1^st Journal Entry

1. I was out of my comfort zone so it was a bit awkward. I only knew a few of my classmates and they were my schoolmates in high school. About my teachers, they were very warm and they helped us realize the difference of high school and college. Some of my courses just serve as a review from the knowledge I acquired from high school. In terms of academics, I need to manage my time very well, develop patience, and should have a lot of connections to meet the demands of my courses easily.
2. I want to be part in a lot of school activities, dean’s list, and have a lots of friends. I need to develop my social involvement and learn to manage my time between extracurricular activities and academics.

10 most important values for me:

1. Adventure
2. Challenge
3. Faith
4. Family
5. Friendship
6. Positive attitude
7. Responsiveness
8. Self-Reliance
9. Strength to Succeed; A will to Success, Achievement
10. Wisdom

2^nd Journal Entry

Name: Klarizze Gan Date: June 30, 2007
Degree program: BS ECE

Making the Transition from High School to College

A college student must have an array of skills to help meet the many academic, social, and emotional demands of campus life. To assess your readiness for college (or that of someone close to you), check each skill that you believe you have.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ analyze course demands and plan your study time accordingly?
____ take accurate and clear notes on a lecture in your own words?
_√_ read actively so that you remember what you read?
_√_ study on your own for at least 15-20 hours per week?
____ express yourself clearly on paper?
____ take a multiple-choice test successfully?
____ think critically about a topic and express your opinions in writing?
IF SO, YOU’RE READY FOR THE ACADEMIC DEMANDS OF COLLEGE.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ get yourself out of bed and to class on your own?
_√_ balance study time with socializing and time alone?
____ stay calm and focused during an exam?
____ cope effectively when you’re anxious or depressed?
____ stay motivated when you are frustrated or have failed?
____ find ways to relax when you’re stressed?
IF SO, YOU‘RE READY TO MANAGE YOURSELF IN COLLEGE.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ keep your own biases in check so that you can interact with
someone who is different than you in race, gender, age, religion, culture, or
sexual orientation?
_√_ stay open to and respectful of someone who has different values or ideas or
lifestyle than yours?
_√_ acknowledge your biases and prejudices and work to reduce them?
IF SO, YOU‘RE READY FOR THE MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE OF COLLEGE.

WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ ask questions when you don’t know or understand something?
_√_ introduce yourself to someone and initiate a conversation?
_√_ disagree with someone and negotiate a compromise?
_√_ say no when you don’t want to do something? (e.g., drugs)
____ get close to someone without becoming too dependent or losing yourself?
IF SO, YOU’RE READY FOR THE INTERPERSONAL DEMANDS OF COLLEGE.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ identify your own reasons for attending college?
_√_ list things that you like and things that you’re good at?
_√_ recognize what is important to you in life?
IF SO, YOU’RE READY TO SET GOALS IN COLLEGE AND CHOOSE A MAJOR.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO…
_√_ recognize when you have a problem?
_√_ ask for help?
____ make mistakes without losing confidence in yourself?
____ identify resources where you can get assistance?
IF SO, YOU’RE READY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF COLLEGE.

2. How did you adjust to college life? My mind was set that college life is not like high school. My performance in college will dictate my future.

What were the adjustments that you had to make? In order to meet the demands of my courses, I must learn how to allocate my time properly for my friends, studies and recreational activities.

3^rd Journal Entry

8/19/07 (Faith)

I have not gotten to the church for months. Today is Sunday and I have a lot of things to do but I decided to go to the church and listen to the mass. After the mass, I was very enlightened. I realized that we must give time to listen to His words no matter how busy we are.

8/ /07 (Friendship)

Me and my high school friends have decided to watch the movie BUGS. I was very excited because I have not seen them for months. This was a perfect moment for us to catch up and talk about a lot of things. Even if I don’t get to spend a lot of time with them, I want to let them know that I still value them and cherish the moments we spent together.

