BEST THING THAT YOU'VE CHOOSE by Crusade

Thursday morning, I woke up in my bed at 7:30 am, I clean in every part of my body that I've wash for my self then I sat on dining room. I was thinking what am I do from school and it crash on my brain that this is the day we don't have College Algebra. I think I got home earlier because I thought that our last subject professor isn't attending for us, and my felling is decrease than I care everyday.

I was in a relax mood when I prepare and go to school. Because I belive my God is in my back, and I believe He won't let me go through evilness. I was in "jeep" at the earlier time of my class; it was 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon. In school I go to library, I read and I review the past lessons. But I was too tired to read and review I feel sleepy. After a few minutes my classmate came in library and he saw me too tired. He ask me "hey bro. did you finish our homework in College Algebra?" and I was shock on that sentence because I thought that our professor isn't attending, but he said "no! not thursday that is monday! You didn't here him? He didn't attend on monday because of his work." Then my blood pressure was too high! I think 200/120 pressure. I'm just joking. And I think to my self what am I do?

On that minute my will was turn on, and my will was fighting for my decision. It has a two choices that I'll do on that day, It's either I text my dad by using cellular phone to brought my book in school? Or I ignore that book because base on my hearth that it has a conciousness for my father. He has a lot of work in our house and my heart said "Don't you have a fear in your self, don't worry I guide you. Don't fear that thing because that is only a material, let you see your conciousness for your father that caring a heavy work on your house. And you said that God is in your back! He never let you go from evilness." Then I don't know what am I choose? And it crash again on my brain that "your mother has a 100% full support on your studies". I ask to my self that my mother spend much time, money and effort to build my study comfortable. Then I ask again to my self, what am I do?

And finnaly I choose to bring the book. I got my book and it is time of College Algebra subject, but sad to say that our professor didn't attend on that day. Its time to go home and of course I was very depressed to my decision. To the effort of my father and the worst of all I didn't trust my heart. And my heart speak to me "If you are in God don't worry to your family, God will save them from evilness because your faith is truly to God". I pray for God, and as you percent it, 50% I pray for God to happening in past hour. I said "God I'm so very sorry for the thing that I didn't expect. I'm sorry."

Finally at the end of that day, it has a moral lesson that I have learn, "In time of emergency or time that you don't realy expected the happening, ask deeply to your heart for whatis correct and specially trust God anything what happen on you, because if you are in God you are comfortable for any kind of step that you do. God is always in your back, He didn't let you go from the evilness." But if you understand deeply the two kinds that I have been choosing, it is the same correct. For example in the examination of values education, it has multiple choise that easy to understand but all of them are correct but there is one truly correct answer. At last a lesson was taken up on my self, my heart and specially God the Almighty of all, the only God in whole universe. God is love, Love is God

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Crusade is not Handsome but Simple.

The Real Value of Reason by nankurunaisa

Knowing how important education in life is is very important, however education is not enough to fill the real gap in reality. The people of education says that having a great standard of education opens the door to success and those who have the high degree of education will be successful in life

However, those who have the degree are not the powerful ones but those people who stand back and look at everything practically. These people are commonly found everywhere in the society, actually not every great man studied in school. There are great people who intended to spend time with the real life instead of spending time in the paper chase like Einstein, Bill Gates and Edison.

They said that after you graduated in college you will receive the fruit of your hard work however there are people who end up drinking liquor and beverages in sidewalk after receiving their diplomas. They believe success will come to your hand with a ball pen and a piece of paper. They thought that after studying, they’ll end up as a citizen in a different scale

Most of us study with no personal and valuable reason, we study because there is nothing we can do aside from studying. We keep pursuing something without having a reason to pursue it.

The true role of education is to prepare ourselves for the real challenges in life however having only education will now help you cross the bridge of life. Now knowing the meaning of the education you achieved in your life will cause the fissure of your life that will rapture you to the ground.

I still believe in the value of reason. Not having one might give you success but it will cause you regrets. Regrets that you will carry with your epitaph.

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nankurunaisa, a stupid-looking person but is more dumb than what he looks like.

