Multilingual communities: Effects of code switching

Multilingual communities: Effects of code switching In multilingual communities, code-switching is a widespread phenomenon that happens from daily life and workplaces to classrooms in which specific languages have been instituted as the official languages of instruction. Malaysia is one of the nations that have multilingual communities that consists of three main races; Malay, Chinese and Indians. From 1957 to 1967, language was used as an important tool in order to achieve unity and Bahasa Malaysia becomes the national language. Previously, English was compulsory in all schools especially the vernacular schools and due to the lack of English educators at that time, the idea was off the hook. In 1967, English language status was removed but it was still used nationwide. 1.1 Background of Problem In 1956, the Education Review Committee aimed to establish multicultural education systems that support other languages since Malaysia have multilingual communities and English becomes part of it. Today, English had becomes an international language and unofficially second language in Malaysia since most people used it. English as a second language status in Malaysia has been complemented through wide use of English in the social setting as well as the education setting. Teaching of English has been greatly emphasised by the government through its ministry. Due to this matter, the declining level of English proficiency among students has brought about the need to find out how to tackle the issue. Teachers, consequently, have been employing code switching as a means of providing students with the opportunities to communicate and enhancing students understanding. Furthermore, code switching helps to facilitate the flow of classroom instruction since the teachers do not have to spend so much time trying to explain to the learners or searching for the simplest words to clarify any confusion that might arise. Code-switching should not be considered as a sign of shortcoming in the teacher. Instead, it is a careful strategy employed by the teachers. Code-switching should be allowed whenever necessary with some learners in specific situations. Richard (1985) suggests that code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to replacement between two or more languages in a single conversation, stretch of discourse, or utterances between people who have more than one language in common. Speakers of more than one language are known for their ability to code switch or mix their language during communication. This phenomenon occurs when the speaker substitutes a word or phrase from one language to a phrase or word from another language. Ayeomoni (2006) claims that many educators have attempted to define the term code switching and each understand the concepts from different points of view. Gumperz (1982) defined code-switching as the use of more than one code or language in the course of a single speech event, taken to refer to teacher utterances in the classroom. In other words, the teachers use code-switching in order to convey meanings to the students. Besides that, Numan and Carter (2001) stated that code switching as a pheno menon of switching from one language to another in the same discourse (p. 275). Appel Musyken (1987) mentioned that code switching can be divided into two categories which are intrasentential and intersentential. Intrasentential is a switch that occurs in the middle of a sentence. It was also known as code mixing. For example, my girlfriend suka ice cream. The word Suka means like in the Malay language. The real sentence is My girlfriend likes ice cream. A word from the Malay language is replaced by an English word in a sentence. The later is a switch of language that happens between sentences. A suitable example is I got an A for my drawing, awak macam mana, Farid?. Awak macam mana means what about you. The exact sentence should be I got an A for my drawing, what about you, Farid?. The first sentence uses English and the later is in Bahasa Malaysia. There is one more type of code switching which is extrasentential as introduces by Hamers and Blanc (1989), extrasentential switches include tags and fillers. An excellent example of a local extrasentential code switching that close to our culture is Later lah. Lah is a particle widely used by Malaysians and Singaporean in their speech. Holmes (2008) stated that the particle Lah is used to show intimacy or solidarity in a relationship. So, the term code switching in this study is the use of two languages within a sentence or between sentences. Intrasentential refers to the switch that occurs within a sentence while intersentential points to switches between sentences. Last but not least, extrasentential refers to the tags and fillers that do not exist in the word list of the language used. Statement of Research Problem Malaysian learners needs to become proficient English users in order to access knowledge and information available in English as well as to be able to communicate successfully, thus suggesting the important position the students may hold in the future. But before they can get to the targeted proficiency level, definitely they must get used to the English language itself. Since English acts as a second language in Malaysia, the lack of exposure is the pivotal factor that will hinders the students to become proficient in English. Thus, classroom instructions are the most valuable experience for learners because of the limited exposures to sufficient comprehensible input from the natural environment they might get. Therefore, in order to raise they proficiency level, they must gain sufficient comprehensible input. It means the students have to gain understanding towards what they learnt before thinking about raising the proficiency level. This is where a strategy to help them learn English as a second language must be applied by teachers. Code switching is a form of strategy that will solve these problems. It helps to facilitate the flow of classroom instruction since the teachers do not have to spend so much time trying to explain to the learners or searching for the simplest words to clarify any confusion that might arise. Teachers code switch when th e level of English used in the textbook or to be taught is beyond the learners ability or when the teachers have exhausted the means to adjust his speech to the learners level. Research Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate code switching in the teaching of English as a second language to secondary school students. There are several factors which are vital in determining the effectiveness of this study. Objectives of the study: To investigate the attitudes of teachers towards code switching The attitudes of teachers towards code switching The types of code switching Function of code switching in instruction Research Questions In more details, this study will answer the following question: What do teachers think about code switching in the English classroom? Do English teachers code switch in the English classroom? What types of code switching occur in the classroom? What is the function of code switching? Definition of Terms Specifically in this study, there are several terms which are used throughout the whole study, thus it is necessary to provide the definition of these terms for better understanding as well as reference to readers. The terms are: Learning It can be described simply as mental activity that includes receiving, storing, retrieving and using knowledge. This process requires interest and often demands effort. It depends heavily on memory process. Distance Learning It can be defined as formal education process in which the majority of the instruction occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. It is a two way between teacher and students who are separated by a geographical distance and time where the communication support the educational process. Adult learners Individuals who are experienced, financially independent, working full time while enrolled in a learning programme, have other responsibilities and enrolled in the learning programme on their will. They are also experienced, achievement oriented, highly motivated, relatively independent and also required a degree of independence in learning. In this study, adult learners refer to adult students enrolling in PJJ Programme in Faculty of Education, UiTM Shah Alam. Intrinsic motivation Intrinsically motivated actions is that which occurs for its own sake, action for which the only rewards