Reaction to classification essays

I hope you don't hold this against me but I don't think I like the classification essay's. Not because the writing is bad or the topics are lame, I just don't think this layout or "style" of essay is my cup of tea. I am actually really nervous about having to write my own. I have no clue what I am going to write about when I get started on it,that's why I like the step by step approach you have us do. First the intro, then the outro and then without even realizing it we have most of it done. If I had to pick one of the sample essays I liked the most it would be the first one " Snakes, and snails and puppy dog tails". I liked how simple it felt compared to the others, and how she used a real life personal example and just compared it to those "sayings". I am going to try and stick with that type of formula when I write mine. Im interested to see if I change my mind at all about these classification essays after all is said and done and mine is written, I may surprise myself.

Graf # 15 Meta-graf

This is the story of what I was doing when I was working on my cause essay:





"Hello? Hey hun, yeah I know it's loud, we are at The Maine Jump so there's lots of kids- anyway I'm just calling to let you know that we are leaving to head to EMMC, so can you get out of work and meet us there? Oh you know, Madison fell off one of the slides and she's bleeding everywhere, I think she needs a few stitches. Ok see you in a few. " Fast forward about 20 minutes and I find myself in the ER feeling super embarrassed as I explain to the third nurse how I don't know exactly what happened to my daughters chin because I was busy working on my English homework. I was actually starting to get upset at the looks I was getting from those nurses, I mean it's the ER for goodness sake! I'm sure they have heard much worse. All I was doing was trying to combine parenting, playtime and homework. Apparently that's not the best idea. As I mentioned in a previous entry of mine, I was pretty much anticipating doing this on-line English course anywhere and at anytime, with the help of my array of technological devices of course. To be honest I was looking forward to that. I imagined sitting in my car waiting in the car pool lane at my kids school; completing a short essay on my ipad. That dream isn't completely crushed, but the fact that my husband moved our desktop computer down stairs to be permanently placed on the dining room table was a good enough hint for even me.

Cause Essay (Revised)

I come from a very large Italian family who love to get together and basically just talk and eat, eat and talk. Because of this I think I have been asked about 100 times "What made you go back to school?" At first I was taken aback and didn't even know how to answer. It took me a while to ponder and formulate, but once I knew, it all made sense.This is the story of the why's.Why I decided to go back to college after 8 years, a husband and three kids later.  I remember the day vividly. The day that I decided I was going to go back to school. I knew this was something I had to do, and I've known it for a long time.

 My husband and I had actually been toying with the idea for a few years, but somehow me getting a part time job always won instead. We are a family of 5 and it has always been tough living off of my husbands one income. I would always find a odd job where I would only work from 9 am to 2 pm in order to work around the kids school drop off and pick up schedule. I would always have to put our youngest daughter in daycare though.  Finally it was like I was hit on the head and a light bulb popped on because I realized that working those short hours didn't mean anything when you consider the price I was paying for our one daughters daycare, plus the price of gas for the commute, and eating my lunches out. This was the first reason I decided to go back to college, because something else besides me working a measly part time job needed to be done in order to provide more financial stability for our family.

Regret is something I fear with all my soul. I never want to regret anything I have done in my life. Of course I know that no one is perfect, not even close, including myself. But I do want to try and make choices that will both make me happy in the present but also most importantly tie into my "life plan". I knew in my heart that if I never went to college, not necessarily to get my degree and "become" something, I am happy to just study and learn, that I would regret it later in life. Initiative  is a big part of "doing". It's really easy to make decisions and to think of what you want to do, but without initiative it just might never get accomplished. I had put off going to college for long enough and once I decided this there was just no stopping me. The thought of possible regret was my initiative. This is my second reason for why I decided to go back to college, I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't grow old(er) and regret not taking the chance.


I love all the little Nike slogans, you know the ones you see on their t-shirts and commercials. Actually I have always been a sucker for personal affirmations and those Nike slogans are not far off from that. Something about feeling inspired, strong, beautiful, great, or basically anything glass half full, even when your not is amazing. I have always been honest enough with myself and even others to admit that I never really follow things through. I always start with great ideas and then they end up either as half finished craft projects or me backing out of being Girl Scout troop leader in the middle of the school year. It's horrible, I am ashamed and well aware enough to know that it needed to change. This realization kind of coincided with my decision to return to school. I dedicated myself to being a student and will not let anything get in my way of following through with this dream of mine. This is the third and most concerning reason of why I decided to go back to college. I wanted my children to be able to know that once you put your mind to something you can always achieve greatness.

