Quote from All Shook Up

"Elvis in the army, Buddy Holly dead, Little Richard in the ministry, Jerry Lee Lewis in disgrace, and Chuck Berry in jail"

-All Shook Up by Glenn C. Altschuler

I found this quote on the 6th chapter of All Shook Up and it caught my attention. This particular chapter is title as "The day the music died" and caught my attention. The reason this caught my attention is because I don't agree with the quote at all. Despite all the tragedy this quote entitles it is still a false statement. Rock n' roll did not die that day, because the music continues to life on today. The music that was made during these two decades was remarkable and cannot be compared to any other time in our music history. The music in this time period made such an impact to society and happened during such hard times in the United States. Now to say that Rock n' Roll died that day is ridiculous. That music is everlasting, I say this because it is still popular among many people today.

I am still a fan of 50's and 60's Rock n' Roll because I was raised on listening to this type of music. I will continue to listen because to me this music will never die. As the years pass music will keep influencing people in different ways. The sound might change throughout the years, but the impact it makes will never change.

Academic Transformation exercise 5.4

Are You Committed?

1. Your thoughts and feelings about the institution you attend:

a. Are you proud to be a student there?

I am actually very proud to be able to attend San Jose State University because I am the first person in my family to attend college.

b. Is it important that your degree come from the institution?

Yes, one of my goals in life is to graduate from college with a degree. Whether it's from San Jose or from a more prestigious school I plan on graduating.

c. Do you feel a sense of belonging; in other words, is this institution a good fit for you?

I do feel a sense of belonging at school in general. I want to be able to grow up and graduate

with a good career in mind. Many people graduate high school without the "want" to go to

college. I feel like the only path for my life right now is college.

d. Have you relinquished your bonds to your former school and transferred your

loyalties to this one?

Yes, I feel like this school is my new home. I feel like I have graduated from high school and

and that is in the past now. I now attend San Jose State and I am proud to tell people that.

e. Are you comfortable in your dealings with the faculty, the staff, and other students?

So far the faculty and staff have been very comfortable to deal with. I have no grudges with

any one thus far. I will try my hardest to maintain this relationship with them so I could ease

through school much easier.

2. Your goals for attending college:

a. What is your main goal for attending college?

My main goal I have set for myself is to graduate with a good degree. I want to be able to

have a comfortable future for myself, and the only way to do that is to do well in school.

b. Have you made a clear choice of a major or selected a program of study?

I have chosen to study Civil Engineering as a Major, but it is not clear yet. I am deciding

wether to change my major to Business because I want to make sure to choose a major that

I like and will give me the most money.

c. Is it important for you to have a college degree or to get certified in a particular

program?

As of now it is the most important thing in my life. I try not to let to many things distract me

from my studies.

d. Will attending college result in a better job or change in career?

Attending college will definitely better my chances of getting a good career. To be able to

work as a professional you must attend college to learn how to do our job. If you don't go to

college you are most likely to get a regular blue collar job.

e. Have you investigated graduate/professional programs?

I have found out that Civil Engineering is a very promising career.

f. Have you completed any internships or volunteered or worked part-time in a field

related to your academic goal?

Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to intern at any type of Civil Engineering firm.

I am planning on doing that this upcoming summer.

g. What are your academic ambitions, including GPA and honor societies?

My ambition is to at least receive a 3.0 GPA in my stay at San Jose State. Hopefully I will be

able to attend some type of honor program.

3. Support from family members:

a. Does your family support your desire to attend college?

The I only support system I received was that of my family. They were s proud of me when

I decided to attend college. They are still pushing me to this day to make something out of

myself. They cannot wait for that day to come, the day when I walk on stage with that diploma

in my hand.

b. If you live at home, do they make it possible for you to study?

I always used to have the best study conditions when I lived at home. I had my own room and

if I ever needed a quiet time to study I would close my door and would not be disturbed.

c. Do they help you financially?

My parents continue to help me out financially. I am planning on getting another job so

I could help them out with a few bills. Before school started I had a job and paid for my own

phone bill, clothes, and gas. I had to quit my job to come to school, but I am currently looking

for a job so I could take some pressure off my parents.