are the spontaneous affects and cognitions that accompany it. Intrinsically motivated behaviors require no external supports or reinforcements for their sustenance. Extrinsic motivation It refers to motivation that comes from outside an individual. The motivating factors are external or outside, rewards such as money or grades. These rewards provide satisfaction and pleasure that the task itself may not provide. Institutional barriers It can be defined as structural in nature as those barriers erected by organization that provide learning opportunities for adults or all practices and procedures that exclude or discourage working adults from participating in educational activities. Situational barriers It can be defined as problem that arises from ones situation in life at a given time. Dispositional barriers It can be defined as attitudes or self perception about one self as learners. PJJ students It can be defined as part time students who come to class on every weekend and most of them are adult learners who are working. Significance This study is apparently one of the first few attempts to investigate the code switching in the teaching of English as a second language to secondary school trainee English teachers in Mara University of Technology, at Malacca City Campus. Therefore, this study may provide a useful launching pad for further research in this area of interest towards teachers from other states. The findings of this study could provide some data for future research in this area. It could perhaps also help in the more effective teaching strategy in the teaching of English as a second language to secondary school students as code switching can be considered as one the teaching strategy. Limitations This study was conducted in Mara University of Technology, at Malacca City Campus and due to this matter; the results will not be the generalization of the whole population of English trainee teachers nationwide. CHAPTER TWO THE LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Alternation between languages in the form of code switching is a widely observed phenomenon in foreign language classrooms. Numan and Carter briefly define the term as a phenomenon of switching from one language to another in the same discourse (2001:275). Following this definition, discourse will be handled as the students and teachers naturally occurring language use in classroom settings throughout this paper. Additionally, the languages between which alternation is performed are the native language of the students, and the foreign language that students are expected to gain competence in. While putting the phenomenon of code switching in context, the functions of code switching will be introduced in various aspects. Firstly, its function in bilingual community settings will briefly be explained by giving a sample authentic conversation which will help the reader deduce ideas about its possible applications in educational contexts. Secondly, the functionality of code switching in teachers classroom discourse will be introduced with its aspects as: topic switch, affective functions, and repetitive functions. Thirdly, the focus will shift to students code switching by introducing some basic functional perspectives as: equivalence, floor holding, reiteration, and conflict control. Lastly, weak and strong sides of code switching in foreign language classrooms will be discussed with a critical approach. This chapter outlines past research on code switching especially the main factor contributing the attitudes of teachers in the use of code switch, types and functions of code switching used in the classroom. This chapter will provide a clear idea of how code switching plays role in second language learning from the perspective of previous researches and the findings from past studies. 2.1 Theoretical Background Multilingual communities have the tendency to switch code either with or without their consciousness and Malaysia is a good example of a community that practice code switching. People sometimes switch code varied within a domain or social situation. For example, when there is some obvious change in the situation, such as the arrival of a new person, it is the obvious reason why people switch code. In most cases, a speaker may similarly switch to another language as a signal group of membership and shared ethnicity with an addressee. The code switch occurs from the first language to the second language or vice versa. In addition, switches motivated by the identity and relationship between the participants often express a move to show solidarity and it may also referred as the status relations between people or the formality of their interaction. The main focus here is to examine code switching in the field of education, in other words, the correlation between code switch and English t eacher in school especially in secondary school. In order to gain a better insight into code switch and it roles in terms of education, the main concern should be focused on the fundamental concept of code switching. According to Marasigan (1983), the use of two languages in the same discourse is referred to as code-switching. Ayeomoni (2006) stated that many scholars have attempted to define the term code switching and each understands the concept from different points of view. A search of the Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts database in 2005 shows more than 1,800 articles on the subject published in virtually every branch of linguistics. However, despite this variation or perhaps in part because of it, scholars do not seem to share a definition of the term. A useful definition of code switching for sociocultural linguistic analysis should recognize it as an alternation in the form of communication. It also signals a context in which the linguistic contribution can be understood. The context so signaled may be very local (such as the end of a turn at talk), very general (such as positioning), or anywhere in between. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that this signaling is accomplished by the action of participants in a particular interaction. That is to say, it is not necessary or desirable to spell out the meaning of particular code switching behavior. Rather, code switching is accomplished by parties in interaction, and the meaning of t heir behavior emerges from the interaction. This is not to say that the use of particular linguistic forms has no meaning, and that speakers make it up as they go. Individuals remember and can call on past experiences of discourse. These memories form part of a language users understanding of discourse functions. Therefore, within a particular setting certain forms may come to reappear frequently. Nonetheless, it is less interesting (for the current author at least, and probably for the ends of sociocultural linguistic analysis) to track the frequency or regularity of particular recurrences than to understand the effect of linguistic form on discourse practice and emergent social meanings. In earlier studies, Bokamba (1989) suggests that code switching is the mixing of words, phrases and sentences from two distinct grammatical (sub) systems across sentence boundaries within a speech event (p. 279). The term code switching (or, as it is sometimes written, code-switching or code switc h) is broadly discussed and used in linguistics and a variety of related fields. Code mixing on the other hand, is the embedding of various linguistic units such as affixes (bound morphemes), words (unbound morphemes), phrases and clauses from two grammatical (sub) systems within the same utterance and speech event (p. 279). Numan and Carter (2001) define code switching as a phenomenon of switching from one language to another in the same discourse (p. 275). To recapitulate, code switching is a practice of parties in discourse to signal changes in context by using alternate grammatical systems or subsystems, or codes. The mental representation of these codes cannot be directly observed, either by analysts or by parties in interaction. Rather, the analyst must observe discourse itself, and recover the salience of a linguistic form as code from its effect on discourse interaction. The approach described here understands code switching as the practice of individuals in particular discourse settings. Therefore, it cannot specify broad functions of language alternatio n, nor define the exact nature of any code prior to interaction. Codes emerge from interaction, and become relevant when parties to discourse treat them as such. In a more