House for Rent by Masyado

Living away from wasn’t easy. It is lonely and a bit hard but also it is a learning experience. A test of independence. Now that I'm in college, I have to live in a boarding house together with my sister. It is our first time to live away from home. We decided to move out from our house to live closer to our respective schools and save transportation expenses. We go home to our house in Alabang once a week. My sister leaves the boarding house every Saturday morning and comes back Sunday night. I go home after my class in NSTP, Sunday, and I go back to that boarding house Monday afternoon.

Our room is little and its walls are colored pink so you may call it "pink cage". It only has four appliances, electric fan, light bulb, iron and our cell phones. It has a double-deck bed, a cabinet and a small table inside it. A picture of a house that is totally different from a home I used to grow up to. My first week in that cage is like a year of waiting for weekend to come. I really miss all my favorite shows. The loud heart pumping-out sound of our radio component. My noisy brothers. My charming pet dog. And most specially, my parents and my mom's cooking. I really miss everything about home. I really feel lonely in this cage. I feel so alone because I only see my sister during the night when she's back from school. I have no one to talk to.

I also have to be independent about the house chores I cannot expect anyone to that for me. Me and my sister share responsibilities but sometimes I just feel tired doing those so many chores. Ending up, wishing you were at home because mom would just do that for me. Especially when I have to wash my school uniform at night so that I could wear it tomorrow. I used to wake up and see food at the table but now I have to buy them or cook them for myself and afterwards wash the dishes. Living at our boarding house is so different from my life living at our home.

Outside our room are two other rooms with four other occupants. Even though, I'm sociable. It is still quite hard to live with other people whom you do not know. I have to share with them are common areas like the kitchen, bathroom and the laundry area. Well, they seem to be nice but it is just uncomfortable living with strangers. Now I know what homesick means. I’m trying to defeat my feeling by loving this new home and finding happiness through these things I’m with. Anyway, I think this what's growing up means. Being independent and taking responsibility for yourself. But I'm still looking forward for weekend to come and be back home.

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"My friends calling me "masyado" because they said that Im too much of everything. I'am too much of what they expected. Im so naughty, lovable, and friendly but Im too complicated person. Too many person says that they don't understand me sometimes because Im so moody and sometimes Im so annoying. They hate me for being short tempered. ("Masyado daw ako sa lahat ng bagay.) but I know even if Im to tiring to be friend with there is someone who willing to be "martir" and love to who and what I am." -- Masyado

Before and Now by Cora

When I was young, I did not have to worry about many things. All I did was to play and play. I did not know yet the meaning of hardship. I was then a little child who was not aware of the true meaning of life. There were times that I was mad, sad, and cried, but it was just for a moment and turned into joy. My happiness would be satisfied in a very simple way, which I shared to my playmates and friends. They were the special people who were important to me including my family.

I remembered the first time I entered in the school. There were many people around the classroom, and those people were the parents of those studentr, and those students were my classmates. I was then a grade one student. My mother bought le a new bag, pair of shoes, notebooks with different pictures of cartooon characters, pencils, `nd all the things th`t I needed in school. Honestly, when I was in grade school, I really love to rmell my newly bought school supplies. It made me happy every time I had seen those things of mine.

I did not already remember some of the names of my classmates in first grade, even though the name of my crush. Yes! I had my first crush when I was in grade one. But there is only one person that I would never ever forget. He is my neighbor until now and his parents and my family have good friendship. He was my childhood friend, but he always made me cry. Every time I see him now, I always remember our friendship and quarrels, and it makes me smile.

Before I graduated in elementary level, my adviser in sixth grade left us a simple but meaningful message for us to be aware of what would might be happened in our life when we would be graduated in grade school. She said that, when we reach such end, we would face the new beginning of life's journey. I realized that, when I entered on the next level of my educational journey in highschool, the beginning was started again, like when I was in grade one. It was very different on my previous life. I met new classmates and they became my friends. At first, it was very hard to adjust. The environment was not really the same just like before. Some of my teachers were not as patience as my elementary teachers were. Some subjects had changed too. It became more difficult than in my usual subjects in elementary, but I able to overcome those kind of circumstances.

