A New Star

Francisco Ramirez
Writing V
A New Start
            When I picture myself as I was two years ago, I realize how much I've grown and changed as a person, not only physically, but also mentally. Less than two years ago, I arrived at Lone Star College without any idea of what to expect. After a period of not attending school since I graduated from high school, I knew everything was going to be like a new start. Learning a different language was my major challenge, but I was very confident that I would learn it and be successful on it.  
              The classroom has become a whole different realm for me. In high school, the teachers and students alike preached the importance of learning, but it was implicitly obvious that the most important concern was grades. At Lone Star College teachers genuinely believe that learning is the most important objective and strongly encourage us to collaborate with each other and make use of all resources that we may find. In fact, in my writing V class this year, my teacher assigned us to prepare three essays with different processes to construct them. At the beginning they were hard and some of them became a nightmare. However, now I know more about narrative, classification, and research essays. My current teacher used teaching methods such as brainstorming and outline, which ensure that we will learn more. Indeed, this new way of " thinking" has been one of the most important aspects of my experience. Whether in writing or reading class, I am required to approach every problem and idea independently and creatively rather than just regurgitating the teacher’s words. In discussion with fellow students both inside and outside of class, the complex thoughts flowing through everyone’s brain is evident.
              However, I believe that the most important lesson that I have learned is to be independent from my parents. This concept has taught me about real life is and how to manage it. I started working on campus a year...