Writing Portfolio TESL 4 (Group 6)

Last, but not least, despite the pros mentioned above, some parties also agree that
curfews have their own cons too. For instance, curfews can lead teenagers to
depression. This is because teens are the age when someone rebels. The particular
reason is that at that age, they are in the phase of adulting so, they become more
sensitive. When parents set curfews, they might feel like being restrained and
controlled. While other friends of theirs are having fun with each other, having the
best moments in their life, they are locked up instead. As a result, they might hate
parents for doing so, then they choose to be secretive and private where they did
not open up to parents about their problems and sometimes to the extent they
actually feel parents are just like strangers for them, where they are more likely
comfortable with other people instead. In addition, parents nowadays are clueless
about their children’s state of condition whether their children are fine or vice
versa. For example, there are so many cases where parents did not even know that
their children suffered from depression. The moment they realized it was too late,
it was when their children had taken their lives. These cases are too common now.
Due to being too busy working, they do not even have time to check out their
children. To make their work easy, they choose to set curfews for their children
even though their children are lonely and have nobody but them. However, they
forget that setting a curfew isn't the way to go, as much as parents want a simple
solution to keep their children out of trouble. Curfews can also strain parent-child
ties and jeopardize a teen's independence. Hence, curfew also gives cons too.
Every teen is different, what works for one child might not work for another.

In conclusion, even though there are so many cons to setting up curfews, they
still cannot be compared to the pros of curfews. Since teenagers are still young
and growing, they make mistakes. Hence, that is why curfews are made so that
their mistakes won’t affect their lives in the future. As parents who know better
and have lived longer than children, parents need to guide their children in
everything because parents have been in that phase before. But for children, this is
their first experience and their first life, they might be clueless. However, parents
should not demand them to become perfectionists, they need to make several
mistakes in their lives so that they can learn and take responsibility for their
wrongdoings in order to become better people.

07. Editing

Descriptive Essay

Second Draft

I had to use my last savings by crashing my most favourite pink piggy bank to get to
the cooking competition in the big city and was exhilarated about it. Coming from an
impoverished and poor-family background, it will be the very first time I step foot in a
big city which seems attractive to me because I think there are many exciting things to
do there, and many opportunities to earn a lot of money. As someone who is famous
for being called a villager, getting to the new unknown city was no easy feat for me.
My house was located in a very remote rural area, surrounded by nothing but thick
greenery.

Fast forward a few days later and a lot of asking around, I eventually managed to
board a train to the city. I heard a low-frequency rumble noise when the train passed
by. And I finally got to board my first ever train. It was a great and new yet nerve-
wracking experience. As I entered, I sighed while eyeing around for a seat to provide
comfort after a long adventurous walk. However, luck was not on my side as I
boarded the train during the peak time, got no choice but to squeeze myself in the
crowd like a tinned sardine. A few moments elapsed, and my luck turned 180
degrees, a free seat caught my eyes. Knowing that opportunity doesn't come
knocking at the door twice, I quickly picked up my hefty belongings, hugged it in my
arms, and went to the empty spots, pushing myself against the crowd while
murmuring “sorry” a few times. The seat was not fully vacant so I had to sandwiched
myself in between two people. One of them was with an earphone on, jamming away
with the music, while another one was browsing through a newspaper. Boredom
kicked in, so I took a peek at the newspaper that a lady in her 30s was reading, and
something familiar came in sight. I noticed an advertisement for a cooking
competition, and soon realized that it was the cooking competition that I ought to
join. Chills went down through my spine, I was excited yet nervous for the cooking
competition. Doubtful thoughts flooded my mind, with countless unanswered
questions.

“Ting”, a high-pitched sound lingering in my ears, coming from the bell
surrounded the room, signaling the start of the cooking competition. I was
actually torn between two choices, undecided on what to cook for the judges,
should I do what everyone else is cooking or should I just right away make my
own special dish. After a lot of thought, I firmly decided to play it safe, and
went for the dish that everyone is making, an exquisite chicken dish. I always
had a flair for cooking, even labelling it as my favourite pastime. I started with
chopping the onions. Then, I chop the garlic until it's finely minced into smaller
bits. The steps for the recipe kept flowing through my head, acting as a
constant reminder for myself to prevent any unintended mistakes. I keep on
remembering the whole steps to make sure my exquisite chicken dish is
completely done without any stupid error from me. In deep sigh, while
preparing for the final steps, that is to deep fry the chicken, I had to brag that
deep-frying was my all-time best skill that most of my villagers knew about. So,
as someone who had immense experience in cooking, deep frying would be a
piece of cake. Then, I took out a piece of chicken breast that radiated its
crispness on the outside, and inarguable tenderness on the inside. I seasoned
the chicken breast with pinches of salt and pepper skillfully, then proceeded to
gently put it in a deep fryer. Acknowledging that the final step of cooking was
done, my thoughts unexpectedly shifted away from the cooking and started to
daydream about winning the competition.

