College Prep North Campus

Miami-Dade College

Reflections

COLLEGE PREP PROFESSOR MARLENE CUETO

June 1, 2006, Second Issue

You must increase your vocabulary if you want to increase your powers of reason and communication and if you want to reach the top levels in your future profession.  Company presidents, vice-presidents, executives, inventors and successful entrepreneurs tend to have broader vocabularies than those below them.  My students often ask me how best they can increase/expand their vocabulary.  Below I present eight tips that might help you become a wordsmith and succeed at anything you propose.

 

1. Read-Read-Read

My students often say reading when I ask them to mention ways to increase vocabulary.  I agree with them but I disagree when they say we should read whatever as long as we read.  Vocabulary increases when we read challenging material-material above our heads- not when we read the familiar.  We must discriminate when we decide to read to better ourselves.  Seek reading lists compiled by literary critics.  These lists usually include titles of very difficult books.  Some critics call these books classics because of their timeless themes.  The critic Harold Bloom compiled what I consider one of the best lists ever and so did Mortimer Adler.  Look into those. 

2. Intelligent Conversation

People of superior intelligence generally possess superior vocabularies so seek them and learn from them.  Longfellow once wrote, “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years’ study of books.”  Go out of your way to meet and talk with as many gifted and informed people as possible.  When they use unfamiliar words interrupt them and ask what those words mean.  This tip has an ancillary benefit.  In intelligent conversation you can use the new words you learn and intelligent people will understand and appreciate your wealth of words.

3. Broaden Your Experiences

Often we find comfort in the familiar.  To increase your vocabulary, however, I suggest you get out and develop an interest in everything.  Learn a new hobby.  Every endeavor has its own vocabulary.  Scuba diving has its own vocabulary as do tennis, gardening, model building.  I consider word games like crossword puzzles the most beneficial hobby to increase your vocabulary.  Don’t just practice a hobby, however.  Read about it as well or join a club.  Then you can practice your hobby and talk to knowledgeable people about it.  Travel even if just around South Florida and visit the tourist attractions.  You will increase your appreciation of this beautiful area and increase your vocabulary.  How many of you have toured the lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park for example? 

4. A History of Words

You can’t learn something if you don’t develop an interest in it.  Develop an interest in word origins.  Use this as motivation to increase your vocabulary.  Etymology means the study of word/linguistic history.  When you learn where words come from you start to understand how words function and you develop an appreciation for their beauty and power.

5. Never Fear Words

Words become part of you through repetition.  When you discover a new word force yourself to use it in conversation and in your compositions.  You will remember words more easily if you don’t fear them and immediately use them after you hear or read them.  This tip has an ancillary benefit.  It forces you to think critically because you must find ways to fit new words into your conversations and compositions.

6. Read the Dictionary

Good dictionaries give more than multiple word definitions.  They give alternate spellings, synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, word origins and much more.  Invest in a good dictionary and learn to get the maximum benefits form it.  Once you recognize the importance of dictionaries you’ll enjoy reading them.  If you take the time to read the introductory material in a good desk dictionary you’ll discover much useful information.  For example, The American Heritage Dictionary has articles on language, culture and American heritage and debates on language between William F. Buckley, Jr. and Geoffrey Nunberg.   

7. Be on the Lookout

To learn new words you must first find new words.  Stay alert in conversation so you can hear unfamiliar words.  This tip has an ancillary benefit.  It helps you become a better listener- the most important of all communication skills.  Always try to read with your dictionary at hand.  If you ignore the foreign words when you read why read?

8. Stay Motivated                                                                                                                                                                                                                 None of the above works unless you do it.  If you don’t have a natural interest in words you must create an artificial interest.  Remember no one learns without motivation.

These tips or habits will help you increase your vocabulary.  It’s that simple so don’t worry, be happy and learn.

 

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IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHO YOUR HEROES ARE, I CAN TELL YOU HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TURN OUT IN LIFE.    Warren Buffet

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View of Lake Douglas in Dandridge ,Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                       Osmel Guzman

                                                        ID# X65793705

                                                                             Telephone # (786)-412-6739

                                                                      Prep course # ENC0021

                                                                      Teacher, Marlene Cueto

                                                              Reference # 332097

 

 

Mathematics is one of the forces that makes it possible for people to make smarter choices. Ever since humans have existed, they have had to make choices, and math has always helped them choose the wisest ones. I myself use math every day in my life. I use it when it comes to my school, major, and money.

    First of all, I utilize math at school in many different subjects. To begin, I use it in physics to solve problems. I apply the uniform motion formula if I have a moving object at a constant speed, and I know the time and the rate, and I need the to find the velocity. I also employ math in physics by using the Ohm’s law, which states that if I multiply the resistance and the current, I’ll be able to get the voltage. Second, I apply math in economics. I use it to translate from one currency to a different type; I multiply the amount of money that I want to translate by the value of the currency that I want to convert it to. I employ math to estimate the gross domestic product of a nation, by multiplying all the final goods and service products in a year by the prices, and then adding them up to get the total value of the country’s production. Finally, I employ mathematics in nutrition. I use it to determine the amount of calories in a meal; I add the amount of energy in calories that each nutrient yields in the meal, and it will give me the total calories the meal has. I also use it to be able to know how much of a nutrient somebody can have daily.     

  Furthermore, my major is architecture, and as an architect I need math to do my daily work. First, I need math to create designs. I have to use the geometric formulas to compute the area of the different rooms in my designs. I have to use the slope formula to determine how oblique a surface needs to be. Similarly, I have to employ math to do estimates. I have to estimate the quantity of materials that the construction requires. I also have to estimate the construction time and cost. Last, I apply math in the construction process. Some times I have to convert measurements between the metric and the imperial system, and I do these conversions by multiplying or dividing. I also employ math to translate measurements from the design size to live size, and I do it by multiplying by the unit indicated in the design’s scale. 

     Moreover, I employ math to make wise choices when it comes to my finances. To begin, I use math to proliferate my monetary income. When I was seventeen years old, I started working at McDonald’s for five dollars and fifteen cents per hour. I calculated that with a security license, which cost two hundred dollars, my income would increase to eight dollars per hour, and in a month I would have the amount of money that I had invested back. Now, I’m getting a gun license to work as an armed security officer. The license is going to cost me approximately four hundred dollars, but it will increase my salary to twelve dollars per hour. Using math, I estimate that the cost of the license is going to be recovered in three weeks by the increase in my income. In addition, I use math to prevent myself from turning into a prodigal buyer. If there are two pair of shoes, one costs forty dollars and lasts two months, and the other one costs eighty dollars and lasts six months, I would buy the eighty dollar pair because it’s cheaper in the long run. I also apply math to know how much I can spend on goods that are not essential by adding the cost of all my necessary expenses and subtracting the total from my monthly monetary income. To conclude, I use math to keep track of the balance of my finances. I have to add and subtract all the transactions on my checking account to my checking book to know my current balance. I use math to subtract all the things that I buy from my monthly spending limit on my credit card, so I don’t go over my limit.

As I have shown math is inherent in my everyday life, as it keeps on popping up in the many different areas discussed earlier on. It is not only important but also essential for me to obtain the successful future I thrive for.

 

 

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)  Essays:  First Series. Circles

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