Lesson 15.2: Cover Letter

Dec 7th, 2010

Chris Young
College Student
University of Alaska Fairbanks
P.O. Box 752407
Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775

Dear friend,

Thank you for taking the time to review my research paper the other day. This has really helped get through lesson 13, which required someone to look at my paper, and also allowed me to get through lesson 14, which required me to revise my paper.

As per your requests, I have changed a lot of the wording and made the grammar a lot better. My purpose is to pass this class with at least a B, and that is something I think will happen. You have been a good friend in this endeavor by giving me advice on other topics for English, and for helping correct my spelling. I hope that one day I may be able to return the favor in some other way.

Sincerely,
Chris Young
College Student

Lesson 15.1: Resume

Chris Young
Bartlett Hall, rm 503
11/22/1987

Objective:
To replace my English 111 grade from 2008 with at least a B, if not an A.

Academic Writing Experience
* Introduction to Academic Writing -- English 111 (Fall 2010)
* Wrote a research paper about the need to conserve rainforests.
* Academic Writing about the Social and Natural Sciences (Spring 2009)
* Wrote a research paper on the environmental impacts of oil

Other Writing Experience
* Free-form roleplaying (1997-2002)
* Ran a nation in Madagascar that was trying to take over Africa after a nuclear holocaust that devaststaed the world
* Ran an empire set in space, called the "Planetary Freedom Fighters", that was founded by a group of rebels and terrorists that had overthrown an oppressive dictatorship
* Dungeons and Dragons (2010)
* Wrote two backgrounds for characters for Dungeons and Dragons. One, a wizard, the other, a rogue.
* Short stories
* The Mercenary (2006)
* Terrorists in Alaska steal 30 APCs for the Russians, and the U.S. military hires an elite force of commandoes based out of Indonesia to find and recover the stolen materiel.
* The Pirate Hunter (2007)
* Freetrader Rashani Vance is attacked by a vessel. He mounts a successful defense before launching an attack of his own, capturing both the vessel, and the captain, who is wanted by the Torelli family for crimes against traders under their protection

Lesson 14.1: Doing things differently

What I wish I did differently was start this paper earlier and have a better idea of where I wanted to take it. I did a lot of research, but probably could have used more sources. Other than that I'm not really sure what I would do differently because I think it actually turned out ok.

Lesson 13.1: Consulting Others

Consulting another person on my work has always been a hard task for me. While I have been a writer for quite awhile, I am still very shy about my writing, because I think a lot of it is subpar. Although I have been told that I am a good writer, I still feel like i have a lot of work ahead of me. So I was understandably nervous when I consulted my friend, who has a bachelor's degree in creative writing, to look at my work. There are a lot of similarities betweenc reative writing and academic writing, because grammar, syntax, spelling, it's all the same thing from the same language.

My friend is a good, kind person, however. And he gave me a lot of feedback very quick, which allowed me to revise my essay and complete lesson 13. Although he was critical about my work, he was also constructive about it too. he is also a guy who has a lot of experience writing outside of academics, because he maintains a blog that he makes an entry to every day, so he is definitely a person who can be trusted and could be considered an authority on English, so going to him for advice was definitely be a good choice.

Lesson 11.1: Summarizing entries

Summarizing articles requires reading them, and figuring out what the article is all about. If the article is short, summarizing won't take very long. If the article is long, however, making a summary can be a time consuming task. Longer articles tend to be more in depth, so to create a summary will take more time and effort.

My experience with making summaries for the entries I chose was pretty much uneventful. All I did was read the article and write about what the article was about, basically get the general idea down.

Lesson 10.1: My choice

This is my second year in college, and as I go through the Computer Science program, I am overwhelmed with joy at the opportunity to learn, and yet i am horrified at the path that lies before me. Sometimes these emotions intermix, as I try to put together exactly what it is I am up against.

I am a first generation college student learning a field that some have claimed to be the hardest science out there. I'm not so sure if that's true, because so far I have a solid grasp on the Computer Science classes that I have taken. After my first semester in Computer Science, concepts clicked, and I started to pour all of my resources into the field.

Mathematics has always been an issue for me. It took me five years for Algebra to make sense, and in order for me to get a bachelor's degree, I will need to take a lot of higher math.

