Younis Alsallaj

English 1101

Project #3

As life goes on, people find new things to adapt to. Those new things shape our brain for the future and they become our daily habits. This has nothing to do with the genes passed down, but instead have to do with how we start out as a baby, and what we do from that moment onward as we develop. My topic is about how the Internet has shaped the human brain differently, and how it has molded most of our emotional thoughts, mentality, and behavior. Emotionally, when we are bored, sad, mad, confused, or whatever the case may be, we would turn to Internet to fulfill our hopes to comfort us. Mentally, many people are dependent on the Internet for many things. To some, whenever they need something the Internet is what they would turn to, instead of learning and developing from the environment around them. The Internet changed our behavior pattern, in a way that we would stay home all day and surf the social medias of Facebook, Instagram, or play on their video games online, instead of actually going outside the house to see their friends and interact in a way that is more social.

We have gone from a world of accomplishing tasks that take more movement, to accomplishing those same tasks at the tip of our fingers. Instead of going out shopping and looking around, or going to T-Mobile to pay our phone bill, we can shop online and pay our bills online! We have gone from a world where instead of going outside and interacting with other people of our age and playing sports, we would stay home and play sports games or whatever the case may be. Instead of going to a lounge or a bar to hook up with a girl, some people would even turn to dating sites. This is such a difference in behavior patterns from what we use to do before to survive in this world to what we do now. This makes us as humans lazier, more unsocial, less “experienced”,  and less capable of learning new things. An example of this new behavior pattern that is developing is from an interview with Yousif Alsallaj, “Growing up, I used to play outside with my friends all day long and we would learn new things about each other and the environment around us every day, whereas nowadays I can see the trend is different as kids would rather stay home and play on their iPads, or watch videos.”

Now, I will talk about how emotionally, the internet has led us to be way too comfortable with our lives. Being comfortable isn’t a bad thing, but to turn to technology for that comfort instead of turning to a family member or friend is how it should be done I believe.  These days when people are sad and need something to cheer them up, they would go to an Instagram or Facebook page about sad quotes and for some reason that would make them feel better. When we are bored, why not go to the movie theater or billards with our friends to get rid of that boredom? It is because we have Netflix at home and we have video games to keep us occupied. These emotional patterns definitely shape our mentality, and it will show even more in the generations to come. The Internet is still new, so the damage is not seen yet, but the next generations will show the impact the it has on our abilities and our limits as humans. Jihan Hallaq stated in an interview, “ My little son has a lot of energy, but when I need to calm him down, ill have him sit down on his iPad and watch Youtube, whereas my first few children there wasn’t anything to suck up their energy except taking them outside to play.” This is a perfect example of how the Internet can be a distraction and how it controls our emotional level to a certain degree.

These emotional patterns shape our brains mentally, and it is going to shape the next generations brain even more as they are born with it. So mentally, everyone is dependent on the internet. Be it finding a place to eat, reading a newspaper or article online, needing a question to be answered as soon as possible, everything is right there on your mobile device. Google has so much information and is so reliable, that automatically we gave into it. Google maps, for example, is something many drivers have become dependent on when traveling on the road. According to a source called Intellegence, “internet search activity can provide interesting insight into human behavior.” This basically states that internet search activity helps us with our decisions and our decisions vary from finding a book to read to finding a cool club to go to on the weekends. The Internet holds so much data that almost everything we need or desire is just a search away. To put it short, it is either you are addicted to the Internet or it is just there for you when you need some intel.

The Internet is growing at a rapid pace. With all the information that is already on the Internet, one would think it would stop right? Guess not. The Internet right now is used to create many other new technologies, and as the information is increasing, our minds are taking in that information and soon the world will be very futuristic and all technological, almost like the ones you see in the movies. A few examples are the hoverboard and the apple watch. The hoverboard is something people thought would be seen somewhere in the near future, but look at how fast our technology is growing that it is already here. The apple watch is a watch that is connected to our phones, and something that we can answer phone calls with. 50 years ago does not seem so long ago, but once technology and Internet entered our lives, it grew rapidly and something everyone was a fan of. Just to think that almost 2 to 3 generations ago, people were still using type writers and did not have the privilege of having a smart phone. An example of the Internet growing at a rapid pace, which happened rather recently, “the number of Chrome user tripled to 120 million, from 40 million”(Canberra Times). That was an article back in 2011, so you can imagine the amount of Chrome users as of now.

In conclusion, I believe that the Internet will increase and will have an even bigger impact on our lives. We will see that even more with the next generations to come, as they will be much more knowledgeable with the new technology than we were. I can say myself that I am happy that I wasn’t absorbed into it and I actually had a childhood. My family started using Internet about 5 to 6 years ago, so my family and I aren’t all caught up with it. The Internet is not a bad thing, it is definitely a distraction and an addiction to a degree. I think that parents should at least limit their children to their devices, gaming systems, and so on. For example, I would not buy my child a hoverboard, I would buy him or her a bike. I would encourage my kid to go and play with his or her friend. It’s all about how our mindset is of things and never to get addicted.

