English 106: First-Year Composition

You're thirty years old and should be loving life. This is you're nineteen year old self telling you that there are some things you should have accomplished by now. After working so hard for many years getting your college degree wyou should have settled down and have a job you are happy with and proud of. Don't settle for anything less than what you believe you deserve. Remember, you know what you want and you put in a great deal of effort to achieve your personal goals. Your family is most important. You wanted to start one at a young age so hopefully you are happily married and raising a young family. Keep in touch with your brothers and parents because they have been a huge part of the success and support in your life. Always try to find the positives of a situation and remember that your success is what brings you the most happiness.

Dear 10-year old Kalea,

Growing up, small kids are usually told the familiar line of "don't talk to strangers." Maybe it's due to our lack of trust in other people in our culture, or maybe it's because your parents didn't want you to embaress them or make a fool of yourself. Well, sometimes you have to embaress yourself in order to learn that lesson. Make sure you know someone before you attempt to get their attention; that's the lesson I learned, and many people have probably had the same experience. When I was in high school me and my friends would throw things at each other and call each other some pretty inappropriate names at times in order to get the other person's attention. Well, one day I thought my friend was walking in front of my down then hall so I called out an inappropriate nickname to get her attention. When she didn't turn around I yelled it again, and then threw a pen at her back. The pen missed, so I decided to just run up and shove her in the back.

After completing one semester at Purdue, I have studied in various places around campus. I generally study in my dormroom at my dim-lit, semi-organized desk with the distractions of my computer and the occasional voices from the reality television show my roommate will be watching. Although this is the most common place I study, due to its convenience, it is not the best place for me to work. When I have a lot of homework to do, or need to finish a major project I have found that the HSSE library in the Stewart Center is a very beneficial place for me. I am able to sit in a secluded area of the library and really focus my attention on my work. It is always quiet while I'm studying, and there are small nooks and tables around the back corner where there are individual work stations, and a quiet reading room with comfortable chairs.

Hello! My name is Kalea and I was born in raised on the West Coast in Portland, Oregon. I love being outdoors especially when it's really hot outside, and I love going to the beach. Running is probably one of my favorite things to do, and I also like to lay in the sun for hours. Coming out here to Indiana was the first time I ever had to pump my own gas. I have only done it once so far, but it will probably be something I'll have to get used to. In Oregon, people are not permitted to do such a thing and I've always had the gas station attendant do it for me. I also had to get used to sales tax, another thing Oregonians lack. The midwest has also introduced me to extreme weather such as freezing cold temperatures and overly-humid summer days. Adjusting to new standards and regulations of a state so different from mine has been both entertaining and interesting.