Grandma's on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family to eat a plethora of carb-loaded food and to ensure that your crazy aunt knows you loved the Hello Kitty teacup set she bought you the previous year, but maybe she could just send money this year instead. When driving to my grandparents for turkey dinner, each year I prepare myself to be interrogated by my grandma as to why I don’t have a boyfriend. Grandchildren shouldn't have to feel obligated to have a boyfriend/girlfriend simply because “it’s that time of year again.”

Almost as soon as I walk through the kitchen door, my grandma sits me down and begins the interrogation. “Why didn't you bring a boy home this year?” “I’ll set you up. My girlfriend Sally, from my scrabble team, has a son who is captain of the chess team at his school!” This is often times how the conversation is directed. Grandma’s mean well and they only want the best for their grandchildren, but sometimes they can be somewhat overbearing. After telling them that I am simply not interested in a relationship at this point in my life, my grandma recruits my aunts and older cousins to help in the hunt as well. Logging into Facebook, they surround around the computer stalking each boy I am friends with. Little do they realize that I haven’t used Facebook in years; however, they proceed regardless.

Instead of focusing on current relationship statuses, Thanksgiving should be about catching up with family and taking advantage of the ever-so-short period of time given to spend with one another.  I don’t often times mind the pressing questions; however, I’d love to actually sit down and have an in-depth conversation with my grandma once in a while. 

Argumentative Essay Topic: Private Universities

There are many topics in which I am passionate about; however, the outrageous price of private college institutions exceeds all. Not only are they priced at a minimum of $30,000 a year, the government also hardly helps those with families who are still in tact. You'd think that having a dad who worked extremely hard for his masters education and is paid very well would receive something back from the government. Well, most often this is not the case. With three daughters, a wife, and a mother-in-law to support, my dad is unable to pay my college tuition. When applying for FAFSA, I received absolutely nothing since my parents are still married and he has a good job at Chrysler. Since I will never receive any help from the government, my dreams of attending Liberty University became unachievable.

Even though Liberty University is one of the lowest priced, private, Christian universities in the United States, $30,000 per year is simply not obtainable for many. According to CNN, the average price of a private university in the United States is $43, 289. Since many private universities offer scholarships, the average price for the college student to attend said university is $27, 056. The vast majority of that price is room and board. Living off campus in an apartment with friends would be a great deal cheaper; however, private universities are often times very strict and won't let their students live off campus until Junior year or the age of twenty-one. How stupid is that!

The Next Bill Gates

Choosing what to do after high school can lead to a consideration of a number of options: join the military, join the Peace Corps, go to college, get a job and enter the workforce. Whether driven by economics or personal personal preference, this decision will have a major impact on not only your profession career, but your personal life as well. In the past, a high school diploma was often times enough assurance for employers that potential employees could handle basic tasks accurately. Nowadays, companies expect to see at least a four-year degree from a big ten university on your resume in order for them to even consider hiring you. A college education not only improves your job skills, but also your life skills. College doesn't solely educate you on a subject of your choice. It also develops communication/interaction skills, analytical skills, and thinking/reasoning skills.

If choosing to work directly after high school rather than furthering your education, the initial income one would intake would be a great deal more than those at universities. Studies show that works aged 25 and up in 2006 had a median income of someone who had only completed high school was $27, 380, while those with a bachelor's degree had a median income of $46,440(educationbug para. 3). Take into account that those with bachelor degrees also are drowning in debt. While it is true that a lack of a college degree will diminish a person's lifetime earnings and job flexibility, this is not always the case. For example, Bill Gates was a college drop out and now he is the founder of Microsoft and has a net worth of $82 billion. Whether a college graduate or apart of the working class at age 18, ambition and motivation are necessary in order to succeed in life.

"How to Spot a Liar"

In today’s world, we’re surrounded by deception whether through social media, politics or the workplace. In Pamela Meyer’s Ted Talk “How to Spot a Liar,” she discusses with her audience he mannerisms and “hot spots,” or cues, most commonly used by those who deceive. To begin, Pamela used Bill Clinton as an example for verbal dodging. Verbal dodging is when someone who is unscripted uses formal, firm word choices and distances him or herself from the accused subject of the lie. When discussing “hot spots” or cues, Meyer listed many habits of those who deceive including those who “pepper” or elaborate their story, inability to tell a story in non-chronological order, duping delight, head-shakes, and expressions of contempt. Even though there is an ample amount of technology available to the world to detect liars, a trained professional or even a person like you could easily detect them as well.

With the amount of technology available today, I find it rather disturbing how easily we, as a nation, rely on it. Pamela Meyer provided statistical evidence multiple times within her Ted Talk that backed this statement up. I found Meyer’s Ted Talk very informative, light-heart, and quite humorous. She used political figures as comic relief throughout the talk that made it very easy to watch and kept my attention. When watching the news or talking to someone I believe is lying, I now use knowledge acquired from Meyer to read into their mannerisms and cues. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/pamela_meyer_how_to_spot_a_liar