Process Analysis Final Draft
Saksham Jain
Mrs. Spencer
AP Language and Composition
21 December 2012
Breaking the Balance Every wise man or woman to walk on the face of this Earth has known that there is a balance in the universe. For every good, there is an evil; for every virtue, a vice. For every dollar earned, there is a dollar spent, and for every moment spent working, the reward for that work becomes all the greater. However, if you are like me, you: a) believe that you must have done something terrible in a past life to have had to endure a punishment as brutal as George W. Bush's presidency and b) have fallen into the most basic trap of humanity, thinking that there must be a shortcut to success, at least in high school. So, if your thirst for high achievement is matched in strength only by your allergy to textbooks, join me as we attempt to break the rules of science and logic by trying to ace tests while becoming kings and queens of not studying. The first step in facilitating education rather appropriately comes from the founders of modern education, the Ancient Greeks. Indeed, like many Classical ideals, this step may very well have died out in the Dark Ages, and it may be the one Greek remnant not revived in the Renaissance. Like many ancient remedies for self-improvement, it is probably not the most enjoyable activity. In fact, it may even seem to burn your eyes out. That's right! The first step is to bite the bullet and actually pay attention in class. Let's face it; teachers are there for a reason, and we all have to go to class, regardless of whether we study or not. However, I am certain that somewhere in the middle of that Charlie Brown-esque "wonk, wonk-wonk" that comes out the mouth of that mysterious creature ordering you around at the front of the room, who seemingly never shuts up, there might actually be some valuable information. For example, history teachers tend to continually mention the most important events (surprisingly, for good reason). They can't test
Mrs. Spencer
AP Language and Composition
21 December 2012
Breaking the Balance Every wise man or woman to walk on the face of this Earth has known that there is a balance in the universe. For every good, there is an evil; for every virtue, a vice. For every dollar earned, there is a dollar spent, and for every moment spent working, the reward for that work becomes all the greater. However, if you are like me, you: a) believe that you must have done something terrible in a past life to have had to endure a punishment as brutal as George W. Bush's presidency and b) have fallen into the most basic trap of humanity, thinking that there must be a shortcut to success, at least in high school. So, if your thirst for high achievement is matched in strength only by your allergy to textbooks, join me as we attempt to break the rules of science and logic by trying to ace tests while becoming kings and queens of not studying. The first step in facilitating education rather appropriately comes from the founders of modern education, the Ancient Greeks. Indeed, like many Classical ideals, this step may very well have died out in the Dark Ages, and it may be the one Greek remnant not revived in the Renaissance. Like many ancient remedies for self-improvement, it is probably not the most enjoyable activity. In fact, it may even seem to burn your eyes out. That's right! The first step is to bite the bullet and actually pay attention in class. Let's face it; teachers are there for a reason, and we all have to go to class, regardless of whether we study or not. However, I am certain that somewhere in the middle of that Charlie Brown-esque "wonk, wonk-wonk" that comes out the mouth of that mysterious creature ordering you around at the front of the room, who seemingly never shuts up, there might actually be some valuable information. For example, history teachers tend to continually mention the most important events (surprisingly, for good reason). They can't test