Reading changed my life free essay sample

At eleven years old, I opened a magical book that changed my life and opened my heart to a world of literacy. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling, 1997) not only intensified my already keen imagination, but filled me with a hunger for knowledge. I knew then that I had to enhance my literary skills in order to obtain the level of intellectual stimulation I craved, and Harry Potter gave me the tools and motivation to do so. To this day, the series carries an impact in both my personal life as well as fueling my own desire to write. When I read Harry Potter, I developed a fervent need to continue reading. While I had to wait in agony between the premieres of each book, I kept myself busy by burying my mind, and nose, in every book I could get my hands on. I know that I would not have had such an interest in the world of books and creativity if it weren’t for Rowling’s beautiful world of wizardry. We will write a custom essay sample on Reading changed my life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every time one of the books would come out, I would shut myself up in my room and would not leave until I had devoured every word from cover to cover. I had never been so emotionally moved by a book before I discovered the Harry Potter series. I felt joy, fear, awe, sadness, love, and grief through the stories of good and evil; friendship and betrayal; love and forgiveness. I was quite a peculiar child in that my parents would not punish me by taking away my phone or my television; they knew the most effective way to punish me for my wrongdoings was to take away my books, especially my Harry Potter books. To me, there was no fate worse than being without my stories. Hogwarts has always been a safe haven for me when the true world became too much, or too little, for me to handle alone. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling, 2003) has always had a particularly strong impact on my life when I am battling with life and am losing- the characters that are admired are shown to possess both positive and negative attributes, just as we all do. That particular book came to my aid through any strife I have ever faced, including the death of three grandfathers (for whom I have a Harry Potter quote memorial tattoo, because of how much it makes me think of them), the confusion of teenage life, and my journey to accept myself for who I am as a person. When I was a teenager, I was not outwardly troubled; I never touched drugs or alcohol, I enjoyed participating in school activities, and I was a decent student. However, I was struggling internally every day with my personal demons. I was my own worst enemy and biggest critic. Just as I started to think, as many teenagers do, that life would always feel that way, I reread the entire Harry Potter series, and was brought to tears. Each book had something to teach me about myself and the world that surrounded me. They made me less cynical towards those around me, and I felt as though I could make a difference. Perhaps I would never make a difference to the world, but I could be successful in my own right and that no battle was too large if I had my friends, family, self, and an unwavering belief that I could overcome any obstacle. It is with no exaggeration that I say the Harry Potter books have saved my life. Words from each book penetrate my very soul, are etched into my heart, are literally etched on my skin, and apply to my life every day. The fact that one woman’s words could affect my life so strongly made me think that, perhaps, I could have an impact on someone’s life through my words; and so, I decided to write. With my imagination as sharpened as my pencil, and the courage found from the Harry Potter books to keep me going, I put pencil to paper and began to write my stories. From faeries to mermaids; murderous villains and courageous heroines; even an entire anthology about phobias. My goal is to give even one person a place to escape the harsh, or even simply mundane, realities of everyday life, just as J. K. Rowling gave me an entire universe to escape to at the turn of a page. I had a poem published in my college’s biannual art book, it was the very first time I have seen my work in print. It is a dream of mine to have a book published and maybe even put on the New York Time’s Best Seller List. Rowling’s real life story has inspired me to believe that it can actually happen for me. She went from being on welfare and battling depression to being one of the most successful and influential women of our time, all because of her words. Though I will, probably, never receive my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, I can say without the slightest hesitation that the Harry Potter books have changed both my literary and personal lives. Because of them, I now see writing as the best creative outlet for myself and I will not let go of the dream to have a book published. I have gone through much with my fictional friends by my side. â€Å"Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home† (Rowling, 2011). The stories of the Boy Who Lived helped me become the Girl Who Lived.