I am overjoyed at the opportunity that I have to learn more about how computers operate, and how they can be manipulated. In the old world, shamans and wizards wielded magic. In the new world, it is the computer programmers who bend the very fabrics of space and time to their will.

The math that I will have to learn, combined with being a first-generation college student, and that failure is absolutely not an option, are the aspects that overwhelm me. Perhaps this will go away as I learn to just apply myself better.

But as long as I'm here, I figure I might as well enjoy the ride. College, at the end of everything, is incredibly fun.

Lesson 9.3: Research Paper

I actually have mixed feelings about the research paper. On one hand, I'm intimidated becuase it's a lot of work. On the other, I'm not feeling too bad about it because I think the subject I have offers a lot of things to write about. There are a lot of uses for wood, and a lot of reasons why logging takes place. There are conservation measures in place and there is new growth that is being experienced (Actually quite a bit).

Lesson 9.2: What do I need outside help with?

I'm not sure what I need outside help with. I've always been a lone wolf most of my life, and actually do have plenty of writing experience, from free-form roleplaying as a kid to, when I was older, taking actual classes in High School. I've been through English classes a few times. This is actually my second time taking it, and I'd argue that my grade wasn't too bad.

If there was anything I needed help with, I'd say it was as simple as a change in attitude when it comes to school. I'm not saying I'm the best student, but I'm taking courses a lot more seriously now than I was last time.

Lesson 9.1: What do I still need to do?

There's a lot I still need to do. I need to conduct more research, and I have another essay to write for lesson ten, and then the research paper can begin, finally.

I still need to find opposing viewpoints. I have a good idea of where I want to take the research topic. I just need to form it into something coherent.

Lesson 8.1: Annotated image

The image I selected for this exercise is the one on page 425 of "Rereeading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing". This is a Czech ad for jeans, of all things, and it's a bizarre one.

As an advertisement for blue jeans, it does make sense. The image shows three men, one of which is holding a woman up by the seat of her pants; literally. Another guy is feeling her pant leg while a third guy is grasping her by the arm.

The strongest argument is that assault of women is okay. Another way this could be interpreted is that stealing jeans off of women is okay, if they are good jeans (no one would market bad jeans)

This image also shows that sex in advertising is not limited to American culture. It is an international problem.

Lesson 8.2: Research Paper Graphic

I chose an article titled "A Clearcut Case of Variable Retention" by Benny Wijdeven. Although it is not the first article I read (actually it's the third), I thought that the image was rather interesting.

Variable retention is about leaving some trees in place to increase the forest's edge, as it is argued that a forest influences more than the area it covers. It also influences the area immediately beyond it, too.

I think the image is ineffective in swaying my matter on the subject because I'm not sure what my opinion is, just yet. My thesis right now is "Is variable retention effective enough to prevent the destruction of forests?".

The article can be found here

http://www.spruceroots.org/Dec04/Tree.html

Lesson 8.3: Research topic thesis

My thesis is "Is variable retention effective enough to prevent the destruction of forests?". I think this is a weak thesis that may be too narrow in its focus. I do think however that it is one that can be researched. Deforestation is a controversial topic, and mankind has been using wood ever since they've been around.

I did score an 8/10 on the exercises on the Hacker website for thesis exercises, and I do see some areas where I might be able to improve this thesis.

lesson 7.4 : Read another student's blog

The blog I read was Sara Butler's, at http://englf111xsarabutler.blogspot.com/ .

I didn't make any comments to her blog. I don't think I'd really have all that much to offer.

Lesson 7.3: Sources

All of my sources are news articles, from different places. Only one of which, I believe, is local. This shows that the problem is a bit bigger in scope than UAF, although Fairbanks is the university I focused on.

Being that they are newspapers also means that they are reputable, or should be. Journalists usually do their research. One source is supporting the opposition and the other two are supporting my thesis.

Lesson 7.2: Swaying the audience

I doubt my audience would be swayed by my reasoning. Universities are a business, and they need to make money. It would be hard to stay in business, and deliver a quality product, and not raise tuition at least a little bit, because inflation does happen.

I actually don't mind tuition hikes, to an extent. They can seem excessive however, because college is a situation where, if you aren't connected, you end up having to incur a lot of debt while not making any money to be able to pay it off, and having been in a position where I was broke for quite awhile, I can definitely understand the stress.

