Self-Assessment Essay

Daniel Ogogo

English

Professor Meaker

Throughout this semester, my writing has gone through meaningful growth not only in terms of structure and clarity but in how I think about writing itself. In the beginning, I thought writing was mostly about form having the right format, using the right words, and meeting the word count. But now, I understand that writing is a craft. It’s how we express truths, critique systems, and make ourselves heard. The work I’ve done this semester especially my blog post on The Husband Stitch, my op-ed on financial literacy, and my revised essay on The Big Short and Dumb Money helped me grow in ways that reflect the course learning objectives, particularly in formulating a stance, engaging across genres, and participating in collaborative writing practices.

One of the first major turning points in my development was writing the blog post on The Husband Stitch. That assignment helped me understand the power of voice and purpose. It wasn’t just about analyzing a story.  it was about finding meaning in it and making a point of my own. I wrote about how societal norms can be harmful especially when they give one person control over another’s body or choices. Writing that blog taught me how to formulate and articulate a stance, one of the key course learning objectives. I didn’t just summarize the story I expressed frustration, raised questions about fairness and trauma, and emphasized that everyone should be free to live their life without being controlled. The assignment helped me grow as a writer who isn’t afraid to speak boldly when something feels wrong.

The experience also helped me experiment with tone. I wrote informally, but not carelessly. I tried to balance emotional honesty with thoughtful reflection. At first, I was unsure if it was “okay” to sound like myself, but this blog post showed me that writing doesn’t have to be robotic to be effective. In fact, the more I wrote in my own voice, the more powerful the piece became. I learned that good writing is both personal and purposeful and that tone can make your message hit harder when used well.

This growth carried into my second major assignment the op-ed on financial literacy. That piece pushed me to build on the skills I gained from the blog post, but in a new genre. The op-ed format required clarity, urgency, and evidence. I had to make an argument, back it up, and keep the reader’s attention all while staying within a real-world writing form. That aligns with another major course goal engaging in genre analysis and multimodal composing to explore effective writing across disciplinary contexts and beyond.

If I had to answer the question, “What is writing?” now, I’d say this Writing is how you understand yourself and your world.  Writing lets you take ideas from your head and turn them into something that can move other people. That’s powerful. And that’s what this course helped me see.

I still have goals moving forward. I want to become more efficient with my editing process and more precise with word choice. I sometimes still over-explain ideas or repeat myself. But I now have the tools and strategies to catch those issues and revise with intention. I also want to continue experimenting with genres, maybe try creative nonfiction or write for an online publication one day. This course gave me a strong foundation, and I want to build on it.

This class taught me that writing is more than an academic requirement. It’s a skill for life. Whether I’m writing about finance, literature, or my own lived experiences, I now know how to write with a purpose. I’ve learned how to revise, how to receive feedback, and how to write in ways that are thoughtful, impactful, and real. I’ve also learned that the strongest writing doesn’t just meet expectations, it says something worth hearing.