recent publication, Unanumo (2008) regards code switching as the use of more than one language in a conversation. Appel and Musyken (1987) suggest that code switching can be categorized as intrasentential or intersentential. Intrasentential is a switch of languages which occurs in the middle of a sentence. This type of switching is often called code mixing. An example of a Malaysian intrasentential switch is My youngest sister ambil Biology. Ambil means take in the Malay language. The sentence should be My youngest sister takes (studies) Biology. A Malay word is embedded in an English sentence. Intersentential, on the other hand, is a switch of language which occurs between sentences. An example of intersentential would be I quit all my jobs already. Christie tak beritahu?. Tak beritahu means did not tell. The sentence should read Christie did not tell you? The second sentence uses the Malay language while the former is in English. Poplack (1980, as cited in Hamers and Blanc, 1989) introduces extrasentential switches which include tags and fillers. These would also include an exclamation a parenthetical statement or particle from another language. An example of a local extrasentential switch is Nothing lah. Lah is a particle widely used by Malaysians in their colloquial speech. McArthur (1998) describes the multi-purpose lah as a token especially of informal intimacy and solidarity. Such a particle also exists in the Singaporean variety of English. Wee (2003) explains that it is typically found in clause-final position. It is monosyllabic and used for discourse pragmatic functions. The term code switching in this study adopts Clynes definition (Clyne, 2000) as the alternate use of two languages either within a sentence or between sentences. Intrasentential in this study refers to switches within a sentence while intersentential refers to switches between sentences. Extrasentential refer to tags and fillers which do not exist in the lexicon of the base language used. 2.2 Attitudes of Teachers in the use of Code Switch Within the world of languages use, code-switching has often been perceived as being of lower status, a strategy used by weak language performers to compensate for language deficiency. This view of code-switching and bilingual talk in general is more normatively based than research-based as pointed by Lin( 1996) who added that such a view conveys little more than the speaker or writers normative claims about what counts as standard or legitimate language. An extensive body of literature studies reported that code switching in classrooms not only just normal but useful tool of learning. Cook (2001) referred to code switching in the classroom as a natural response in a bilingual situation. Furthermore, in the same study, Cook considered the ability to go from one language to another is highly desirable not only among learners but teachers. Moreover, in eliciting teachers reflections to their classroom teachings, Probyn (2010) noticed that most notable strategy that teachers used was cod e switching to achieve a number of communicative and metalinguistic ends. Cooks studies were mainly in the second language classroom context. Rollnick and Rutherfords (1996) studied the science classrooms and found the use of learners main languages to be a powerful means for learners to explore their ideas. They argue that without the use of code switching, some students alternate conceptions would remain unexposed. Amin (2009) mentioned about the recognition to switch codes goes beyond switching between languages; it also recognizes the value of using the vernacular which believes to allow students to draw on useful sense-making resources. Cook (2001) stated that researchers see by using code switching in the classroom as a legitimate strategy (p. 105). Skiba (1997) added that no matter how it might be disruptive during a conversation to the listener, it still provides an opportunity for language development. However, historically, researchers believe that code switching occurred in many countries, which made Ferguson (2003) to conclude that ideological and conceptual sources of suspicion all often attached to classroom code-switching, suggesting that deep rooted attitudes may not be easy to change. Cheng and Butler (1989) list the following as some of the motives a speaker may have to code switch: conversational topic, role of the speaker, setting of the interaction, familiarity of the two speakers, age, sex, race, ethnic, linguistic background, etc (p. 295). Wardhaugh (2006) stated that, when done consciously, switching languages may also allow a speaker to assert power; declare solidarity; maintain certain neutrality when both codes are used; express identity; and so on (p.110). For example, if a group of bilingual Malay-English speakers are conversing in both Bahasa Malaysia and English and a monolingual, Malay speaker enters the conversation, the group will most likely begin speaking only Bahasa Malaysia, in order to allow the monolingual to participate in the conversation, thereby expressing their solidarity with the monolingual. Or, if the bilingual group wishes to assert linguistic power over the monolingual, they might continue speaking only in English to exclude him or her. Unfortunately, code-switching is often wrongly misinterpreted as evidence of a lack of a linguistic ability of the speaker or deterioration of one or both languages. However, sociolinguistic research confirms that code-switching plays an important role in social functions, and does not necessarily indicate linguistic incompetence. So, the main concern here is reasons of code switching used by the English teachers during their lessons in the classroom. In order to discuss further into this matter, the scope will be correlated with the roles of English teachers in the English language classroom. English as a second language status in Malaysia has been agreed through wide use of English in the social setting as well as the education setting. Teaching of English has been greatly emphasized by the government through its ministry. In classroom practice, teachers have been instructed to teach by using high quality English in the classrooms. The second or foreign language learning can only accept the presence of high quality input in the classroom for learners acquisition. Cook (2001) stated that all language classroom input must be in the target language, an effective model of language use can ensure that the intended learning was successful. Classroom instructions, therefore, are the most valuable experience for learners because of the limited exposures to sufficient comprehensible input from their natural environment. Hence, the decreasing level of English proficiency among students is the main reason to the need in finding out how to tackle this issue. Teachers have been employing code switching as a means of providing students with the opportunities to communicate and enhancing students understanding. Furthermore, code switching helps to facilitate the flow of classroom instruction since the teachers do not have to spend so much time trying to explain to the learners or searching for the simplest words to help clearing the students understanding. According to Norrish (1997), teachers code-switch when the level of English used in the textbook or to be taught is beyond the learners ability or when the teachers have exhausted the means to adjust his speech to the learners level. 