weber’s types of authority is also know as bureaucratic authority?

Egalitarian authority

Charismatic authority

Traditional authority

Rational-legal authority

Representative authority

 SOCS 185 Week 8 Final Exam

   Question 1.

Question :

(TCO 8) Which sociological      approach would emphasize that inequalities in healthcare have clear      life-and-death consequences for some due to the unequal distribution of      resources?

 Question 2.

Question :

(TCO 8) Critics of the      functionalist view of the sick role suggest:

 Question 3.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which type of medicine      refers to therapies in which the health care practitioner considers the      person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics?

 Question 4.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which area of study is      concerned with the interrelationships among people in their spatial      setting and physical environment?

 Question 5.

Question :

(TCO 8) The concept “zero      population growth” refers to the level of reproduction that

 Question 6.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which theory of social      change holds that society is moving in a definite direction?

 Question 7.

Question :

(TCO 9) Which term is used to      refer to the ways in which a social movement utilizes such resources as      money, political influence, access to the media, and personnel?

 Question 8.

Question :

(TCO 8) Which term refers to      the period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture is still      adapting to new material conditions?

 Question 9.

Question :

(TCO 9) David Riesman      described other-directed social character as which of the following?      Chapter 16, page 454

 Question 10.

Question :

(TCO 8) Scholars who take a      postmodernist approach claim that

   Question 1.

Question :

(TCO 1, 2, 3, 4) Identify the      seven basic principles put forth in the American Sociological      Association’s Code of Ethics. Choose three of these principles, and anticipate      how a researcher might encounter controversy by abiding by these      principles.

 Question 2.

Question :

(TCO 3, 8, 9) You have been      asked by a committee of student success coaches to investigate why the      rate at which freshman students post to their course threaded discussions      is lower than the rate for other groups of students. Explain how the      interactionist perspective would analyze and explain the low posting      rate. (In other words, consider the contributing factors that the      interactionist perspective would focus on in trying to explain the      reasons for the low rate of students posting to their threads.) Then      discuss a solution that an interactionist might use to encourage freshman      students to post.

 Question 3.

Question :

(TCO 6, 7) The local newspaper      reports that a middle school had been broken into, damaged, and      vandalized to the tune of $50,000. Security cameras show the vandals were      four high school students, three of whom are on the honor roll. Compare      and contrast the explanation given by labeling theory to the explanation      given by anomie theory of deviance.

 Question 4.

Question :

(TCO 3, 4, 6) List Weber’s six      characteristics of a bureaucracy. Explain a positive and a negative      consequence for an organization from each of these characteristics.

 Question 5.

Question :

(TCO 5, 6, 8) Define and give      examples of ascribed status, achieved status, master status, role      conflict, role strain, and role exit.

[changedaily]

The Plan

The X Effect Day 0

January 06, 2017

Here’s the plan on how I’m going to start developing 11 new habits; it’s called the X Effect 

I didn’t come up with this.. I actually found it on reddit. The concept is simple enough.. pick a habit you want to develop and make a 7x7 table representing 49 boxes for 49 days. After completing a day of the habit, using a red pen, cross it with an X. The goal is to have 49 red Xs in your box, meaning you have completed that habit for 49 days. You have to be completely honest with yourself- if you didn’t complete the habit, keep the square blank and reflect on why you failed that day. Trust me when I say that you won’t want to have a blank, because seeing all boxes crossed will be so satisfying. I know for me personally, avoiding blanks in my charts is enough of a motivator to complete the habits for all days.  

11 habits might seem like overkill, but some of these are pretty easy and I’ve already been doing a couple of times a week, so I just need to make sure I’m doing it every single day. Meditating, exercising, visualizing, drinking 2L water are all things I have been doing for a while (just not every single day) so the point of me adding these is to make sure it becomes a daily thing. The other habits I’ve added will be new to me; some of them involve doing things, while others involve avoiding things; we’ll see which type is harder at the end. Let me get into more detail of each habit and why I want to develop it as part of my daily regimen. 

(1) Meditate for 15 minutes: I want to become a meditation master both for spiritual reasons and for practical reasons. On one hand, I want to become more enlightened, find consciousness, kill my ego, find pure bliss and peace. On the other hand, I want to learn to control and observe my thoughts so I can learn to ignore negative thoughts in my everyday life, and learn to increase my focus which can translate to everyday tasks such as working and studying. Also, all the other cool benefits that meditation brings.. like more happiness, better health, better sleep, etc. The steps I’m following are from the book The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa. This book outlines 10 steps of meditation- I’m only at step 2 where I’m learning to focus my attention on my meditation object (breath) while keeping peripheral awareness. Meditation used to be hard for me, even just doing it for 5 minutes was a challenge and I was always thinking about the timer.. but I’m at a point where I can keep my attention on my breath for longer periods of times, and some sessions fly by and don’t feel like 15 minutes. I already feel the effects in my everyday life. I’m able to be more mindful and present, I can analyze my emotions better and let go of negative thoughts and emotions more easily, and I’m a lot less reactive to external events than I used to be. I’m excited to see what the next steps bring me. 

