ESL Class Contributions

ESL 540W with Sonia Delgadillo

Maria E. Cardenas ESL 540W Essay

The Most Interesting Student

Have you ever met an interesting student at school? If so, how was this student? When I was living in the bay area, I took a certificate program in Computer Science at UC Berkeley. The classes were Monday to Friday from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. for four months and I had met very nice people in the school.  Most of the students were international students, so they had different background. People might have different expectations on what to expect for the most interesting student but in general it is somebody with excellent qualifications.  In my academic experience, Kim was the most interesting student I have ever met because he was intelligent, dedicated and a good friend.

First, my friend Kim was very intelligent and diligent. I was in a class where most students had background in Computer Science, but few of us had background other majors than computers.  Kim had learned programming on his own by working in a computer company in Japan before he has arrived in America.  At school we learned a lot of new information and sometimes people with different background like me needed help, however, Kim taught us many things in Computer Science. Definitely, he really enjoyed learning more and helping to his classmates with patience and kindness.

Second, Kim was dedicated to studying all the subjects and learning every day.  Even though our classes were from 9:00a.m- 3:00p.m. Monday to Friday, Kim was in the school from 8:00a.m to 5:30p.m. Sometimes he also was at school on Saturday morning too.  He needed to learn some new programming languages such as C programming and System Analysis, so he devoted himself to learning and being an expert in the new programs. In my life I saw dedicated student, but nobody like Kim. He told us confidentially that he had borrowed money from his brother to study in America, and he was supposed to pay the money back after his return to Japan. Some teachers noticed that he was a really good student and they offered him job in America, but he had already made a promise to return to his country.  Kim dedicated most of his time and effort to learning and enjoying the time he was here.

Third, he was an excellent friend with everybody in our class and in the school. When somebody had a problem he would leave everything to help his friends. He was very friendly, sincere and fun to be with. He felt alone in America, but all the group from my class were together all the time. At lunch we went to different restaurants around the school, and after school we finished our homework together. If one of us didn’t know something he would help the student. At the end of the year we had a Christmas party in Palo Alto. Kim cooked the main dish, a delicious Japanese dish, and everybody brought an especial dish from their country.  We really had a good time with all my classmates in school and outside of school.

In summary, Kim was the most interesting student I have ever met in school. We have lost contact with him, but for sure we still remember him.  He was smart, dedicated to study and a good friend for everybody. Besides he had other skills that not many students have. It was good to have an interesting classmate who was funny and at the same time very diligent and responsible.

Chi Tsai ESL 540W Essay

What I Learned at People and Culture Day:
The City of San Juan de Oriente

I finally had a chance to visit the People & Culture Days in Sierra College. I didn’t think it would be so interesting, but as soon as I arrived there I changed my mind. There were a lot of different booths for introducing different countries in the world. I also heard there were many interesting activities to present the characters of different cultures. However, I didn’t have enough time to watch all programs. But I was glad I had the first touch with Sacramento’s newest sister city, San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, and San Juan de Oriente is about 35 miles south of the capital city of Managua. The representative introduced me to the town of San Juan de Oriente, which was founded by Spanish in 1530 and before that time it was called Namotiva, which means “Neighboring Towns.” Then, it was characterized by the large factories of ceramics and sculpture. Until now, three-fourths of the population is involved in decorative pottery. In their booth, they presented a lot of excellent works of pottery which are made as pots, vases and whistles. Looking at these beautiful works, it is not hard to find why their artisans can travel to exhibit them in many places of the United States and Europe.

Also, San Juan de Oriente is a friendly town. The climate is semi-humid. And, there resides the largest lake in Central America called Lake Nicaragua. If you visit there at June, you may see the most famous festival called Patron Saint Festival which is to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. The celebration is made by many processions with statues of John the Baptist, fireworks and a special dance called Chilillo. From the pictures they showed me, I could feel the hospitality and genuine warmth.

However, San Juan de Oriente is a really small town. There are no universities there and only are 900-1,000 students enrolled in preschool, primary and a private secondary school. More than 400 secondary students need to study in other nearby towns. Sadly, most schools need to be repaired. The classrooms are often with holes in the roof, desks falling apart and a shortage of books. After it becomes a sister city of Sacramento, they have an exhibition in Sacramento downtown where a lot of pottery sent from San Juan de Oriente are shown and sold. Luckily, they have raised money from the exhibition and use it to help the schools.

After I went home, I tried to find more information about the city from internet but I didn’t find more information than I learned from the People & Culture Days. However, their sincere smiles and beautiful pottery really attracted me a lot. I hope I can have the chance to visit there in the future.

Pissara Rattananurarak ESL 540W

Successful Life in School

Besides at home with parents, most people start their life in school. Have you ever thought that most people spend almost one third of life toward studying? A solid education forms a foundation for a successful adult life. One element of evaluating life in school is the grade outcome, which means that parents would be delighted if their son or daughter received a satisfying grade. There are several other aspects of attending school which are important for life, such as associating with friends, participating in clubs and attending sport activities. These actions from school can support a rewarding life.

One of my college friends had an interesting idea for her path in life. I picked up several good suggestions from her, in particular how other school activities besides studying are important.

In our math class, after the teacher announced the score of a mid-term exam, I was wondering why Jane, my roommate friend, got a better score than me while she spent less time studying after class and doing homework. Besides classroom, Jane spent most of her time doing other activities such as cheerleading, leader of dancing club and a student aide.

After that math class, we went to lunch together. While we were having lunch, I began to clarify what I was wondering. My question to her was why she got a very good score, in spite of many other activities. I knew what her routine was because we were roommates in dormitory. She was a very motivated person and a disciplined student, therefore; she was able to control the balance of her life.

She agreed with me that studying was an important function for both of us. However, we should do other activities to enjoy life. Moreover, engaging in social activities allows you to learn how to better associate with people, become a group leader, and increase your responsibilities. The ability to work on a team is a very important job skill. It is usually necessary because most jobs involve teamwork.

Concentration is one of the most important academic skills while you are in class. You should try to understand the lesson while in class and ask questions if you are not clear. If you can make everything clear while in the class, it helps to use less time to review and do the homework.  The key is to maximize your time while in class to get the most value. Most people do not attempt to understand the topic while in class.  People tend to procrastinate thinking they can review what they didn’t understand at home. Yes, you can do that, but it wastes your time. Instead of just reviewing the lesson, you have to study the material to fully understand it. It seemed like you did one activity twice.

She was right; I completely agreed with her. She had given me a good lesson; it was very nice of her. I tried to use her method with my studies from that day and I found out it has worked. My school life has been more fulfilling and successful based on her advice.

*Student’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.