I think the inevitability of tuition hikes means that we, as students, should do our best to get out in time.

lesson 7.1: Audience and Thesis

My audience would be both students and the people who run colleges, as what I am addressing is student tuition hikes, and while I am taking a con stance in this case, I am showing the opposing arguments, as well.

My thesis is "Raising tuition for students will lessen the supply of skilled laborers for the workforce, which will have a negatively affect the economy because it will make it harder for students to pay for college, complete their degrees, and become contributing members to the workforce."

The three supporting clauses I went with were

1) Making college harder to pay for students will require them to go into deeper levels of debt.
2) Higher Education is a priceless opportunity that should be open for all.
3) Keeping tuition costs low will allow for more enrollment, which will allow colleges to have more prestige.

I am really only addressing one with the thesis.

Lesson 6.2: John Stossel video

The video I watched for this assignment was a dialogue between John Stossel and some members of Fox News over the legalization of marijuana and all drugs because the current drug laws are not preventing access to them. Stossel believes that all drugs should be legalized because keeping them illegal isn't working to keep them out of people's hands. Stossel calls it "modern day prohibition", which makes sense on some levels.

The opposition believes that keeping drugs illegal will make it harder for people to gain access to drugs, and that making access to drugs hard for people will save lives. A guy in the video comments that if crack were legal when he was a kid, he wouldn't be where he is right now.

Both sides definitely have valid points. I believe drugs should be legalized, because the economic benefits far outweigh the concerns to health and safety. Honestly, making drugs illegal hasn't made it any harder to acquire them. Walk around Anchorage for any length of time and you will find someone who will offer you a hit of coke, marijuana, or whatever. Talk about drugs to people long enough, and someone will offer you some. Drugs are everywhere, and they aren't going away.

Prohibition for alcohol didn't work, either. All it did was give rise to powerful gangsters like Al Capone, and this is what making other drugs illegal is doing today.

The video can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teLEp7KCcTE

Lesson 6.1: Internet Chat Rooms

Internet chat rooms are a dangerous place for little kids to go to because of the anonymity of the internet and the predators that are present everywhere. I figured this was the argument partly because of the letter to the editor I read about whales needing silence to not become beached, and because chatrooms can be very dangerous for the naive.

I am of the generation that grew up with the internet (Not to be confused with the generation that was born with the internet). I've been on a computer since the age of 3, and I have been to chatrooms as a kid. The exchange of personal information is common there. Most of it is harmless, but there are predators out there who take advantage of the nonchalant manner in which we share personal information with strangers online.

One need to look no further than Dateline NBC's "To Catch A Predator" to understand that this is really the case. Kids are naive, and their need for an authority figure early in life can lead them to take commands from people that they really shouldn't take commands from.

Another thing about chatrooms is that a lot of them are unmoderated. They can also be very busy. When you have lots of people talking at once, it can become overwhelming, and a kid who is exploring the internat and all it has to offer may be tempted to cross boundaries he or she is not supposed to cross, and the results can be disasterous.

Lesson 5.5: Writing Techniques

I would say that the most useful technique I have found is the use of pro-con clauses. With pro-con clauses, you can brainstorm different ideas for supporting or disagreeing with an argument. These pro-con clauses can be (at least, I believe they can be) combined into a thesis statement. They can also be used seperately, to give supporting data to a thesis.

An early example of this, is in the first lesson, when I was trying to figure out ideas for why joining a fire department was a good thing, I'm pretty sure (it's been awhile) that I did a pro-con clause, selected about three reasons why, and combined them into one thesis statement, and provided my own supporting details there.

I have been tending to take the pro-clause in an argument, because I like to think positively rather than negatively.

Lesson 5.4: What I've learned about myself

I have learned that I am capable of being a good writer and getting back up even in the face of adversity. My thumbdrive crashed recently and I lost about two lessons of Anthropology and half of lesson 5 from English, all of which I had to redo, and all of which I honestly didn't feel like redoing. Dropping out of English was an idea at this point, but I presevered, got the lessond done, and moved on to do the journal entries, which I am doing now.

I've learned about myself that I am much stronger than I think.

