Education - Want Essay Example for Free

Education Want Essay We could say that an educated person is like a piece of artwork, it is open to the interpretation of the viewer. Just like every art work critique has their own opinion about an artwork, everyone has their own different interpretations of what an educated person is. One thing is clear though, in order to be a successful person in life, you do not need money, as well as in order to be an educated person, you do not need a college diploma. What you are willing to give up in order to become your best person depends on how much you truly want to accomplish that goal. Not everyone knows right away what they have a passion for. One has to explore new activities and only then will they be able to decide for themselves. Everyone expresses their opinion, and in my thought an educated person is the willing to put in time like Gladwell explains, claims their learning rights like Rich exercises, applies critical thinking and reasoning to work towards a success like Wagner emphasizes and lastly does not fall victim to adversity like my father focuses attention on. An educated person should always be willing to put in time. This means that they are willing to give up what they want now, for what they want most. For example, in Gladwell, Schoenfeld the math professor experimented with a young girl Renee, which took her approximately twenty-two minutes to figure the slope of a vertical line. â€Å"This is eight-grade mathematics If I put the average eighth grader in the same position as Renee, I’m guessing that after the first few attempts, they would have said, ‘I don’t get it. I need you to explain it. ’ (Gladwell 2008, pp. 245). † What Schoenfeld proved with this experiment was the willingness of Renee to continue the math problem. Of course, compared to the eighth grader, Renee had more self-discipline and wanted to continue on going until she was able to solve it. An educated person should be willing to put in time and work towards their goal. It will not be easy or given to the person, there is a lot of time and energy put to having what one wants. Another idea Gladwell explains is the amount of time one is willing to put in and how that makes one an expert. â€Å"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hours† (Gladwell 2008, pp. 40). Gladwell’s idea of hard work and dedication to whatever it is that you want to become an expert at takes at least 10,000 hours. I agree with him, but only to a certain point. It is true that in order to become someone well knowledgeable on a certain activity or topic one must practice and put in time. I do not necessarily agree that 10,000 hours should be the exact number for â€Å"true expertise† as Gladwell calls it, but it definitely should not be a few hours. For example, ideally doctors should be one of the most specialized fields. They are ones performing their knowledge on people and I honestly would not want a doctor that has gotten a few hours of practice to do anything to me, because there is more of a chance that they are not as experienced as someone else that has been working for decades as a doctor. An educated person should be willing to put in time to practice which is what makes someone good at their specialization. Rich’s idea of â€Å"claiming an education† also applies within our pursuit to defining an educated person. Rich explains that a student should not think about education as â€Å"receiving it†, but to be thought of as â€Å"claiming it† (Rich 1979 pp. 365). Rich explains that claiming an education is taking as if one were the owner. I agree with Rich, students should have the mentality of taking the education being given to them. There is a difference between claiming what is rightfully yours, and taking what if rightfully yours. One difference is that when you claim something, you are putting in effort to learning what is being taught. For example, a student that goes to class and learns whatever the lesson was for that day, would in my terms be called receiving. On the other hand, if that same student were to go to the instructor’s office hours and basically use the resources that there are around campus, that would be claiming. The mere difference of going one step above the other makes the difference between the two. Rich also backs this idea of claiming, with the simple act of participating in class, becoming more engaged in class and the teacher’s professional life. This idea of claiming an education is not limited to those in school, because not every educated person goes to college, or needs a college degree. It is helpful in order to have something to fall back upon. One way we can connect the idea of claiming an education without going to school, could be my father’s story. His decision of dropping out of high school did not stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He claimed his rights to learning about how to create his own company and becoming a successful entrepreneur, without having a business college degree. Claiming your rights as a human being over all is what counts. Anyone should be able to express their passion for something. In my father’s case, he first started by working at a small local shop as a cashier, but he found himself not doing what he loved, â€Å"I loved helping people, make their houses bigger or just fixing their house up for them. † (Gomez 2014). My father eventually stopped receiving, and started claiming. An educated person is one who does not receive, but