Hello, my name is Alexa Jaramillo. I was raised in San Pedro, California and I have been living there ever since. I live in a small town where everyone practically knows each other or is related to someone else. Growing up I loved my city since I grew up by the ocean and enjoyed watching the sunrise and the sunset everyday. I currently live with my father, mother, and my two younger siblings who I love to death. In high school I was on the Honor Roll every semester and I played softball all four years which led me to become a leader, be respectful to everyone, and meet my best friends who now have become family. Being the first born, my parents had high expectations for me since they did not have the same support or opportunities growing up. Since they obtained better jobs than their parents they knew they could support me financially in order for me to go to college. I graduated from San Pedro High School and am attending college at El Camino College with a dream of becoming a nurse. I have always been the type of person to lend a hand, always make sure everyone is okay, and be there when someone is hurt. My senior year of high school I took a course called Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) which led me to know about many diseases, perform nursing skills, and being able to actually work with patients and care for them. This semester I am taking a public speaking class that allows us to perform speeches in front of my class. I feel that it would be beneficial to my future career knowing that I will come across all types of people and will make me a better speaker over all.

The knowledge I gained in reading “Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In School” by John Langan is the success of a “To Do” list. All of my years of being a student I never kept a calendar or I was never organized in my educational plan or in my activities. I would not write due dates, notes, or important times and places because I told myself I would remember once I got home but reminding myself worked 98% of the time. I would remember in high school where I would be a home as if I had no work to do then one of my friends asking for the homework or me showing up to class and forgetting that I even had homework due. Langan explains that I should start to write all that I need to know on a piece of paper and carry it with me throughout the whole day. He also states that I should prioritize my time management well meaning to focus on the important/hard tasks first rather than the irrelevant tasks. I also should write what to do immediately before I forget and also just in case I forget what I need to do rather than going out with my friends or just sitting at home doing nothing. Now that I learned about this tip I know I will use it more especially in school and I hope others will start to plan out their tasks.

Another thing I learned while reading “Ten Skills You Really Need To Succeed In School” by John Langan is the topic “Why You Must Attend Class” because I feel as if this relates to every student. Now that I am in college it is getting harder and harder to attend class especially if it is an early class. In my case I deal with this everyday because I have 7:45 a.m classes everyday and I have a two hour class everyday after softball practice and all I want to do is go home so it is hard to still attend class. There are many consequences that come with missing class and Langan explains that that the professors may discuss many important topics, due dates, and information and if I am not in class to hear about it then I won't know was going on. For example, I have missed classes in college and when I come back it is hard to catch up or I would have to see them during office hours for any important notes. Also, asking classmates will be even worse because they might not give me the full information or notes of what the professor had said and if they do remember then it will not be the same as if I were in class. Attending class is a must to everyone and being lost in topic will be challenging.

What I believe this quote means is that now a days it is rare to hear someone give people truthful compliments rather than thinking they are being rude in somewhat a nice way. Being kind is such a positive movement and can be spreaded quickly to many people and it can change their moods in an instant. In this book by Langan he states a philosopher who said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle” and I totally agree with this quote because many people go through tough situations but they just do not show it. I have met many of people who are rude right off the bat and I honestly do not like it. Being rude is not going to get anyone no where in life but being kind might have a open door in society. I have also seen people who come off as mean and rude but they are the ones going through something horrible either at home or at school and they just like to spread that negativity to others when that is not the right way to handle situations. As a little kid I was always taught to have manners and respect one another and especially to be kind to everyone just because life is not not always beautiful for some people and once I am kind to someone they will be kind back to me. I hope that everyone you meet you will be kind to them and I will be kind to everyone I come across.