(2) Visualize for 15 minutes: The point of me visualizing is to reach my subconscious mind and program my new self-image, by using imagination and emotion. In my visualizations, I picture myself in various scenarios that I want to happen. For example, my goal is to get straight As next semester (I already achieved that during last semester) so I visualize myself opening my final grades and seeing all As. Because I already experienced the feeling of getting straight As, I can translate that same emotion into this visualization to trick my body/mind into thinking it’s real for the next semester. I do this for other things I want to happen- such as how my body looks like skinnier, me having great friendships, me being more social/outgoing, me being kinder/friendlier, me being able to afford things like trips and an expensive apartment etc. the list goes on. I also use this time for affirmations. Anything to reach change my subconscious mind. The exercises/processes I use for visualizations come from the following books:

Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

The Power of your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy

Break the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza

(3) Exercise- Gym or Home: I want to make this a daily thing because it makes me feel good, and to help me lose weight. My usual routine is to go to the gym and do cardio for an hour, then alternate days between arms and legs. If I’m too tired to go the gym, I have dumbbells and ankle weights at home that I can use for Pilates and other weight exercises. I will be posting progress pictures over the next 49 days to track my progress with my body.

(4) 2L of water: This one is fairly obvious- we all know the benefits of water. However, water is never something I get enough of unless I consciously think of drinking it. Usually I’ll have 0.5-1L a day, so I want to use this exercise to increase my consumption.

(5) Study for 15 mins: This means a minimum of 15 minutes a day- but usually I’ll probably do an hour or two. As a 4th year University student, I have never given much thought to my grades until this year. I have always been a procrastinator and never kept up with studies. I somehow was able to slide by with some As, some Bs, some Cs and a couple of Ds. All my exams were studied the night before and all my projects were done last minute- it was draining and unmotivating. However, this year I decided I need to increase my GPA and get all As. Last semester, I started to really keep up with my readings by making time each week to do some school work. This allowed me to understand and absorb the content more easily, which made me more prepared for the exams. I ended with three A- and one A+. Next semester (which starts in 10 days) I want to achieve five A+. Since my semester hasn’t started yet, I’m going to start studying for my classes before the semester starts. I have already gotten 2 of my textbooks, so I can start reading the chapters. By the time the semester starts, not only will I be prepared but I will have already started to make a habit of studying daily.

(6) Stay off social media: This is going to be one of the hardest ones. As a millennial, I pretty much grew up with social media and being addicted to the Internet. It all started with creating a neopets account in Elementary school.. then went on to explore the creepy world of Yahoo Chat.. then came a Myspace account in grade 6-7, then Facebook and Twitter became popular throughout grade 8 and high school.. and in University all the other ones started to pop up like Instagram, Snapchat, etc. I feel like I’m so used to putting my life online that I feel empty when I go a few days without letting people know where I’ve been or what I’m doing. If I ever feel down about myself, I’m used to just validating myself through likes and comments. The main reasons I’m staying off social media are to become more present/mindful, and to increase my self esteem. I’ve gotten to a point where I feel unloved and unworthy if my pictures don’t reach a certain amount of likes. I find myself constantly comparing myself to my friends and wondering why they have 500+ followers and 200+ likes on all their photos, while mine only have 20-50. Another dangerous thing that I have noticed is when I go to places and do cool things, most of my thoughts are on what picture I can take that at the event will look cool on my Instagram and show people I’m trendy.. instead of actually enjoying the moment. Now I’m still going to use Facebook Messenger because at this point I consider it a messaging tool since a lot of communications with friends happen over this app, especially group chats. By staying off social media, I mean that I will stop (1) posting (2) creeping other people (3) scrolling through my feeds, 

(7) and (8) No Sugar or Dairy: This is mainly due for health reasons and for weight loss. Chocolate and sweets is my one downfall and something I have no willpower over. I can never just eat a piece of chocolate, I always consume the entire bar. Besides, we all know the dangers of sugar and how we’re addicted to it, so why not get rid of it. When I mean sugar, I mean sweets and desserts and soda.. I know sugar is in a lot of other things like sauces and dressings, but for now I won’t count that. As for dairy, I’m fairly certain dairy causes me to break out, so I’m including it in this challenge. It will also prevent me from eating things like chocolate and ice cream. 

(9) Wake up With Alarm: This means I will wake up with my alarm every morning. I’m still going to allow one snooze, but the idea is that if on a Saturday morning I put 2 alarms for 9 am and 9:30 am.. then I will be out of bed by 9:30 am and not snooze until 2 pm (like I usually do). This is so I can regulate my sleeping pattern and not feel so exhausted during the week. I can also be more productive on weekends.

(10) IF 8 hours/16 hours: This stands for intermittent fasting.. I eat between 1-9pm (8 hours of fed state) and not eat between 9pm-1pm (16 hours of fast state). There’s tons of information you can find about this online and the benefits for it. This is something that I was doing last semester.. not purposely, but because I was so busy and stressed that I only had time to eat twice a day. I ended up losing weight doing this without even trying. This is also going to help my save money, and cut down my decisions throughout the day.

(11) No Data: This one is fairly simple; don’t use data on my phone. Why? Because I only have 1GB of data a month and I ALWAYS go over which means my phone bill is always ridiculously high. My plan is to stop using my data altogether and only use WiFi on it. If there’s an emergency and I need data (i.e. I’m lost in the city and need to pull up google maps), then I will allow myself to use it and not leave a box blank, but I will leave the box blank if I use my data to browse the internet during times that I’m bored in areas without WiFi (like I used to do). 

So that’s it.. those are the 11 habits I will start implementing tomorrow. Let’s see how this works out! Thanks for reading.