The Questioner January 14

th
, 2014
Daybook Entry
I am curious about how the deprivation of sleep can affect someones grade in class. I had a lot
of fun this past Monday night, however, Mondays arent supposed to be fun, and thusly I am paying for
it with a really crappy Tuesday. I wonder how many other kids had a similar night as mine, and judging
by the amount of kids in the 9:30am class right now, I would have to hazard the guess of quite a few,
and I am one of the handful that had the will to get out of bed. These kids grades must be hurting; they
either stay up late and miss class, or come to class as a shell of a human being. I am here now, and I can
already feel my concentration slipping, and it has a negative effect on my academics.
My Thoughts
For this entry, I was questioning the activities of not only myself but of the generalized college
student, and how such activities could have a negative impact on their academics. It is clear the topic of
sleep deprivation relating to academia is at the forefront of my brain, judging by my latter choice of my
inquiry topic.
The Creative Thinker March 14
th
, 2014
Daybook Entry
The sounds of percolating coffee echo through the halls, arousing you from your slumber, just
moments before the wafting aroma of your favorite roast finds its way into your nose. You will yourself
through your usual morning routine, drifting through the motions. Absent of birds chirping or butterflies
dancing, you avoid all interaction for fear of unleashing the beast you now contain inside, at least until
you feel the first few sips of that delightfully bitter liquid trickle down your throat
My Thoughts
The above passage was a very rough, conceptual introduction for my research proposal. I think it
demonstrates creativity because instead of going with a typical formal introduction, I decided to spin a
tail that would relate to the reader, one that almost every coffee drinker would be able to empathize
with, and even if my reader was not a coffee person, hopefully write it in such a way that they would be
able to get sucked into the narrative.
The Analytic Thinker January 6
th
, 2014
Daybook Entry
Introduction-
Topic outline
o Caffeines effect on academic success
o Exploratory or Argumentative??
o Hook the reader
Body-
What is Caffeine?
How does it affect the brain?
o Positive and Negative
Effects on mood/attitude
o Positive and negative
Conclusion-
Leave them with a question/idea to ponder.
My Thoughts
This entry served as very early brainstorming/planning session for what would be my
extended inquiry paper. I carefully plotted the structure and direction of my paper, despite my
ideas infancy and what little direction I had myself regarding the topic at the time.
The Reflective Reader February 3
rd
, 2014
Daybook Entry
Mark Zuckerberg has indeed connected the word like never before. I for one have a hard time
imagining communication being slower than instantaneous, a luxury and a privilege that social
networking sites such as Facebook have afforded us. I have also noticed on numerous occasions the
phenomenons that Kate Daily describes in Friends with Benefits. It is almost as if Facebook leveled the
playing field of close friends and acquaintances, allowing the latter to have access to the events in your
life once only reserved for your inner circle, and vice versa. I think this kind of network has very few
shortcomings. If these interactions were forced it would be a different story, but since you can simply
block a person you dont like, or simply never friend them to begin with, you are left with a customizable
group of online confidants ready to listen to what you have to say.
My Thoughts
In this entry, I go beyond the reading and used my own experiences to form opinions on the
essay. I also further elaborate on some of the ideas presented in the essay, and provide my own
thoughts on that as well.
My Favorite February 9
th
, 2014
Daybook Entry
Writing is extremely easy to put off until tomorrow. I always find myself up late before a paper is
due, more so than any other type of assignment. I dont know what deep seat dread keeps my fingers
away from the keys of my computer and leaves me awake in the wee hours of the morning, but it is
most definitely an issue I hope to work on in this class.
I used to love to write as a child. I would craft fantastic stories in my spare time, stories in worlds
that could only be spawned in the mind of a child. Then, Im guessing school happened. A high-schools
worth of non-fiction prompts could put a damper on anyones willingness to pick up a pen. Maybe thats
my problem, maybe we need to change the system
My Thoughts
Oddly enough, my favorite daybook entry is the free write from the first day of class, and
perhaps that is why its my favorite. Unknowingly, I eluded in this free write many of the themes that we
would later touch on during the semester. From problems with our educational system to the creativity
of a child, it was scary looking back at this how many themes I included in this daybook entry, and that is
why it is my favorite.