Freshmen Night

1. There were a lot of students who were very excited and started to reserve a place for themselves. You can really see that the students were really having a good time.
2. It was a mixed emotions. I was excited and bored at the same time.
3. The performance of the Chicosci. They were just a great band. They know how to work well with the crowd.
4. When the rain started to pour, the students were forced to stay under the rain just to watch their favorite bands.
5. I must be grateful that my school provides this kind of event just for the pleasure of their students. A student must not only focus on academics, he/she must also know how to have a great time.
6. I was very proud to the MCL administrators. The program started on time and flowed really smooth.

4^th Journal Entry

RESPECT FOR OTHERS

1. Looking back at the list of your positive characteristics and qualities, what do you feel and realize about it? It made me realize that I am unique and I am different. Everyone has its own talents and characteristics, we should not be afraid to show who we really are and we must not try to be someone else.

2. The Golden Rule says “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
a. Given the following situations, how would you like to be treated by your teachers and schoolmates:
- when you have given wrong answers to the questions during recitation, I don’t want my classmates to be laughing at me.
- when you are expressing your opinion during class or group discussion; Of course, I want my opinions to be heard. It’s hard to talk while others are doing their own stuff.
- when you are giving suggestions during group work or presentation; I want my suggestions to be heard since I am part of the group.
- when you commit mistake; No one is perfect. I don’t want others to see only the mistake that I have done. I want them to remember the good things that I have done.
- when you don’t like doing what they ask you to do; I don’t want to be forced to do something that I really don’t like.
- when they want to give you their comments or suggestions? I must accept it. In that way I can also improve myself.

b. Considering the given ideas on how to treat others with respect, what can you commit to yourself in terms of dealing with the MCL community: teachers, students, employees, security, maintenance/janitors and canteen personnel? If I want to be respected, I must first learn how to respect others. I won’t laugh when my classmates have given wrong answers during the recitation. I will listen to the opinion of others. I won’t force others to do that is not their stuff. I must learn to listen to the opinion of other about me. Respect is something that is being earned.

5^th Journal Entry

“The Most Challenging Thing I Have Ever Accomplished”

I discovered the joys of playing basketball at a young age. I was a boyish little girl playing basketball with the guys of my age. Every time I played this sport, I realized that there was nothing like it. I enjoy every minute on the hard court and the pleasure of making a basket. Unfortunately, a lot of people still don’t think that it’s proper for girls to play an aggressive sport such as basketball. If anyone would advise me against it, I’d have to ignore them. I already knew the thing that really makes me happy, this is my passion-no one can take that away from me.

When I entered high school, I promised myself I would try new things and devote myself to something I love. I joined every competition related to basketball and fortunately winning almost all of it.

During my fourth year in high school, the moment that I’ve been waiting for finally came. The sports club finally included the basketball for girls as one of the events in the intramurals. I was very ecstatic after I heard about that and joined the girls team immediately. Two weeks before the intramurals, I suffered from dengue and acute pneumonia and have to be absent for almost 1 week. After my teammates knew what had happened to me, they removed me from the team and immediately looked for a replacement. But that didn’t stop me, I secretly joined the team and played for the team. My sacrifices paid off, I was part of the mythical five and became the MVP. For me, that was the most challenging I have ever done. Even when things get tough, I always try to enjoy and make the most of what I am doing.

6^th Journal Entry

Challenge yourself

1. For one week, challenge yourself to:
a. Get high score in a quiz or seatwork,
b. To recite in class at least once in any courses;
c. To submit a quality assignment or requirement

On your journal, process your experience with the aid of the following guide questions:
a. What challenge did you take? I have chosen to recite in class at least one in any courses.
b. Were you able to beat the challenge? Yes, How do you feel about it? I was so glad that I was able to participate in the class.
c. What have you realized/learned from your experience? I must work hard to achieve excellence in everything that I do. Nothing is impossible if we put our hearts in everything that we do.