Investment/Financial Literacy 

Community 

Daniel Ogogo 

English Writing for Humanities and Arts 21001 

2/10/2025 

A community I consider myself to be a part of is the financial literacy and investment community. I am very into investments and constantly checking the stock market for earnings calls and different news that is important to the markets. I define this community as a community that is searching for financial freedom and constantly finding ways to make money and the best places to save money. I believe the community is described as forward looking by people in the community. This is important because a lot of finance and investment is forward looking. When you look to the future you find opportunities that others may overlook. I would say that in terms of outsiders of the group the group is divided into people that make smart investments and people that don’t make good investments. It is also seen by outsiders as very complicated to start investing but this is far from the truth. Everyone is on their own journey with financial literacy and investments, everyone has different situations in their life that make it possible for them to invest or not possible for them to invest at times. Starting is the hardest part. Once you put in a little and you consistently do it you will be surprised by how much your money grows.The word community is very broad and has subdivisions. When you have one community there are always subdivisions, everyone is a part of the community and people tend to divide to others that have similarities with them. For example if you are enrolled in a school you are a part of this school community however you do not talk to everyone. Typically people have their own group of friends that now form a tighter community. Community is a broad word that is used to categorize a group of people.I personally do not use the word at all but I understand that it is very broad, and communities have groups inside of them. Community does not work for some people in the investment and finance community because some believe their methods are better than others and would not want to be grouped with everyone. I believe no matter how much you make or how successful you are in investing you are a part of the community. The word community in general is very broad. I do not believe you can categorize a group of people. Simply because people in a certain “community” may not believe that they are a part of that community. If everyone agrees they identify as being a part of that community then they are a community. The investment and financial literacy community is broad and extensive. The amount of people that have different ideas for their definition of financial literacy and the best investment strategy is very apparent. While it is a community it is obvious to see that people in a community may not agree with each other causing them to think that they are not a part of that community. This shows that the word community is broad and can not be used to categorize people, when people pick a specific community then they are in that community. Also an important note is that when communities there are communities that are closer. And this is seen throughout life that while there may be a large community people in a community tend to be a lot closer to some people then others.

Why is Financial Literacy not taught in school? It is obvious that there is a need for financial Literacy classes however it is not taught in school whatsoever. From a young age we are taught about science, biology, math, english, history, art, music, and the list goes on and on. We are taught about basic things that need to be learned. We are not taught about money at all though. It is actually quite sad. Growing up getting your first credit card after just using a debit card your whole life. You are given this tool that will make or break your financial life and you are given this “toy” with no manual. The credit card has minimum payments that will keep you in debt for years, some individuals believe that the minimum payment is what needs to be paid and that only. Osme believe that you can pay a credit card back whenever you have the money. A credit card was put in place so that you can continue to owe money. Credit Card companies especially ones that do not charge an Annual Fee do not make money off of individuals paying off their statements every month. They make money off of individuals missing payments and owing money. I was once in a lecture and my teacher brought to my attention that if you do not pay your credit card bill you can settle in court. He explained that oftentimes you can settle for much less than what you owe. I was very interested and confused on how this can happen. After doing more research I found out he was not lying. The problem with this method is it is frowned upon. Jobs especially in the finance field look at your credit history and specifically if you have settled with any credit card companies before in your life. They look at these things to assure that you are trustworthy and are responsible with handling money. Maybe you don’t buy the smartest things but at the very least if you buy it you pay for it in full and take responsibility for the things you have bought. Also doing this thanks to your credit score and that makes it impossible to get loans that an individual would use for a house or an apartment or even to get a car. Bad credit is something that is highly frowned upon and has financial implications, so why is it that people are not taught about these things when in school. I start to think about the economy and how America has the best economy in the world. I start to think about how the system works, and how America is the land of opportunity. THe knowledge out there but just like many things in this country success a lot of times if you are not a trust fund baby is merit based. In other words no one is going to give you the cheat code to win the game you have to figure it out yourself. I looked back to my jobs and my life and how every year I make money and it seems like by the end of the year the money is nowhere to be found. Where did all of it go? It went to the economy , excessive spending by us the people is why this country has such a great economy. The value of the dollar comes from us the people and how we continue to spend it for everything little and small. There is no value in a currency if the people do not use it. I look at the covid stimulus payments. We got the money and it went straight into the economy. There was no waiting no let’s save this for a tough time , the money was given to us and put straight into the economy. Americans do not stop spending whether its a credit card or cash. It is so easy to spend money and it is purposely made like this. Just think about every dollar you have had since a kid and what if you had saved it. Most kids have no bills, no reason to spend, they spend on their own free will, they find things to buy. We carry this into our adult years. We spend no time thinking about how to compound this money over time we think more about what we will spend it on and how much we can get with the money we have gotten. This is not by coincidence, this is by design. It is on you to find the info to get out of the endless cycle of spending. These are things taught at a young age. It becomes even harder to do when you hit your 20s. No matter who educates you, no matter who tells you and assists you to get on track, the chances of you reeversing your habits built up over years is slim to know. That is why we are not taught because the system leaves it to you to get education on these things but by the time you get the info and start to learn a lot of times it’s already over. Because the habits you have created will take years to break most of the time. Lack of financial literacy keeps this country rich. Imagine if when we were kids we were taught to spend frivolously and to only get things you need. And that when you get a credit card, pay it off immediately because you end up getting points which are free money and you can stack these points up and go on a free trip. If we were taught this the economy would not flourish as it does now. The economy benefits from reckless spending and lack of financial literacy. America is a business first. I never was taught about finance so I had to make mistakes to learn. I honestly think that tools do not change habits. THe only way to change a habit is to not do the habit for a very long time. Credit is one of the only ways we put trust in the economy now and this is because of 2008 collapse. During the collapse credit score was a non factor and people with default history and bad credit were getting loans to buy houses this led to the collapse as these individuals were not paying their mortgage. I see that caring for a credit score is very important because banks want to be sure that people will pay their money back.I do not think it is fair for credit scores to be viewed negatively when people are spending credit on medical bills. Medical bills are very expensive and a lot of people use credit cards to cover the expenses. It is obvious that this is not fair and care for medicine and hospital bills should be more affordable. Also when people are taking care of their necessities with a credit card. The money problem in America is very broad and needs to be fixed. Inflation is at an all time high and wages are not going up. 