2.3 Types of Code Switching used in the Classroom Richard (1985) suggests that code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to replacement between two or more languages in a single conversation, stretch of discourse, or utterances between people who have more than one language in common. Speakers of more than one language are known for their ability to code switch or mix their language during communication. This phenomenon occurs when the speaker substitutes a word or phrase from one language to a phrase or word from another language. Ayeomoni (2006) claims that many educators have attempted to define the term code switching and each understand the concepts from different points of view. Gumperz (1982) defined code-switching as the use of more than one code or language in the course of a single speech event, taken to refer to teacher utterances in the classroom. In other words, the teachers use code-switching in order to convey meanings to the students. Besides that, Numan and Carter (2001) stated that code switching as a pheno menon of switching from one language to another in the same discourse (p. 275). Appel Musyken (1987) mentioned that code switching can be divided into two categories which are intrasentential and intersentential. Intrasentential is a switch that occurs in the middle of a sentence. It was also known as code mixing. For example, my girlfriend suka ice cream. The word Suka means like in the Malay language. The real sentence is My girlfriend likes ice cream. A word from the Malay language is replaced by an English word in a sentence. The later is a switch of language that happens between sentences. A suitable example is I got an A for my drawing, awak macam mana, Farid?. Awak macam mana means what about you. The exact sentence should be I got an A for my drawing, what about you, Farid?. The first sentence uses English and the later is in Bahasa Malaysia. There is one more type of code switching which is extrasentential as introduces by Hamers and Blanc (1989), extrasentential switches include tags and fillers. An excellent example of a local extrasentential code switching that close to our culture is Later lah. Lah is a particle widely used by Malaysians and Singaporean in their speech. Holmes (2008) stated that the particle Lah is used to show intimacy or solidarity in a relationship. So, the term code switching in this study is the use of two languages within a sentence or between sentences. Intrasentential refers to the switch that occurs within a sentence while intersentential points to switches between sentences. Last but not least, extrasentential refers to the tags and fillers that do not exist in the word list of the language used. 2.4 Functions of Code Switching used in the Classroom Code switching has a variety of functions which vary according to the topic, people involved in conversation and the context where the conversation is taken place. Baker (2006) have discussed the topic of code switching from a sociolinguistics perspective, in which he listed twelve main purposes of code switching, which are relevant to bilinguals talks in general. Some of these functions can be observed in classroom environment and in relevance to teachers and students interactions. According to Baker (2006) code switching can be used to emphasize a particular point, to substitute a word in place of unknown word in the target language, to express a concept that has no equivalent in the culture of the other language, to reinforce a request, to clarify a point, to express identity and communicate friendship, to ease tension and inject humor into a conversation, and in some bilingual situations, code switching occurs when certain topics are introduced. In the substituting a word in anot her language, Man and Lu (2006) found that in Hong Kong schools, both teachers and students major reason for code switching was that there was no direct translation of words between English and Cantonese, additionally, the same study of Man and Lu found that teachers in Hong Kong schools use code switching also to ease tension and inject humor in to conversations. In a previous study, Eldridge (1996) has listed four purposes in which student code switching as equivalence, floor-holding, reiteration and conflict control. Equivalence which is a strategy that bilingual used to find the equivalent of the unknown lexicon of the target language in the speakers first language to overcome the deficiency in language competence in second language. The second purpose of code switching is for floor holding which is a technique used by bilingual students during conversing in the target language to fill in the stopgap with words in native language in order to maintain the fluency of the conversation. The third purpose of is reiteration, as it implies, it is emphasizing and reinforcing a message that has been transmitted firstly in the target language but then students rely on repeating the message in first language to convey to the teacher that the message is understood. The last function is conflict control, which is used to eliminate any misunderstanding when the accurate meaning of a word is not known in the communication. These researches shown that, the teachers and students used of code switching is not always performed consciously; which means that the teacher which is the main concern for this study is not always aware of the functions and outcomes of the code switching process. Therefore, in some cases it may be regarded as an automatic and unconscious behaviour. Nevertheless, either conscious or not, it necessarily serves some basic functions which may be beneficial in language learning environments. Mattson and Burenhult (1999) stated that all of these functions are listed as topic switch, affective functions, and repetitive functions. (p. 61). In order to have a general idea about these, it will be appropriate to give a brief explanation about each function. In topic switch cases, the teacher alters his/her language according to the topic that is under discussion. This is mostly observed in grammar instruction, that the teacher shifts his language to the mother tongue of his students in dealing with particular grammar points, which are taught at that moment. In these cases, the students attention is directed to the new knowledge by making use of code switching and accordingly making use of native tongue. At this point it may be suggested that a bridge from known (native language) to unknown (new foreign language content) is constructed in order to transfer the new content and meaning is made clear in this way as it is also suggested by Cole (1998): a teacher can exploit students previous L1 learning experience to increase their understanding of L2. In addition to the function of code switching named as topic switch, the phenomenon also carries affective functions that serve for expression of emotions. In this respect, code switching is used by the teacher in order to build solidarity and intimate relations with the students. In this sense, one may speak

Essay --

How Revolutionary Was the American Revolution? Revolution is briefly described as an attempt to overthrow a government to start a new one. The American Revolution took place between 1775 and 1783 and was a fight for American Independence from England. In 1764, the first of many â€Å"Intolerable Acts† were passed. The British Parliament began to excise tax on the American colonies without representation, sparking the great conflict. The British were continuing to incorporate new ways to make more money. England was the most powerful country at the time with an intimidating military, so this wasn’t a hard task to complete. The American Revolution was very Revolutionary because, it jump started the abolition of slavery, it brought about many political and social advances, and served as a stepping stone towards a democracy and a strong centralized government. The American Revolution was a â€Å"light at the end of the tunnel† for slaves, or at least some. African Americans played a huge part in the war for both sides. Lord Dunmore, a governor of Virginia, promised freedom to any slave that enlisted into the British army. Colonists’ previously denied enlistment to African American’s because of the response of the South, but hesitantly changed their minds in fear of slaves rebelling against them. The north had become to despise slavery and wanted it gone. On the contrary, the booming cash crops of the south were making huge profits for landowners, making slavery widely popular. After the war, slaves began to petition the government for their freedom using the ideas of the Declaration of Independence,† including the idea of natural rights and the notion that government rested on the consent of the governed.† (Keene 122). The north began to fr... ...le, Pennsylvania tried to keep voting rights limited to certain property requirements, but expanded it to any male taxpayer that has lived in the state for at least one year could vote. With each state drafting their own constitution, it was a spark for the newly independent colonies to start their own democracy and set of laws that the majority of Americans were happy with. In conclusion, the American Revolution was very revolutionary. It was a huge milestone in American history. The war not only gave America their own independence from the most powerful country in the world, it gave the American government the basis of how it runs today and brought about many social and political changes. Although many historians see the war as a change of power from one greedy power to another, Americans wouldn’t have a democracy and citizens wouldn’t have the rights they have.