Lesson 5.3: What I have learned from the textbooks

I have learned several things from the textbook, such as a process for how to form an argument, to what an argument is, to several other things. I have learned that there is a certain way to cite references, and that citations are needed when quoting someone. I have also learned various nuances of the MLA format.

I have also learned that, while I am a good writer, I can always become better, because there are certain techniques for getting ideas, such as free-writing, clustering, or idea mapping. I have learned ideas on how to flesh out ideas, so that they are more than just a sentence, and to form a thesis statement and be able to support said thesis.

Lesson 5.2: My instructor's expectations

I have learned that my instructor expects me to be timely, responsible, and cite things correctly. I have also learned that she expects me to get an A, because she knows that I definitely have potential to do so. I have also learned that if I run into difficulty, that it is my responsibility to get back on track, which I am at this point.

Lesson 5.1: A problem other students might be having

One problem I think other students are having is this assignment. I think students are having a problem with it because I know I was. The assignments are confusing, and we had three of them. The amount of pre-writing that we need to do is quite a bit, and each assignment was quite involved. a lot more than what we have done up until this point.

Still, the assignment is done, and I think now that it is, the other assignments will be a lot easier to accomplish.

Lesson 4.2e: The Goal of Argument

The goal of argument is both to seek truth and to be persuasive both parts are needed to be effective. An argument that only seeks to find the truth will fail to persuade readers to the argument's cause. Why is this? Shouldn't truth be persuasion enough?

The truth is that humans are emotional creatures. An essay on the evils of xyz corporation, as true as it may be, will do nothing but offer information to the reader. Any action suggested by this essay, if there is any, will fall short of its goals.

An entirely persuasive essay can lie, and while it can elicit action, action based on false pretenses is never a good thing. Action on false pretenses can prove quite disasterous.

So, an essay, to be effective, must do a little bit of both. An essay founded on truth and uses effective persuasion techniques will elicit action based on (supposedly, truth is always changing) true pretenses, and the world will be a better place.

Lesson 4.2d: Previewing vs. Reading

Previewing material can help you understand it by giving you a rough idea of what to expect to learn from the material and what is being presented by the material. While it helps you a little bit, there is no substitute for reading the material.

Previewing shows you the pieces to the puzzle. Reading shows you how the little pieces to the puzzle all fit together. Without knowing all the pieces, you might miss something. Without knowing how these pieces fit together, they will be less useful and you might not solve the puzzle completely.

Lesson 4.2c: Pre-writing

The exercise I found most useful for pre-writing for this essay was brainstorming pro and con clauses. I had found three pro clauses and three con clauses, and I ended up combining all pro clauses into one for my thesis statement. I then supported each case individually.

I did not use any other techniques, because given the constraints of the essay being five paragraphs, I already had three paragraphs and needed a summary essay. The part about firefighting being a dangerous activity took up two paragraphs. So I had what I needed from this exercise.

Lesson 4.2b: Genres of Argument

The genre of argument I would most likely choose would be a blog, and it's because I already maintain two other blogs, so if I wanted to make an argument, the blog would be a natural outlet for me.

While blogs are more informal, they are also a lot more personal. The blog, as a form of argument, allows a person's biases to show, and it also is a break from established conventions which can stifle creativity. A newspaper article must follow a certain format and either take a stance or provide information, or both. Newspapers are powerful, but they ultimately serve the interests of politicians.

A blog, however, serves the interests of the people, for it is the people who make blogs. Since there is usually no money involved in blogs, the viewpoint can be a lot less skewed because people writing blogs are looking for the truth, as opposed to supporting or destroying any one particular political party.

Lesson 4.2a: The revising process

The question asked of me is "Did I ask anyone else to make recommendations about the revising process? Why or why not?" and the truth is that I did not. The reason for this is because I had a clear goal in mind of what I wanted to accomplish with my essay once I figured out what was being asked.

I also have a good idea on how to revise works, as well. Playing with words, how they fit in, and where they fit in, is just a big puzzle to be solved.

It is not that I don't have my choice of people to help. I have my teacher, and I have a good friend who has a bachelor's in English with a focus on creative writing. I have other people that I could ask if they like the work or what should be changed. I just chose not to utilize these options.