Surprisingly, my dream came to a halt when I was snapped out of it by an
unimagined, burnt smell. I was thrown for a loop when I finally realized the
unpredictable situation. I had overcooked the chicken. Everything went south
from that point. “Oh no!” I was lost for words, blank-mind upon that mistake.
My disappointment came across and I started to panic. My mind was racing,
uneasy and uncertain how to react. I gathered up my courage and I tasted the
burnt deep-fry chicken and it was an even worse situation to adapt with. I then
took a few deep breaths, pulling myself together in the process. I tried to
encourage myself to get back on track and I said to myself to boost up my
confidence to fight off the negative thoughts. In a matter of seconds, I managed
to overcome this chaotic ordeal and came out with plan B! Considering the
short period of time, the only option I have on the table is to prepare the
special dish called Rendang Ayam Tok Wan that my dear great-grandmother
had taught me before.

07. Editing

Expository Essay

Second Draft

Nowadays, having part-time jobs has become a phenomenon among high school students
and there are many students who follow this trend as well. Even though they are studying,
they still wanted to go out, get a job, and make their own money. There are some parents
who allow and even support their children to work while they are still studying. However,
there are also parents who prevent their children from working because of their own
reasons. Moreover, this action leads to many pros and cons that are also attached with it.
Though it may seem like working throughout high school is a bad idea, there must still be
advantages in having a job while in high school. According to the research done by Gil
(2014), nearly half of students, 45 percent, have a part-time job with a third of students
working part-time throughout the school year, according to the survey of 2,128 students.
Furthermore, 13% manage to work full-time throughout the school year, during the
holidays, or both.

First of all, what are the pros or also known as advantages of having a job while in high
school? Students absolutely can earn more money to cover their studies. It is because not
all of their family could afford their future caused by financial problems such as poverty.
For many teenagers who need to save money for college or contribute to their family's
household expenditures, working part-time during high school may be unavoidable
(McElroy, 2011). Students' reliance on loans has increased as well, with 67 percent stating
that their student loan is one of their primary sources of income, up from 60% last year. A
quarter also admit to dipping into or being permanently in their overdraft on a frequent
basis (Gil, 2014). Working while in a high school will not be enough to cover all of a
student's educational costs, but at least it can reduce students’ debt, which is excellent
news for the students who work while in a high school. New research shows there are
more students working to pay for their education, with the number of working students
now standing at 59 percent (Gil, 2014). There is also good news that students who work
are just as likely to incur debt as students who do not, the former borrow less. According
to the Georgetown study, just 14% of working students had debts of more than $50,000,
whereas 22% of non-working students have similar debts (Rapacon, 2015). So, it is true
that working while in high school can help students to settle all their financial problems
that are related to their studies or family.

Other than that, Students can gain experiences by working throughout high school
and exploring the working environment. Working develops real-world skills including
interpersonal communication, teamwork, and management. It also will teach
everything that students need for their future career (Webster, 2017). They can at
least prepare themselves to face the future. This allows students to learn how to
budget their own money, which is an important component of becoming self-
sufficient. While working, students can obtain additional experience and improve
their talents. These abilities will aid students in getting the ideal employment in the
future. Working part-time as a tutor, for example, if you enjoy teaching it, you can
enhance your teaching skills and gain more experiences (Bartleby.com, n.d.). When
students go to work, they can gain so much new knowledge about life. They will see
the world in another way, for example they could know about how hard it is to earn
money. They will experience that. So, for those students who decided to work while
still studying in high school, they will become a little bit more mature than their
friends at school because they have faced the challenge that everybody is going to go
through after they finish their study in high school.
Now, let’s move on to the cons or disadvantages of having a job while in high school.
Trying to work part-time while attending full-time classes can be very difficult. It’s
not easy to do all things at one time. Students will be left behind in lessons. This
could happen because they need to juggle classes, homework, their social life, and
the struggle to maintain their sanity (cornerstone.edu, 2017). Most of the students
do not really care about this because they had lost interest in learning and studying
at school, they wanted to go out, explore the world and so on. But, they don’t realise
that school will teach them how to face the future world. When they decided to go to
work, they became busy and forgot about their homework, and all the tasks given by
the teachers. They will also always be tired when they go to school because working
is not easy, they will be very sleepy in class, lose focus and lack social interactions
with friends in class. This has affected many students’ condition in school. Thus, it is
clear that working while in high school can make the students lose focus about what
their teachers are teaching and they will be left behind due to being busy with their
work and career.

Other than that, there’s research proves that students who working while in high
school are easily influenced in open socializing and participate in adults habits like
drinking, smoking, and having sex that leads to behavioral issues. Working
throughout the school year, according to a recent study by a University of
Washington researcher, may impede high school achievement and lead students to
behavioral concerns such as drug use and crime (McElroy, 2011). Negative peer
pressure typically involves persuading people to engage in risky conduct such as
criminal activities, underage drinking, drug usage, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
(AspenRidge Recovery, 2021). When students go to work, they will meet more
people and make new friends without knowing their background, whether they are a
good or bad person. Students may not realize that they will slowly follow everything
that their friends at their workplace did. It doesn’t matter if it is a good thing or a bad
habit. They will do anything to grab their friends' interest so that they want to be
friends back with them. Students can also lose their dignity in just a second if they
don’t take care of themselves well. So, that’s why students need to be smart in
making friends or they will regret it later.
To sum up everything that has been stated, it doesn’t matter if the students want to
get a job or not, they have to think wisely in every aspect. If they feel like they can
handle it, then go on. If they feel like it will bother their study, their time and their
energy, then just focus on studying at school. Students need to realize that one day,
everyone will face the working environment and experience that too and it is just
sooner or later. Students need to manage their time well if they want to get a job
because this is a very serious and important decision as it will absolutely affect their
future. Not every student needs to work while they are still studying, get a job,
collect so much money, finance their lives and struggle so hard in working. Students
actually need to enjoy their life, make memories with friends, spend quality time with
family and so many things they can do instead of just thinking about jobs only. But,
this matter is excluded to students who are really in a difficult situation and having
financial instability. They need to determine their own future, not anyone else.