Human Free Will and Gods Foreknowledge Essay

The argument of the compatibility and incompatibility of God’s foreknowledge and human free will have been going on for hundreds of years. Concerning the definition of freedom, to get a better understanding, can be described as an act that an individual can do freely without being restrained or force. Philosophers that are well known in this subject matter are Alvin Plantiga and Nelson Pike. Pike will argue that human freedom is incompatible with God’s foreknowledge based upon facts such as God being omniscient. Whereas, Plantiga argues that Pike’s theory is based upon confusion and that human free will can coexist with God’s foreknowledge. Let’s get in to the differences in predictability and God’s foreknowledge pertaining to free will to give a bit more understanding in the argument. Shook’s example is as follows, â€Å"What justification is available for our [predictability claim] that a wind-up toy, for example, my â€Å"Thomas the Train† toy, does not freely choose its behavior? † (Shook 142) This is to say that we as human beings can predict that this wind-up toy will move forward after we wind it up just as God might. However, this prediction is merely based on our knowledge of the past in using this toy. When we try to predict such an event, it has the possibility not working and we had no idea that this would happen, whereas, God would have predicted this as He is omniscient. It’s obvious in both of these arguments it is accepted that God is omniscient in all possible worlds. Pike states that â€Å"†¦ it is part of the essence of God to be omniscient†¦ any person who is not omniscient could not be the person we [call] God. † (Pojman & Rea 97) He goes on to point out that if this were false, in that any person can be called â€Å"God† if one was not omniscient, then we can call anyone God. Furthermore, this means to say that at any given time in the past, present or future an omniscient and existing God would know what would happen. This, I would argue is something that can be compatible with human freedom; In that if God believes, at a certain time (T1), that Peter will eat an orange (X) in the future T2 is necessarily true. At T2 Peter eats an apple (X2) will not go against the omniscience of God. God would have believed that at T2 it was with Peter’s free will that he will do X2. That is to say that, according to Plantiga,â€Å" It was within Peter’s power at T2 to do something that if he had done it,then God would not have held a belief that in fact he did hold. † (Pojman & Rea 110) Though Peter had two choices in either eating the orange or the apple the fact that God knows that he would have eaten the latter does not take away the freedom of Peter. Pike will argue that God will have known at a certain time (T1) that an event will be foreseen as soon as the human being is born such as T2. Pertaining to this situation Pike states, â€Å" †¦ if God held such a belief eighty years [T1] prior to [T2], Peter did not have the power on [T2] to do something that would have made it the case that God did not hold this belief eighty years later. † (Pojman & Rea 99) This fact goes on to say that it is with the omniscience of God that, no matter what, His belief will not have changed in between [T1] and [T2]. The argument can still be accepted in an statement made by St. Augustine, â€Å"†¦ it is not necessary to deny that God foreknows all things while at the same time our wills are our own. God has foreknowledge of our will, so that of which he has foreknowledge must come to pass. In other words, we shall exercise our will in the future because he has foreknowledge that we shall do so; and there can be no will or voluntary action unless it will be in our power. † (Hopkins 112) The argument here is that, even though God foreknows that Peter will eat the apple does not require Him to limit the humans free will; It was with knowledge and not restraint that Peter made his choice. Another claim that has to deal to this argument is that which Molina says, â€Å"†¦ it is not because God foreknows what He foreknows that men act as they do: it is because men act as they do that God foreknows what He foreknows. † (Pojman & Rea 102) Meaning that the reason why God foresees an event is based upon the action of the humans’ free will. This goes back to the differences in prediction and free will, however, now we are dealing with something other than an inanimate object. The differences in this claim are argued as follows by Shook, â€Å"If God possesses justified divine knowledge, his capacity for perfectly predicting future human actions is incompatible with the free will of alternative possibilities. † (Shook 157) For reasons already explained, it is impossible for God to have made a claim based on the consistency for his omniscient knowledge gave him the belief before the event occurred. This concept would be similar to me making a prediction of a friend who will wake up at five in the morning and take a shower every Tuesday because he is consistent in doing so. I can make this prediction, but it won’t be necessarily true. The consistency can always change, due to free will. To assume God’s cognitions to be similar is untrue. This would also be to say that if God’s beliefs are due to a humans freedom of will that, when the individual refrains from a certain action that he was going to do, that God’s belief is false. This cannot be true as well due to the acceptance of God’s omniscience. There is also a difference in free will and necessity too. An example can be that it is necessary for one to live by breathing which is arguably our will to do so. It is our will to live, therefore, we must breathe. Augustine explains further that, â€Å"†¦ if there is necessity there is no voluntary choice†¦ but rather fixed and unavoidable necessity. † (Pojman & Rea 101) This could be an argument that it is with necessary actions where God’s foreknowledge is indeed true. It is possible for us to not breathe, thus ending our life which is a necessary truth and God would foreknow as well. Molina writes, â€Å"He would foreknow the opposite if the opposite was to happen. † (Pojman & Rea) This argument coincides with the claim that was made above on the choices that were made by Peter. Pike is under the claim that it is incompatible for there to be human free will along with God’s foreknowledge. This is backed up by stating that God is omniscient and because of that the action by the human is not, in fact, under his will. Due to the belief of the event occurring before the time it does occur does not allow the human any other choices. This cannot be compared to anything that is predicted as it would falsify the omniscience of God. To compare the belief of a situation occurring to the prediction a human might make of a wind-up toy or close friend is also untrue as it would then allow for anyone to be called â€Å"God† because anyone is able to make such a prediction. The previous statement would negate that only an omniscient being can be called â€Å"God† since the human that can predict is not omniscient. The compatible claim of human free will and God’s foreknowledge is explained by Plantiga. He goes on to say that it is compatible as the person would have choices and be able to choose based on one’s own will. Explaining further that the foreknowledge of God does not require a restraint on the choice with which the human chooses. Whether or not the individual makes one choice over another God will still foresee it due to His omniscience, therefore, being an action of human free will. Though an action may be out of necessity (i. e.breathing) it is possible for us to still make another choice based on our own will. Works Cited Hopkins, Jasper. â€Å"Augustine On Foreknowledge And Free Will. † International Journal For Philosophy Of Religion 8. 2 (1977): 111-126. ATLA Religion Database. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. Pojman, Louis & Rea, Michael. Philosophy of Religion. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2012 Shook, John. â€Å"God’s Divinely Justified Knowledge Is Incompatible With Human Free Will. â€Å"Forum Philosophicum: International Journal For Philosophy 15. 1 (2010): 141-159. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Should College Athletes Be Paid - 1591 Words

