As I sat down in front of my computer to begin writing this essay, the phone rang. It was my friend Chris, asking me if I wanted to go jet skiing with his family. I noticed that it was a beautiful day as I looked through the kitchen window. I pressed the phone tight against my ear as I contemplated weather a stress free day, an escape from the tedious Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, was worth 400 points. I thought to myself, "Not doing a 400 point assignment means an F for the semester, which means hopes for good college opportunities ....