A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos

A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos For a long time, most people were convinced that a child was bestowed with a certain level of intelligence at birth. Past studies have revealed that genetics could not have been the sole determinant of a child’s intelligence. However, as the world changed from using genetics to explain differences in intelligence, there was also a corresponding shift to focus on culture and the environment. Culture is now believed to be the determining factor in explaining differences between races (Liu 5). By examining how learning takes place between Asian Americans, it emerges that we are more intelligent than the rest of the population, in addition, it also emerges that the environment has something to do with the grades achieved by both the Latinos and the Asian Americans. This paper shall endeavor to compare the Asian Americans with the Latino ethnic group. It will mainly focus on how learning takes place within the two groups and the associated outcome. In addition, the paper will also use an article by Fuller and Garcia Coll (2010) to explore the choices made by parents and how they affect learning.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article by Fuller and Garcia Coll (559) discusses the environment in which children are brought up in Latino households. It especially focuses on immigration and how it affects the manner in which children grow up.Using four theoretical frameworks, the paper explains how learning and development take place within culturally bounded context. In their analysis, the authors show how learning is perceived as taking place and the changes that have occurred over the years. The paper further explains how traditional Latino families are able to keep the family close and support their children socially. It also highlights the pressure on children and teenagers to assimilate into the American cu lture and how this poses a risk to their development. Overall, its aim is to bring an understanding of how learning takes place within groups that are heavily influenced by culture. This paper argues that Latino children use socialization practices to create their identity at home. The social practices acquired at school further influence their school performance (Fuller Garcia Coll 560). There is an obvious different in the family sizes of both the Latinos and the Asian Americans. For example, Latinos living in America typically have larger families than Asian Americans. Such Latinos as the Mexican Americans had 2.4 children on average as of 2003 while white and other minorities had an average of 2.0 children, according to study conducted by Fuller et al 2009 (qtd. in Fuller Garcia Coll 561). This difference has contributed to the disparity observed in terms of development between the two groups. The cognitive development of children raised in large families tends to be slower th an that of children raised in smaller families (Fuller Garcia Coll 561). This is because as the size of the family increases there is a corresponding depletion of the available resources. The order in which the children are born also affects the quality of each child’s education. For example, the first child gets a good education while those born later in families do not get as much education (Black et al.6). The interest and commitment that parents show their first child also declines as the number of children increases as they are now faced with the responsibility of taking care of more children.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Asian American parents differ from Latino parents in the way they approach their children’s schoolwork. From an early age, Latinos create an environment that enables a child to observe and copy the behavior of the society (Ful ler Garcia Coll 560). Asian Americans believe that the child should be solely focused on school and do not encourage distractions that interfere with it. Any activities such as sports, taking part in school plays or socializations are considered distractions. For those Asian American parents who own businesses, their children are not permitted to work in the shops while neglecting their school work (8). For Latino parents, the learning that takes place for their children is more observational than book related. Learning in Latino families takes place through participation in everyday activities. Children will do household chores and take care of the younger ones in the family. Teenagers are also allowed to work for pay to improve the family’s economic status (Fuller Garcia 563). The Asian American and Latino families both aim to improve their status through their children but their approach differs. Asian Americans students do better academically than Latino students. A stu dy by (Liu, 2) shows that the number of Asian American students who complete college is two thirds greater than that of Latinos (2). Asian Americans do better in school as their parents have advanced education, they are able to attend schools with enough resources, their peers support them and their community is always looking out for them (Liu 5). Latinos do not do as well as Asian Americans as they are not fully focused on academics alone. They are heavily involved in community activities and extracurricular activities. They are also eager to assimilate into the American culture and this affects their academic performance. Second generation Latino teenagers succumb to peer pressure and let go of family duties leading to a deterioration of their performance in school according to a study by Fuligni 2001 (qtd. in Fuller and Garcia Coll 560). First generation Latinos are more engaged in school work as they are able to identify more closely with their ethnic community (Fuller Garcia Coll 560). The instability of being torn between two cultures affects Latinos more than Asian Americans as Asian Americans are more integrated and less likely to be totally assimilated in their childhood.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A comparison Between Asian Americans and Latinos specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Conclusion, this paper has shown that there are various forms of learning. Using an article by Fuller and Garcia (2010) it has explored how learning takes place in the Latino community. For example, learning can take place through observation as practiced by Latinos. On the other hand, the Asian Americans have a preference for academic learning. This paper has explained how Latinos differ from Asian Americans when it comes to modes of learning. It has shown that in early childhood, Asian Americans prefer that their children concentrate on schoolwork and avoid any extracurricular or social activities while Latinos see observational learning as beneficial to the child and are encouraged to work to support their families. It has also explained that the large size of Latino families hinders learning due to a scarcity of resources and inadequate attention on each individual child. It has also shown that this may be why Latino students perform poorly in school in comparison with the Asian American students. The paper has pointed out that as the second generation Latinos try to emulate their American counterparts and in the process, they lose track of their school work and perform poorly in comparison with first generation Latinos. Black, Sandra, Devereux, Paul, and Salvanes, Kjell 2004, The More the Merrier? The Effect of Family Composition on Children’s Education. PDF file. 12 Feb. 2013. econ.ucla.edu/people/papers/Black/Black493.pdf. Fuller, Bruce and Garcia Coll, Cynthia. â€Å"Learning From Latinos: Contexts, Families, and Child Development in Motion. â€Å"Developmenta l Psychology, 46.3 (2010):559-565. Print. Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian, New York: Vintage Books, 1998. Print.