A Free Education Is Already Enough For College Athletes More and more it’s discussed daily on whether if college athletes should finally be paid, or remain unpaid, this topic is very important because college sports are very popular in the United States. College athletes should remain unpaid because it wouldn’t be fair to the other less watch sports that don’t bring in a lot of revenue, it wouldn’t be fair to the female athletes they wouldn’t be paid equally, college athletes already have advantages and receive benefits, and paying the athletes would only benefit the big named universities and not the smaller schools. College athletes were all recruited out of high school to play a sport for a university of their choosing, if the athletes were good enough they would receive a scholarship, that comes with a free education, free housing, and a free meal plan. A discussed topic is should college athletes be paid because of all the hard work and revenue that they bring towards their universities, or should they remain unpaid because they are already receiving enough. In the article â€Å"Pay to play: should college athletes be paid?† Many get scholarships, which help pay for their tuition, supplies, housing, and sporting equipment. According to the NCAA, college athletes often receive grants worth more than $100,000†. (Birkenses Bagaria Par. 8) A free education is already enough, college athletes get to go to school for free just because of their athletic abilities, which alsoShow MoreRelatedShould College Athletes Be Paid?1578 Words   |  7 PagesAshay Mehta Nou Per 8 Should College Athletes Be Paid? One of the hottest debates in the sports industry is if college athletes should be paid. If you want to pay these athletes, how would the college determine the dollar amount that should be paid? Should the basketball team make more than the football team? Should the the soccer team be paid as well? Cheerleading? Chess team? Should everyone on the team get a salary? What if your college is good at football and your basketball team is awfulRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1398 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieve that college athletes at the highest performing schools are better treated than others. Although they do not get paid, they do receive some benefits for being athletes that other students would not get. One advantage for playing a sport is access to scholarships that some schools reserve for their athletes. Depending on the school and the athlete’s performance, money towards tuition is often given. Only some schools are willing to grant â€Å"full-ride† scholar ships for certain athletes. AccordingRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1289 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the years college sports have been about the love of the game, filled with adrenaline moments. However, the following question still remains: Should college athletes get paid to play sports in college? Seemingly, this debate has been endless, yet the questions have gone unanswered. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) plays a vital role in this debate. The NCAA is a billion dollar industry, but yet sees that the athlete should get paid for their hard work and dedicationRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1334 Words   |  6 Pagesrising to the surface is â€Å"Should college athletes be paid?†. This has become a burning question. The NCAA is a multibillion-dollar industry, that makes millions, if not billions, in revenue. Yet it’s still maintains the non-profit status meaning that the industry is not set on making a profit and none of the revenue that is made is distributed to its members, managers, or officers. While most players who play in college sports are under a scholarship, that pays for the college tuition, books, and housingRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1364 Words   |  6 PagesHave you paid attention to all of the news that has been surfacing about collegiate sports lately? It is a big topic now days in the world of sports on weather college athletes should be getting paid to play sports. College athletics have gained great popularity of the past few decades, and have brought schools lots of revenue. A lot of college athletes think they should be getting paid for their services they do for their school. College sports like basketball and football generate over six billionRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1130 Words   |  5 PagesWhat college athlete would not want to be paid to play the sport that he or she loves? The real question is, though, should college athletes be paid fo r their roles in a college’s athletics? They are many points to each side of this recent controversial topic, which is why this has been made into such a hot debate in the past couple of years. As of right now, these athletes are not getting paid, but many of them truly believe that they should. Others believe that they already are being paid throughRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?986 Words   |  4 PagesPaying the College Athlete The college athlete has steadily grown in popularity in the United States over the span of the past decades. Monetarily speaking, this increased publicity has been extremely beneficial for National Athletic Association (NCAA) and all the colleges involved in athletics which has sparked the dispute of whether or not the athlete should be paid for their hard work and dedication on the field and to their school or if the athletic scholarship is more than enough. College athletesRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1239 Words   |  5 PagesLindsey Simmerman Speech 102 T/Th 1:00-2:15 October 25, 2016 Should college athletes be paid to play? Specific Purpose: To persuade the class to agree with my stance on paying college athletes to play sports Thesis: College football is the hours players spend practicing and performing, the number of injuries the players face, and the persona these athletes must portray every day all the while watching their schools, coaches, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) get all the compensationRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Be Paid1254 Words   |  6 PagesSome college athletic departments are as wealthy as professional sports teams. The NCAA has an average annual revenue of $10.6 billion dollars. College athletes should be paid because of the amount of revenue that they bring to their college. Each individual college should pay its athletes based on how much revenue they bring to the college in which they attend. The colleges that win their Division title, their Conference title, or the National championship, give bonuses to the Head coach of thatRead MoreCollege Athletes Should Not Be Paid1558 Words   |  7 Pagesstudent-athletes participate in a variety of different s ports, and currently they do not receive paychecks for their performances. College athletics have attained an extensive popularity increase among Americans over the past few decades. This has resulted into increased revenues for the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] and the participating colleges, which has fuelled the debate of whether or not college athletes should collect an income. College athletes should not be paid to play

Persuasive Essay On Endangered Species - 1461 Words