one that claims and demands their ability to practice their passion. Give a child a list of three words with a definition to each, allow them to memorize it and few minutes later, they can regurgitate it back to you. As an education major, it is easy to go a whole year teaching children a certain vocabulary words, or teaching them how to solve a math problem, but explaining why the answer is the answer, is a lot more difficult. Wagner explains that many students lack â€Å"intellectual challenges† (Wagner 2008, pp. xxv). A class lacking intellectual challenge for students can cause a downfall in the future. Providing students with more rigorous work and questioning their solutions, prevents them from finding lessons uninteresting and eventually leading them to want to drop the course, or worse yet, want to drop out of school. For example in history class, one has to remember specific dates, but also know why several of these specific events happened or what lead to it. I was one of them. Rarely do students remember what lead to wars, or life historically changing events, like the great depression because they are just taught either to memorize the dates or they find it easier to only remember the dates and names of important historical figures. The same concept can be applied to mathematics, where one has to know how to solve the problem, but does not always know why a certain formula was used or why it only works with that certain problem. According to Wagner, knowing the answer is not sufficient, one must know and be able to critically think about the end result. Therefore, an educated person should be willing to not only claim their education, but also be able to apply more critical thinking and reasoning. Which by later exercising that through practicing and preparing, one can accomplish their goals. Lastly, I interviewed my father, because he is the first man I have ever admired. He was able to successfully carry out a career that he did not go to college for. Matter of fact, he never went to college, and only completed a few years of high school. Through my interview with him, he allowed me to truly appreciate and admire him a lot more. One main adversity he got through was coming in to the United States, he believes that without coming to the United States his success would not have been possible. â€Å"Coming from a huge family, having 8 brothers and 7 sisters you did not always get what you wanted† (Gomez 2014). My father further explained that he was always having to share his things and he never had the opportunities that I have today. â€Å"I had to run a whole mile in order to get to class, there were no buses, because we lived in the country, and I had to run to the city every morning to get to school† (Gomez 2014). My father continues with his story, â€Å"every morning we all had to do chores, mine were taking care of the farm animals. I would milk the cows every morning and since I had to do my morning chores before school, sometimes I ran late and I had to go to school smelling like farm animals and sweat† (Gomez 2014). The dedication put into working back then is not the same today. For everything there is always an excuse made up. I myself have made many excuses, but it takes an educated person to not make excuses. He could have easily said I am not walking a mile to go to school, but he was determined. My father did not drop out of school because he was failing his classes. At age 18 he became an innocent victim in a shooting, in which he was shot in the stomach and had missed a big portion of his senior year. He was months away from graduating, but he never was able to complete his missed classes due to the lack of support from his teachers, he explained. He after started his own family and came to the United States when I was born. â€Å"You are the luckiest one of everyone in the family† he told me, â€Å"your sisters do not have the opportunity that you have and an educated person is one who can make the best situation out of a tough one† (Gomez 2014). Without doubt, my father was able to create a self-made company. He was the only one of his 15 siblings to become an entrepreneur, and today in my eyes he is the most successful. An educated person would ideally be my own father, who was willing to put in time to learn about his passion, claim his rights as a United States resident and created his own business, and lastly he did fall victim to adversity. An educated person and a successful person go hand in hand, but the definitions are endless, and open to many interpretations, but what makes either person educated or successful, depends on what they are willing to give up in order to become their best person. An educated person is one who no matter what is willing to put in time in order to be called an expert at his passion. Someone who rightfully claims the ability to carry out their love for their passion and lastly, someone who does not fall victim to adversity. ? Bibliography Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"The 10,000-Hour Rule† in Outliers, 34-68. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"Rice Paddies and Math Tests† in Outliers, 224-249. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gustavo Gomez, interview by Alondra Gomez, April 28, 2014. Rich, Adrienne. â€Å"Claiming and Education† in On Lies, Secrets and Silence, 365-369. New York: W. W. Norton Company, 1979. Wagner, Tony. The Global Achievement Gap, intro xix-xxviii. New York: Basic Books, 2008.