Harmful ingredients within protein shakes Essay

Harmful ingredients within protein shakes - Essay Example Protein shake is a mixture of a powdered form of protein with water, juice, or milk. Bodybuilders consume this mixture after or before practice to supplement their diets increase the protein levels in the body. Bodybuilders usually require high levels of protein to achieve maximum muscle growth. The exact amount of protein, that an athlete is uncertain, and usually left for the user to decide the desired amount. The protein powder is, in variety flavors, to suit the different users. Protein shakes are a popular source of protein since it is directly absorbed into the body. However, the levels of nutrients found in it may not be in the amount exactly required. Different people require different levels of nourishment needs. For example in the human structure, women require more iron as compared to men. In studies conducted and reported by independent laboratories in United States, popular brands of protein shakes prove to contain higher than the recommended levels of heavy metals. The law recommends a minimum of fifteen, five, ten, and fifteen micrograms per day of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury levels respectively. This shows that a majority of the brands of powder shakes are a threat to the health of their users (Coleman, 2008). Cadmium is one of the extremely poisonous metals. Thus, even very small traces of cadmium present in the body can cause severe damage in the body. Usually this metal is majorly in industrial work places. Just a small exposure to it may result to symptoms such as fever, chills, and muscle ache. With an increase in cadmium exposure, it causes respiratory damages such as pneumonitis, trachea-bronchitis, and pulmonary edema. Cadmium poisoning too affects other internal organs such as kidney and bones (Avedon, 2007). Another heavy metal present in a majority of the protein shakes is lead. Lead accumulates in the body leading to severe emergency symptoms. Medical experts show that even low levels of lead if present in a child may hinder a child’s mental and body development. In addition, lead is more dangerous to children as compared to adults. Some of the complications because of lead poisoning include; kidney damage, hearing problems, hindering body growth, reduced levels of IQ, and behavior problems. Its symptoms include headaches, anemia, irritability, low appetite, abdominal pain, and cramping (Shamy, 2013). As mentioned above, mostly children are vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. Administering protein shakes to children can lead to disaster in children development. In 2005, a study published in pediatrics’ journal found that protein shakes is common to individuals between the ages of twelve and eighteen. This shows a majority of children gain higher protein levels by use of protein shakes (Massie, 2012). High levels of arsenic in the body lead to arsenic poisoning. At early stages of the condition, the victims suffer headaches, drowsiness, confusion, and severe diarrhea. Lungs, skin, l iver, and kidneys are the major internal organs that suffer the wrath of arsenic poisoning. Very high levels usually lead to night blindness. In some cases, the victim slips into a coma and finally dies. High arsenic levels are not good for the body making protein shakes a threat to its user (Sewell, 2013). Mercury is a heavy metal, whose exposure results to hydrargyriasis. Having different symptoms from