Late night fire drills, early morning room evacuations, those are a few of the things that come to mind when I think about my first semester at UCF. I didn’t plan on taking five courses this semester but I did, and I am extremely proud of the progress I have made in each course. Learning how to effectively manage my stress, understanding the importance of setting short term goals and analyzing the amount of time spent effectively, are three of the main points I took away from SLS1501 this semester. The Other Wes Moore impacted me this semester in several ways. The main way I was impacted by this inspirational book was by understanding that not everything in my life is left up to just fate or just decisions. The goals I set for myself this semester …show more content…
I learned so much from this book about understanding others and ultimately understanding myself. One takeaway I received from the other Wes Moore that impacted me the most, was understanding that my whole life is not just left up to fate or on the other hand my whole life is not just left up to decisions. Seeing how Wes Moore and the other Wes Moore grew up in the same neighborhood, with the same family structure, income level, and similar qualities, one would believe their outcomes would be similar. Wes Moore explains throughout the book how fate is present here, there were some elements in their life that they could not control. Yet he goes on to argue that there were key moments in both of their lives that allowed them to make a decision, and that one decision impacted their entire life. This allows me to understand that there is a balance in my life, so I should put a reasonable amount of pressure on the decisions I make, but I should understand that some things I cannot control and those things will also impact my …show more content…
By setting objectives I am laying down actual action steps and moves that I need to take in the near future that will help me accomplish my long term goals. I will lay down goals that I want to accomplish and push myself towards those goals. By creating academic deadlines, I am giving myself a structured academic setting where I can put pressure on myself to achieve my goals. The last thing I will do is prioritize the amount of time I spend on activities. Creating a time diary in this class allowed me to evaluate how I spend my day and to see how I should be spending my time. If I prioritize my time and set a schedule for what I want to do with my time I can stay on the right track
The main conflict that Wes Moore faced was surviving and overcoming the troubles and influences in the environments he grew up in. Wes went through many experiences, several of them having to do with the worrying activities that went on around him everyday. This quote describes how all of the people living in the same places as Wes, struggled through the same things, what Wes described to be, “…the deadly streets, poverty, and the twin legacy of exclusion and low expectations.” (Moore 170) This means that the economic issues of these cities directly influenced the inhabitants’ life decisions and everyone had the same expectation for life, nothing good. With this expectation in mind, it is easy to see how these issues continued to affect the
In the passage from The Other Wes Moore, author Wes Moore uses an event to display a moment when he matures and realizes if he screws up his life, he may never get control of his fate back. After getting caught spray painting a wall, Author Wes Moore, AWM, states, “he had control of my destiny–or at least my immediate fate. And I couldn’t deny that it was my own stupid fault”(83).
Wes & Wes Moore could’ve of easily ended up with the same fate. It is the choices they made, the environment they were provided with, the support and choices of their families and the mind set they chose to have the set them apart from each other. The two Wes Moore’s paths went different ways for many reasons but some were more significant than others.
After reading this book I think the difference it makes in life is too continuing go for greatness. No matter how bad it may seem right now in life Wes Moore proved that you can still become something great in life. A quote I took from this book was “Failing doesn't make us a failure. But not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools.” (Moore) I know people who have given up on a lot of things in life because of bumps in the road. I would say this book changes how I look at the lives of others, but in two different ways. One way would be that be can change their life arounds even if they grew up that way. The second would be that sometimes you need to break off from people that might not help you grow in
Despite the belief that people can achieve extraordinary things regardless of their circumstances, One’s environment plays a monumental part in the chances of their success. An example of how environment influences fate is through two men named Wes Moore in the novel “The Other Wes Moore” by author Wes Moore. Author Wes reflects on his and the Other Wes’ life journey and their difficult lives through constant struggle in their neighborhood, school, and family issues. In many ways, Author Wes and Other Wes shared very similar characteristics regarding their personality and environment, but what astronomically differed was their upbringings. Author Wes was given the gift of a supporting background in the form of his mother while Other Wes had
While reading the book The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore many readers come to find out why Wes states, “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (Moore Introduction). What Wes is saying here is that both Wes Moore 's have a very similar life they shared the same name, they both lived in Baltimore with similar histories, yet they had two complete different lives. This is not to say that I agree with the statement, but rather disagree to an extent. I believe that even after being from the same town, having the same name, and both not having fathers at a young age Wes Moore had a more fortunate life that the other Wes Moore. This being because Wes didn’t have a father because
The author Wes Moore had role models early in his life. When younger, his father was there for him. His father a working man in entainment, he wanted Wes to do good so he would be in trouble. In one situation, Wes was acting up his father sat him and gave him a verbal lesson that stuck with for the rest of his life. This made his father the authority figure that he look up to at young age before he died
Your fate is not based upon anyone’s actions other than your own. Both Wes Moore’s experienced a circumstance in which they required a second chance. The decision of how to use that second chance is the vital part to succeeding, for the difficult part learning how to “distinguish between second chances and last chances” (Moore 67). Wes— The author— was given a second chance after joining military school. Although it was originally an unfortunate turn of events, Wes quickly learned the opportunities that surrounded him were to fade rapidly if he did not improve his way of life. This experience is an example of how a single person can set themselves up for success or failure based upon their individual
In “The Other Wes Moore”, by Wes Moore, the author takes the readers through his life growing up as well as the life of someone who was a stranger to him during his childhood but turned out to be a huge part of his life later on. His name was also Wes Moore and both he and the author grew up in poverty and did not have the best childhood. Although they grew up similarly, their adulthoods were the polar opposite. The author Wes Moore became the top in his class, a Rhodes scholar, and studied at Oxford University to later become very successful. On the other hand, the other Wes Moore is in prison for the rest of his life for a robbery and murder. How did these two grow up so similarly, yet had completely different adulthoods?