Case Study on the nature vs nurture debate

Case Study on the nature vs nurture debate Is a childs development influenced by genetics or could the majority of influence be found in the childs environment? The nature vs. nurture debate has been at the forefront of psychology for many decades. The purpose of this essay is to try and answer this question using the case study of Genie. The essay shall also look at some of the roles that a multidisciplinary team would play in a case like Genies and if there was any hope of rehabilitation. The big question that had to be answered is whether or not it was too late for her to develop into a normal adult. Lenneberg (1957) (cited in Hayes, 1998) asserted that the critical period, in development for children is before puberty and if a child had not learnt how to speak, they would never pass the 2-3 word telegraphic stage. Lenneberg felt that after the critical stage has passed language would not be achieved normally after puberty. Chomsky (1957) (cited in Cardwell et al, 2010) stated that all human language has the same basic rules when it comes to grammar and structure. For most individuals development of language comes naturally as they grow. According to Chomsky (cited in Hayes, 1998), language is foremost a product of the brain and children have an innate acquisition device. The Chomskyan view supports the nature theory as he believed that infants are born with an idea of how language works and this inborn knowledge must be activated through exposure to language at the appropriate time. It is commonly known that behaviour is affected by consequences. Skinners (1935) (cited in Cardwell 1996) theory of operant conditioning states that the process does not require repeated efforts but an immediate reaction to a familiar stimulus. In the case of Genie, she was raised in isolation where she spent most of her childhood locked up in a bedroom. It is argued that her lack of language was due to the physical abuse from her father when she made a noise. It is noted that her father never spoke to her even when beating her. He was said to have barked and growled at her like a dog. In the following months after her discovery Genies mother reported that just after Genies isolation that she heard her saying words (Pines, 1997). This would show that Genie was on course to learn language. This would prove the theory of Chomsky, but would be against Lenneberg as he had theorised that the brain of a child before the age of two has not matured enough for the acquisition of language (Pines, 1997). However, throughout her life Genie failed to learn the grammar and sentence structure that according to Chomsky separates the language of human beings from other species. This could prove that she had passed the critical period for la nguage acquisition. With her history of operant conditioning, it can be argued that the behaviourist approach would be the best way to rehabilitate Genie. This would mean that the team dealing with Genie would have to change the consequences of an action. If Genie had been in the care of a modern day multidisciplinary team she would have been referred to several specialists. It can be assumed that Genie had expressive and receptive  language disorders due to her isolation. It is possible that part of her language issue may have related to the fact that her oral muscles had not developed enough for her to produce the correct sounds. During her years of isolation Genie was fed on baby food and soft foods. It has been documented that she would leave food in her mouth until the enzymes in her saliva started to digest the food (Pines, 1997). Genie would receive one to one attention from a speech and language therapist to try and overcome her speech and feeding difficulties. Language intervention activities would be effective with Genie as the therapist would interact and built a therapeutic relationship by appropriately playing and talking with her. The therapist would demonstrate how sounds are made and how to move the tongue to make certain sounds and use a variety of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. Genie could be sent to an occupational therapist (OT) in order to assess her needs and develop a care intervention plan. OTs believe that behaviour is learned and that poor or non advantageous behaviours can be unlearned and replaced by lasting habits (Turner et al). The OT could design a program for Genie that incorporates social skill training, anxiety management and behaviour modification. The use of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) (appendix 1) would measure Genies progress and ensure that a humanistic approach is taken regarding her care and rehabilitation. The COPM put Genie at the centre of her care plan and seeks to help her find meaning to her life in her everyday activities. As the months progressed Genie showed numerous breakthroughs. One such break through was noticed when Dr James Kent left Genie and she showed a change of facial expression. Genie had treated everyone the same and