Works Cited

• Alsallaj, Yousif. Personal Interview. 5 Dec 2015.
• Hallaq, Jihan. Personal Interview. 5 Dec 2015.
• Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Dec 2015.
• Canberra Times. Web. 8 Dec 2015

Hello, my name is Younis Alsallaj, and I am a freshman at New York City College of Technology (City Tech). I am 17 years old, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I am very interested in numbers, problem solving, and recording information, which is why I chose accounting to be my major. I am studying accounting at City Tech’s School of Professional studies in the business program. I chose Accounting as my major during my senior year, I was choosing between accounting or computer science. I chose Accounting, because I realized that I am not really a computer person, and that I am more of a person who records and balances information.  What I like about Accounting is the challenge it brings with the types of journals, and organization needed to provide clients with their financial statements and balance. As of right now, in my first semester accounting, my sense about it being a challenge is correct. I am really confused with the different types of journalizing and credit and debit balances. I have a few questions about accounting which are: Will it ever be an instinct for me to tell which type of journal and credit and debit balances is which, and does being an Accountant ever become troublesome with the clients and what not. My future plans are to get a masters degree in accounting, and then pass the CPA exam which enables you to become a Certified Public Accountant.

Although my average in math was not as high as I would have liked it to be during high school, I still have a love for math. Besides other courses like English, Science, and all other classes, numbers always stood out for me and gave me an interest towards learning. The reason why I did not have a high average in high school was because I did not know what I was trying to become, because I started looking towards what my major should be in my senior year. I chose accounting as my major, but if accounting does not go well for me, Applied Mathematics will be on top of my mind of what I would change my major to. I would love to teach students how to learn the ropes of math and teach them to think about to equation more than just looking at and studying a boring formula. Teaching is something I enjoy as I could see myself as a math tutor or professor.

Accounting takes skill and determination to be able to play with the different information disposed to you. Accounting is about taking the information provided, to analyze it, then to journalize it, then to post it on a general ledger, and then to post it on a trial balance (more than one), and then to finally prepare the client’s financial statements. The point of accounting is to make sure that your debits equal your credits, and if it is not in balance, then something is wrong. Either the way you analyzed the data lead it to be misbalanced, or the way you did your calculations lead to that. That is the biggest challenge of accounting, it is the make sure your credits are equal to your debits, and if you can make sense of the balance, then that can give you the confidence to finish off the client’s financial statements.

To become an accountant, learning the basics is a huge stepping stone into being able to understand further recordings. The main point of accounting is for your liabilities (credit) and your owner’s capital (credit) to add up to your asset (debit). After all the recording and calculations are set and in place, then comes providing the financial statements. The financial statement is a set of statements. These sets include: Balance sheet, Income statement, and Statement of cash flows. The balance sheet shows the simple credit and debit statements. The Income statements the client’s financial operations and results, which include expenses, revenues, and whether or not the result was an net income or a net loss. The Statement of cash flows shows the cash gains/spending for the period. The periods do not have to be annual, the periods can vary from annual to monthly to every 6 months and so on.

No matter who you are, everyone needs an accounting to provide for them the financial statements, because everyone has to be taxed and your income affects how you will be taxed. Company owners are taxed, employees are taxed, even the president is taxed. That is why accounting would be my niche. I think the job will always be available and as I just stated, everyone needs an accountant.

Becoming a Certified Public Accountant is not easy, it takes some time and effort and knowledge to be put to the test. “The CPA exam is rigorous and demanding, and requires a CPA exam review course to increase your chances of passing.”(How to become a CPA).  It is a 14 hour exam that depends critically on review of all the accounting courses taken. The requirements to become an accountant:

• A total of 150 semester credits from a college or university whose accreditation is accepted by the state (Colleges and universities typically offer a curriculum designed to meet the 150-credit requirement.)
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• A specified number of accounting courses
• A specified number of business courses (CPA Requirements | AccountingCoach)

One can become an accountant easily after 2 to 4 years of study, but the type of degree you have limits you to the pay salary you can receive. Also, the pay for an accountant depends on how long you have been an accountant for. The salary varies from accountant to accountant, as some may get a head start with a higher pay if they have a masters degree. The past reviews for an accountant may too affect how much he or she will get payed.

What I like about being an accountant is that an accountant has a lot of freedom. An accountant is not limited to a company. An account can work for many companies, and may also free lance and do outside business and work with other people that need help with their financial statements. That is one reason why the salary for an accountant may vary, because it is all dependant on how efficient and social an accountants work is carried out. It is a career I look forward to, as I will try to make a name for myself so that in due time, many people will be looking for me to do their financial statement instead of someone else. Experience is something I see as a work in progress and a person can never learn everything, but I will try to be on top of my game when it comes to accounting.

In conclusion, becoming a certified accountant is a job I can see myself doing and something I will enjoy in the process of the whole thing. It may take 6 years, depending on how fast I earn my credits and what have you, but I am a really patient person and I like to take things slow. Rushing things is never a good sign of things to come, and patience is something I am still trying to learn. Accounting is more like a journey, and I am ready for that long journey of learning and becoming.” Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.”(Xplore). Building a foundation and a core is viable to grow to that next level, and I have all the ingredients.