What kind of person is me right now is the foundation of what I had experienced and contributed to myself. I never said that the outcome of my past is all positive. The journey of mine is not yet done. There are many trials, failure, and victories that is waiting for me. I have to push myself in hardwork, determination and eagerness to do my responsibilities and task. So that, I would be able to face all the trials that will come into my life and make me more competetive and stronger person.

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CORA is friendly but a loner type of person. She lacks of self-esteem but always trusts God. She is easily get hurt but never failed to forgive those people who are offended her.

"My Wonderful Days" by BIA

The school of BNHS is my dear alma mater. Wher I started to enjoy mylife, during the time my funnyt classmates.In my first year high school days, sometimnes we're not so serious in our study, we always visited from place to place and did everything we had been enjoyed, bonding everywhere, we shared those laughter stories, jokes rather than to study our lessons, mostly everyone of us was not intended to read books. I thought if how's my condition when it comes a fourth year student? Because during our T.L.E subject, i saw those fourth student year make a delicious cake for their project and I'm insecured them in those activity. I thought that the time will comes that i might experience that kind of activity they had made.

When i reached my second year, third and fourth year, I tried to stand on my own, for my family have no time for me in attending whatever school activity, so I my own did it for me. Like when the enrollment comes, I myself tried to talk to a person who is attended in that particular arrangement of my papers to comply my needs and when my school days comes whatever the school administration calls for parents to attend meetings. I myself pretended that my parents is on my side but in truth my purpose is just to listen for what must my parents will contribute on what will be the result of a particular school assembly for Parents and Teachers together for school organization.

Now and then, I've experience a lot, with my schoolmates, classmates, teachers and more teachers loves me during my high school life, sometimes one of my teacher wants me to live in their house, but more I love my grandma, I can't leave her whatever happen.

Tpo my every subject, I wished to have a good grades in every grading periods that I liked to see in my report cards, but in what way i can get a good grades? Then, I realized that I can't reached those grades I had dreamed if i did not study hard and try to become intended in this hobby. Through my faith and hardwork I overcome it. Then I started to shared my knowledge to my classmates and I started to become serious and responsible student. Especially in my fourth year high school for we are still graduating , we must aware in evrything for what is happening. Currently, maybe we are in critical situation for choosing the careerfor our future. Even there are times that we're in a difficulty in life living, we had been enjoyed our days while we're being solved the problems.

I still remember my happiest moments that we had been together with my classmates when my classmate invited us to their fiesta. We walked together to their far place where they had been celebrate their fiestas. We're so much excited & enjoyed on that occassion, there's a lot of people are happy, there is a closeness of friends, relatives, and togetherness for the whole barangay. Then, we enjoyed eating delicious different kinds of foods, then go to different beautiful places, chuch, gymnasium, where we saw different games, carnabals, the beautiful beaches, I heard and saw the wonderful sound of sea waves on sea shores.

Suddenly, when the graduation came, most of us didn't like to far apart each other, 'coz we missed each others in those days that we'd been together during our laughters and fears the emotions that we had. Some of my classmates saying "Hope it will back to the future".

Thus, mosat of us are not ready to enter college life. High school is different to college life., it is facing a challenges and careern and excitement, sometimes fear. But in high school full of enjoyment and laughters. Then, I relaized that there is no way to progress in dicontinous studying. And now, i accept that improvement is needed. No matter how difficult it is to face challenges in this profession. Therefore, now and then following my destiny and my wonderful days of life wiht my faith and love to God.

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BIA is a first year college student in Rizal Technological University and was enrolled in College of Nursing.She is a trying hard person to all things that she would like to do. She had a blue eye. She is a simple girl but beautiful, brave and humble. She likes a person who are thruth not fake. She like a color pink that symbolize joy. Her hobby is writing and reading English Novels and Bible.

