This class will only be available for a few weeks so don’t miss out if you’re thinking about participating.
- Become a better communicator than 95% of writers
- Learn to get what they want in writing (without being a jerk about it)
- Get more pleasure from writing assignments than should be allowed
- Get personalized discussion and feedback on their writing where we can discuss your goals and make sure you achieve them
- Read and learn from other students while using what you know to help them
- Look better to everyone around you by writing better (it’s a great way to look smart without being a tool.)
- Be good enough and know you’ll kick-butt in life because you’re on of the few who do things to make their life better
Here is how this is going to work:
- You’re going to watch it or listen to it.
- You’re going to finish the assignment.
- I’m going to message you back and forth and we’re going to talk about how we can improve it.
But I’m TOO BUSY!?!?
Trust me. If you’re thinking this would help you then do it now.
You’re not too busy. Throw on the audio while you stack the firewood or mop the floors or wash the dog or whatever. Then spend an hour putting a paper together.
DO NOT OBSESS over perfecting your paper. Working on your paper fast is okay. It will just ensure you’re writing using your instincts instead of your internal reviewer.
Don’t worry about giving me a perfect paper. In fact, if you send me a perfect paper then I’ll just be disappointed that I can’t help you. (I’ll assume everyone is putting a few mistakes in their paper intentionally just to make me feel important.)
Success doesn’t come from talking about doing.
It doesn’t come from thinking about doing.
It doesn’t come from planning to do.
It doesn’t come from trying to do.
Success comes from doing it.
If you’re ready to do it then-
You can watch the video here:
https://bit.tube/play?hash=QmcRx41Y2Dw8ZYcdBsrJyFKqXJWxkxhmBvYd2g5EXc7bHX&channel=336976
You can download the audio version here:
Remember:
You can submit the assignment directly to my email or you can share it in the comments section below. If you share it in the comments below – expect extra feedback from other students. If you’re shy – just send it to my email and we’ll keep it between us.
My brother is in his mid 20’s trapped in a miserable job to pay off his student loans. I don’t use the word trapped lightly. He was telling me the other day about how he literally couldn’t possibly quit his current job because his student debt was too high. That certainly wasn’t the life he was promised when he took out those loans.
His student advisors told him that student loan debt wasn’t a big deal.
They told him that he’d make so much more money that it wouldn’t matter how much debt he took out.
The whole time they recommended the student loan debt they never once told him how it worked.
He told me, “I think we looked at compound interest in Algebra a couple times.” Of course, when they discussed it, they never discussed it in the context of student loan debts or returns on investments.
The student advisors sold him the fantasy of college but never took responsibility for informing him of how to actually do the math required to make this into an actual investment. (And when I asked him about this, he responded, “I don’t even think they understood it.”)
Schools have a responsibility to teach students about the things that will help the student take responsibility for his/her own life. Schools already do this in some areas-
Schools teach sex ed.
Schools teach nutrition.
Schools teach the importance of college.
Schools should be teaching personal finance.
According to an article at The Motley Fool (an investing website that teaches personal finance,) 66% of Americans don’t understand how compound interest work. Oddly enough… about 70% of people go to college and presumably require a knowledge of how student loan debt works.
While leaving students ignorant of the way student loans work may help the bankers and the colleges and the other fat cats in the “education” business. It hurts the students. Students have to spend years paying for signing contracts that they were unable to properly understand. And as long as schools don’t correct this, they’re responsible for these students outcomes.
Teaching personal finance in high school may cost the schools a bit of money but that money is nothing in comparison to the massive costs the students are required to take on based on the schools encouragement of debt and failure to inform.
My brother is stuck now. And he’s a strong advocate for government student loan forgiveness to correct this mismanagement. One might argue with him about personal responsibility but I might shoot that argument back at them:
The personal responsibility in this situation lies with the schools that made promises they couldn’t keep. Perhaps lying and misinforming students should require they take some personal responsibility for it. (Perhaps we should require misleading student advisors to pay off the forgiven student loan debt?)
And maybe then… someone will actually take responsibility for teaching students this stuff.
Started with a story – BEAUTIFUL!
You created a bit of a villain in this story – the student advisors. You might have more luck making big faceless bureaucratic entities the villain BUT the villain you have works.
I appreciate the soft touch at times. But later in it your throwing spears.
“According to an article at” Move that point up a bit before you start talking about where schools are already teaching life related classes.
Seriously curious argument. You addressed personal responsibility as an objection but flipped the story around itself and made the villains defend themselves.
Some more comments addressed in an email.