Works cited:

How to Become a CPA. Web. 08 Nov. 2015

CPA Requirements | AccountingCoach. Web. 08 Nov .2015

Joyce Meyer quote. Xplore. Web. 08 Nov. 2015

Hello, my name is Younis Alsallaj. I am a freshman at New York City College of Technology, and my major at the moment is Accounting. I am 17 years old, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing sports, and working out. In addition to these hobbies, I also enjoy driving. I started driving when I was 16, which was when I got my driver’s permit, and until now I still enjoy it. About 7 months after I got my driver’s permit, I got my junior license. After I got my junior license, I started working for my dad’s company as a taxi driver. When I become 19, I would like to apply for my TLC license, so that I may start driving a green cab or an uber.

My hobbies all involve movement, and physical activities. I really do not enjoy anything that does not involve movement for too long. I get very bored, annoyed, and I get an itch to start moving. My favorite hobbies are working out and playing sports, but on top of my list has to be driving. Driving plays an important role in my life. Not only is it something I enjoy doing , but it is also my job. Moving from place to place at a very fast pace is one of the funner things to do in life, and something that is very hard to get bored of. Driving is something my family has pride in, as most of them drive or their jobs involve driving.

I was about 16 and a half when I started to think about taking the permit test, which is a written test. I was so confident that I would pass that after 20 minutes of studying I started telling my dad I was ready to take the test. My father did not believe I was ready, so he waited a few more days until I take the permit test. I still did not study, and it was on the way to the DMV where I started to review to brush up on some things I may have forgotten, and hoped for the best. The main things I tried to remember were the questions about alcohol, who is entitled to the “right of way”, the signs, and when to use signal turns. I went inside the DMV, and waited on line for an hour for the permit test. When I went inside they asked me for my ID and my social security, then directed me to take a seat for the exam. I sat down and was handed the permit test which consisted of 20 questions to answer. There was approximately 7 questions about the signs, 3 questions about alcohol, 1 questions about a blind man crossing the street with shades and a guide dog, 4 questions about when to use the signal light, and 5 questions about who is entitled to the “right of way”. I handed in the test, and took a seat in the section where the results were handed out. I waited about 30 minutes for my results. The results came up to me answering 14/20 answers correctly, so I barely passed, but passing is passing. I went outside, and the first thing I asked my dad was if I could drive us home, and he replied “so you passed”.

I took a break from driving, and when it was time for me to apply for the road test, I started driving again. It was May where I said to myself that I had to practice driving for the road test. My practice consisted of me driving my dad to work and back, driving with a few of my dad’s drivers, and parking with my dad’s car in front of his office. Driving is really easy, it just requires you to stay alert to what you are doing and the position you are in, and being more alert to what is going on around you. Being alert to what is going on around you, to me, is the number 1 thing a driver should focus on, because there is alert of crazy drivers that do not pay attention to the road and for you to stay out of accidents, YOU have to be the attentive one.
There is 2 requirements to taking the road test, the first being you have to wait 6 months after passing the permit test, and the second is you have to have a certificate stating that you have taken the 5 hour class. May 15, I took the 5 hour class, which was really boring and was a waste of time to me. The only thing I really got out of it was when to move on a stop sign, and that’s about it. The driving school then registered me an appointment for the road test, which was June 1st. The rest of May, all I practiced was my parking, because if I was to hit the curb while parking on the road test, that’s an automatic fail. One of the drivers working with my father gave me good advice, which was to use my mirrors while parking to measure how far you are away from the curb and to know when to cut the wheel to turn into a parking spot.

The day of the road test, I was so excited that I woke up extra early to go with my dad to work, so I can get a boost before the test. Also, right before the test, I had a driving lesson. It was a good thing that I had a driving lesson right before the road test so that my memory could be on point, and to be sure I wasn’t missing out on anything I did not know. Turns out there was one main turn that appears on the road test called the “k” turn, or the 3 point turn. The 3 point turn is basically a broken U turn, where you make the U, and go reverse and then back into drive. The road test itself was really short. I thought I was going to be tested on a range of 7 to 10 blocks, but my driving instructor judged me off of 3. When it was all said and done, she was telling my all my mistakes and how to learn from my mistakes from the future, so I thought it was a bad thing, because she was listing all my mistakes first. Then she handed me a receipt, meaning I passed, so I thanked her and told her ill try my best to stay safe on the road.
I then started working part time for my dad, taking some customers, and just enjoying driving in general. My dad got me a Nissan Altima 2013 S car to work in, which got me even more hype than I already was. Thank god, I have never got into an accident, and I have a clear license. When you are having fun doing something, you cannot get too crazy. You always have to be on point, and take advantage of what you have, because it is for the better. I plan on having a clear record, so that way when I apply for my TLC license, it would be easy. Then soon after that I would start driving my dad’s green cab or make my car an Uber X car. Car service is something I enjoy and it is something that is in my blood, as most of my family owns a yellow cab, green cab, or black car. Having your own set time for your job is awesome, and if it pays then it works.