Why I Want to Become a Nurse by Ophelia Borja

When I was still young, I thought that the world was for my taking. I had wanted to become a scientist, a fashion designer and sometimes a simple ice cream flavor maker. I had dreams of becoming insanely rich,powerful and famous. Then as I grew older and began to think more reasonably, I started to see the world for what it really is, well not an unhopeful world but not the sunshine, rainbows type either that I thought it would be as a little girl. Sometimes things do not happen the way you hope it would be. First, my parents would just not agree to send me to a Fashion school nor a Culinary one. It was too much risky and expensive, they demand that I seek a more stable course and I wasn't able to complain and had to go with their decision. After all they are the ones financially responsible for my education. Then I had to choose. What is it that makes me happy as much as designing or eating ice cream does, is there something else that I'm interested in doing ? A reliable course that my parents would happily comply with.

Growing up with both my parents working in a hospital have greatly influenced my decision. Seeing them help other people made me understand that true joy does not lie on fancy clothes nor scrumptious sweets but in being able to do kind acts to other people,even though you hardly even know them at all. So I chose to take up nursing, even after all the rage that nursing is not in demand anymore and were bound to end up in call centers.I say being a nurse is very advantageous. Being a nurse brings stability since there will always be a sick person to be taken care of.Another is that being a nurse opens more oppurtunities to expand my studies by choosing from the varieties of specialties a nurse can choose and excel in. I also took up nursing because it has always been one of my dreams to become a doctor and taking up nursing as my pre-med is a useful experience prior to taking up medicine, for I can choose to work or study after graduation, depending on my situation in the future. And of course, taking up nursing does not only benefit me but all the people around me which I can help whenever the need to arises.

All things considered, Nursing was the best course I could take up in view of the benefits of this profession and I did. It also settled things between me and my parents on what and why I should take up nursing as my course.

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Ophelia Borja indulges herself with reading her favorite books such as Lolita, Alice in Wonderland, A Series of Unfortunate Events series and some other stuff. When she’s not reading, she could either be watching movies she likes again and again like Marie Antoinette, Rushmore, Eternal sunshine of the Spotless Mind and other movies directed by her favorite directors Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola or listening to French techno, Japanese pop and Brechtian punk . She’s an avid fan of the pinup scene, haute couture and sketches her own designs when she feels like it. She enjoys spending a lot of time with her stp buddies, going out and attending gigs. She dreams to be a Psychiatric doctor someday.

Student’s Life by Lyre

Can you still remember the days when you were still in grade school? It was been so long since the last time we doodle things like shapes, words, lines, etc. It was been years and sometimes you couldn’t imagine that now, you are waiting for the only thing a student can ever hope for, the diploma.

Who would forget the things you shared together? There were a non-stop chatting, talking and laughing on each other’s mistakes. There was also bullying, teasing, crying, bonding, and doing many crazy things when you were still in school. It was funny to recall all those things. Before, you would do every possible way for you not to be late in your first class until you would just notice that you wore a wrong pair of socks; that you forgot to zipper your pants or to button your clothes or perhaps, you forgot to comb your hair. The worse one was to scold by your favorite terror teacher in early morning class. Then suddenly, you would just realize that you forgot to do your assignment that was given three days ago. Unfortunately, you fell asleep during class and failed your quizzes. Unluckily, here was the guidance office waiting for you.

Sometimes you experienced cramming for not reviewing, especially if you had quizzes or exams, because you were busy texting last night. But, the life of being a student was not always like that. After all, you still enjoyed to come to school. One good reason was because you were free to talk to your coolest friends in the class; you could able to spend and enjoy your everyday allowance. In addition, you could glance to your inspirational crush in the campus.

We have so much shared our experience together; through happiness and frown, from zero to perfect, through laughs and tears, and from saying, “Hi!” to the saddest word, “Goodbye.” It seemed like yesterday you were just day dreaming while sitting on your own chair, then suddenly your about to walk across the stage. Wait, you didn’t need to be sad for It was just the beginning of your new life. A life to live more independently.

If I were you, I’ll do everything I can, give my best shot, for it will bring a huge influence of my future life. It’s time to be more serious. Stop fooling around. When the time comes that you are already successful person, the only problem that you will have is how to enjoy your life. Like what they said, “Any other things can wait: love life, wealth, peers, but never the time and education.”