Sources 

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/05/16/1176189034/the-case-for-financial-literacy-educ ation https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/15/middle-class-financial-security/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/13/heres-one-way-stop-living-paycheck-pay check/

A Husband’s Stitch and Eight Bites is really powerful. No one should have control over someone else, especially when it comes to their body and their choices. Both stories show how societal pressures can affect people’s lives in destructive ways. The endings of these stories are very important in showing how the main characters are shaped by these pressures. It is also shown how they ultimately break down because of them. The endings show the impact of these pressures and how these struggles show the harmful effects of living for others instead of yourself. These endings are important to understanding the narrative and the characters, and they drive home the central themes of both stories. In A Husband’s Stitch, the narrator’s life revolves around her husband’s needs and wants. Her actions, from something as small as wearing white during intimate times to the more extreme act of literally stitching herself for him hence the name “A Husband’s Stitch. This shows how much she sacrifices her specific wants to mold herself into what her husband wants. The ending of the story is important because it shows the impact of the sacrifices, both physically and emotionally. She ends up losing her life as a result. She wanted to keep this green ribbon to herself but eventually the husband gets what he wants. She lost herself trying to please her husband. The title A Husband’s Stitch is important when it comes to understanding the theme. The stitch is the final stitch that is added for a husband after childbirth. This is a physical doing that shows how much the narrator is willing to give up for her husband’s wants. The narrator continues to please the husband and neglects what she herself needs and does not allow boundaries at all. Her dying in the end shows importance to the theme of how she gave everything up and it still was not enough but she kept on giving and this ultimately led to her death.This ending is powerful because it speaks to the extreme impact of living for someone else’s expectations. It shows the harm in societal norms. Especially when they force people to sacrifice their own well-being and identity to fit into someone else’s idea of what they should be. The theme of self-sacrifice and possibility of losing yourself for the sake of another is critical to understanding the narrative, and the ending shows how harmful doing this can ve. In Eight Bites, the ending also shows the damage caused by societal pressures and norms. The main character believes that getting weight-loss surgery will solve her problems and make her more happy. She thinks she will be free from the judgment of others, but the ending reveals that this change doesn’t bring her the peace she thought it would bring. Instead, she’s haunted by the ghosts of her past selves, each ghost symbolizing a part of herself that she tried to erase. This ending is important because it shows how much pressure society puts on people to conform to beauty standards and how trends of looking like someone else can negatively impact someone. The ghosts show the different ways she’s tried to fit into these standards. She continuously tried to change things about her body but this did not work as she could never escape the expectations placed on her. A lot of the expectations were self-inflicted as she believed it would work if she continued to change different things.The narrative ultimately shows a huge part of the theme that the problem is not her body. The problem is how she views herself and how society made her view herself. In the end, it is seen that the ghosts show that no matter how much she tries to change, the internal pressure and external judgment will always be there. The theme of self-image that is given to us by societal norms and constant pressure is very damaging. These damaging effects create an obsession with perfection. The problem also is that in society trends constantly change and this leaves the question mark of what is perfect and is it attainable. We see this emphasized through this ending. It teaches that no amount of physical change can fix the deeper issues. The ending symbolizes that there is a big importance of addressing internal struggles rather than looking for external solutions. In the end, both stories make me think about how much work is left to do when it comes to societal expectations. There’s still so much pressure in the world to conform to society’s expectations. The endings are important because they serve as a warning about the dangers of trying to meet impossible expectations, and they remind us that real change comes from within.