showed no emotional reaction to anyone or anything, however Dr Kent noticed her expression changed from happy to sad. She had always shown the ability to explore her environment but had never shown emotion. This showed that she could develop emotional attachments therefore she was able to learn. Bowlby (1969, 1973) (cited in Cardwell et al, 1996) stated that the importance of emotional attachment to a caregiver ensures that the child will be fed, protected from harm and educated. There is evidence to say that an infants need to form attachments is innate. This would also suggest that the parent also has an innate tendency to form attachments with their children. From an evolutionary point of view it is in the mothers best interest to see her children grow up and produce chil dren of their own. Through research, Klaus and Kennel (1976) (cited in psychology4a.com) found that mothers that were allowed constant contact with their newborn babies developed stronger bonds that mothers that only had contact for feeding. This has lead to the skin to skin hypothesis that has been implemented in hospitals. Fathers are also encouraged to be present at the birth to develop an early attachment. In the case of Genie little is known about her birth, however since she was born pre 1976 it is assumed that the father was not present at the birth and that mother and child were separated soon after the birthing process. This could have played a part in the inability to form an emotional attachment to Genie that lead to her years of abuse. David Rigler had advised that he felt that it was important for Genie to develop strong emotional attachments as part of her development. David Rigler and his wife Marilyn ended up fostering Genie. The Riglers took on the roles of Genies t herapy, teacher, principle investigator, and foster parents. While living with the Riglers Genie showed improvements in her therapy sessions. This could be due to her being in a nurturing environment were she was praised for making progress. This theory on learning is support by behaviourists Skinner (1957) (cited in Hayes, 1998) and Thorndyke (1911) (cited in Cardwell, 1996), who saw learning as happening mainly through the law of (positive) effect. This was demonstrated in the Skinner box experiment (Cardwell, 1996), which rewarded rats with food for a positive action. Initially the trap animal would demonstrate escape seeking behaviour; however one of the actions would provide the subject with a food reinforcer. This would result in the subject changing its behaviour to seek the reward. So in Genies case, every time she received praise for a positive action, she was more likely to repeat the action. While Genie was in isolation, her physiological needs were not completely met. According to Maslows (1954) (cited in Turner, 2007) hierarchy of needs (appendix 2), there are two sets of human needs. One set concerns basic survival needs such as physiological and basic safety needs. The other set concerns self-actualisation, the realisation of an individuals full potential as shown in creativity and the use of intellect. Since her physiological needs were not met Maslows theory states that she would not have been able to ascend the hierarchy and begin to satisfy her creative and intellectual drives. Dr. J. Shirley the psychiatrist, wanted to determine her mental capabilities. The sleep test that was carried out showed Genie had patterns that indicated mental retardation. It is not known if Genie was born this way or if the severe neglect contributed in her mental health. It is documented that at 14 months, Genie was diagnosed as being mentally retarded. It can be argued that Genie was not born mentally retarded but was handicapped due to lack of normal childhood development during her early years. Further test results showed that Genie did not display any left brain activity because it appeared not to have developed during her pre-pubescent years. The left part of the brain is the area that is responsible for language acquisition and development. Psychological tests showed that her mental age increased by one year, every year since her discovery. This is not characteristic of mental retardation. It can be argued that because the critical stage was missed, the biological ability for the brain to fully develop was therefore impaired. There are several flaws in the nature versus nurture debate. The flaw in the use of Skinners rats is that breeding within a family, as rats do, is known to cause genetic problems that can impair intelligence. There is also the question relating to Genies mental retardation. If she was born retarded then her ability to develop at the relevant critical periods was impaired from birth by nature. In Genies case it can be argued that nurture seemed to play a greater role than nature. She suffered from an environment were she was not nurtured positively. Most present day researchers agree that human traits are determined by both nature and nurture. They may disagree on which part has the greater influence.