Academic Transformation exercise 5.1

1. I tend to keep to promises I make to myself: 4 Almost always/sometimes

2. I tend to keep promises I make to others: 4 Almost always/sometimes

3. I do not need others to make me honor my commitments: 5 Almost always

4. I like setting realistic academic goals for the semester: 5 Almost always

5. I look at the difficult college courses as a challenge and growth opportunity: 3 Sometimes

6. I feel a strong sense of commitment to my college 

institution: 2 Sometimes/Almost never

7. I attend all my classes regularly: 4 Almost always/Sometimes

8. I meet with my instructors on a regular basis outside of class: 1 Almost never

9. I study regularly and enough to be successful in college: 2 Sometimes/Almost never

10. I seek out others who can help me to be successful 

in college: 4 Almost always/Sometimes

11. I am appropriately involved in collegiate extracurricular activities: 1 Almost never

12. I like being a college student: 5 Almost always

Academic Transformation exercise 4.5

Course #1: English 1A

How difficult is the material?

I find this material to be at a moderate difficulty level. The only thing I find difficult is the

amount of work that is required.

How well is the material presented?

For the most part the material is presented clearly. He just moves at a fast pace and that could sometimes make the course to be unclear.

How intuitive or formal is the material for me?

If I focus and try my hardest I could easily pass the course. It is definitely one of the courses that requires special attention. 

Based on my ratings, I predict I will need to use the following learning strategies:

Study more and maybe get together with responsible people when it comes to group activities.

I will also make sure to complete all the homework and try not to miss a class.

Course #2: Engineering 08

How difficult is the material?

The material requires a lot of note taking and it requires us to attend many presentations.

How well is the material presented?

I believe this material is presented very well because the professor presents with power point every class.

How intuitive or formal is the material for me?

The material is simple therefore i believe it will begin to get easier. If it does not get easier then it will remain at the same pace which is easy enough to begin with.

Based on my ratings, I predict I will need to use the following learning strategies?

I think I'm handling this class well so far. I will continue to go to class and taking notes. I have taken quizzes and passed them and there has been not too much homework yet.

Academic Transformation exercise 4.2

Using Declarative, Procedural, and Metacognitive Knowledge

Match the type of knowledge to the correct activity. Completing this activity will facilitate your understanding of the three types of knowledge.

A. Declarative Knowledge

B. Procedural Knowledge

C. Metacognitive Knowledge

1. Metacognitive Knowledge: Practicing a problem using the Pythagorean Theorem.

2. Procedural Knowledge: Explaining the law of supply and demand

3. Metacognitive Knowledge: Memorizing musical symbols

4. Metacognitive Knowledge: Selecting a note-taking format for sociology class

5. Declarative Knowledge: Comparing behavioral psychology with cognitive psychology

6. Procedural Knowledge: Giving a persuasive speech

7. Declarative Knowledge: Creating sample test questions to study for a biology exam

8. Procedural Knowledge: Memorizing the state capitals of the United States

My Book Recomendation

I am here to recommend a really good book that I had the pleasure of reading last year. The Book was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. This book deals with a young boy who struggles every day by living his life constrained by Autism. Although, this disease causes hardships and problems in his life it does not stop him from wanting to solve the mystery of dead dog in his neighbors yard. He finds it one evening and is fascinated with it. The book deals with him solving the mystery and also solving a little mystery about himself. It is also written as if the young boy is narrating the story. So the reading is really easy and simple to understand. It is a really fascinating book and I recommend it to everyone.

Music List #3

I have been searching for new songs to top my list of favorites, and I think I have found them. Be aware that this list could easily change at any time. This is just a temporary list.

5. Let it Rock- Kevin Rudolf ft. Lil Wayne

4. Chopped and Screwed- T-Pain ft. Ludacris

3. She Wants Me- Living Legends

2. Love Lockdown- Kanye West 

1. Doobie Ashtray- Devin the Dude