This week was a very calm week that allow me to do many things and complete much of the work I had to finish for most of my classes. I went to a pumpkin patch with my family and to a haunted house with my friends. It had been a while since I met up with people to enjoy many of things that are out there. Since the pandemic started, I mostly stood home and didn’t go out, unless if it was necessary to do so. That is why, this week was a very chilling/enjoyable week, in which I had time to hang out with those close to me. Also, this week, I spent a portion of my time completing my character profile assignment, which was interesting to write. We were asked to go deep into a character and come up with a diagnosis about them. This assignment included a research portion for which I found interesting and was my first time, using research to support my writing. I really enjoy this class because, I am always being introduced to new writing habits that in a way are useful to improve my writing.

Also this week, we read our first non-fiction text in which was “The Disembodied Lady”, in which we are introduced to the importance of the mind and body. In other words, we we were introduced to what happens to one once the mind and body, don’t work with each other. Cristina who is mentioned to lose her proprioception, is someone who doesn’t feel part of her body, which makes it hard for her to control it. It’s like a piece of her has left her, although not physically, it’s something that she repeatedly mentions through “The Disembodied Lady” . It was a very interesting story to read and gave me more of an insight of the role the mind and body plays on an individual. As for this week, I also started reading “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson, in which so far I have found to be a very intriguing book. I hope for this upcoming days to read more of the book I have decided to read and see what’s to come for the upcoming weeks for this class. Although this semester has been an unusual one, so far I have learned a lot and has allowed me to develop more as an individual.

This week was quite an overwhelming week, but I was able to manage it for the most part. After a whole week of taking midterms for several of my classes, I feel less stressed and looking forward for what is to come. Also, this past week I talked to my advisor and went over the classes I should take for the following semester. A couple of days ago, I realized that we were half way through the semester already. I never realized how fast time has gone and that my first semester in college is quickly coming to an end. I sometimes wonder how things would had been like if COVID-19 never existed. However, we are forced to such harsh reality in which no one isn’t able to do much about it. The only thing I can say is that college is changing me and making me a new individual. Looking back, college had change my views and expanded my overall thinking in general. Never in a million years, did I ever see myself being able to survive college, but here I am doing what I can to succeed and do what I want to do in life.

As for this week, we didn’t do any readings in class as we mostly focus this week on trying to format and come up with a topic for our Character Profile Assignment. I really look forward for this assignment as it involves analyzing and studying a character from a specific reading that we have done in class and coming up with a diagnosis. As for this assignment, I chose to talk about Seymour in “A perfect day for bananafish” as it was something that I personally found, would be interesting to talk about. Also this week, in my psychopathology writing class we were asked to do research that would go more into depth of the diagnosis made upon our chosen character. Doing research is something I find interesting and exciting to do because you are looking for pieces that would help you learn and understand more from that particular topic that you decided to talk about.

As for the upcoming days, I’m going to finalize my character profile assignment and try to manage all the work given in other classes. Although college might be stressful for some, with proper management and effort, one will be able to go through such busy times.

This past week, in some of my classes we discuss and talked about the upcoming midterms we have this upcoming week. This few weeks, have been a bit challenging, but I am someone who likes being challenged because in a way it forces me to go beyond of what I know. So far, college has been a wild experience and fun in a way. Being in college allows you to explore a variety of opportunities and allows you to get more familiarize with things that allow for progression in your career. City College has been one of the best choices I’ve have ever done and I don’t regret nothing. The professors that I have are so caring and understanding of student’s needs, and take much in consideration of what is happening around us. Although college can create stress in some, it’s important for us to learn on how to overcome it.

This week in my writing class in psychopathology, we were asked to read some short stories that I really found interesting to read. One of those stories was “The Stone Boy” and the way it was written was different from previous reading we have read in class. “The Stone Boy” is written in this “over the shoulder narration” that allows us to go deeper into the mind of characters that gives them a better depiction of what they are like and the many emotions that they are experiencing. In such case, in “The Stone Boy”, we can see what others in particular thought of Arnold after he accidentally shot his brother. Although, Arnold shot him, we barely see emotion in Arnold or any other thoughts of him. We notice how Arnold sees and knows what others are saying about him in particularly, that in a way causes more of a burden on him.

We were also asked to read “The House Of Asterion” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” in where magical realism is used, which helps draw this realistic world with elements of fantasy in it. In both stories we are shown how society acts, when a person that doesn’t fit the norm is beaten and shamed. It helped bring upon one of the many problems the world faces as a whole. Such stories were interesting to read that help bring upon this element that allowed the reader to understand their meaning of them.

As for this week, we’re preparing to do our character profile assignment and can’t wait to see what direction it takes.

This past week concluded my first whole month in college and never in a million years would I have thought doing college in front of a computer. Although I would miss the opportunity of making new friends and being more inclusive in such a new community, hopefully there would be more opportunities for me in the future. This past week was a bit overwhelming, since there was a lot of things for me to do. However, this didn’t stop me from doing and completing the things that had to be done. I noticed that as time progresses, it tends to get more complicated and complex. It’s up to an individual to continue on doing such ongoing work and to not let their emotions overwhelm them.

As for this week, we were asked to do our personal narrative final drafts and incorporate an extra piece of research that would help tie up our whole narratives. This assignment in particular was one that I really liked and enjoyed in particular. Although at times I had trouble on what to put in or delete, such assignment helped me further develop my writing. Peer editing and the feedback given by the professor was really useful in writing the personal narrative as well.

This week we read “The Swimmer” by John Cheever and was a really interesting short story to read. Each week there is a new reading that is introduced that is so intriguing and interesting. I’ve always been a person who likes reading and getting the chance to explore a great variety of texts/readings. Furthermore, “The Swimmer” was such a story that was so ordinary and had its own style of how things were said throughout. In regards with the character Nelly, I was able to characterize him as childish, reckless, and inattentive. We concluded that Nelly act such ways in order to not be faced into the true reality he is living in. We noticed how he is going through such times, in which he rather forget and continue on doing the things he does throughout the story. As for when I read it, it was kind of interesting because it was my first time reading “The Swimmer” and introduced me to a new form of literature in a way.

As for the upcoming weeks, I can’t wait to what is to come and with motivation one would be able to do the things that are asked to be done and completed. I hope to read more interesting stories and get better with writing and expressing my thoughts.