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Lyre is a happy-go-lucky girl with a weird personality who loves to be with her friends. She creates adventurous and sweet as well.

If you Love your Profession, you should Love your Students by Loveydab

The bond between a teacher and a student is a "give and take relationship". A student learners from the teacher,and the teacher also learns from the students.A classroom is not just a mere for walled room with a table in front and arm chairs arranged in rows.But,it is a world full of different creatures,thoughts and personalities combined altogether to come up with one mission is to share life.

The teacher does everything for the good of her student.The teacher guides every path.The teacher gives light towards any students dream.The teacher serves as the second parent-a person who knows how to help,understand,care,love,and bleed for a pain that she can will endure silently.She is the only and best inspiration for every student-today,before and even for the generation to come.We cannot avoid of the students attitude,who always teacher get mad, for thier is the lowest grade in card.Who sleep in class, for they shall be confused during math class.The ones who laugh hard, for they shall see teacher in no time.Who lie and cheat for high grades,for they shall fail greater adversities in the future.The students who fight for what is right,for they shall obtain thier teacher's respect.

For every misbehavoir and conduct a student displays,a teacher will be the ultimate caretaker.As a teacher who was facing the fact that the students coming is not usually good writers, we had to develop a program that would encourage them to improve. With the advent of state testing, other teachers at this level also searched for ways to improve . As we tried, shared, and improved what we did, so did the student's writing.Sharing some of the things that we found to be effective for us. This is by no means an inclusive list on effective writing.Through practice, proficiency is achieved. Through practice using a good planning pattern, the process becomes a second nature thinking skill. We should always remember that the practice is not drill as the product is ever changing. Mistakes will be made, but good evaluation, especially self-evaluation will see that the mistakes are not repeated. Since writing is communication, always remember that the goal is to become clear, concise, and unified so that the students can follow along and appreciate the teacher's point of view and train of thought.

Whether it was an activity, telling jokes, or anything else that the teacher planned to make things more interesting. It helps to keep the students focused and actually take in the information because they want to learn and listen to what is being said. Everyone has been to a boring hour-long lecture when basically they slept or daydreamed through the whole thing and not learning or understanding anything within that hour. Maybe if the teacher would have made things more interesting or told a few jokes more students might have listened more to what was being said. Showing that learning can be fun is such an important quality in teaching. To be a successful teacher you have to have a love for what you are doing. Otherwise you are not helping yourself as well as helping your students learn. Most of the most memorable teachers had this quality within them. Most of them expressed it greatly among their students and made the year enjoyable. Being enthusiastic and showing your love for learning helps also your students to become enthusiastic for learning. Showing you have confidence for them to be successful helps your students to build confidence within them.

Teachers did their jobs very well and showed by example how to be a good teacher. Many of the students decided to become a teacher because of these good teachers. These teachers were able to inspire their students to do something other than their homework. They inspired them to become teachers and follow in their memorable teacher’s footsteps.Engineer,doctor,prist etc. they cannot reached that position without teacher!teacher is the mother of all profession.

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Loveydab is a future science teacher,who always give his best for his students.A person that contented in all things,contented in everything. A person who has dreamed for his family.

RTU, My Beloved RTU by Crazy Love

"RTU, beloved RTU, we'll be forever true to the gold and blue..."


Rizal Technological University is not just a school to me, not just a campus that you will go in and out. It is a place that is full of memories. Every little changes happened to me, from my looks to my knowledge. RTU witnessed every memories from my high school memories to my college. RTU is a place where I meet diffrent people with diffrent people. It is a place whereigh sc I faced challenges in my life. Most of all RTU is a place where I belong.