07. Editing

Narrative Essay

Second Draft

The sun pierced through the sheer curtains of this room. The windows were
ajar, and the curtains delicately moved with the wind. I mustered the strength
to open my eyes as the sun rays prickled my skin. I sat upright and I felt two
warm arms envelope my body into a hug. It was Mama. She was laying down
by my side while I was asleep, but she looked as if she was already up for a
few hours now. My body became rigdi in her embrace. My insides felt
disgusting. I was nauseous. “Hey, baby. Come lie down with me,” said Mama
softly with her arms still resting on my lap. I shakily returned to my sleeping
position and stared at the ceiling. “Mama, what time is it? Am I late for
school?” I whispered. “Oh, honey. Forget about school. I want to be with you
today,” Mama answered with a lazy smile, still hugging my frame. Her right
palm slowly slid down to my lower abdominal area, and I flinched. I tried to
stiffen my body in an attempt to lessen the pain I am about to feel from her
touching me. This is the fifth time in the last 24 hours and my private parts
are hurting. My mind suddenly fogged as she slid her fingers into my pants
and my stomach hurled out so much liquid out of me. The hurls happened
several times until the bed was splashed with yellow liquid mixed with pieces
of bread from last night’s ‘dinner’. Mama yelled and I immediately ran for the
bathroom to lock myself in there. She runs after me, but I was quick on my
feet. I locked the door shut and sat on the bathroom floor staring emptily into
the walls. Mama banged and banged and banged on the door, but I sh;ut my
eyes and deafened my ears.

“I am only 5. Why Mama? I am only 5,” my heart sighed. “I miss Dad. He
wouldn’t have let this happen,” I breathed out as my eyes watered.

10 years went by, I am now in 10th grade. After 6 years of continuous suffering, Mama
took her own life. I saw it with my own eyes. I stared at her cold corpse for hours until
Dad came. He wanted to pay me a fun surprise visit. It turned into a funeral. Dad
hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head constantly. I had never seen him in that
state before. It was as if he didn’t want to let go of me ever again. I didn’t understand
why. Since Mama’s incident, my face froze. My body was paralyzed. The constant pain I
felt in my legs and body was overruled by my inability to comprehend everything.
Though, I did feel one thing when Dad held me. I felt safe. Nothing else apart from that.
Dad took me to his cabin down in Akron, Ohio. It was hidden in the tall trees by the
main road. He cared for me properly. I finally got to eat 3 times a day. Sometimes
more. His cabin was cramped, but it was home. For the first time, I had a home.

School was a blur. I didn’t attempt to make friends, which Dad understood and
respected. He attempted many times to subtly encourage me into talking to people at
school or at the park. I never really made it work. However, I did make friends at home.
I made friends with insects and small furry animals. Dad had access to chemical
substances at work, though I have no idea what he works as. I began to ask him to bring
the bottles of liquid more and more every week. I collect jars from our neighbour’s
recycling bin as a part of my project. I trap those creatures and put them into chemical-
filled jars to preserve their carcasses. My fascination towards seeing my collection of
dead animals grew, to the point that I hid the jars in the bottom drawer of my closet.
Dad had always thought I used the chemical for ‘science projects’ at school. “You guys
use a surprisingly huge amount of chemicals at a young age,” he’d say. “Well, we’re
focusing on biology now,” I confidently replied.

I graduated high school, shockingly, and still, I have no human buddies. My lies about
‘going out with friends’ had probably worn off on my dad after all these years, but he
shrugged it off. “What do you think about college, sweety,” asked my dad during dinner
last week. “Gap year. I’m thinking about taking a gap year,” was my response. Those
were the most words I have spoken for a while now. I feel sorry for dad, but I smile for
him as tokens of appreciation. He had always accepted them. He never stopped trying
for me. I am somewhat still a human to him. Throughout my gap year, I shifted my
interest towards this one lady who jogged down my street every day at 8.15 a.m.. She
looked as if she was in her mid-30s. I wait for her every day by my bedroom window
while scribbling out plans. New plans. Dissecting animals have gotten boring for me.
Though my blood still thrills for it.

One blue morning, I asked Dad for his car keys to go out for a bit. “Be safe, darling,” he
reminded. It was Saturday, as a person with no human connection, it is bizarre that I
even left the house.

However, as I walked out, I headed towards the bushes on the pathway and took the
baseball bat that I had hidden last night. I held it close to my back as I checked my
watch. 8.13 flashed in orange light. I paced back and forth in the driveway with the bat
gripped tight behind me. The sound of a jogger’s steps hit my eardrums. The pace was
consistent but it grew louder as I neared it slowly. “Now or never. One second late and
it’s over,” shouted the voice in my head. I swung the bat head-level and banged it into
the lady’s forehead just in time. It wasn’t as strong as I intended it to be but it was
enough. She’s knocked out.