Daniel Ogogo

 English Professor 

Meaker 

11 April 2025

 I believe that investing is one of the most powerful tools a person can use to change their life. Not just financially, but mentally and emotionally too. Watching movies like The Big Short and Dumb Money showed me how the lack of access to financial education can destroy lives. The Big Short tells the true story of the 2008 financial crisis and how only a few people saw the collapse coming. Dumb Money shows how regular people fought back against big hedge funds during the GameStop short squeeze, and while some were successful most were unsuccessful. Both movies expose the greed, manipulation, and unfairness that can exist on Wall Street, and it’s easy to walk away from them thinking the whole system is rigged against you. But the truth is, movies like these don’t tell the full story. Wall Street isn’t all bad. Investing isn’t just about big banks making money. It’s also about building futures, growing businesses, and creating real opportunities for regular people. The sad part is that most people never even get the chance to learn about investing. Schools don’t teach it. Parents often don’t talk about it at the dinner table, especially in low-income households. So when people finally do hear about investing, it’s usually from a movie showing the worst parts. The Big Short and Dumb Money highlight real problems, but they don’t focus enough on the possibilities that investing can create. They show what happens when people are lied to and left in the dark, but they don’t show what can happen when people are taught how money actually works. For a long time, I thought investing was only for rich people. I thought it was something risky or complicated, something that could wipe you out overnight. Movies like The Big Short made me scared to even think about it at first. But over time, I realized that with the right mindset, knowledge, and a willingness to start small, investing can be one of the safest and smartest ways to build wealth and stability. Wall Street is far from perfect, but it also gives people a way to own pieces of companies, to grow their money, and to create freedom for themselves over time. Learning about things like compounding, index funds, and saving strategies has opened my eyes. Investing is not just for the wealthy. It’s for anyone willing to learn, take their time, and believe that their future can be bigger than their present. I think a lot of people are scared to start investing because movies like The Big Short show just how much dishonesty happens behind the scenes. One of the craziest moments is when the group visits Florida and realizes the bubble is worse than anyone thought. They meet a stripper who owns five houses and a condo, all bought with loans she couldn’t afford. That scene made it clear that banks were giving out loans to anyone without checking if they could pay them back. It wasn’t about being responsible, it was about making quick money. Seeing that makes it understandable why people today might be afraid to trust the system or believe in investing. Another scene that stood out was when the investors visited the credit rating agencies. When they asked why terrible mortgage bonds were still getting AAA ratings, the agency workers admitted that if they didn’t give the banks the ratings they wanted, the banks would just go to their competitors if they did not give the rates that they wanted. The people we trust to tell the truth were scared of losing business, so they lied instead. If the agencies can’t be trusted, it’s no wonder people second-guess putting their money into the markets. It showed how deep the problem really was and how little the public knew about it until it was too late. Then there’s the scene where they sit down with the people creating and selling the bundled CDOs. The CDO creators openly admit that they don’t even understand everything they’re selling and worse, they don’t care. They knew they were creating a financial time bomb, but because they were making money in the short term, they just kept doing it. That kind of attitude prioritizing personal gain over the health of the system is one of the biggest reasons why so many people today still don’t trust Wall Street or the idea of investing. It’s easy to walk away from The Big Short feeling hopeless about investing. It shows the worst sides of the financial system the greed, the lies, and the complete lack of accountability. But there’s another important message in the movie too. The people who paid attention, who stayed curious, and who didn’t just trust the mainstream narrative were able to protect themselves. They didn’t have huge advantages. They didn’t have inside connections. They had curiosity, research, and patience. That’s something anyone can develop. Even though movies like The Big Short expose real problems, they don’t mean investing is hopeless. In fact, they show why financial education matters so much. If you learn the basics, stay informed, and think long-term, you don’t have to be a victim of the system. You can actually use investing to build stability and freedom for yourself over time.