Lesson 4.1: evaluation of sources

"Want to be a Firefighter? Enter the worm tube." Web. 21 Sep 2010. .

Kittle, Cameron. "Camp Teaches girls firefighting." (2010): n. pag. Web. 21 Sep 2010. .

USFA, . "Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2005." FA-306 (2006): pgs 7, 13. Web. 21 Sep 2010. .


These are the three sources I used for my essay in lesson 4, which was about how firefighting can make someone more confident.

The first source I will evaluate for my essay is Youtube. Anyone can put anything on youtube, and the stuff that is on youtube does not necessarily have to be real. This right here might say it's a bad source, however, the thing with youtube is that you can get some people putting a lot of good stuff up, as well.

Do any kind of search for "working fires" and you will come across a plethora of first responders who have put up videos of incidents for review. There is also a lot of information on fire training, which is the video (one of several on youtube) I had used. Specifically to show how firefighters must train for claustrophobic situations that may arise.

The second source comes from the United States Fire Association, backed by the dept. Homeland Security itself. This is a solid, very legitimate source. The material was very well written and cleanly organized and there was no issue finding what I needed, which was, in this case, statistics for firefighter deaths for a given year (I was looking for something more recent. But I know the number hasn't changed a whole lot from 2005 to 2009, although the composition might have... either way I can't cite a verbal source, I mean, but I know when I was doing basic fire training the fire chief had showed us statistics on how around one-hundred firefighters die each year and their causes of death).

My third source comes from a news article about how a firefighting camp teaches girls between the ages of 14-18 about fire training. The director of the camp is also a lieutenant in the fire service. Her experience running the camp and her experience in the fire service should lend some credibility to herself.

Lesson 3e: How is argument both a process and a product?

Argument is a process. An argument requires that its claims be justified (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 7), and during an argument involving more than one person (e.g., a debate), there is a process of one party opening the argument, the other party submits a refutation, and finally, one or both parties get a closing statement. In the case of a courtroom, this process can be a lot more complex, with witnesses, evidence, and procedures that must be adhered to.

At the same time, argument is also a product. Court cases set precedents that can be referenced for future cases. whenever the supreme court settles a case, it brings with it a lengthy disposition and a product that changes the course of our society. Brown v. Board of Education desegregated schools, for example, and Miranda v. Arizona gave us our Miranda rights.

This is only one example. Another example, which the book states, is that formal arguments tend to produce powerpoint presentations (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 8), and with the rise of the internet, forums tend to produce a lot of argument over the course of days, weeks, or months (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 8).

So, argument is both a process because it is something that starts and ends in a certain manner, and it is both a product because in the course of creating an argument, the process can be paused and examined.

Ramage, John, John Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments : A rhetoric with Readingsit'. 4th. Pearson Education, Inc, 2007. 7. Print.

Lesson 3d: What is truth?

Truth in argument is about finding the best solution to a problem (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 12). It is not about seeking the right answer (Ramage, Bean and Johnson, 12), As Socrates believed (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 11), nor is it a completely valueless relativism where every answer is equally as good (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 12), as the Sophists in Ancient Greece believed (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 11). It is about achieving a balance.

In fact, the central definition of truth, as defined by Ramage in Writing Arguments, is to select the best or most just solution, keeping an open mind and ultimately taking responsibility for your argument (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 12). Being able to argue in this way allows one to solve arguments rationally, instead of through force (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 12).

It is very hard to argue in this way, given the current world view. The world is very competitive, and many people carry agendas. The notion of truth, that is, in this case, the best solution after examing all outcomes, is thus often subverted by the notion of persuasion, which is the solution that a particular party wants implemented because it benefits them.

Works cited:

Ramage, John, John Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments : A rhetoric with Readingsit'. 4th. Pearson Education, Inc, 2007. 11-12. Print.

Lesson 3c: What is Worth Arguing About?

Writing Arguments shows several examples for arguments, from Kathleen, who argued that her school accept her American Sign Language credits as foreign language credits (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 9-10), or an argument about Mosh Pits being dangerous (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 12), to a native American trying to become a lawyer for his tribe who was requesting that the university waive the math requirements for his degree (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson, 14). These are all things worth arguing about, or, I don't think the book would have selected them as examples.

