The End is Near

It is May. Graduation is almost here, and we can see the end of the school year quickly approaching. In a few short weeks the freedom of summer will be upon us. My advice to you though is you need to keep school in mind because these last couple weeks can be critical to your grades. Teachers always want you to end the year on a good note so make sure to take advantage of this. You’ve worked so hard all year long the last thing you want to is screw it up because you caught a bad case of senioritis. Make sure you turn everything in on time and you do every assignment given to you even if it is optional. The extra boost in your grade will make things easier if you really get a desire to slack off later.

For the record, you can totally get senioritis as a junior. Trust me. I can attest.

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The Addcitive Powers of Netflix

It is literally a vortex that sucks all of your time, motivation, and really just any desire to do anything else all day. You all know what I'm talking about. That’s right, Netflix. You can turn it on one minute and the next thing you know four hours have passed and you haven’t even started studying for the big test you have tomorrow. It is addictive, and alluring, and terrible, yet the best invention ever. Netflix allows me to get my fix on all the latest television shows without the annoying interruptions caused by commercials. I mean no matter how many times I see that talking lizard; I am not going to switch my car insurance right then and there. I am more interested in who prince farming picks to give his final rose too, or who really killed the model before her big career launching runway show.  I have patience for many things, but not for commercials that interrupt me when I'm trying to procrastinate on my homework.

I think I do have a serious problem however; it’s gotten to the point where I tell myself, “I will do my homework while watching the latest episode of Drop Dead Diva”. When in reality I know I might get one or two math problems done in one hour long episode. I really hope I am not alone on this. Netflix addiction is probably the reason for my grades not being as good as they could be. But at this time of year I am constantly faced with this question: I could do the pointless busywork that my teacher assigned, or I could watch a murderer get brought to justice. More times than not the latter wins. It’s bad. I know. So my advice to all you high school students out there, don’t be like me. Getting addicted to Netflix is a huge detriment to your overall grades.

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We the equalists

Feminism is supposed to stand for equal rights for men and women. However it has become a term with negative connotations associated with it. There are radicals out there who have turned a movement of equality into the exact opposite, punishing men. This then sparked meninism, as a defense for the male gender. In my opinion, this whole issue has spiraled out of control. What ever happened for just fighting for equality? That’s it. Period. All humans, black, white, Mexican, male, female, transgender, gay, straight, bisexual, everyone. I would consider myself a feminist, in that women should be treated (and paid) the same as their male counterparts, however that’s the extent. I don’t want to demean men, I want to elevate women. Make sense? So from here on out, I propose that all of us who believe in equality rather than one gender dominating of the other be considered equalists.

Radical Feminism

Equilists

Meninism has arisen in response to the ideas of radical feminists. There have been a ton of different memes ans sayings all over the internet displaying this view. As much as it might pain me to say it, some of their points are valid. But, they, like radical feminists, do cross the line at times. The whole thing is a slippery slope from fighting for equality to being sexist against the opposing gender. It is extremely important (now that we are equalists) that while we strive to gain rights for other people that in doing so we don’t try to take away rights of others.

Throughout history women have always been thought of as second to men. It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.  Men did the “important” things like work for a living, run for political offices, and generally contribute to society. While women tended to stay home to raise the children and take care of the house. I mean it wasn’t until the 19^th amendment ratified in 1920 that women even had the right to go vote in national elections. But, nowadays things have started to equal out more. Women are working; they have high ranking jobs, and hold political offices just like men. But, we are still not perfectly equal.  It is a known fact that if two people worked the same job, and had equal skill level at said job. If one were a women and the other a man, the male would be paid slightly more. Which by all means is not equality yet. As equalists we now believe in the equality if both genders in matters similar to this.

Wage is just one aspect of society that demeans women and how they are viewed and respected.  While we do need to stand up against those situations and fight for all genders to be treated fairly, we cannot go overboard. That’s what gave feminism such a bad connotation to it.

Even in high school this debate gets talked about and discussed among peers a ton. I could be walking down the hallway and someone will be wearing a meninist T-Shirt, or another group of people will be talking about a protest that happened advocating for women’s rights. So this issue is very relevant even to today’s teens, because however this issue gets resolved will affect how we live in the future and what kind of society we will live in. I just hope that in the future there won’t be issues still about how a group of people are being oppressed, or targeted, or being mistreated. I mean haven’t we learned our lesson yet? Why does our society keep insisting, generation after generation that some group of people is inferior to another. I mean to me it seems perfectly clear that we “have to treat others the way we want to be treated”. Any little kid knows that, so why is it that our main issues are debating whether gays can get married? Or riots that police are targeting African Americans?  I just don’t get it. This issue should have been settled a long time ago. Here’s a radical idea for you: everyone is human, everyone deserves to be treated equally and fairly in this world. There are certain factors that people just can’t help or change what they are. This includes race, gender, and sexual orientation. So why should you get more rights as a human because you somehow got lucky and were born as a who you are? No reason. I fight for equality of all, not the oppression of others so that I seem better.