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says that investing consistently, even small amounts, can build real wealth over time That’s why it matters to start, even if you feel overwhelmed. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to care and start small, stay patient, and never stop learning. That’s what real investing is about and it’s something anyone can do. I want people to understand that they matter. Dumb Money showed how regular people were ignored, laughed at, and cheated out of their success because powerful insiders didn’t want them to win. One scene that really stuck with me was when the retail investors, after buying shares of GameStop, woke up to find that trading had been halted. They couldn’t buy more, and couldn’t even sell. It felt like the rules suddenly changed just because they were finally winning. That moment made it so clear that the system wasn’t built for regular people in mind. But even with all of that, Dumb Money reminds us that when you stay determined, you can still make a difference. Another scene that stood out was when the hedge fund managers, like Gabe Plotkin and Ken Griffin, openly talked about shorting GameStop because they believed it would fail. They weren’t investing in businesses. They were betting against them and by extension, betting against regular people. It showed how Wall Street sometimes profits from pain, not growth. But it also showed that when everyday investors come together and refuse to be pushed aside, they can disrupt even the biggest players. That’s a powerful reminder that regular people aren’t powerless. In the film Robinhood a popular investment app decided to ,actually removed the buy button. You could sell, but you couldn’t buy more shares. That move protected the hedge funds and hurt the small investors. It was a turning point that made people realize the system could be tilted against them. Watching that unfold in the movie made me think about how many people might give up after seeing something like that. But even after all of that, Dumb Money also sends a different message you still have power. You matter. And what you build matters. Investing isn’t just for hedge fund managers. It’s for anyone who wants more for themselves If someone reads this and it encourages them to invest five dollars into an index fund or open their first investment account, then it’s worth it. Dumb Money showed what happens when regular people come together and refuse to stay silent. I want this message to do the same to remind you that your future is worth fighting for.One lesson that really stuck with me is that time matters more than anything else. You could invest smaller amounts and still end up ahead, just because you gave your money more time to grow. That’s the real secret. Not timing the market. Not chasing quick gains. Just starting early and being consistent. Like planting a tree, it grows quietly while you live your life.People keep saying they’ll invest later, when things settle down. But life doesn’t slow down. And waiting just delays your goals even more. Dumb Money showed the flaws of the market. It is also very important to understand that the Gamestop/AMC saga was a short squeeze. Get rich quick scheme this was not an investment that is recommended very volatile and dangerous. Get rich quick schemes never work they almost always end with a bunch of people losing money and a few people making a lot of money. Normal people still won in this saga, more normal people lost though. Being the first in your family to invest, to build, to believe it’s powerful. It’s how you change your story.. You have more power than you think. And you’re worth betting on.Movies like The Big Short and Dumb Money do an amazing job of exposing the dark side of Wall Street, but they also end up making a lot of regular people afraid to invest. Both films show real-life moments where greed, dishonesty, and unfairness almost crushed everyday investors. And when you really watch some of the scenes closely, it’s easy to see why so many people end up thinking that the system is completely rigged against them. When you put The Big Short and Dumb Money side by side, it’s clear why so many people are hesitant to invest. Both movies show how powerful insiders bend the rules, lie, and look out for themselves first. They show how the average person is often left picking up the pieces when everything falls apart. And they show how little accountability there is when things go wrong. It’s no wonder that a lot of people, especially people from low-income backgrounds, grow up thinking that investing is just gambling or that the whole thing is a scam.But even with all of that, there’s another lesson hidden in both movies knowledge is power. In The Big Short, the