I rolled her body into the backseat of the car hastily. “Stupid, stupid. What now?”
repeated my mind. As I headed towards the driver’s seat, Dad was looking from the
front door. “Hey, what’ve you beeen doing? It’s been 20 minutes.” His eyebrows raised.
“I was cleaning out the junk in the backseat. I’ll go now,” I replied while getting in the
driver’s seat. Beads of sweat trickled down my temple as I waved him bye and drove off.
I headed towards a hidden lake a few miles away from our cabin. Once I got there, I
carried the body bag and placed it right by the side of the lake. I let the only opening of
the bag tied up tight while waiting for the lady to wake up. While I was setting up my
workspace, the body bag rustled. Slowly muffled screams were heard and the rustles
grew into strong kicking and pushing. Good thing I double-bagged her. I watched as her
energy dwindled. I continued setting up my things and ripped the bag open. I checked
the pulse and it was gone. Oh, the surge of excitement coursed through me like
electricity. In minutes, her body was dismembered into smaller parts. Well, to make it
easier for me to stuff them in jars. Only this time, they weren’t fruit jam jars. They were
large canisters. I repeated the same procedure with the body parts as I did with my
animal friends. However, this time, I felt like taking a nibble. The fresh smell of blood
enraptured me. I took a part of the dismembered legs. The toes seemed pretty with
tangerine-coloured polish neatly coating them. I licked a small part and salvaged the
sour tinge of it. I grazed my teeth over the smallest toe and cracked it off. It was true,
just like munching on carrots. I cracked a few more toes off and finished preserving the
rest. I dug up the ground and hid my jars of ‘cocktails’. I cleaned up the scene and
drove home, the long way round.

With the windows rolled down, I smiled the widest I have ever smiled. With ‘Tiptoe
Through The Tulips’ playing on the radio, I hummed gleefully. I have never been more
ecstatic.

“Oh, hey you’re home! It’s dark already, I was worried for a second,” exclaimed Dad as I
entered the cabin. “Don’t worry about it, Dad,” I replied giddily. “Wow, someone’s
happy,” said Dad. “Never been happier,” I said looking at Dad with wide eyes, like a kid
who just came back from a funfair. I walked towards my room as he smiled. His
eyebrows scrunched as he pondered, “Did I smell blood?”.

Final
products

08. Final product

Argumentative Essay

When talking about curfews, the words that come to some people’s minds
sometimes are being locked up. However, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the
topic under discussion is keeping teens out of trouble. When parents imposed
family curfews, a "first defense" limit is created in the minds of teenagers. They are
obliged to evaluate why they are subjected to a curfew where most of the danger
occurs at night. The dangers of remaining out past curfews are therefore imprinted
on their minds, if they go out, something awful will happen to them or as a result of
their actions. They are already psychologically ahead of their curfew-free
classmates since they have had to analyze the contrasts in their environment at
night and during the day. If we look up the news in the newspapers, social media,
and television, most of the bad things that happen to children because they are too
free or their parents are too busy working eventually end with regrets. Thus, that’s
why curfew is very important especially for teenagers. They might do not get the
point of curfews now, but they will thank their parents for setting up curfews when
they grow up later. So, what are the pros of curfew?

First and foremost, curfews prevent teens from being too open in socializing.
Being too free in socializing can be defined as social interactions and behaviors
deemed ‘outside of the norms of society or ‘free of rules’. Being free is not wrong,
but being too free, not knowing limitations is indeed wrong especially in a girl-boy
relationship. Since teenagers are in the phase of trying new things, they might be
easily influenced by smoking, loitering, racing, and even worse to the extent of teen
pregnancy. In the age of teens, teenagers mostly tend not to think about the
consequences of their wrongdoings. They tend to try new things they haven’t tried
before, thinking that those things are great and cool. The thought of not wasting
their youth keeps them doing everything whether it is good or bad for them. As
proof, evidence suggests that approximately 14 in every 1,000 underage Malaysian
girls, or 18,000 overall, become pregnant each year. The Malaysia Welfare
Department reported that approximately 111 unmarried young girls were pregnant
and that the recorded rate was 6 births per 1000 women aged 15-19 years. Hence,
that’s why parents should set a curfew for their children so that they will know their
boundaries. Parents should also explain curfews are set for their good, not wanting
them to be involved in any problems that they will regret later. As the saying goes,
do not cry over spilled milk which means there’s no use doing that, time can’t be
turned back.