Before entering the high school here, first, students need to pass the entrance examination and interviews. I took all of it. I experience how to be the last person to be called during interviews. I took all of it. I experienced how to be the last person to called during interview, I waited all day and everything. Abcourse without complaining because I really want to enter this school. My mom and her siblings graduated high school here, and I don't want to disapoint them if I don't get the chance to study here. Luckily I got the chance to study high school here. During my first high school days, RTU let me experience riding on a jeepney alone and being in a classroom without talking to anyone... because all faces are new, and I don't know anyone. As time pass by, I meet new friends here and you know I treasure them, because they complete my life and they are those people that I shared moments and memories with. RTU thought me the meaning of friendship and why do we need to be belong in a group of people. I think if someone doesn't have any companionship, I think she's missing a part of his life. Not all the time, your family members will be there for you and that's the reason why you have to be with a group of friends to be with you when you need someone's company. RTU let me experience being with friends and RTU gave us a chance to spend good memories together. I'm glad that I'm one of those who finished high school here. Even though I'm not in high school anymore and me and my friends found each other that's why I treassure this place.

When I finished high school, actually I don't reaLLy think of what school I'll be in college, until I realized that it's already enrolment in RTU. My mom asked me back then if what course I'm going to take, I told her that I want to take Psychology, but the fact that I'm a late enrolee I know that there's no more slot left in that course that's why I just took the couse that is available. You know, RTU gave me the chance to study college without any problems, because I'm a high school graduate here I don't need to take exam and interview anymore, I just have to get form and pay to the cashier and that's it I'm erolled already. At first I'm enrolled in the course Bachelor of Science in INformation communication Technology, a five year course in the college of Engineering, even though I already have friends in that course, I don't relly enjoy studying lessons about that course. That's why I decided to shift in my course now. Psychology is the course I really want to take, and when I already have the oppotunity to shift, I grab.

Now I'm on my new path, I thank RTU because this school let me be in the path I want. I thank God to be in this school, because in this school, I don't have any problem, whether it is financial and or whatever. I think RTU is the place where I will graduate college... hopefully. I treasure this school, and I now that this is a place where I belong. I'll be forever true to the gold and blue.


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Crazy Love is a simple girl with a lot of dreams. A girl that is full of responsibilities and she's trying to do all of it. She's a loving daughter and "ate" to her siblings. A girl that leave everything in the hands God and she believes in GOd's plans for her.

Poverty: A Hindrance in Learning by ren_ren

Learning is a continuous process of acquiring knowledge.It can be acquired at home, at the environment and at school.
Our home teaches us the right values and the importance of family. The environment teaches us the importance of social interaction. And the school teaches us academically and it also helps us to discover and to enhance our talents and inner abilities.It is an institution that will help us develop our future by practicing a field that we will be choosing.Everyone needs to learn and to explore. But how can this be possible if the majority of the society is incapable of doing so? How can they learn if they are forced to stay and work out at the street? How can they learn if they are sent to jail instead of school? And how can they learn to love and give respect of the people around them and of the environment itself if they had been a victim of discrimination and of neglect? Should we put the blame on the government? Or should we blame ourselves?

I am a second psychology student and as a student of this field, I am able to observe my environment and I am very much affectted with children who are not given a chance to learn properly by all the means that I have mentioned earlier. It hurts me, as young mom, to see those children out of the streets to earn money instead of earning the values of education. They chose to be in the streets to earn and to have a meal to serve at the table. How can they go to school if their stomachs are empty all the time? Instead of paying for the tuition fees, they would rather buy food to feed their aching stomachs. Instead of studying, they would rather choose to work and find means of living. For them, it is a waste of time attending school. The environment on the other hand is full of selfishness, madness and discrimination. The people do not want to help because they have been judgmental of the situation that those children have. A street child who enters a jeep for example, who ask money from the passengers, will hear a lot of hurtful words, words of discrimination. Instead of praying for them,we get mad at them. It is not their fault to be in that situation. If they only have an option, they would not be in that position.

As a student, I am thankful that we have this outreach program to reach out to those children. For now, it is the only thing that I can do. Someday I would like to have a better chance or opportunity to help them especially those children.

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Ren_ren is a woman with a broad mind and a brave heart. A woman of gentle touch.

Interesting Find 1: English in high cchool

I found this interesting article about the recent update on English teaching in high school.

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English in high school

by Isagani Cruz

Starting June 2010, the approach to the teaching of English in high school will be very different from what it is now. This is an attempt by the Department of Education to make the teaching of the English language more effective.