-Aaron
To improve a healthy life style, reduce drugs or alcohol consumptions and to reduce the number of lost lives of the drunken driving cases a national minimum drinking age act was formed in 1984. According to this act the minimum age to consume alcohol is 21. Now this has a lot of mixed opinions about it, some in favor and others not so much obviously. This act faced a lot of backlash from the youth when imposed and it is believed by some that the more you push someone, harder will they shove back.
According to statistics it is observed that the problem of teens being exposed to alcohol has been getting worse every year. And why would it not be getting worse? Teens at 18 are given the right to choose the president and prime minister of their country, so why are they not able to choose if they can drink or not. At 18, young adults choose if they want to study education from colleges or universities or not, they chose if they smoke or not, moving out of their parent’s house at 18 is very common in the western countries for those young adults to be able to find their ways and survive and make a living on their own term. Now to be clear, this in no means is to be misinterpreted to encourage young adults to drink. But if at 18 means being adult and adults’ means having choices, then a person should be able to make their decisions.
These statistics show that no matter what the minimum drinking age is, children as young as 8th grader are consuming out of as a way to challenge the authorities and law, a way to rebel because drinking alcohol is a sign of being an adult. Fake identifications issues are increasing incredibly high each year due to the 21 age barrier. People cannot be stopped to not become dependent on alcohol at any age, if not till 21 then maybe later in life. But they surely will get dependent on it if roots of the problem are not cured properly.
To start off, know where it is that the children are being exposed to alcohol. Mostly it is with parents drinking very often with kids in the same house. Parenthood is very crucial; they could ruin their children life if they do not handle it carefully. Expose drinks at healthy and safe environments and occasions so that a child knows and understands that drinks are not to be drunk just about whenever they want. Parents need to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that the footsteps their children are following do not lead them to danger. If a child is caught consuming alcohol or worse drugs and is dealing with addiction then be a mature about it and get in contact the rehab centers at an early stage to avoid further interactions.
Education systems also play a very vital role in the consumptions. Educate students about all the pros and cons and explain the effects of how this can harm them, because in many countries like Pakistan children are exposed to alcohol via internet or movies because it’s a taboo topic to talk about alcohol but the stats says that there have been increasing trends in Pakistan as well. So will it not be better to educate students about these issues so they have all the more reasons not to drink apart from religious reasons. Moreover keep a check on your students till they are 18 even if that means getting them tested and if positive results then punished however suitable; detentions, suspension or expelled.
Furthermore, to reduce drunken driving cases, know that age restriction won’t help; law and awareness would. Similarly if a fake identity is still caught then impose a 1000 dollar fine and 3 years in prison as a punishment. Impose better laws while understanding the human psyche and their rights to choose for themselves.
If the authorities want the citizens and more importantly the youth to support them, then let them have their options open knowing that their actions will have consequences and they will be held responsible for any reimbursement they create. Putting an age restriction on consuming alcohol is something I do not think will do any better for an individual later in life; those who do not choose to drink do not simply because they choose not to and those who do drink will continue to do so despite laws. Better so to handle this situation in a more sensible way. It all comes down to choices in the end.
This is traditional academic writing. I’ll send some comments directly to your email.
Your first paragraph is a great area that you could quickly knock this out of the park but instead you’re sounding perfectly academic. In some ways, that’s good. In other ways, you’re missing out on the opportunity to pull the reader in. Say something crazy enough to make them want to keep reading. Or tell a story. Or show that you’re going to have a little fun with the discussion (if you dare do it on such a serious topic.)
Keep in mind – this is one reason to pick a fun topic. Fun topics (ones not about people dying) give you a lot more freedom to hold your audiences attention. No one likes to think about sad things. Naturally… living in reality means we have to face tough topics but if you have the choice then I recommend fun topics.
“To improve a healthy life style, reduce drugs or alcohol consumptions and to reduce the number of lost lives of the drunken driving cases a national minimum drinking age act was formed in 1984.”
Ignoring grammar and voice – this is a solid point but it makes the opposite case of what you’re trying to make and it’s your first line. It’s good to address this point but address it immediately after saying it so you’re keeping your audience informed about your thesis. The longer they read this without this being addressed, the harder it’s going to be to correct it.
You address a lot of good points.
Some of them can be made stronger – for example, allowing a person to vote for president at 18 should mean they’re responsible enough to drink alcohol? How about strengthening it: We allow 18 year olds to carry a gun, represent, and die for their country but taking a single sip of alcohol is too dangerous for them?
“Better so to handle this situation in a more sensible way.” BOOM! Dropping the hammer. Take note of how this kind of insults people that disagree with you. Be careful with it. It has costs and benefits.
The email has some more detailed analysis. Let me know if you think I’m off track anywhere.
-Aaron