History of Federal Taxation in the United States

History of Federal Taxation in the United States The existing taxation policies in the U.S. have been characterized by a myriad of changes over the decades as a result of variations in the governments roles as well as the changing circumstances. The U.S. Department of Treasury asserted that the kinds of taxes imposed, their percentages as well as the size of the collections differ from what they were 100 years ago due to various historical events, including the war, the 16th Constitutional Amendment, changes in the society, economy, and the changes in the governments roles and responsibilities. During the colonial times and the post-revolutionary era, which spanned from 1791 to 1802, the U.S. had no income tax law. Therefore, to finance its roles and responsibilities, it relied on the contributions made by the states and internal taxes on whiskey and other distilled spirits, tobacco and snuff, refined sugar, carriages, properties sold at auction, slaves, and the corporate bonds (Sandbox Networks, Inc.). When President Jefferson was elected in 1802, he abolished these direct taxes, leaving the federal government, for the next decade, with only the internal revenue taxes. However, in 1812, more funds were needed to finance the war and Congress imposed extra excise taxes, issued Treasury notes, and raised certain customs duties (U.S. Department of the Treasury). In 1817, all these taxes were cancelled and for the following 44 years, the country relied on the customs duties and the public land sales for its revenues. Upon the eruption of the Civil War, Congress enacted the Revenue Act of 1861, reintroducing the former excise taxes and imposing taxes on personal earnings at a rate of 3% on all incomes above $800 a year (U.S. Department of the Treasury). However, due to some noted inadequacies, the personal income taxes became effective only in 1862. The increased cost of the war made Congress pass a new excise tax law in 1862 focusing on items like the pianos, gunpowder, feathers, playing cards, leather, iron, drugs, patent medicines, telegrams, billiard tables, whisky, legal documents, and license fees. In 1872, the income tax was abolished, but it was again revived in 1894 and 1895 before being deemed unconstitutional (Sandbox Networks, Inc.). The 16th Amendment of 1913 reintroduced the income tax and made it a permanent item in the U.S. tax system. Through this law, Congress imposed taxes on incomes of both individuals and corporations. The U.S. entry into World War I saw Congress pass in 1916 and 1918 Revenue Acts, all increasing the tax rates. In 1943, there was an introduction of the withholding taxes on wages. The need for more far-reaching reforms in the U.S. tax system led to the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which lowered the individual income tax rate from 50% to 28%. Other notable changes to the U.S. tax system were made through the 1993 Revenue Reconciliation Act and the 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 under the Clinton and George Bush administrations, respectively. Taxation is an important fiscal policy item in every economy. The view of this paper in regard to the contribution of the taxation on the economic growth depends on its policy, the purpose for which it is collected and the administration. Lower tax rates for the lower-income groups have been linked with improvements in the economy, especially through the creation of jobs (Worstall). This idea of spurring the economic growth by reducing the tax rate was advocated for by President Reagan in 1986 due to the effects on the economic incentives experienced by businesses and individuals. Therefore, the government should reduce the marginal tax rates with a view to significantly expand the tax base. Also, a tax imposed to collect revenues to finance war activities may not lead to improvement in economy unlike the one used to finance various economic activities. Works Cited Sandbox Networks, Inc. History of the Income Tax in the United States. 2017, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005921.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017 US Department of the Treasury. History of the US Tax System. Aug. 2003, http://www.policyalmanac.org/economic/archive/tax_history.shtml. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017 Worstall, Tim. Tax Cuts Do Increase Employment, Do Create Jobs, the Science Is In. Forbes, 22 Apr. 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/04/22/tax-cuts-do-increase-employment-do-create-jobs-the-science-is-in/#28d752437382. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017