7^th Journal Entry

Part A. Respect for Physical/Mental Health

What's the big deal about 'under age' drinking?
Facts about alcohol. Alcohol is A drug that works directly on the central nervous system. Alcohol kills more male teenagers and young men than any other drug taken to affect mood and behavior. Most deaths and injury due to alcohol are caused by the way people behave when under its influence. Men fight more, drive more recklessly, and engage in more risky behaviors. Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for the three leading causes of death among youth: unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle crashes and drowning), suicides; and homicides. Alcohol also puts you at a greater risk to engage in sexual behavior which sometimes results to- a sexually transmitted disease or an unwanted pregnancy!

Alcohol intake and teen health

Because the body changes so much as we grow, the ability both to judge and cope with alcohol changes all the time. Everyone seems to know of someone who can drink booze by the bucket-load but this shouldn't be seen as something to aspire towards. Teens are the most likely group to have their stomachs pumped after excessive alcohol intake. At the end of the day, it has to be remembered that alcohol is a toxin.

Effects of excessive Alcohol on young bodies
- Youthful 'immature' organs can literally be poisoned by alcohol.
- The liver can be damaged. It takes a few days for it to recover and to get back to normal functioning after a 'session'.
- The heart can beat so irregularly that it can stop.
- The body can lose temperature causing hypothermia. Every year some teens die when they get drunk and pass out in the freezing cold.
- Too little sugar in the body can cause coma and seizures.
- Breathing can become so shallow or slow that it can stop.
- One of the most common ways in which teens (and adults) die from alcohol is by choking on their own vomit. If you vomit when you are unconscious you can easily breathe it in. If your body cannot get the oxygen it needs, brain damage or death results.

Knowing when to stop drinking alcohol

One of the dangers of drinking is not recognizing when you have had too much. Different drinks have varying alcohol content and the body reacts differently to alcohol according to whether or not you have eaten, how thirsty you are, or even what the time of day it is. Even if you stop drinking, the level of alcohol can continue increasing. No amount of coffee, cold baths, showers, or trying to walk it off will stop it. Taking a meal before drinking only slows the process. Once alcohol gets to the small intestine the effects kick in. The only thing that reverses the effect of alcohol is time.
Source: "Alcohol and Public Health." National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 31 Jan 2005. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 29 Nov 2006

Research: Alcohol Damages the Teen-age Brain

June 2, 2000 -- Researchers have just come up with another reason to warn teen-agers not to drink alcohol: Specialized brain imaging studies have shown that teens and young adults, who drank heavily over long periods of time, showed shrinkage of an area of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning. This shrinkage was not seen in teens who did not drink.
The risk of this type of damage is greatest in those who begin drinking at a younger age and those who drink for longer periods of time, according to the study.
"Only in recent years have we have known the extent of brain development during adolescence," says co-author of the study, Duncan B. Clark, MD, PhD. "The hippocampus is one of the areas that's rapidly changing at this time and may be particularly affected by alcohol."
But Clark also suggests that the toxic effects of alcohol on the brain might be reversible, especially if the alcohol use is discontinued early.
Susan F. Tapert, PhD, a research scientist with the Veterans Medical Research Foundation and the University of California at San Diego, reviewed the study for WebMD. "We still need more studies, but it looks like there's a good possibility that drinking heavily during the teen-age years could affect your ability to remember things and learn new things," she says. "If you want to do well in school and be able to remember all kinds of things that you learn, it's best to avoid any kind of heavy drinking."
Many people may be surprised to learn that the brain is still developing during the teen years. "Adolescence is a period during which we now know the brain continues to rapidly develop," Clark says. "We know that alcohol can damage the brain. Adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence may have a damaging effect on adolescent brain development, and it is possible that these effects have lifelong adverse consequences.
In this report in the June issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, a special brain scan, called an MRI, was used to measure differences in the sizes of various brain regions in 12 adolescents and young adults who used alcohol excessively, and 24 healthy youngsters who had no drinking problems.
The researchers focused on measuring the size of an area of the brain, the hippocampus, which is known to be sensitive to the effects of alcohol in adults. The hippocampus is associated with learning and memory functions, Clark says. Two hippocampi are found in the brain, one on the right side and the other on the left side.
Both the right and left hippocampi were smaller in teens with drinking problems in comparison with the normal controls. "The difference was fairly substantial, about a 10% difference, which for this area of the brain is a major difference," Clark says. The shrinkage was limited to the hippocampus; no differences were found in other brain areas.
The shrinkage of the hippocampus was greatest in those who began drinking at an early age and in those individuals who were long-time abusers. The authors say the findings suggest that, during adolescence, the hippocampus may be particularly susceptible to the effects of alcohol.
Clark says that studies conducted in animals, as well as on adults with longstanding alcohol use disorders, suggest that alcohol consumption causes the brain damage. Other explanations, however, may be possible. For instance, the brain changes may have preceded the alcohol consumption and contributed to the onset of the alcohol abuse. Or another risk factor may have caused both the drinking behavior and brain changes.
Clark says that at this early stage, it is difficult to say whether brain changes or alcohol abuse come first. He says that longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and expand the findings.
(Source: WebMD Better Information. Better Health)