 So here I sit, one month into my first semester back in college, well aware of the fact that I am a "non-traditional" student. I have gotten plenty of opinions from everyone who doesn't really matter in my life, it seems that they know me better than I know myself. In a way I feel like I have been set up for failure, but I will not accept that. I have always and will always put my children and husband first but what's so wrong with wanting to do it all? I pride myself on the fact that I have kept up on all the laundry, provided a home cooked meal every night, continued my impulsive house cleaning schedule all while maintaining really good grades in all my classes. Not to mention all the boo boo's, night time book readings, early morning soccer games and everything else that comes with the job title of mom.

What I already know (Revised)

These are the questions that I already have written up for my isearch. I really don't know any definite answers to any one of them. I have vague ideas based on what I think I already know, but nothing is factual. I think that's goes along with why I believe this choice of topic was best for me, I have never really taken  the time to do any real research.

This is my basic first reactions to each question:

• What steps should I take to lose weight?

 1.) Diet and excersise.

• What are the different options for weight loss?
• What are the pros and cons of the major options?
• What surgical options are out there for weight loss and how safe are they?

4.) Lap band, Liposuction, gastric bypass, ?

• Can changes in my diet do the job?

 5.) Maybe? Probably but not quick enough

• What about clean eating, vegetarian or cutting out all sugary foods?

 6.) I know nothing about this except my husbands friend lives off of shakes and green mush!

• What type of exercise is best and how much should I do?
• Are at home programs like p90x and turbofire more effective than working out at the gym

 8.) I would like to think so but are much more intense. Maybe harmful for people not in the best shape ?

• Is it better to work out at home or at a gym? 

 9.) I am thinking it depends on personality.

• Are there any prescription medicines for weight loss?
• What about over the counter weight loss pills or supplements?

 11.) I know I see plenty of ads for these things, but have no clue if they really work or the safety of them.

• There are so many diet's, how do I know which one is right for me?

12.) I don't know but this is my favorite question because I would really like to know.

Graf # 14 isearch research plan

For my isearch I plan on using the internet which has almost endless possibilities for my topic. I also am planning on interviewing some friends and family that I have in mind who I know have either struggled with losing weight in the past or are still doing so now.  I'd like to get their thoughts on what did and didn't work for them. My husband has a good friend from high school who is now a Beachbody coach. Beachbody is the company who makes the turbofire and p90x dvd systems. I know he has become very interested ( almost obsessed) with weight loss before and after stories so I know he will have a lot of info for me. If I happen to come across one website that I think answers all my questions, I don't care because I would never use only one form of information to persuade my answers. Researching to me means using different forms of input to come to my own conclusions and/or gather facts. I have already reached out to my husbands friend and let him know about my isearch, I wanted to give him enough time to be able to give me educated answers. That was the first step on my "time line".

Outro for cause essay

So here I sit, one month into my first semester back in college, well aware of the fact that I am a "non-traditional" student. I have gotten plenty of opinions from everyone who doesn't really matter in my life, it seems that they know me better than I know myself. In a way I feel like I have been set up for failure, but I will not accept that. I have always and will always put my children and husband first but what's so wrong with wanting to do it all? I pride myself on the fact that I have kept up on all the laundry, provided a home cooked meal every night, continued my impulsive house cleaning schedule all while maintaining really good grades in all my classes. Not to mention all the boo boo's, night time book readings, early morning soccer games and everything else that comes with the job title of mom.

Intro 2 of cause essay

It was March in Maine and it had been a long cold winter. Compared to the two other winters I have experienced living in Maine, this one was the worst. I felt like I had been cooped up as a prisoner in my own home for far too long, but the time inside did give me plenty of opportunity to think. I had been wanting to go back to school for quite some time, but there was always something that came in the way. Something about the way I felt during those cold lonely months of winter made me realize that once and for all I was going to do something big for myself.