The Evils of Fraternities and Sororities Essay -- Argumentative Colleg

The Evils of Fraternities and Sororities Joining fraternities and sororities has been a long tradition among many college and university students within the United States. As the number of students entering colleges and universities grow, the influence and pressure to join fraternities and sororities grow as well. According to a research project conducted by Dr. Gary D. Malaney, associate professor of education and director of student affairs at the University of Massachusetts, â€Å"58.6% [of 413 students surveyed] reported having at least a few friends who belong to the Greek Area† (Malaney 2). However, the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of Miami in February 2004 was found at fault for the death of Chad Meredith for â€Å"attempting a drunken early-morning swim across Lake Osceola during a hurricane as part of a fraternity-initiation stunt† (Sileo 1). In August of 2004, the Psi Epsilon Chi chapter from the State University of New York was found guilty for the death of Walter Dean Jennin gs for â€Å"acute water intoxication during a pledge ceremony in which he was forced to drink alcohol and ingest enough water to make his lungs collapse† (Sileo 1). If fraternities and sororities are as positive as its members present them to be, why are fraternities and sororities mandating horrible things to innocent students? The truth is that many students know that fraternities and sororities are the wrong choice for the college and university atmosphere; however, they decline to reveal the truth in order to cover up this escape route from academics to civil disobedience. Among the many non-respectable rituals and ceremonies performed by these organizations, hazing is the number one reason why a number of students ha... ...du>. Roach, Colleen. Rev. of Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking, by Hank Nuwer. Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Higher Education Sept. 2000 v1, i2: p84. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 22 Jan. 2005. . Sharma, Angeli. Telephone interview. 22 January 2005. Sileo, Carmel. â€Å"Fraternities Fall to Stem Tide of Binge-Drinking Deaths, Lawsuits Claim.† Trial October 2004 v40 i10: p10. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 24 Jan. 2005. . Storch, Eric A. and Jason B. Storch. â€Å"Fraternities, Sororities, and Academic Dishonesty.† College Student Journal June 2002 v36, i2: p247. Infotrac. Gale Group. UC Riverside Thomas Rivera Library, Riverside CA. 22 Jan. 2005. .

Watching a movie on TV vs. watching a movie in a Theater :: Comparison Compare

The movie of the year just came out, and you are faced with a decision and various questions. Should you wait for the movie to come out on TV? Or should you stay home and wait for the movie to show on TV? Although both seem reasonable choices, watching the movie on TV at home is superior to watching a movie in a theater. The reason is because of commercials, prices, seating choices and availability to see the movie. When you watch a movie in a theater you have the advantage of not having to deal with commercials because they come on at the beginning of the movie. However, that can be a disadvantage as well because if you have to go to the bathroom or something comes up you would have to miss that part of the movie. Also, you will have chance to view the movie on the release date and be able to comment if the movie was or was not worth watching. However, for these services, a theater fee is required. The fee is determined by how good or how comfortable the theater is. Seating will be a something to look forward as well. If you arrive early seating may be more available than if you arrive late, so you would have to seat wherever a seat is available and sometimes that is not to your comfortability or desire. You also do not have choice in what kind of chair you want to sit in, or how soft or hard the chair is which sometimes seems less appealing. On the other hand, when you watch the movie on TV you have to deal with pesky commercials all throughout the movie, sometimes cutting off on the most exhilarating part. The price however, is to your ultimate convenience, it is free. You will also get the seat of your choice like the sofa, the chair, or the floor all according to how you feel. However, you will not be the first to watch it and by the time the movie comes out you would probably have heard all about it. In conclusion, watching a movie at home is much better than watching a movie in the theater.