investors who figured out the housing crash was coming weren’t the biggest or the flashiest. They were the ones who stayed curious, asked hard questions, and didn’t just go along with the crowd. In Dumb Money, the retail investors who stood up to Wall Street didn’t have fancy degrees or insider access. They just believed in what they saw and took a risk. The system isn’t perfect, and it probably never will be. But that doesn’t mean you should sit out. It just means you have to be smart, be patient, and be willing to bet on yourself. The investors in The Big Short and Dumb Money didn’t wait for perfect conditions. They trusted their research, took their chances, and changed their lives. And if they could do it, so can you.While The Big Short and Dumb Money are powerful movies that highlight some of the worst sides of Wall Street, it’s important to realize that they don’t tell the full story. These films, along with a lot of the media coverage about finance, focus heavily on the greed, manipulation, and unfairness that can exist in the system. But Wall Street is not just a playground for the rich and dishonest. It’s also one of the most powerful tools regular people have to build real wealth, create financial freedom, and change their futures. Yes, The Big Short shows how banks handed out reckless loans and bundled them into toxic assets. It shows how rating agencies failed to protect investors, and how insiders prioritized profit over responsibility. Those things happened, and they had devastating consequences. Dumb Money shows how hedge funds tried to crush small investors during the GameStop short squeeze, and how trading apps like Robinhood froze buying and selling, hurting the very users they were supposed to serve. Those scenes are real and disturbing. They make it clear that parts of the financial system have been rigged against small investors at different times. Movies like The Big Short and Dumb Money leave out is the other side where millions of regular people quietly build wealth every day through smart, patient investing. They don’t make movies about people who put $100 a month into an index fund for 20 years and ended up sending her kids to college debt-free. They don’t film the young teacher who started investing small amounts in her 20s and retired comfortably decades later. They don’t spotlight the millions of people who use the stock market not to get rich overnight, but to steadily create a better life. Historical data backs this up. Over the past 100 years, the S&P 500, an index that tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. companies, has returned about 10% per year on average. That includes the Great Depression, multiple wars, recessions, and financial crises. Even after events like the 2008 crash depicted in The Big Short and the 2020 COVID crash during the time Dumb Money touches on, the market recovered and kept growing. Every time the system falters, the market eventually bounces back stronger. The people who stay invested, who keep putting money into their future instead of running from fear, are the ones who win over time. And the truth is, Wall Street isn’t just hedge funds and big banks. It’s made up of businesses large and small companies that create jobs, innovate new technologies, build communities, and solve real-world problems. When you invest in the stock market, you’re investing in the future of those businesses. You’re becoming part-owner of companies that power the economy. And through that ownership, you’re able to build wealth, create opportunity, and break cycles of poverty that hold families back for generations. Starting small even with just $5 or $10 a week and staying consistent is how real wealth is built. It’s not flashy. It’s not dramatic. But it’s powerful. And the sooner you start, the more time your money has to grow through the magic of compounding. Investing isn’t just about making money. It’s about changing your mindset about believing that your future matters enough to invest in.The truth is, Wall Street is what you make of it. If you chase hype, you’ll get hurt. If you stay disciplined and focused, you can build something real. And no matter how many movies come out showing the dark side of finance, that simple truth doesn’t change. The media will always highlight the crashes and big losses like in these two movies . They’ll always tell the most dramatic stories. But behind the headlines, behind the scandals, behind the movies there’s a much quieter, much more powerful reality. Every day, regular people invest in their futures. Every day, they take small steps that turn into major victories over time.The Big Short and Dumb Money show the risks. It’s our job to remember the rewards. And it’s our responsibility to invest in ourselves, even when the system isn’t perfect. Because building wealth isn’t just for the elite. It’s for anyone who dares to believe that their future can be bigger than their circumstances.