Right now, literature is usually taught only once a week in English classes. The rest of the week, English is taught as a language, with hardly any reference to literature. What English teachers use now are texts written by non-literary writers. Non-literary writers, needless to say, do not win Nobels, Bookers, Pulitzers, nor National Book Awards for the correctness and elegance of their writing. Students right now are not exposed to the best writing done in the English language, since the best writing is done by literary writers. They do not really have an accurate idea of what good English looks like.

(Full Article Here)

Effective Study Habits

As the saying goes, nothing in life is easy these days. Such is aptly true about the academic life: It is difficult and harsh. Students have to wake up early in the morning, write long essays, and research topics for class reports. Because of these academic tasks, some students reach the point of giving up and, eventually, failing to achieve their graduation dreams. However, instead of looking at all these works as a problem, students should see them as a challenge, an opportunity to excel and learn in preparation for a better future. They should never lose heart and must be optimistic about the great things ahead.

School life may indeed be challenging, demandingly draining mentally and physically at times. It is not, however, something that cannot be overcome. For if there are hindrances, there certainly are ways to conquer them through the right set of values and attitudes. It is for this reason that students should first, before anything else, master the habits of effective studying. For only through these values can students prevail over the challenges at school and achieve their goals – good grades, academic recognition, and course level promotion.

Learning effective study habits (ESH) seems to be so trivial, almost like on the tip of the students’ fingers. But the truth is, saying it might be easy, but doing it requires greater efforts. EHS is consist of two big words – effective and habits – that can be acquired only through discipline and commitment. When we say effective, we do not just mean any other kinds of methods or tools, but something that is efficient, capable of producing and leading us to our desired effect. Meanwhile, habit is a recurrent behavioral pattern that is acquired through frequent repetition.

In the question “What is the definition of study habits?” posted on answers.yahoo.com, a respondent had this reply:

“A HABIT is something that is done on a scheduled, regular and planned basis that is not relegated to a second place or optional place in one's life. It is simply DONE . . . no reservations, no excuses, no exceptions.

To STUDY is to buy out the time and dedicate self to the application and the task of study which is to become engrossed in a process of learning, practice, enlightenment - education of one's self.

Therefore . . . STUDY HABITS can be derived from the above as buying out a dedicated scheduled and un-interrupted time to apply one's self to the task of learning. Without it, one does not grow and becomes self-limiting in life.

You only go as far in life as your STUDY HABITS (learning/education) will take you - how far do you want to go, how much do you want to earn, how manual is the labor you choose - YOU decide by your study habits, throughout life."

This is the first biggest challenge students are facing in their freshman year: "How to acquire effective study habits?" They should have the will, motivation, and strength to learn them, for only through them can they achieve happiness and success.

Linked are some of the tools, which may be of great help to all of us: Developing Effective Study Habits and Tips for Effective Study Habits.

References:

Effective. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved July 02, 2009, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/effective

Habit. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved July 02, 2009, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/habit

Movie: An Effective Medium to Teach Language

One prevalent reason why most students are discouraged to study English is their wrong perception that it is boring and tedious. They would rather go to cinemas and watch their favorite blockbuster films rather than study the rules of subject and verb agreement. Most of the time, like these students, I find myself in the same difficult situations. I know that my professors are doing their best to come up with the best possible methods to effectively teach English. However, I cannot solely leave everything to their hands. College life is no longer like the elementary and high school years when almost everything was spoon fed. I should ask not only a fish to live a day but to explore the possibility of learning how to fish to live a lifetime.

I was thinking that my love for watching good films and my need to be proficient in English can be fulfilled both at the same time. I do not need to set aside one to accomplish the other or vice versa. I could watch my favorite movie while simultaneously learning English. In fact, in a study conducted by David Wood (1997), it has been proven that movies are effective mediums to teach language and culture among students. It says that language teaching through the aid of movies has great benefits, including the improvement of the students’ tolerance to ambiguity while supporting ability to independently study the language; the enhancement of the students’ analytical skills; and the motivation of vocabulary expansion.