Other than that, curfews also prevent teens from any health issues. The reason why it
can prevent teenagers from health issues is that when there are curfews, children will
go to bed early which means they got enough sleep. Research suggests that a teenager
needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. This is more than the amount a
child or an adult needs yet most adolescents only get about 6.5 – 7.5 hours of sleep per
night. If they get enough sleep, it will give a lot of rewarding benefits to them such as
they will be able to give 100% focus and concentration during their studies. As a result,
it can guarantee excellent results and a bright future ahead. So, if teenagers did not get
an average amount of sleep, what would happen to them? There are many
disadvantages if teenagers do not get enough sleep. For instance, teens who are sleep
deprived are more likely to have a variety of negative repercussions, such as an inability
to concentrate, low grades, drowsy-driving incidents, anxiety, despair, suicidal
thoughts, and even suicide attempts. Moreover, studies show that adolescent mood and
exhaustion levels improve when parents choose bedtime especially when it is
reasonable for the child's needs. According to a 2010 study published in the journal
Sleep, children who have a bedtime of midnight or later are more prone to be
depressed and contemplate suicide. The teens' happier, better-rested state "may be a
symptom of a structured family life, not only an issue of bedtime" in households where
parents determine the time for sleep, Carskadon said, "on the other hand, a developing
youngster or adolescent still needs someone to assist them to create a structure for
their lives. Teens are not good at making decisions.

Furthermore, a curfew is indeed crucial because it guarantees teenagers’ safety.
Nowadays, it has become a common case that was shown in newspapers, social media,
and television about crimes that happened especially during midnight. To make it
worse, it mostly happened to teenagers. In most cases, crimes are robbery, rape, and
even murder. According to Police Incident Reports in Major Cities, violent crimes are
most common at night. According to FBI data, there were 1,247,321 violent crimes
reported nationally in 2017, a 0.2 percent decline from the 2016 estimate. This issue
shouldn’t be underestimatedby parents as time can’t be turned back, their children are
fully under their care. If these cases happened to their own children, who are at fault?
That’s why early prevention is needed, which is the best way by setting up a curfew.
Moreover, instead of becoming victims, teenagers nowadays can also be perpetrators.
Can parents imagine if their children were the ones who harmed others just because
they were being too free? It not only ruins their own lives, but they also can ruin their
parents’ lives and reputations. This is because if the crimes were too serious, all of the
family members may be set aside by society to the point they need to move out due to
guilt. In conclusion, curfews not only keep teenagers safe, but they also can help
teenagers’ self-development in becoming useful people in the future, not involving in
any crimes that can eventually ruin many lives.

Last, but not least, despite the pros mentioned above, some parties also agree
that curfews have their own cons too. For instance, curfews can lead teenagers to
depression. This is because teens are the age when someone rebels. The particular
reason is that at that age, they are in the phase of adulting so, they become more
sensitive. When parents set curfews, they might feel like being restrained and
controlled. While other friends of theirs are having fun with each other, having the
best moments in their life, they are locked up instead. As a result, they might hate
parents for doing so, then they choose to be secretive and private where they did
not open up to parents about their problems and sometimes to the extent they
actually feel parents are just like strangers for them, where they are more likely
comfortable with other people instead. In addition, parents nowadays are clueless
about their children’s state of condition whether their children are fine or vice
versa. For example, there are so many cases where parents did not even know that
their children suffered from depression. The moment they realized it was too late,
it was when their children had taken their lives. These cases are too common now.
Due to being too busy working, they do not even have time to check out their
children. To make their work easy, they choose to set curfews for their children
even though their children are lonely and have nobody but them. However, they
forget that setting a curfew isn't the way to go, as much as parents want a simple
solution to keep their children out of trouble. Curfews can also strain parent-child
ties and jeopardize a teen's independence. Hence, curfew also gives cons too.
Every teen is different, what works for one child might not work for another.

In conclusion, even though there are so many cons to setting up curfews, they
still cannot be compared to the pros of curfews. Since teenagers are still young
and growing, they make mistakes. Hence, that is why curfews are made so that
their mistakes won’t affect their lives in the future. As parents who know better
and have lived longer than children, parents need to guide their children in
everything because parents have been in that phase before. But for children, this is
their first experience and their first life, they might be clueless. However, parents
should not demand them to become perfectionists, they need to make several
mistakes in their lives so that they can learn and take responsibility for their
wrongdoings in order to become better people.

08. Final product

Descriptive Essay

I had to use my last savings by crashing my most favourite pink piggy bank to get to
the cooking competition in the big city and was exhilarated about it. Coming from a
poor-family background, it will be the very first time I step foot in a big city which
seems attractive to me because I think there are many exciting things to do there, and
many opportunities to earn a lot of money. As someone who is famous for being
called a villager, getting to the new unknown city was no easy feat for me. My house
was located in a very remote rural area, surrounded by nothing but thick greenery.

Fast forward a few days later and a lot of asking around, I eventually managed to
board a train to the city. I heard a low-frequency rumble noise when the train passed
by. And I finally got to board my first ever train. It was a great and new yet nerve-
wracking experience. As I entered, I sighed while eyeing around for a seat to provide
comfort after a long adventurous walk. However, luck was not on my side as I
boarded the train during the peak time, got no choice but to squeeze myself in the
crowd like a tinned sardine. A few moments elapsed, and my luck turned 180
degrees, a free seat caught my eyes. Knowing that opportunity doesn't come
knocking at the door twice, I quickly picked up my hefty belongings, hugged it in my
arms, and went to the empty spots, pushing myself against the crowd while
murmuring “sorry” a few times. The seat was not fully vacant so I had to sandwiched
myself in between two people. One of them was with an earphone on, jamming away
with the music, while another one was browsing through a newspaper. Boredom
kicked in, so I took a peek at the newspaper that a lady in her 30s was reading, and
something familiar came in sight. I noticed an advertisement for a cooking
competition, and soon realized that it was the cooking competition that I ought to
join. Chills went down through my spine, I was excited yet nervous for the cooking
competition. Doubtful thoughts flooded my mind, with countless unanswered
questions, “Am I good enough? What if I lacked skills? Can I really win this
competition?”