As the population of us humans grow, more and more environmental problems are developing such as global warming, pollution, and animal extinction. Unfortunately, endangered species are threatened by human population as we grow and consume resources at compulsive rate, and endangered species are most likely to go extinct if we do not take action. From animals, we tend to consume our sources of protein which means killing animals in order for ourselves to survive. For example, the fish provides 15 percent of protein consumed by human beings, which puts the Atlantic bluefin tuna at risk. In addition, increase in human population impacts climate change which is bringing Polar Bears closer and closer to extinction. Recently, the public and the†¦show more content†¦By using an alternative to pesticides such as †¦ can not only protect animals and keep them from going extinct and it can also protect your family from harmful chemicals. Another way we can reduce pollution in our environment is to walk or ride your bicycle to work instead driving because fuel from vehicles pollute the air. We can also save energy by turning the lights off before leaving the room and turning off the television when it is not being used. Furthermore, this will reduce emissions from coal-fired electricity plants, and also save you money on your electricity bill. Taking action to reduce pollution in our environment will save endangered animals from going extinct. Another aspect that puts animals at risk is products made from animals. Every year, millions of animals are killed for fashion. Animals are harshly treated, trapped, and killed under very devastating circumstances in order to produce fashion items such as leather boots, fur coats, and belts. Unfortunately, as consumers, we do not think about the torture animals go through just so we can wear fashionable clothing. Sheep are sheared for the fur every year and shearing too late causes a loss of wool. Because of this, sheep are sheared too soon every year and die from premature shearing. Chiru is an endangered speciesShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Endangered Species1128 Words   |  5 PagesInnocent animals are being hunted, killed, and murdered. The price to pay for a missing species is more than we can bare. This is severely damaging our environment and not only hurting the animals, but ourselves as well. The human race is capable of change; but it will take time, which is somet hing these poor animals do not have. If we want to protect our world, we will have to move and fast. Extinction of these species can be prevented and our future generations can enjoy this wonderful planet as itRead MorePersuasive Essay On Endangered Species847 Words   |  4 Pages When a species of plant or animal becomes an endangered species, it is at a serious risk of extinction. It is estimated that each year 0.1% of species become extinct each year due to human activity. If there are 100 000 000 different species co-existing with us, then 10 000 species are going extinct each year due to human activity. We are causing species to become extinct 1 000 to 10 000 times faster than the natural extinction rate. When presented this information, we ask ourselves one question:Read MoreAnimals want People to Stop the Cruelty541 Words   |  2 Pageswith very little ethos to back up his claims, readers may not think of him as accountable author. What Regan lacks in his logos he makes up for with the facts about animal cruelty he writes in this reading. 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Silvers Forces of Labour2600 Words   |  11 PagesThere are several sociological theories in the study of contemporary labor unrest. However, this essay will start off to examine the rationale of capital mobility and labor transformation processes, as a coherent point of departure. To what extent is this approach significant? A simple answer is the sociological framework of Silver (2003), which is our central focus, is in contrast with the above approaches. Therefore, it’s imperative to provide an overview of what Silver was critical about. SilverRead MoreClose Study Of Greenpeace s Save The Whales Campaign2857 Words   |  12 Pagesorganisation aimed at environmental conservation, including defending the oceans and marine ecological system. Whales are on the verge of extinction and yet continue to be hunted. Greenpeace’s campaign to â€Å"Save the Whales† aims to protect this endangered species. It a lso symbolises and represents their dedication to ocean protection. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) instilled a global moratorium on commercial whaling. In 1994, the IWC established the Southern Ocean Whale SanctuaryRead MoreLevel 6 Essay2155 Words   |  9 PagesWhat techniques do charity campaigns use to convey their idea and persuade the viewer? Have they gone too far? Danielle Gough BA Visual Communication, Level 6 This essay will provide an in depth analysis into charity campaigns, their target audience and ways of communicating an idea, message and the methods used to persuade the viewer to donate or join the charity. In order to do this I will decode three images via semiotic analysis. Charity campaign techniques, symbols and signs , social and politicalRead MoreFather: Causality and Persuasive Speech8283 Words   |  34 Pagescan have high credibility for one audience and low credibility for another audience. 13. T F Establishing common ground with an audience is especially important in the conclusion of a persuasive speech. 14. T F Establishing common ground with an audience is especially important in the introduction of a persuasive speech. 15. T F A speaker’s credibility is affected by everything she or he says and does during the speech. 16. T F Research shows that a speaker’s credibility is strongly affectedRead MoreEssay on Silent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 Pagesoffprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.  ©1998-2002;  ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. 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Computime - 1008 Words

Question 1 Communication across Computime is lacking. According to Wolcott and Lippitz, Computime lacks formal communication channels between Research and Development (RD) and business unit engineers (2008). If the RD unit is unaware of how Computime’s customers are innovating a product, how can the department anticipate needs and make adjustments prior to unveiling a new product? Communication needs addressed. Chinese engineers â€Å"tend to be less accustomed to sharing problems, offering ideas, and working in teams† (Wolcott Lippitz, 2008). This is a barrier for Computime, as Chinese engineers may not be able to communicate effectively with the RD units. To improve communication channels, Computime can use Frans Johnansson’s concept†¦show more content†¦Step 3 – Check for organizational congruence With the opening of the new RD center in 2006, the formal organization, culture, and people of Computime will need re-aligned (Tushman O’Reilly, 1997). This is necessary because they do not fit the new vision, since all were established when Computine was a contract manufacturer (OEM), not a global leader of branded products. Step 4 – Develop solutions and take action Possible changes to the formal structure at Computime could include new communication systems and rewards. Possible changes to human resources could include new skills and expertise necessary for branded products. As far as cultural changes, a shift from â€Å"manufacturing† to â€Å"innovative† is necessary for all employees if Computime wants to become a leader of branded products (Wolcott Lippitz, 2008). Step 5 – Observe response and learn from the consequences Organizational learning is about finding-good enough solutions to important problems and making error-correcting adjustments to get better and better (Tushman O’Reilly, 1997). The key for Computime to becoming a global leader in branded products is to continually learn/make improvements from their targeted actions taken in step four. In summary, a congruence analysis will help ComputimeShow MoreRelatedAssessing Your Own Leadership Capability and Performance2401 Words   |  10 Pagesleadership capabilities and performance will be assessed. This review will be based on Computime Ltd organizational structure and I will be showing my own understanding of the leadership styles within the organisation, reviewing the effectiveness of my own leadership skills but also discuss the adoption of an effective leadership style to motivate staff to finally meet the organizational values and goals. Computime Ltd is one of the major IT organisations based in Malta employing 82 employees, deliveringRead MoreAssessing Your Own Leadership Capability and Performance2395 Words   |  10 Pagesleadership capabilities and performance will be assessed. This review