Cigarette Smoking

Health Effects of Smoking
Each year, a staggering 440,000 people die in the US from tobacco use. Nearly 1 of every 5 deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.
Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and is a contributing cause in the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon and rectum, and some leukemia.
About 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is very hard to detect when it is in the earliest, most treatable stage. Fortunately, lung cancer is largely a preventable disease. Groups that promote nonsmoking as part of their religion, such as Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists, has much lower rates of lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers.
But cancers account for only about half of the deaths related to smoking. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke, and contributes to the severity of pneumonia. Tobacco has a damaging affect on women's reproductive health and is associated with increased risk of miscarriage, early delivery (prematurity), stillbirth, infant death, and is a cause of low birth weight in infants. Furthermore, the smoke from cigarettes has a harmful health effect on those around the smoke.
Based on data collected from 1995 to 1999, the CDC estimated that adult male smokers lost an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lost 14.5 years of life because of smoking.
But not all of the health problems related to smoking result in deaths. In the year 2000, about 8.6 million people were suffering from at least one chronic disease due to current or former smoking, according to the CDC. Many of these people were suffering from more than one smoking-related condition. The diseases occurring most often were chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.
Cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless and pipe tobacco consist of dried tobacco leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavor and other properties. More than 4,000 individual compounds have been identified in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Among these are more than 60 compounds that are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).
Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation (Quitting)
In September 1990, the US Surgeon General outlined the benefits of smoking cessation:
Smoking cessation has major and immediate health benefits for men and women of all ages. Benefits apply to persons with and without smoking-related disease.
Former smokers live longer than continuing smokers. For example, persons who quit smoking before age 50 have one-half the risk of dying in the next 15 years compared with continuing smokers.
Smoking cessation decreases the risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
Women who stop smoking before pregnancy or during the first 3 to 4 months of pregnancy reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby to that of women who never smoked.
The health benefits of smoking cessation far exceed any risks from the average 5-pound (2.3-kg) weight gain or any adverse psychological effects that may follow quitting.
The risk of having lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers is related to total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke, as measured by the number of cigarettes smoked each day, the age at which smoking began, and the number of years a person has smoked.
The risk of having lung cancer and other cancers can be reduced by quitting. The risk of lung cancer is less in people who quit smoking than in people who continue to smoke the same number of cigarettes per day, and the risk decreases as the number of years since quitting increases.
People who stop smoking at younger ages experience the greatest health benefits from quitting. Those who quit by age 35 avoid 90% of the risk due to tobacco use. However, even smokers who quit after age 50 substantially reduce their risk of dying early. The argument that it is too late to quit smoking because the damage is already done is not true.

(Source: American cancer Society Inc.)

Part 2: Care for Environment
Ten Basic Tips To Help Stop Global Warming
(Earth 911, What can I do to help prevent Global Warming?)

Don't have a lot of times, but want to take action? Here are ten, simple, everyday things each of us can do to help stop Global Warming. Pick one, some, or all. Every little effort helps and adds up to a whole lot of good.
1. Change a light. Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one saves 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.* Learn more about these bulbs and how to properly dispose of these bulbs when they do burn out.

