Introduction

Welcome to my ENGLCOM portfolio in the form of this blog. This blog/portfolio contains all that I’ve learned and accomplished throughout the term in my ENGLCOM Reading and Writing class with Sir Ariane Macalinga Borlongan, our professor.

Here you’ll be able to read some of my essays including one about High School Love and an Argumentative essay about the implementation of dress codes. Also included in this blog is a Reflective essay about all that I’ve learned and experiences in this class after one term has passed.

High School Love

A High School love life is experiencing romantic love for the very first time. We come from a stage where our understanding of love is the affection we receive from our friends and family to something even more complex. Yes, we may have seen it depicted in movies, heard it sung in songs and narrated in countless of novels but there is nothing that could prepare us for the real thing. At this point in our lives, we are neither mature enough to truly understand what romantic love is nor are we totally unaware of it. For a teenager, love is that new flavor of candy that everybody wants to taste. The adventurous few seize the first opportunity they can to unravel the mysteries of this new emotion while some remain reluctant and afraid of the uncertainty it brings. Some discover that pain and love are two things that always go together; that suffering makes love more meaningful. Then the realization that maybe love has finally introduced itself comes to light, but at the end of the day, when all is said and done, love is something a teenager can only claim to understand.

There’s a difference between infatuation and real love. Infatuation focuses more on the physical being of a person mainly because an infatuation develops within a very short period of time which only gives a person enough time to base their emotions on the physical aspects and nothing more. On the other hand, love gives more attention to the person as a whole, overlooking what is seen merely with the eyes. Falling in love is not as simple as suddenly deciding to love a person deeply and passionately. One can never decide to fall in or out of love. When love comes knocking on your door, you can’t do anything to stop it from coming inside. Unlike an infatuation, love takes longer to develop because it goes through a process wherein the person learns to overlook surface qualities and dig deeper. Love and infatuation are two very different things but they are oftentimes confused with the other. People sometimes are mistaken and assume that an infatuation is already real love and vice versa. Love may follow an infatuation but not all infatuations lead to love.

Dress Codes : Are they necessary? (Argumentative Essay)

Different people have different reactions and opinions when it comes to the implementation of dress codes. Like in our school (DLSU) for example, dress codes even became a political issue; one political party wants to fully abolish the dress code while another political party wants to keep it but do a few modifications. A dress code can be justifiable if used in proper situations that really do require certain attires. In a respectable university, there is indeed a need for a dress code for it to be able to maintain a decent and professional image and an atmosphere conducive for learning.

There is a saying “You are what you eat.” I believe the same thing applies to clothes; you are what you wear. The clothes you wear play a big part on other people’s impression of you. I once watched and episode of “How do I look?” that featured a 40+ year old mother of two who wore skimpy and revealing clothes in public. In one part of the show, the host shows the featured person letters from their loved ones about why they want him/her to change their look. The woman got a letter from her children that said that some of their friends think that she was hooker, even though she wasn’t, because of the way she dresses. This is a clear example that it’s important to know how to dress for the occasion.

If people are what they wear, a university is its students. Students reflect the kind of environment and education a university provides. In my previous school, we were discouraged from going to public places while wearing our school uniforms especially when we are with friends because we tend to be a bit rowdy. This is part of our school’s strategy to maintain a clean reputation. If a student misbehaves out of school premises, and outsiders complain and take note of the school he/she came from, it is the school’s reputation that will be tarnished. The same thing applies to the clothes university students wear because clothes greatly affect one’s image.

Although I strongly encourage having a dress code, it also has its negative effects. As college students, we should be treated as respectable adults. Implementing a dress code gives the impression that school authorities do not believe that we are responsible and mature enough to know what to wear and not to wear in a classroom. Having a dress code also prohibits the students from expressing themselves freely through fashion. It also makes students spend money if in case the ones they currently have are not accepted by the dress code, and then they have to buy new ones.

As a woman myself, I enjoy playing around and experimenting with different outfits and styles but I still believe that there is a time when you can wear your mini skirt and a time when you have to stick to your jeans. People should be mindful of the things they wear in public, especially in school. There are clothes that may seem merely fashionable to you but it may also be seen as offensive by some.  There is still away to be both fashionable and respectable at the same time, be creative.

After one term…

This class was the very first class that greeted me on my first day of college here at DLSU. Knowing that La Salle is a university that values excellence and keeps a high standard of education, I expected nothing less and this class delivered. It was my first class, in a new school and I knew it was going to be a completely different experience from my classes back in high school. It was also my first time having an ENGLCOM class so I really didn’t know what to expect.  Our ENGLCOM class was divided into two components:  one for reading and writing and one for grammar. Our block was also divided into two so we both had a different set of teachers. We wrote different kinds of essays and honed our writing skills in the reading and writing class, while we brushed up on our grammar in the other class. Both classes are important in improving our communicative skills and these skills are a very useful when it comes to almost any job; business, marketing, advertising, teaching, law and so much more.

After one term, I accomplished and learned a lot thanks to our ENGLCOM professors: Ms. Mylene Manalansan for Grammar Class and Sir Ariane Macalinga Borlongan for Reading and Writing Class. I know I’ll miss having ENGLCOM classes (although I have absolutely no intention of repeating ENGLCOM) and I promise to continue improving my communicative skills and adding more to what I’ve learned in the past term.