will be based on Computime Ltd organizational structure and I will be showing my own understanding of the leadership styles within the organisation, reviewing the effectiveness of my own leadership skills but also discuss the adoption of an effective leadership style to motivate staff to finally meet the organizational values and goals. Computime Ltd is one of the major IT organisations based in Malta employing 82 employees, deliveringRead MoreSap Analysis6736 Words   |  27 Pagessoftware. Figure 4 gives a revenue breakdown by sales destination: SAP views Latin America and Asia as strategic growth markets. SAP aims to jump from 300 clients in Latin America to 3,000 over the next three years. According to â€Å"Computimes (Malaysia)†, â€Å"the company believes that despite unfavorable conditions, the CRM market, particularly in Asia, will not be significantly affected as users are expected to invest in such solutions to remain competitive in the marketplace†¦Over theRead MoreAir Asia Strategic Analysis7334 Words   |  30 Pages(for AirAsia Bhd). PIKOM introduces the PIKOM ICT Leadership Awards, which 12 is intended to honour and give due recognition to outstanding leaders in the ICT industry and user community. Prior to this, PIKOM has been organizing the PIKOM-Computimes ICT Awards since 1989 (later evolved to PIKOM National ICT Awards) to honour outstanding Malaysian ICT companies, products and individuals in the field of ICT for their contribution to the industry and society. For the category of PIKOM ICT Organisation

fgjh Essay Example For Students

fgjh Essay n High School, college seemed to be the scariest thing that I could think of. Whenever I thought about it my stomach would immediately begin to spin in circles. Although I was ready to go off and be by myself and meet new people I was scared to death at the same time. I didnt know much about the college experience and what I did know (or thought I knew) scared me. I pictured hard classes that I wouldnt be able to keep up with, people that wouldnt like me, long hikes to get to my classes, and horrible food. I couldnt imagine leaving the security of my own room, my own stuff where I want it, my friends that Ive spent practically my whole life with, my family who put up with all my little quirks, and my car!! What was I going to do without my precious car? Some of my friends that had already been to college and had come back to visit seemed so much older and more mature. I felt twelve years old in comparison. I thought that I would never be able to fit in. Everyone else that I talked to didnt however seem to have this problem. They all were thrilled at the thought of being on their own and not having to worry about their parents telling them what to do all the time. And sure, the thought was extremely exciting to me as well, but how would I survive without my family and friends and the things that had taken me eighteen years to get used to. I felt like going to college was pretty much taking everything that I knew and had grown accustomed to and throwing it up in the air. The worst part about it all was that I felt like I was the only one that actually thought about this. I felt so immature and childish for actually being scared to come to college. After I thought I wouldnt be able to take the pressures anymore, I decided to approach my mom about the subject. I told her that I was a little scared and the thought of being on my own made me a little uneasy. Sweetie she said, I know its a little hard right now and things are a little confusing and overwhelming but it will get easier. Youll get to school and wonder how you ever got along living here and going to high school. And when you get a little nervous and think its too much just remember to stick it out and you can always come home. Talking to her definitely put me in a better mood about the way I was feeling but I still couldnt shake the nervousness that I got when I thought about the classes that I was taking and the enormous amounts of homework that I was going to have to endure. As time went by I began to not think so much about going to school and I just wanted to savor the time that I had left with my familiar friends. The summer before I came to school was probably the most fun wed ever had. We reminisced about our lives growing up and all the fun that we had over the years. We all knew that come September things would never be the same again and we had to make the most of it while we still could. As the end of August rolled around we knew that it was time to say goodbye and be on our way to our own independence. I packed up the memories of the last eighteen years of my life into about five suitcases and was ready to go. I still didnt feel like I was just as mature as my older college friends and I thought that I still looked like I was twelve years old but I figured I had to go sometime. .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .postImageUrl , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:hover , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:visited , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:active { border:0!important; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:active , .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1 .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u468255fd3e219d7839d70abf4ef54ba1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Giver: A Critique EssayWe finally made it to the dorms and began unloading my clothes and the eight million bags of food that my mom had packed me. Although I wasnt too worried about my new roommate seeing as how she was a friend from home and we had already decided to live together, I still was unsure about sharing my room and not being able to have the privacy that I had back home. I was worried that the little habits that I had that no one at home seemed to mind might annoy my roommate and that my roommate might have just as many annoying little habits that I might not be able to handle as well. But I sucked it up for the sake of my family, and my roommate and start ed unpacking everything. After I tearfully said goodbye to my family and had all my things unpacked and put exactly where I wanted, my roommate and I decided to go around our hall and see whom we would be living with for the next two semesters. As we went around to different rooms and met different people my nervousness seemed to diminish. I began to realize that not everyone here knew everyone else and everyone was just as anxious and nervous about being here as I was. I started to feel better and was actually kind of excited about living here all by myself. As I started to go to my new classes I realized that they were kind of hard but that I was ready for them, I was ready for the challenge. I did have tons of homework and it has been overwhelming sometimes but Ive also gotten a better sense of what I can handle and what I want to do with my life. Now that I have one semester behind me and have gotten a better taste of the true college experience Ive realized that the expectations that I held in September have definitely changed and Im not so scared of living on my own. Ive met plenty of people that I dont think I wouldve had a chance to become friends with if I had not come to college. And although the classes are kind of difficult and the food was worse than I expected and I still havent gotten used to my roommates messiness, Ive grown to like the college environment. Ive learned that my mom was actually right. I did get used to it and I have no idea how I ever managed to live at home. I still miss the security of living at home and the home cooked meals that are nonexistent here and the friends that I grew up with but I know that weve all changed and those memories are just that memories. And when times get too tough my mom is just a phone call away. But Im not too quick to call her and have her solve my problems. Ive learn ed that I can usually work things out by myself. Im glad that Ive gone through these changes in myself and it makes me realize that I dont need to fear change, that its just a part of life that everyone has to go through sometime. I still think I look like Im twelve though.