“Ting”, a high-pitched sound lingering in my ears, coming from the bell
surrounded the room, signaling the start of the cooking competition. I was
actually torn between two choices, undecided on what to cook for the judges,
should I do what everyone else is cooking or should I just right away make my
own special dish. After a lot of thought, I firmly decided to play it safe, and went
for the dish that everyone is making, an exquisite chicken dish. I always had a
flair for cooking, even labelling it as my favourite pastime. I started with
chopping the onions. Then, I chop the garlic until it's finely minced into smaller
bits. The steps for the recipe kept flowing through my head, acting as a constant
reminder for myself to prevent any unintended mistakes. I keep on remembering
the whole steps to make sure my exquisite chicken dish is completely done
without any stupid error from me. In deep sigh, while preparing for the final
steps, that is to deep fry the chicken, I had to brag that deep-frying was my all-
time best skill that most of my villagers knew about. So, as someone who had
immense experience in cooking, deep frying would be a piece of cake. Then, I
took out a piece of chicken breast that radiated its crispness on the outside, and
inarguable tenderness on the inside. I seasoned the chicken breast with pinches
of salt and pepper skillfully, then proceeded to gently put it in a deep fryer.
Acknowledging that the final step of cooking was done, my thoughts
unexpectedly shifted away from the cooking and started to daydream about
winning the competition.

Surprisingly, my dream came to a halt when I was snapped out of it by an
unimagined, burnt smell. I was thrown for a loop when I finally realized the
unpredictable situation. I had overcooked the chicken. Everything went south
from that point. “Oh no!” I was lost for words, blank-mind upon that mistake.
My disappointment came across and I started to panic. My mind was racing,
uneasy and uncertain how to react. I gathered up my courage and I tasted the
burnt deep-fry chicken and it was an even worse situation to adapt with. I then
took a few deep breaths, pulling myself together in the process. I tried to
encourage myself to get back on track and I said to myself to boost up my
confidence to fight off the negative thoughts. In a matter of seconds, I managed
to overcome this chaotic ordeal and came out with plan B! Considering the short
period of time, the only option I have on the table is to prepare the special dish
called Rendang Ayam Tok Wan that my dear great-grandmother had taught me
before.

After all of my blood, sweat and tears, changing from one dish to another was
challenging as if I was hanging on a cliff. Now, the most awaited surprise
judging time has begun. While waiting for the final results, my whole body was
palpitating with fear, as if my pulse was unstoppable. “Dup-dap, dup-dap”, the
sounds of my beating heart. At that moment in time, I was announced as the
final winner. I was speechless. I can't move any of my limbs as if I'm a stone.
This cooking competition has become the turning point of my life. I was given
tons of opportunities to show off my skills in cooking. I can live a better life as
my last-minute dish, Rendang Tok Wan, now has gained recognition in the
Asean countries.

08. Final product

Expository Essay

Nowadays, having part-time jobs has become a phenomenon among high school students
and there are many students who follow this trend as well. Even though they are studying,
they still wanted to go out, get a job, and make their own money. There are some parents
who allow and even support their children to work while they are still studying. However,
there are also parents who prevent their children from working because of their own
reasons. Such as, they already know how the work environment was, how hard it is and
their children may be very busy and stressed out because of the pressure. Moreover, this
action leads to many pros and cons that are also attached with it. Though it may seem like
working throughout high school is a bad idea, there must still be advantages in having a
job while in high school. According to the research done by Gil (2014), nearly half of
students, 45 percent, have a part-time job with a third of students working part-time
throughout the school year, according to the survey of 2,128 students. Furthermore, 13%
manage to work full-time throughout the school year, during the holidays, or both.

First of all, what are the pros or also known as advantages of having a job while in high
school? Students absolutely can earn more money to cover their studies. It is because not
all of their family could afford their future caused by financial problems such as poverty.
For many teenagers who need to save money for college or contribute to their family's
household expenditures, working part-time during high school may be unavoidable
(McElroy, 2011). Students' reliance on loans has increased as well, with 67 percent stating
that their student loan is one of their primary sources of income, up from 60% last year. A
quarter also admit to dipping into or being permanently in their overdraft on a frequent
basis (Gil, 2014). Working while in a high school will not be enough to cover all of a
student's educational costs, but at least it can reduce students’ debt, which is excellent
news for the students who work while in a high school. New research shows there are
more students working to pay for their education, with the number of working students
now standing at 59 percent (Gil, 2014). There is also good news that students who work
are just as likely to incur debt as students who do not, the former borrow less. According
to the Georgetown study, just 14% of working students had debts of more than $50,000,
whereas 22% of non-working students have similar debts (Rapacon, 2015). So, it is true
that working while in high school can help students to settle all their financial problems
that are related to their studies or family.