Distractions: Classroom and Facebook Essay

Electronics is one of the main and worst distractions. Cell phones, laptops, desktop, and various other electronics are some of just a few distractions that take place in the class room, But the biggest one I think is laptops. People use laptops in the classroom to take notes, plan there day, and to do work on, but after a while it can those same usefulness can become a distraction. A lot of professors and instructors have decided to ban laptops from the classroom because people tend to lose focus with laptops in front of them. They start to go off and do other things like on Facebook or YouTube. This can become a big problem because they not paying attention so they don’t know what’s going on with the lesson which can affect what students might need to do for homework or what they need to study for that big test coming up. They not only are a distraction to the person using it but also a distraction to people around them. The typing may become annoying to a neighbor who may need to focus. Some professors find them a really distracting the typing and students seem to find more interest in the computer then in the lesson. Along with Cell phones, Laptops are becoming banned from classrooms due to the distraction to the person that uses them, their peers, and their professor. Laptops are just one of many distractions in the classroom and is one of the worst and main distractions along with cell phones and various other electronics that cause distractions.

Critical thinking and computer logic Essay

The goal of this paper is to identify the strengths and weaknesses that I possess and how they relate to my home life, work environment, and learning team at school. I also will layout a plan of action to address the correction of my weaknesses. Becoming aware of some of my weaknesses will be the first step to lead to self improvement. My ability to multitask is probably one of my best qualities as a worker. Being a member of a support team, the ability to multitask is essential. We are very busy department addressing customers with immediate demands. The ability to prioritize and multitask enables these tasks to be accomplished efficiently and successfully. Home life has many tasks; taking care of the dogs, daily maintenance and fixing up the house. My handling the multiple tasks of home life allows my wife flexibility in her work schedule. When working in a team environment at school or on the job, the ability to multitask can be an incredible skill for the group. This allows me to perform multiple tasks for the team I am on. It also gives the leader of the group the flexibility to delegate more to team members. Focus and dedication are other strengths that I possess. The ability to persevere and maintain the course of an assignment or job is a key to success. Being a long term student, this characteristic has enabled me to keep pushing toward the goal of a bachelor’s degree. There have been many times when I’ve wanted to give because the task seemed too hard but I pushed on. I have learned through experience how to bounce back from adversity. You never know what life is going to bring you and this trait can be invaluable. Being in the technical field, the ability to reeducate oneself and adapt is vital. The focus and dedication needed to stay on top of technology is crucial. These characteristics have also assisted me in balancing my home, work and school life. Being able to prioritize and put my family life first has helped me to persevere. My wife tells me and I tend to agree, that one of my greatest weaknesses is impatience. A lot of this is fueled by the good characteristics of  enthusiasm and hyperactivity, but nonetheless is a weakness. This impatience has led me to quit and start school several times. In my work and school life, impatience affects my ability as a team member. I have a very short fuse and do not often work well members who need extra help. This leads to another weakness; intolerance. I consider myself a compassionate person, but where work is related I am not very accepting of others weaknesses. My inability to remember when I was at that point hinders my ability to tutor or mentor a struggling co-worker or classmate. My impatience and intolerance at home is largely addressed towards myself. It has driven me to begin multiple projects around the house only to force myself into pure frustration when I can not finish them all as quickly as I would have liked due to other work and school obligations . I have similar problems at work and school. I tend to take on too many projects and spread myself too thin. I tend to be a person who is very self-critical and therefore I am very critical of my wife, co-workers and classmates. I sometimes have unreasonable expectations of myself and others. This weakness also makes it difficult to work in a team environment without conflict. Recognizing my strengths and becoming aware of my weaknesses is my first step towards self-improvement. The ability to ask for and receive feedback on these defects of character will be a very big asset in improving my personality as a whole. A lot of the impatience and intolerance I express towards others is usually an outward expression of how I feel towards myself. Through my faith and the practice of patience and tolerance towards others will lead me to my ultimate goal of having a servant’s heart. This ability to be unselfish at home, work, school, or wherever life may take me will enable me to achieve far more things than worldly success. Slowing down the number of projects at home will enable me to become less stressed and more focused on the tasks I need to complete. Using my ability to multitask does not mean I have to burn the candle at both ends. With the help, support, and feedback of those I am around, I will be able to improve myself and therefore improve my surr oundings.