Success in College

An Nguyen        

Jeanene Elder

English 49

4 October 2016

                                                           Success in college  

           “This is an exciting time for our brains.  More and more research is showing that our brains change constantly with learning and experience and that this takes place through our lives” (Carlos S.DWeck).   Success in academic is a key to open a gate of careers in the future.  A professor is a guide to help student succeed in college, but the student needs to know control their learning experience.  During my first semester in college, I had many setbacks at that time and received poor grades. I realized during this time, I did not push enough effort necessary to achieve my goals.  This is called fixed mindset in “Brainology” article by Carol S. Dweck.  However, in order to succeed in college, the student needs to motivate themselves and take responsibility of their education such as article “Learning to read.” by Malcolm X and “The most annoying assignment ever.” by Heal McKnight.

            In Carol Dweck’s research article “Brainology”, she argues about the praising intelligence of students, verses praising them for their hard work and the perseverance in their academic tasks that leads to a fixed or growth mindset.  Through her research, she finds the differences between praising two groups, one for hard word and willing to accept their challenge, it is called growth mindset.  The other group was praised their intelligence that they already had that is concerned fixed mindset.  Moreover, she discusses what characteristics of two kinds of mindsets. Dweck suggests, “Many students believe that intelligence is fixed, that each person has a certain amount, and that’s that. We call this a fixed mindset, and, as you will see, students with this mindset worry about how much of this fixed intelligence they possess” (page 1).  Some student thinks they have a limit in intelligence that always worries about their challenge. This student will be concert fixed mindset and I suggest they easily quit their task, for example when student struggle in a math problem, they think they are not smart enough to solve the problem. Therefore they usually give up the challenge. The other characteristics can be that students will be afraid of challenges but they will be patient and figure out the problem which is defined growth mindset.  Dweck state “In short, students with this growth mindset believe that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning” (page 1).  That is where students can improve their skills by through learning, they are with growth mindset, and they are usually successful.  From my past experience, when I was secondary school, I usually got a good grade on math and I thought I am a smart student.  But, I got bad grades in high school because I thought I am a smart person, therefore I did not spent enough time to study and do homework. However, I realized that wasn’t a good thing to keep praising myself, I began to do homework and spend more time to study that was help me graduated high school

        Why is reading important? It is how people discover a new thing around the world. To succeed, the student must motivate themselves in reading.  In article “Learning to read” by MalcolmX.  He tries to show the readers his motivation and how to learn reading during his prison time. He started to learn by copying the whole dictionary in order to improve his writing and reading by himself words.  He states “in my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the punctuation marks.” (Makcolm X page 2). Malcolm was kicked out of school in the 8th grade, and was sent to prison at the Norfolk Prison Colony. Before that time, he seemed illiterate.  In prison, he studied in every single day until morning next day in the hall light after lights out.  He also talks about how the library opened a whole new world for him and opened his eyes by reading many kinds of book “I found book Will Durant’s Story of Civilization.  I read H.G.Wells’s Outline of History. Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B.Du Bois gave me a glimpse into the black people ‘s history they came to country .Carter G.Woodson’s Negro History opened my eyes about empires before the black slave was brought to the United States, and the early Negro struggles freedom.” (MalcolmX page 3).  By reading the history book, Malcolm knows more history; it is about black empires which relate to United States.  In my option, the reading is a key that lead the student to their success.  The most professors recommend reading book before student come to class, it will help student have ideas and understand the lesson.   Moreover, the reading will help develop your mind.  The mind needs to be exercised in every day by reading books.  Understanding every word in book is the way that help built up your mind’s abilities as language skills and communication.

              Vocabulary is importance thing that help student build up their writing skills.  Especially foreign student, vocabulary is an obstruction to write an essay or communicate.  On the surface, the article “The most Annoying Assignment Ever”: Helping Composition Students Navigate New Vocabulary” by Heal Mc Knight is a summary benefits about learning new words and how to do context journal “the Context Journal helps students identify unfamiliar words and references, reproduce good text, explain their thinking, and fill in their vocabulary gaps, connecting the language they have now with the language they need to navigate academic texts.” (Heal McKnight).  He emphasize the importance of vocabulary that effect to academic of student.  In my idea, there are many ways to learn new vocabulary such as using dictionary, write down a new word to your notebook, but it is difficult for me to remember every single word in every day.  However, by doing the context journal help me easily to remember the new words.  For example, when I can understand new vocabulary in article, I will follow 4 steps to do context journal.  After I do context journal, I can remember new word by understanding the whole sentence and describe the sentence by my own word.

         In conclusion, education is very importance to each person’s life.   There are many way to lead student to succeed.  Belong to author Carlos S.Dweck, MalcomX and Heal McKnight, student need to improve their skills by leaning form mistake and motivate themselves in reading and writing.  It will lead student to succeed in their education and career.

                                                                    Word Citied

Carlos S.DWeck. Brainology.

Malcolm X. Learning to read.

Heal McKnight. The most annoying assignment ever

COVER LETTER

 Dear Professor Elder.

I am so excited about this second essay because I learned how to use quotation and research detail in article.  Moreover, some articles give me some ideas how can I succeed in my education.  However, the grammar is difficult to correct.  I hope it will be improve after each essay.  Thank you all your correction.