There is an important reminder though. With the great number of movies that are easily accessible to students these days, a “careful selection and treatment” is necessary to ensure that the aimed learning result will be successfully achieved.

In the age of electronic media, there is no better way to lengthen the students' attention span and focus but through the things that interest them the most. In my case, since I love watching good films, I will take this opportunity to reinforce language learning to myself, and I will treat each movie as a chance to be exposed to communication skills development.

Speaking of language learning through films, the 14^th French Film Festival was recently launched at Shang-rila Cineplex, featuring award-winning movies produced and directed by critically acclaimed French film makers. The festival has provided and will still be providing free movie screenings until June 14, 2009. I have watched Van Gogh, Jean dela Fontaine, Ca Brule, and Flandres so far.

To guide you with the event, this entry on Business World, entitled Viva la France, may help you know more about the films. Also, you may click this link for the screening schedule.

By the way, form the movies you have watched, which one do you think should we not miss? Can you please post a brief synopsis about it?

Reference:

Wood, D. (1997). Culture and Language Teaching -- A Case Study. Journal of Chikushi Jogakuen University, 105 - 125.

Related Reading on the Importance of Studying English

I found this recently posted entry by benign0 on Filipino Voices. It’s entitled English opens doors. May this essay help us motivate ourselves to learn more about the English language.

On the Importance of Studying English

I can still vividly recall the first question my English Communication Skill (ECS) teacher asked our class nearly a decade ago: Is it really necessary to study the English language? The question would have been simple if not followed by a bigger inquiry in the form of “why?”

During that time, I was contemplating on choosing no as a kind of making a difference from those who have previously answered yes. And yes, I did. With seemingly no remorse and reservation, I answered no in an emphatic voice.

“No?” my teacher inquired, “Why?” sounding as if everything was scripted.

“Because English is just a status symbol? People are studying it just so they may be called sosyal, elite – and be part of the alta sociedad?” (Yes, there was hyphenation in speaking.)

My professor gave out a tiny little smile with her eyebrows almost getting out of shape and turning into a straight vertical line. Upon seeing her reaction, or more aptly her transformation, I almost immediately wanted to repeat the last words of my sentences -- symbol? Alta sociedad? – and say to may professor: “Mam, have you noticed my intonation – my statements were questions.” But I was not able to say the words anymore. The universe had conspired to my advantage and sent a bell to save me. And thus, I was saved by the bell indeed – literally. Our school bell rang signifying the end of the class session. “Whoa, that was pretty close,” I told myself.

The next day, we were unable to get back to the topic, either because we needed to discuss another more sensible topic (more significant than our reasons why we were studying it), or because our teacher had forgotten it, or our teacher had forgotten it because we needed to discuss another more sensible topic that is more significant than our reasons why we were studying it. Yeah, right. Whatever the reason was, I never knew what it was. But the question remained in my mind: Why do we really need to study the language?

David Crystal (1994), in his book The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, gave out six relevant reasons to study the language: It is fascinating, important, fun, beautiful, and useful – and because it is there. I actually feel that these reasons are weak though and, thus, may still be insufficient to motivate Filipino students to study English.

English has been part of our identity as Filipinos since it reached our shores over a hundred years ago. It is our second language, a medium of teaching instruction, and the language of communication media. Not to mention that textbooks, standardized board exams, interviews, and computer instructions are most often expressed in English.

No wonder why students’ performance in other academic subjects are directly proportional and highly related to their English communication skills. Students taking up any collegiate courses (e.g. Education, Nursing, Accountancy, and Engineering) would have difficulty excelling in their field in the absence of competitive English skills. And worst, their future duties as the country’s professionals might be compromised due to inadequate English proficiency.

However, having the awareness that studying English is not enough. Getting motivated by it is more important. The knowledge may have been well impressed long before into the students’ minds, but not the enthusiasm, the conviction, and the determination to study the language independently.

That, I think, is the bigger challenge for all us: Find in ourselves the will to excel in English in preparation for a more challenging academic life in the future.

Why do you think is the mastery of English skills necessary in your current course, studies, or job?

Reference:

Crystal, D. (1994). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.