Bracewell 1 Savannah Bracewell Dr.

Thurman English 1101 November 1, 2013 The Power of Positive Thinking For most upcoming college freshman, the transition from a structured high school learning environment into more independent learning in college can be interesting and exciting. Students are eager to leave behind the ridged, required curriculum of high school and dive into subjects that interest them. What many freshmen do not realize is that like high school, colleges and universities also require students to take specific classes in order to graduate. These mandatory core classes can make students feel forced into doing work that they may not want to do and it causes students to view their academic coursework in a negative way. Harboring a negative outlook on classes can also cause academic performance to decline. In an article by the University of South Florida entitled, How Attitudes Affect Grades, having a negative attitude is said to discourage, limit, and even prevent learning, positive change, and growth. By approaching classes with negativity, students can actually prevent themselves from learning. Kallie Brook is a freshman at LaGrange College and a secondary math major. In her first semester of college she is enrolled in two classes specific to her major: pre-calculus and intro to education. She is also enrolled in a cornerstone class that is required for all freshmen. While she enjoys and does well in her advanced math and education courses, she finds herself struggling in her cornerstone class which focuses on learning concepts such as service, diversity, excellence, and civility. Cornerstone is irrelevant to my life, said Kallie as she describes her view on her cornerstone class. Although cornerstone discusses topics much less complex than pre-calculus, Kallies performance in her cornerstone class has suffered due to her dislike of the course and her belief that it is unnecessary.

Bracewell 2 When my major classes require so much effort, working on cornerstone seems like a waste, Kallie explains. For Kallie and many other college freshmen, feeling forced to take a required course can create a negative perspective of the class which causes their performance to suffer. The problem with college students today is the way that they think. Although they may not realize it, they are doing themselves a disservice when they choose to let negativity drive their thoughts and actions. According to an article by Angelo State University about the correlation between attitude and grades, in order to break the hold of negativity and allow learning to flourish, students have three options: changing their emotions, changing their behavior, or changing the way they think. Because it is much easier to control your actions and thoughts, focusing on them is crucial to defeating a negative mindset. Although establishing a positive mindset may seem like an abstract concept, there are many practical ways to avoid negativity and promote a more constructive attitude. A large step to becoming a more positive thinker is to stop making excuses. Students who are not interested in a subject and who do not want to participate in class will often make excuses for why they cannot fully apply themselves. Whether it be I dont have time, Its pointless, or simply, I dont want to, it is important that you overcome the need to use excuses to justify yourself before you can develop a positive attitude. Focusing on a course and thinking positively about it can be difficult when you cannot see its relevance in your life. Connecting your academic achievements in the class to personal goals is a way that will make focusing in class less daunting. Believe it or not, despite the subject, each class you take will require you to use the same skill, critical thinking. In every field of study, critical thinking skills will be the most valuable skill you can possess and each time you attend a class, whether it be a major class or not, you have the opportunity to develop it. Therefore, dont take for granted the opportunities you have to stretch your mind and allow your critical thinking skills to grow. Realizing that your class time is

Bracewell 3 valuable and that you are gaining something from it will help give the course significance and help you view it in a more positive way. It can become difficult to maintain a positive outlook all of the time. Life can be unpredictable and plans often do not work out the way we would like them to. There will always be a class that you are required to but do not want to take, an assignment you do not want to complete, or a presentation that you do not want to give. That is why it is important to remember that much of life is out of your control. My father has always given me very wise advice and would often say, Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that although you can almost never control your circumstances, you are capable of controlling your mind and your actions and you have the power to focus them in a way that is positive and constructive.

Bracewell 4 Works Cited "Attitude And Grades Go Hand-In-Hand." Angelo State University. Angelo State University, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Siribaddana, Pandula, Dr. "How Attitude Affects the Learning Process." By Dr Pandula Siribaddana. N.p., 6 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Student Success Center. "How Attitudes Affect Grades." Student Academic Resource Center UCF. Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Owens, Anthony. "Ways to Promote Positive Attitudes Toward School." Everyday Life. Global Post, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. "The Importance of Critical Thinking." Examiner.com. N.p., 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

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Participation and Preparation: 3 For our second assignment, I spent much time researching real and original problems that college freshman face during their first year in college. In class I believe that I was able to contribute to many discussions regarding the assignment. Peer Response: 3 I took much time to read both of my peers papers and provide thoughtful feedback. I tried to be as specific as possible on both my praises and suggestions and I thought we were able to have good discussions that I felt I contributed to. FINAL DRAFT ASSESSMENT Thesis/ Argument: The concept of students viewing required core classes in a negative light, how the negative opinion affects their grades, and how they can start viewing them in a positive way, is the argument I was trying to make in this piece. Unfortunately, I dont believe I was able to reflect that in the best way that I could, and I am still not sure where to identify my thesis. Evidence: I thought the evidence suggesting that the problem was real was solid. Quotes from an actual college freshman and scholarly sources provided much of that evidence. Finding evidence for the solution of thinking positively was much more difficult though and I would like to have had better evidence to support it. Organization: Although I really tried to follow closely with the exordium, narration, division, etc. format, I feel that my paper was very rushed this time and I did not accomplish what I had hoped to. Presentation: After reviewing my last essay, I tried correcting some of the aesthetic problems with my paper this time around. I made sure to underline my title and thesis statement and make sure that the font size stayed consistent throughout.

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Response to Corey Morgans essay, PRAISE: Your exordium did a nice job of describing the disillusionment that college freshman experience when receiving the new freedom of college. I also really liked your use of interview questions to support your view. On page three, your quote from the former football player to support your statement that giving up an activity may be the best solution to manage your time worked really well as specific evidence. SUGGESTIONS: In your paragraphs offering solutions, it may be better to stick with only one solution per paragraph. When you began to offer solutions on the second paragraph of page two, you discuss creating a work area, breaking down large objectives into smaller ones, and creating a schedule. By providing each of these solutions their own paragraph, you can identify each solution more clearly and make it more understandable for your reader.

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