 McKay, Adam, director. The Big Short. Performances by Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt, Paramount Pictures, 2015. Gillespie, Craig, director. Dumb Money. Performances by Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, and Seth Rogen, Columbia Pictures, 2023.

• Investing Through Film: Lessons from The Big Short & Dumb Money By Daniel Ogogo
• Investing changes lives in many ways and helps build financial literacy
• The Big Short, Dumb Money show how lack of financial education can cause bad outcomes.
• Wall Street can build futures and create opportunities.

• Most schools don’t teach investing.
• Many families often don’t discuss investing as a daily topic 
• Media focus on the worst parts of the system, making people veer away from investing

• Many people lost a lot of their money during the financial crisis 
• Many people took loans they could not afford because banks allowed people with bad credit records to take out loans to buy homes
• Shows huge corruption in the housing market and credit rating agencies, and banks like Lehman Brothers

• GameStop traders were halted from buying.
• Hedge funds bet against small investors.
• Robinhood removed the ‘Buy’ button as hedge funds starting losing GameStop saga was a short squeeze.
• Many lost money despite some gains.
• Avoid get-rich-quick schemes when investing as they statistically do not work billions from shorting the stock (betting against the stock going up)

Growing up in a town filled with poverty, I rarely heard anyone talk about investing. People worked hard just to get by, and the idea of putting money into something like stocks or bonds felt completely out of reach. Most people were focused on surviving the week, not planning for the future. But as I got older and started learning more about money on my own, I realized investing isn’t something only rich people do. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools that anyone can use to create financial stability. It’s not about how much money you make, it’s about how much you invest and how early you start. Even if someone starts small, consistent investing over time can lead to real growth and independence. The problem is, most people never get the chance to learn that. That lack of financial knowledge doesn’t just limit opportunities, it can cause people to suffer. The 2008 financial crisis is one of the clearest examples of how damaging it can be when people don’t understand the system. In the movie The Big Short, we see how a small group of investors saw the housing collapse coming because they took the time to read the fine print, ask questions, and understand the risks. Meanwhile, most of the public didn’t have the tools or knowledge to even know what questions to ask. People were getting approved for mortgages they couldn’t afford, and no one was explaining what subprime loans or adjustable rates really meant. They trusted the system, not realizing that the system wasn’t built to protect them. The Big Short highlights just how important investment literacy really is. The people who lost their homes, savings, and jobs weren’t reckless. They were just uninformed. And while the banks and financial institutions absolutely deserve blame for being dishonest and greedy, the truth is that a better understanding of money and investing might have helped regular people avoid some of the worst outcomes. Knowing how interest rates work, what kind of debt to avoid, or how to spot risky financial products could have made a big difference. It showed me that financial literacy isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary. That’s why I’m passionate about making investing feel more accessible, especially for people in communities like the one I grew up in. I want people to see that you don’t need to be rich to invest. You just need to start with what you have and be willing to learn. For my research, I plan to use credible financial sources like Investopedia, articles by certified financial planners, and real stories from people who started with little and built something for themselves. My goal is to inspire people to take control of their financial futures. I want them to see that even if you come from a place where no one talks about money or investing, you can still break the cycle. You can learn. You can build. And you can invest in yourself.