In a person’s life, one must overcome obstacles that have the potential to either negatively or positively impact their future. Whether it is a serious obstacle, such as being involved with drugs, or a minor obstacle, such as procrastinating an important essay for the night before it is due, the choices people make can influence the way they live their lives. In Wes Moore’s inspiring non-fiction book, The Other Wes Moore, two boys with the same name start off living a few blocks away from one another, but turn out to be completely different individuals. At first, they were both troublemakers, getting in trouble with the law. However, as time progressed, the author, Wes Moore, became a Rhodes scholar and quite successful, while the other Wes Moore was sentenced to life in prison. The difference between these two men was the surrounding influences that shaped their growth as people. In a person’s growth, the most important factors are a positive role model in a positive environment because a positive role model will provide the path to success and will aid that person in achieving prosperity.
In “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” written by Wes Moore the author writes about two boys growing up in Baltimore that share the same name and similar backgrounds but end up taking drastically different paths in life due to many varying factors. The author goes on to earn a college degree, become a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran and more while the “other” Wes cannot avoid the inevitable fate of dealing drugs and ultimately spends his life running from the police and in prison. This reflects how both Wes Moore’s became products of their environment as the way a person is shaped and guided in their developmental years does unquestionably play a large role in the type of person they will become as adults. A lot of elements come into play that help to determine a person’s success or failure, but at the end of the day the most important factors are family, education and opportunities.
“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (Moore, 2011). This quote perfectly describes the book The Other Wes Moore. This book was a story about two people who have the same name and grew up in similar environments, but had very different lives. The author of the book, Mr. Moore, became successful and was given the opportunity to receive “one of the most prestigious academic awards for students in the world” (Moore, 2011). On the other side of the spectrum, the other Wes Moore “will spend every day until his death behind bars for an armed robbery that left a police officer and a father of five dead” (Moore, 2011). Mr. Moore decided to contact the
In their respective life journey, both Wes Moores often found them facing with some hard choices or decision to make or standing at a crossroads of life change without knowing which way to turn. Therefore, “for all of us who live in the most precarious places in this country, our destinies can be determined by a single stumble down the wrong path or a tentative step down the right one” (Moore xiv). During their early childhood, both Wes Moores struggle at school and had troubles with the law. However, for the author Wes Moore, attending the military school was the biggest turning point in his life. Aware of his mother’s determination, his family’s sacrifice, and encouragement from classmates and instructors as well as the influence of role models, the author Wes Moore finally made up his mind that he wanted to succeed in the military school. At the end, the author Wes Moore fulfilled his dream and did well academically from then on. On the other hand, the other Wes Moore had tumbled on a series of missteps along the road: dropping out of school, getting involved with drug trade, committing violent crimes, and being a father of four when he was so young and immature. Even though there was a time when he tried to reinvent himself: joining the Job Corp, getting a high school diploma, and finding some decent jobs, the reality and his making-quick-money mentality eventually brought him back to the original path with no return. At last, by committing an armed robbery that left a police officer dead, the other Wes Moore irreversibly drove himself to the dead end of life. Obviously, based on their early life experiences, both Wes Moores would have gone the same route to failure. Nevertheless, at some critical points of their lives, the author Wes Moore made some good choices with intervention and guidance of good people while the other Wes Moore lost his footing under undue
Expectations influence who we become. Many factors come into play when we assess the lives of both Wes Moores introduced in the short novel The Other Wes Moore. Some of these factors are the expectations that shaped each man’s life. Moore illustrates his point when he writes, “The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves”(126). The explanation to the quote was it will help people to see the expectation of “thinking outside the box” means that think freely for themselves with better judgment in everyday life for their moral action in their society. Expectations from others have a strong impact on the choices an individual makes, and both Wes Moore’s choices were strongly influenced by the expectations
“I guess it’s hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances” (Moore 67). This is a powerfully central theme to the book The Other Wes Moore, written by Wes Moore. For the two men this book is about, it all begins with a wide-open future. The mothers that gave birth to them and the influences they had, along with their own powerful choices, sealed their fate . People don’t ever stop growing or improving and the two Wes Moore’s are no different. Throughout their lives, they are constantly changing and in some places calling the shots. One chose correctly, and one did not.