English 101

English has always been a pretty easy class for me. In high school I never had below a B. We did a good mix of analytical papers and creative works. I loved that I got to write stories and poems in high school, so coming into a college English course was quite a change. I feel like I have learned a lot throughout English 101. Many of these skills will go with me to other classes and to after school when I become a teacher.
The first two papers I found to be pretty easy to write. I enjoyed the first paper because I got to write about past experiences and I got to add a little creative touch to it. Although I didn't get the grade I thought I deserved, it was still fun to write.
The second paper was also fun because we got to pick an ad to analyze. Of course I chose a Target ad because it is my favorite store and the ads are always fun and upbeat. Although it was more analytical than the last paper, it was fun to write. I loved describing the different scenes with all the colors and music. It just made me so happy to write about something so joyful.
The third paper was definitely a lot harder than the first two. We had to choose a speech and analyze it. I wanted to choose a different speech, everyone was focusing on Obama, so I chose a speech by Nelson Mandela. The speech was truly inspirational and I learned a lot from writing it. Sadly, I didn't get a good grade after trying really hard. I don't really know what happened. But at least I got to study a great speech.

Normal

The name “Normal” denotes a very ordinary town that doesn’t really have much to offer. But people who visit Normal are often pleasantly surprised. One of my friend’s came to visit in March and right when she got off the train she said, “I like it here”. She absolutely loved the cute uptown area with all the quaint shops. It’s not often you see an American town that has a small downtown area like Normal has, it’s so refreshing. While Uptown, I would recommend going to the Coffee Hound which is personally one of my favorite spots in Normal. They serve some great hot chocolate. Unfortunately, one of my favorite places uptown closed. The Jazzy Buddha Hookah Lounge was a great place to chill with friend and smoke some hookah. I was very sad to see it close its doors. Of course while in Normal you can’t miss the Illinois State Campus. The quad is incredibly beautiful during all the seasons of the year but especially in the summer and fall. The buildings mirror an east coast campus. My favorite building is Fell Hall, it is so majestic and is the building you imagine when you picture a college campus. Another interesting building on the quad is Cook Hall which houses the music department. Cook Hall is designed to look like a castle in Germany. Needless to say it is quite the building to look at. Even the interior makes it feel like you are in a castle. The building has many winding halls. I just love it! Normal is definitely the place to be.

Summer Plans

This year has completely flown by. I can hardly believe that we have thirty something days left of school. I have had an amazing first year of college but I am definitely ready for summer. If everything goes well at my interview this Friday, I will be working as a camp counselor for a kids camp at my town’s park district. If I get the job, I will be extremely excited because as an elementary ed major, I need as much experience with children as I can get. The camp will take place Monday through Friday from 9 to 3, so it will be a lot of money. I also have to take summer school but luckily, it’s an online course so I can do all my work at home. As for any big plans, my family is going to England to see all my relatives who live there. I love going to England not only to see all my family, but to explore the amazing country. I love to visit the ancient castles and explore the cute, old towns. It is so different from America. Everything feels so ancient, it literally feels like living in another time period. We will spend two weeks there and then we will move onto Paris, France and spend four days there. I have never been to Paris so I am extremely excited to see all the incredible sites that the city has to offer. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Versailles, the Moulin Rouge and more. But the place I want to see the most is the Lourve. If you haven’t heard of it, it is the art museum that holds all the world’s great paintings, including the Mona Lisa and other Leonardo da Vinci works. I am an art fanatic so I am very thrilled to see the Lourve. This summer will be truly one of my greatest.