Author: Quran Richardson

1. Introduction

a. Hook: “There is no end to education,” and “Learning is a Lifelong Process” are quotes that I highly value.

b.Topic: I believe learning outside of school is important.

c. Thesis: Being educated doesn’t just come from school but from personal studying and experiences. Two examples of my personal studying and experiences come from my love of art and my understanding of communication.

2. Body Paragraph 1

I. I have a love for art.

II. I did some personal studying on drawing.

III. My school at the time didn’t have an art class when I discovered my love for art. I decided to learn more on my own by drawing and coloring cartoon characters. When I enrolled into an art school, I realized that some of what I learned was being taught in class.

IV. Me learning on my own not only helped me figure out what career direction I wanted to go in but also helped get a head start.

3. Body Paragraph 2

I. How I communicate.

II. Talking and getting to know people, inside or outside of school, helped me learn about different personalities and about myself.

III. Communication is important. No matter what anyone does they will have to communicate with people. Being exposed to different personalities helped me understand people and ultimately how to communicate. Sometimes schools touch upon this when saying “Say you respectfully disagree” in a debate, or “Make sure to ask politely” when I need help. However, my experiences with people truly taught me how to communicate.

IV. Learning to communicate is something I got through experience which is why I value outside learning.

4. Conclusion

a. In conclusion being educated doesn’t just come from school but from personal studying and experiences.

b. I got ahead in art by studying and learning on my own. Through past experiences with people I began to understanding of how to communicate to people while learning about different personalities as well as what kind of person I am.

c. This is why I value education outside of school and why I will continue to learn things and experience things for my entire life.

In middle school I was a solid B to B+ student. I started senior year strong being proactive in getting school work done early and focusing more in class which was all a new for me. Normally I would goof off with my friends and wait till the last minute to start an important project. However everything felt different, the teachers were welcoming and I was in a class that felt tightly knit. Everything felt more positive and I truly felt motivated to do better. However, it didn’t last. During class an assistant principal notified me that I was being transferred to a regent class along with 2 other students and that we were to transfer immediately. A regent class is a class thats given high school credit if they pass advanced courses. My class leading up to senior year was supposed to be 1 of 3 regent classes but was stripped of that title for reasons I don’t know. You would think being moved to an advanced class would be better, and in hindsight it was, but being moved to a different setting with mostly students and teachers I didn’t know, at the time it was difficult for me. I decided to stay in hopes of regaining that motivation but it was to no avail. Most students I didn’t like and most teachers taught in a way that was more difficult for me. Everything felt unjust and that positivity was lost. My grades slipped into the C’s and I received my first failing grade for a marking period. I still did enough to pass senior year but me nor my parents were truly satisfied with the results.

Fast forward to high school, ironically enough senior year, I started the year as usual; average grades, C’s and B’s. However because of the regents I passed in middle school, my schedule was a lot lighter than usual. knowing this along with being around friends, positive teachers, and a paying after school internship, I seen my grades pick up and my moral boosted. This motivated me to do more. My grades returned to what I had seen and missed in middle school; B’s to B+’s and even A’s occasionally. However, with me being a 2020 graduate, things took a serious dip when march came. “cough cough” Covid. I don’t think I need to say much else. My grades once again started to slip because of the many distractions at home and my depleted moral. I did enough to pass but just barely.

Before March my idea of college was a lot different than reality. Being online had the same affect as it did previously. After completing my first semester, I received decent grades how ever I failed english. But I still haven’t given up. I’m still finding my motivation and retaking this class I believe will motivate me even more.