Other than that, Students can gain experiences by working throughout high school
and exploring the working environment. Working develops real-world skills including
interpersonal communication, teamwork, and management. It also will teach
everything that students need for their future career (Webster, 2017). They can at
least prepare themselves to face the future. This allows students to learn how to
budget their own money, which is an important component of becoming self-
sufficient. While working, students can obtain additional experience and improve
their talents. These abilities will aid students in getting the ideal employment in the
future. Working part-time as a tutor, for example, if you enjoy teaching it, you can
enhance your teaching skills and gain more experiences (Bartleby.com, n.d.). When
students go to work, they can gain so much new knowledge about life. They will see
the world in another way, for example they could know about how hard it is to earn
money. They will experience that. So, for those students who decided to work while
still studying in high school, they will become a little bit more mature than their
friends at school because they have faced the challenge that everybody is going to go
through after they finish their study in high school.

Now, let’s move on to the cons or disadvantages of having a job while in high school.
Trying to work part-time while attending full-time classes can be very difficult. It’s
not easy to do all things at one time. Students will be left behind in lessons. This
could happen because they need to juggle classes, homework, their social life, and
the struggle to maintain their sanity (cornerstone.edu, 2017). Most of the students
do not really care about this because they had lost interest in learning and studying
at school, they wanted to go out, explore the world and so on. But, they don’t realise
that school will teach them how to face the future world. When they decided to go to
work, they became busy and forgot about their homework, and all the tasks given by
the teachers. They will also always be tired when they go to school because working
is not easy, they will be very sleepy in class, lose focus and lack social interactions
with friends in class. This has affected many students’ condition in school. For
instance, they won't get enough sleep which can cause them inability to concentrate,
low grades, drowsy-driving incidents, anxiety, despair, suicidal thoughts, and even
suicide attempts. Thus, it is clear that working while in high school can make the
students lose focus about what their teachers are teaching and they will be left
behind due to being busy with their work and career.

Other than that, there’s research proves that students who working while in high
school are easily influenced in open socializing and participate in adults habits like
drinking, smoking, and having sex that leads to behavioral issues. Working
throughout the school year, according to a recent study by a University of
Washington researcher, may impede high school achievement and lead students to
behavioral concerns such as drug use and crime (McElroy, 2011). Negative peer
pressure typically involves persuading people to engage in risky conduct such as
criminal activities, underage drinking, drug usage, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
(AspenRidge Recovery, 2021). When students go to work, they will meet more
people and make new friends without knowing their background, whether they are a
good or bad person. Students may not realize that they will slowly follow everything
that their friends at their workplace did. It doesn’t matter if it is a good thing or a bad
habit. They will do anything to grab their friends' interest so that they want to be
friends back with them. Students can also lose their dignity in just a second if they
don’t take care of themselves well. So, that’s why students need to be smart in
making friends or they will regret it later.

To sum up everything that has been stated, it doesn’t matter if the students want to
get a job or not, they have to think wisely in every aspect. If they feel like they can
handle it, then go on. If they feel like it will bother their study, their time and their
energy, then just focus on studying at school. Students need to realize that one day,
everyone will face the working environment and experience that too and it is just
sooner or later. Students need to manage their time well if they want to get a job
because this is a very serious and important decision as it will absolutely affect their
future. Not every student needs to work while they are still studying, get a job,
collect so much money, finance their lives and struggle so hard in working. Students
actually need to enjoy their life, make memories with friends, spend quality time with
family and so many things they can do instead of just thinking about jobs only. But,
this matter is excluded to students who are really in a difficult situation and having
financial instability. They need to determine their own future, not anyone else.

08. Final products

Narrative Essay

The sun pierced through the sheer curtains of this room. The windows were
ajar, and the curtains delicately moved with the wind. I mustered the strength
to open my eyes as the sun rays prickled my skin. I sat upright and I felt two
warm arms envelope my body into a hug. It was Mama. She was laying down
by my side while I was asleep, but she looked as if she was already up for a
few hours now. My body became rigid in her embrace. My insides felt
disgusting. I was nauseous. “Hey, baby. Come lie down with me,” said Mama
softly with her arms still resting on my lap. I shakily returned to my sleeping
position and stared at the ceiling. “Mama, what time is it? Am I late for
school?” I whispered. “Oh, honey. Forget about school. I want to be with you
today,” Mama answered with a lazy smile, still hugging my frame. Her right
palm slowly slid down to my lower abdominal area, and I flinched. I tried to
stiffen my body in an attempt to lessen the pain I am about to feel from her
touching me. This is the fifth time in the last 24 hours and my private parts
are hurting. My mind suddenly fogged as she slid her fingers into my pants
and my stomach hurled out so much liquid out of me. The hurls happened
several times until the bed was splashed with yellow liquid mixed with pieces
of bread from last night’s ‘dinner’. Mama yelled and I immediately ran for the
bathroom to lock myself in there. She runs after me, but I was quick on my
feet. I locked the door shut and sat on the bathroom floor staring emptily into
the walls. Mama banged and banged and banged on the door, but I shut my
eyes and deafened my ears.

“I am only 5. Why Mama? I am only 5,” my heart sighed. “I miss Dad. He
wouldn’t have let this happen,” I breathed out as my eyes watered.