When it comes to preparing for the exam, I focused on two stories from Her Body and Other Parties. I wanted to make sure I understood them well enough to write a decent essay, so I spent time going over key themes, ideas, and anything that stood out to me. Reviewing the stories helped me feel more prepared, but when it came time to write the actual essay, it was definitely a challenge. Writing under pressure is always difficult, and I struggled to get my thoughts organized in a way that made sense. The essay itself was tough because I barely made it to three pages. At first, I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to say and how to structure my points. I had a lot of ideas, but getting them down on paper in a clear and organized way was not easy. I found myself second-guessing whether I was making my points strong enough and whether I was explaining things in a way that would make sense to the reader. The hardest part was making sure everything flowed together properly, and I didn’t want my ideas to feel scattered or all over the place. Even though it was difficult, I eventually found a rhythm. Once I started writing, I was able to build on my points and figure out what direction I wanted to go in. It still wasn’t easy, but as I kept going, I started to feel more confident about my argument. I made sure to go back over my work to check that my thoughts were sharp, concise, and to the point. I didn’t want to add unnecessary sentences just to fill space, so I focused on making sure everything I wrote had a purpose. Looking back, even though I struggled, I think the essay ended up working out in the end. One thing I hope to improve in the future is making my writing more cohesive. I want my ideas to connect better so that everything matches together nicely. At times my writing jumps from one point to another without transitioning smoothly, and I want to work on fixing that. I also want to work on my vocabulary and use larger words to make my writing sound more polished. I know that using a stronger vocabulary can help my writing feel more professional and make my arguments more persuasive, so that’s something I plan to focus on moving forward.The discussions with my classmates were one of the best parts of this experience. It was very cool to see everyone’s opinions on the stories and how different people interpreted them in their own way. Hearing other perspectives made me think about things in ways I hadn’t considered before, and it reminded me how literature can be understood in so many different ways depending on the reader. Overall, while the essay was challenging, I learned a lot from the experience, and I’m looking forward to improving my writing skills in the future. Glad that I did this though first time writing a in class essay.

I believe the message in Real Women Have Bodies is deep because it shows how society can make people, especially women, feel invisible. The idea that women are literally fading away and no one is doing anything about it is really powerful. It shows how people can just ignore things that don’t directly affect them, even when others are suffering. This happens a lot in real life. People will watch bad things happen and still keep moving like nothing is wrong.The title itself is interesting because it forces you to think about what it means to “have a body.” In the story, women are losing their physical form, but they are still here. It’s like the world decides when a person is valuable, instead of people being valuable just because they exist. That’s not fair.One of the things that stood out to me is how the dresses represent the fading women. The fact that the women are still working, sewing these dresses, even when they are disappearing, shows how people can be taken advantage of. It’s like even when someone is struggling or suffering, society just expects them to keep going, keep producing, keep contributing. But what happens to them? What happens when they are completely gone? No one seems to care. I also really liked the relationship between the protagonist and Petra. It made me think about how love exists even in situations that feel hopeless. What I learned from this story is that people deserve to be seen, to be valued, and to have control over their own lives. No one should be forced into the background, made to feel like they don’t exist or don’t matter. But that’s what happens to a lot of people in real life. The world should be a place where everyone is free to exist, express themselves, and be who they are without fear of disappearing. That’s why it’s so important to change the way society works to stop making people feel invisible and to actually see them for who they are.

I believe the message in Eight Bites is really powerful because it shows how people are pressured to change themselves just to fit into society’s expectations. The story focuses on this woman who goes through weight-loss surgery because she believes it will make her happy, but instead, she ends up feeling like she’s lost a part of herself. That really stood out to me because it shows how people think changing their appearance will fix everything, but in reality, it doesn’t always work that way.The title Eight Bites is really interesting because it comes from the idea that eating only eight bites is the right way to eat. It’s a rule that was just created by someone, but the woman in the story follows it like it’s the truth. That reminds me of how society makes up these rules about what people should look like, how they should act, and what should make them happy. But just because a rule exists doesn’t mean it’s right. One of the most disturbing parts of the story is the shadow-like figure that appears after the surgery. It’s like the part of her that got removed didn’t just disappear, it’s still there, haunting her. That really hit me because it shows how you can’t just cut away parts of yourself and expect to feel whole. Another thing that stood out to me is how the narrator’s sisters all went through the same surgery, and they act like it’s the best thing ever. It’s like they’re trapped in this cycle of thinking that being thin equals happiness, but no one is actually questioning it. That happens a lot in real life. People follow societal norms without even realizing they have a choice. It’s sad because instead of learning to accept themselves, they just keep trying to become what other people expect them to be.What I learned from this story is that people should be allowed to exist as they are without feeling pressured to change. Society makes people think they have to be a certain way to be happy, but that’s not true. Everyone has the right to define happiness for themselves. No one should feel like they have to erase a part of who they are just to be accepted. The world should be a place where people can just be themselves without judgment. But right now, there’s still so much work to do to make that a reality.