2. Drive less. Walk, bike, carpool, take mass transit, and/or trip chain. All of these things can help reduce gas consumption and one pound of carbon dioxide for each mile you do not drive.


3. Recycle more and buy recycled. Save up to 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year just by recycling half of your household waste. By recycling and buying products with recycled content you also save energy, resources and landfill space!

4. Check your tires. Properly inflated tires mean good gas mileage. For each gallon of gas saved, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are also never produced.
5. Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Reducing the amount used means big savings in not only your energy bills, but also in carbon dioxide emissions. Using cold water for your wash saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and using a low flow showerhead reduces 350 pounds of carbon dioxide. Make the most of your hot water by insulating your tank and keeping the temperature at or below 120.

6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging. Preventing waste from being created in the first place means that there is less energy wasted and fewer resources consumed. When you purchase products with the least amount of packaging, not only do you save money, but you also help the environment! Reducing your garbage by 10% reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 pounds.


7. Adjust your thermostat. Keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer not only helps with your energy bills, but it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well. No matter where you set your dial, two degrees cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer can mean a reduction of 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

8. Plant a tree. A single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.


9. Turn off electronic devices when not in use. Simply turning off your TV, VCR, computer and other electronic devices can save each household thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.


10. Stay informed. Use the Earth 911 Web site to help stay informed about environmental issues, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we can and do Make Every Day Earth Day!

8^th journal entry

BLOG/JOURNAL ENTRY FOR 8TH MEETING - HONESTY

I. Challenge yourself
Choose a challenge:
a. Tell the truth
b. Return recovered things (personal items, money, etc)
c. Admit mistake
d. Return excess change
e. Avoid cheating
On your journal, process your experience with the aid of the following guide questions:
a. What challenge did you take? I tried to avoid cheating.
b. Were you able to do the challenge? Yes, How did you feel about it? Ecstatic, I was able to make my assignment without looking at my other classmate’s paper.
c. What have you realized/learned from your experience? Assignments are meant to be done at home to practice what we have learned in the class. Though there are times we can’t avoid it, we must make it a point that we understand what we copied.

9^th Journal entry

BLOG/ JOURNAL ENTRY FOR THE 9TH/10TH MEETING - NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE

1.Cite one experience wherein you have experienced negative peer pressure. Me and my friend tried to cut in the class.
2.How did you react to it? I gave it a shot. Why? I don’t know, it just happened.
3. How did you feel about your reaction/decision? It was a mixed emotions. I was glad but there was something inside me that is telling that what I did was wrong.
4. What have you learned/realized from your experience? I’m already old enough to know what is right and what is wrong. My life doesn’t depend on other people, I won’t let anyone control it. I must decide for myself.

I discovered the joys of playing basketball at a young age. I was a boyish little girl playing basketball with the guys of my age. Every time I played this sport, I realized that there was nothing like it. I enjoy every minute on the hard court and the pleasure of making a basket. Unfortunately, a lot of people still don’t think that it’s proper for girls to play an aggressive sport such as basketball. If anyone would advise me against it, I’d have to ignore them. I already knew the thing that really makes me happy, this is my passion-no one can take that away from me.
When I entered high school, I promised myself I would try new things and devote myself to something I love. I joined every competition related to basketball and fortunately winning almost all of it.

During my fourth year in high school, the moment that I’ve been waiting for finally came. The sports club finally included the basketball for girls as one of the events in the intramurals. I was very ecstatic after I heard about that and joined the girls team immediately. Two weeks before the intramurals, I suffered from dengue and acute pneumonia and have to be absent for almost 1 week. After my teammates knew what had happened to me, they removed me from the team and immediately looked for a replacement. But that didn’t stop me, I secretly joined the team and played for the team. My sacrifices paid off, I was part of the mythical five and became the MVP. For me, that was the most challenging I have ever done. Even when things get tough, I always try to enjoy and make the most of what I am doing.

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