The Last Week

This is it; we have finally made it to the final week of Comp II. I never thought we'd get here. It really feels good to know that things are falling into place. When we first started this class I wasn't sure I was going to survive the project as well as I did, thinking that I had never done a scientific paper before, but sometimes when you just put your pencil to the paper, the writing comes out. I'm really happy with everything and will continue to use all that I have learned in this class with my next courses.

If I were to suggest advice to someone preparing to write a scientific paper, my input would be to make sure that you find something that is interesting to you and something that you might be able to relate too. I feel that you can always right a better paper and also follow a path that you feel you want more information on. Most topics you choose will have controversy; it's just a matter of picking something you won't get bored with.

Thanks for a good term and now I'm ready for my next challenge. I have selected three classes next term instead of only two.

Finishing the Final Paper

Accomplishing this final project is on the horizon and I can almost taste the completion of this project. I'm so ready for the stress to be released from my mind, at least for a couple of weeks before I have to begin my next set of classes. I will be glad once it's completed, but at the same time, this has really helped me to understand the factors that are effecting my wife on a daily basis with her kidney medication. If anything, I feel that I am more prepared for my next classes when it comes to writing, but also would be happy to not have to write another paper for a couple of months. No chance of that happening anytime soon. LOL

I'm ready to put this course to rest and take a break. Sometimes all this class work along with my work and home life is very overwhelming. But there is a goal at the end, and without this schooling I won't get there. So wiping this thought from my mind I'm ready to keep rolling and reach my goal, sooner than later. Wish me luck...

Issues with writing process

This is one of those, where do you start questions. LOL I have been trying to follow everything as required, but find myself struggling with certain things. Things like revising the report to remove unimportant information like pronouns and repeated statements. It seems like all I do nowadays is right reports. I didn't think I could do it, and now I'm proving myself wrong. But the struggle continues. I have to keep looking back over the writing center's informative pages to figure out how to accomplish my weekly work. I'm getting it, but it is a matter of staying on top of things.

It's nice that I can get feedback from our peers, it allows me to see what someone else's perspective is on my writing style. I can never expect everyone to like what I write, or agree with what I right, but it is always nice to hear what people think, good, bad or indifferent. This has been a learning experience and a great tool. I just hope that the struggles that I find now with writing, continue to improve and make me a better writer.

Intriguing Information w/ my Researsch

I guess I could really say that everything I am researching for my paper has been intiguing and I find fascinating. When you really look at kidney failure as a whole you realize that the effects that it takes on the human body is harsh enough, let alone the side effects from the medications. Your body becomes tired and you retain fluids and you loose even the energy it takes to climb a flight of stairs. But the one thing that really caught me by suprise is that on any one given day there is at least 85500 people waiting for a kidney transplant and it is always changing. A lot of people may end up dying before getting that opportunity at a second chance at life. It would be nice to see more people become donors and provide their organs to those that need them, and there are many lives that can be saved by only one person.

Just a side thought, could you imagine if someone was able to develop an artifical kidney just like they have an artifical heart. The lives that would be saved. I actually talked to a nephrologist about that one day, and because of the amount of functions that a kidney has, it is almost impossible. Well it maybe impossible to us, but maybe there is someone that will create one on accident and the lives that will be changed by it will be overwhelming. It might be a dream, but it's a good dream.

6 Week Review

Where english composition has never been my strong suit, it has also given me an opportunity to research into something near and dear to my heart. Working on this research project over the past 5 plus weeks, I have been able to look further into some details that are very eye opening. My wife is a kidney recipient and we have been dealing with this since 2001. Reading up on the medications and the statistics helps me understand even more than what I thought I already knew. Things like how many people are actually on a waiting list for a new kidney, to how many different types of medications there are for people that have had a transplant. The side effects are the reality of it all though and helps me understand more of what she goes through on a daily basis. So the more I dig, the more I can relate to my wife and how she lives her life in and out of pain. I thank my brother in law for giving her a second chance at life. He knew her for just a short period of time, and made a life altering decision to give her a much needed kidney. His sacrifice has been a blessing.

Because of all that has happened, I'll continue to research this subject and learn more and more to know just how I can give back for what has been given to us.

School Influence

At this point in my life school has become a very large factor in my daily life. I spend most of my time at work and then doing school work, all for the greater good mind you. There are so many sacrifices that I have to make to get my education so late in life, but I do feel that they are worth it and will pay off in the end. I happened to come across a job posting a couple days ago which gave became an eye opener at just how much I can start making once I complete my Bachelors of Health Science. I will have the opportunity to triple my salary once I graduate. As there are many struggles that I go through on a daily basis, I try to remember what it is that I'm doing here and how school is helping me. In the end, I'll be able to start achieving my goals in life. Those sacrifices that when I look back will be in large part to my education here at Kaplan.

A sacrifice is something we all have to do at one point in our lives, but that sacrifice can lead to many successes and a comfortable life.

Plagiarism

I'd like to think that plagiarism is basically cut and drive, but in all reality it isn't. As I remember back writing in grade school, I knew about references and making sure that I had all of my sources written down, but never did we discuss in-text citing. I can actually remember doing a lot of work straight out of an encyclopedia. That was my best source, since we really didn't have the internet to do all this research like we do now. I would copy word for word and never thought twice. Never did I give credit where credit was due. Now that I know more about the situation, I realize that I wasn't educated on the subject correctly, but I took someone’s words and used them as my own. I'd like to think that if the shoe was on the other foot and I did all the research and published a book or an article, that anyone quoting my words would inform the reader who wrote the words and where they came from. Not only is it right, but it is professional and appreciated by the actual writer.

I can only hope that I continue to provide the correct details as I continue on this journey to complete my report and always giving credit where credit is due.

Unit 3 Blog - Anonymity & Flexibility

Online schooling really has its ups and downs. I thought I would struggle a little more with it than I am, as I am very hands on and like to see something laid out in front of me and then try it versus reading and listening about something I can't touch. I have found that when there is something in life you want, you have to go and get it, and sometimes that requires sacrifice. I have to sacrifice a lot of my family’s time in order to achieve my goals in life. Some of the best parts about all of this though are that I can make this environment fit my schedule so that I can achieve my ultimate goal. So again it is mind over matter, and sacrifice (what makes you comfortable in a learning environment too). The anonymity part makes it tough, as I like to get a visual expression from a teacher or student, as it helps me to understand more of where they are coming from versus just trying to read between the lines and figure out what someone might be trying to say. I'd be interested in what you think are good ideas to help understand through writing someone’s expressions and emotions behind their writings. Thanks for reading my blog and I look forward to your feedback.