10 years went by, I am now in 10th grade. After 6 years of continuous suffering, Mama
took her own life. I saw it with my own eyes. I stared at her cold corpse for hours until
Dad came. He wanted to pay me a fun surprise visit. It turned into a funeral. Dad
hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head constantly. I had never seen him in that
state before. It was as if he didn’t want to let go of me ever again. I didn’t understand
why. Since Mama’s incident, my face froze. My body was paralyzed. The constant pain I
felt in my legs and body was overruled by my inability to comprehend everything.
Though, I did feel one thing when Dad held me. I felt safe. Nothing else apart from that.
Dad took me to his cabin down in Akron, Ohio. It was hidden in the tall trees by the
main road. He cared for me properly. I finally got to eat 3 times a day. Sometimes
more. His cabin was cramped, but it was home. For the first time, I had a home.

School was a blur. I didn’t attempt to make friends, which Dad understood and
respected. He attempted many times to subtly encourage me into talking to people at
school or at the park. I never really made it work. However, I did make friends at home.
I made friends with insects and small furry animals. Dad had access to chemical
substances at work, though I have no idea what he works as. I began to ask him to bring
the bottles of liquid more and more every week. I collect jars from our neighbour’s
recycling bin as a part of my project. I trap those creatures and put them into chemical-
filled jars to preserve their carcasses. My fascination towards seeing my collection of
dead animals grew, to the point that I hid the jars in the bottom drawer of my closet.
Dad had always thought I used the chemical for ‘science projects’ at school. “You guys
use a surprisingly huge amount of chemicals at a young age,” he’d say. “Well, we’re
focusing on biology now,” I confidently replied.

I graduated high school, shockingly, and still, I have no human buddies. My lies about
‘going out with friends’ had probably worn off on my dad after all these years, but he
shrugged it off. “What do you think about college, sweety,” asked my dad during dinner
last week. “Gap year. I’m thinking about taking a gap year,” was my response. Those
were the most words I have spoken for a while now. I feel sorry for dad, but I smile for
him as tokens of appreciation. He had always accepted them. He never stopped trying
for me. I am somewhat still a human to him. Throughout my gap year, I shifted my
interest towards this one lady who jogged down my street every day at 8.15 a.m.. She
looked as if she was in her mid-30s. I wait for her every day by my bedroom window
while scribbling out plans. New plans. Dissecting animals have gotten boring for me.
Though my blood still thrills for it.

One blue morning, I asked Dad for his car keys to go out for a bit. “Be safe, darling,” he
reminded. It was Saturday, as a person with no human connection, it is bizarre that I
even left the house.

However, as I walked out, I headed towards the bushes on the pathway and took the
baseball bat that I had hidden last night. I held it close to my back as I checked my
watch. 8.13 flashed in orange light. I paced back and forth in the driveway with the bat
gripped tight behind me. The sound of a jogger’s steps hit my eardrums. The pace was
consistent but it grew louder as I neared it slowly. “Now or never. One second late and
it’s over,” shouted the voice in my head. I swung the bat head-level and banged it into
the lady’s forehead just in time. It wasn’t as strong as I intended it to be but it was
enough. She’s knocked out.

I rolled her body into the backseat of the car hastily. “Stupid, stupid. What now?”
repeated my mind. As I headed towards the driver’s seat, Dad was looking from the
front door. “Hey, what’ve you been doing? It’s been 20 minutes.” His eyebrows raised.
“I was cleaning out the junk in the backseat. I’ll go now,” I replied while getting in the
driver’s seat. Beads of sweat trickled down my temple as I waved him bye and drove off.
I headed towards a hidden lake a few miles away from our cabin. Once I got there, I
carried the body bag and placed it right by the side of the lake. I let the only opening of
the bag tied up tight while waiting for the lady to wake up. While I was setting up my
workspace, the body bag rustled. Slowly muffled screams were heard and the rustles
grew into strong kicking and pushing. Good thing I double-baggedher. I watched as her
energy dwindled. I continued setting up my things and ripped the bag open. I checked
the pulse and it was gone. Oh, the surge of excitement coursed through me like
electricity. In minutes, her body was dismembered into smaller parts. Well, to make it
easier for me to stuff them in jars. Only this time, they weren’t fruit jam jars. They were
large canisters. I repeated the same procedure with the body parts as I did with my
animal friends. However, this time, I felt like taking a nibble. The fresh smell of blood
enraptured me. I took a part of the dismembered legs. The toes seemed pretty with
tangerine-coloured polish neatly coating them. I licked a small part and salvaged the
sour tinge of it. I grazed my teeth over the smallest toe and cracked it off. It was true,
just like munching on carrots. I cracked a few more toes off and finished preserving the
rest. I dug up the ground and hid my jars of ‘cocktails’. I cleaned up the scene and
drove home, the long way round.

With the windows rolled down, I smiled the widest I have ever smiled. With ‘Tiptoe
Through The Tulips’ playing on the radio, I hummed gleefully. I have never been more
ecstatic.

“Oh, hey you’re home! It’s dark already, I was worried for a second,” exclaimed Dad as I
entered the cabin. “Don’t worry about it, Dad,” I replied giddily. “Wow, someone’s
happy,” said Dad. “Never been happier,” I said looking at Dad with wide eyes, like a kid
who just came back from a funfair. I walked towards my room as he smiled. His
eyebrows scrunched as he pondered, “Did I smell blood?”.

Process
Documentation





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