Honestly, I think the real question is not "What is worth arguing about?" But what are you passionate about, and why? What are your beliefs? How do you justify them? We are such a diverse people that you can find anyone who will believe anything. There are, for example, people who believe the holocaust of the Jews did not happen (Lim).

I believe that, given this criteria, that anything is worth arguing about. I have always believed that a view is not valid because I believe in it as well, but that a view is valid because it can be defended intelligently through sound logic and good references. I can argue that everyone should take a year of Computer Science classes in order to learn how to think, but unless I can defend this view, and unless I can defend it with sound reasoning, this view is useless. It is useless because either no one would be persuaded by it or because there is no logic behind it to back it up.

Having a sound argument doesn't mean necessarily that I will have to agree with it, because I, as well as all of us, have our biases. However, having a sound argument makes something worth arguing about because it will at least be entertaining.

Ramage, John, John Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments : A rhetoric with Readingsit'. 4th. Pearson Education, Inc, 2007. 9-10, 12, 14. Print.

Lim, Joy. "Did the Holocaust Happen." N.p., 1998. Web. 17 Sep 2010. .

Lesson 3b: Why is a written argument a good way to defend an opinion?

There are many reasons why a written argument is a good way to defend an opinion. The first reason is that writing gives you time to collect your thoughts. It gives one time to find sources, research your position, and develop a coherent argument that could not be done in an oral, impromptu debate.

Another reason is that in an oral debate, a written argument can be referenced. It can also be used as notes by people who are researching the topic, and can be cited for verification. Spoken evidence is anecdotal evidence at best and hearsay at worst. And when an orator dies, anything not shared through an oratory tradition went with him, as well. With the written argument, this is not the case. Someone who has written a paper can die, but the paper will still live on.

Lastly, a written argument can be reviewed, and it can reach an audience much farther away, without requiring a live presentation. A man can speak to his congressman, or he can simply write him a letter. If they need to go back to the argument, they can simply refer to the letter rather than calling up the person who wrote them.

Lesson 3a: How to Demonstrate Belief In An Opinion

To demonstrate means to show, as if by action. So the best and most obvious way to demonstrate belief in an opinion is to live by that belief. For example, it is my opinion that medicine (unless it's actually needed, like for schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder) is bad for you. It's a trap. It's how the pharmaceutical corporations like to reel people in. Start them out thinking from a young age (say early to mid twenties, if not younger, considering how we have children's tylenol), that when you have a headache, you take a painkiller. When they're older, they'll have no problems buying prescription medicines for the ailing bodies they never took care of.

I demonstrate this belief in my opinion by avoiding, to the extent that is possible, any and all medications. If I get sick, I get sick. I wait for it to pass through my system. Note however that sometimes I break my rule. This is not hypocritical, it is simply that there are exceptions to my rule (Again, refer back to medication being necessary for those diagnosed with schizophrenia). One exception would be when undergoing surgery. I do not want to be awake for that procedure, at all. The pain experienced after a surgery is bad enough that I can only imagine what the pain would be like during surgery. I also do not begrudge anyone who takes pain medication after a surgery. Afterall, I did too. It was the only way to get around for a week or two.

So sometimes, medicine is necessary. For the most part, however, it should be avoided. There is simply no substitute for taking care of your body.

My journal for English 111

So I started my college studies in the Fall of 2008 and took a year off because of grades. I'm pretty anathematic to rote work, which is what most of the core classes are all about. It wasn't until realizing that a life time of work for levels at pay that should be deemed illegal that I decided to come back (and because I could. This is important. I'm not rich. I need a 2.0 GPA or better for loans).

I have a lot of dreams and aspirations. I think getting a master's degree would be fun. Honestly, we get one life on this world and only a finite amount of time. Until scientists develop immortality, that is...

So I came back. I quit my job because it was kind of hard to bring it up here since I was only employed for a very short period of time. And now I find I still have a lot of work I have to do that I don't want to do, regardless. So I guess there's nowhere to run or hide from it. Which leaves just one option...

So, uh, yeah. Um, I'm a Computer Science major currently in the upper-division of CS classes, but basically behind on everything else, including math. I could be out of here in four years, as I still need to get a lot of my general education courses out of the way. I'm taking this semester to repair my GPA, and this class is an extension of said goal.

:/

I've already said too much...