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The Problem with School Dress Codes

A pretty controversial topic over the years has been the dress code at schools. Some say girls need to dress more conservative as to not distract the guys from their work while others say this is a violation of the right for girls to express themselves. My take? Most of the reasoning is a load of crap.

I did a blog post earlier and I mentioned that I thought girls should be careful about how much skin they show at school, and I do believe this, but not because of some ridiculous reason that it will distract guys too much. I think that while school isn’t a job, it is still at a somewhat more professional standard than hanging out with friends. You want your teachers to take you seriously as you would want your boss or manager to. So, personally I would recommend that students should dress on the more conservative side.

However, I am also a firm believer that girls should dress for themselves and not for anyone else.  So if students feel comfortable dressing in a more provocative manner and that’s their style then they should be able to express themselves. If they want to risk their reputation they should be able to. I mean it should be there decision.

I agree there can be some regulations so that students don’t show up in just their undergarments and call it free speech, but there shouldn’t be much more than that. I also am convinced that there is a huge double standard in our school dress code for males and females. Here’s my evidence:

I would be sent to the office and sent home due to a dress code violation if I wore this to school, because of the spaghetti straps and school officials would call it too revealing.

But, a guy can walk down the hallway wearing this with no repercussions.

 I mean can a piece of fabric like this really even be considered a shirt? and this is more conservative than some of the other stuff I see at school.

Im not trying to limit guys now too. My point is, at least hold male and females to the same standard.

I fail to see how my outfit is somehow more “distracting” than that of my male counterpart. Just saying.

Word count: 387

Latest Fashion Trends

As spring comes back around this year so does a new set of that latest fashion trends to hit the high school scene. Personally, I am probably not the most fashion forward person but I still do notice what things are in and out of style. Here are my favorites:

1)      I have noticed that fashion trends of the past have come back with a new twist. My first example is crop tops

 

These first came into trend in the early 90’s and now they’re back. I actually really like this trend because they are super cute and show a little skin. I think they look best with either high wasted shorts or a skater skirt, but you have to be careful when wearing these to school because you don’t want to show too much skin. But when it’s a hot summer day these things will keep you both cool and look adorable.

2)      My second trend I want to mention are fun pants and short! I'm not sure what they are actually called but I just like them because they seem really comfy and adorable.

 

These remind me of pants that could be found in the seventies back when disco and LSD was all the rage. I would pair these with a plain shirt (which could be a crop top?) and some cute sandals. I mean it’s as if you were wearing pajamas to school. What could be better than that?

3)      Combat boots! Another one of my favorite trends because of their comfort.  I mean unlike heels you can actually run and move in these things.

 

 

You can wear these with your everyday school clothes, or you could dress them up and wear them with a skirt. One of my favorite outfits would be a crop top, cute little skirt, tights, and these combat boots. It sort of toughens up an otherwise “girly” outfit.

4)      Winged eyeliner. This looks super cute on people if they are good at making it. Unfortunately I haven’t mastered this talent yet but I admire those who have. It’s not as easy as it looks.

 

This reminds me of the 60s and, when done right, is adorable. I would definitely like to see this trend stick around for a while.

 

Overall I have noticed that a boho vibe has taken over the fashion scene, with the flowy fabrics and the floral patterns. I do approve of this trend because it is more laid back and comfy and seems pretty simple.

Word count: 431

 

Studying for AP Exams

As we all know AP exams are coming up and they can be extremely stressful when trying to prepare for them. There are equations you have to memorize, words you have to be able to define, concepts you have to understand, laws you have to know and all of the exceptions that come with. It’s a lot to do in not a lot of time and I have some few tips to help get you through it.

1)      When trying to memorize a ton of equations, try using flashcards. I know this method isn’t unique or new, but it works. Then you sit down and go over them until they are all memorized. I know for AP Physics especially there are a lot of equations that you need to know that aren’t provided on the equation sheet, so this method is great for the last minute memorizing I'm about to do.

2)      Do all of the review sheets that the teachers give you. The school year is a really long time and you probably don’t remember every little thing that was discussed at the beginning of the year. If your teacher doesn’t give out review sheets you can always go online and other teachers have posted their review worksheets. You should go over past material before taking your big test.

3)      Many times teachers will give out finals before AP exams to try to help prepare you. I suggest using this time to really focus on what you need to review before the AP exam.  Look at what you missed on the final and look at those subjects first when studying.

4)      Don’t stress out too much. While I do believe that you do need to study in order to prepare for the exams, there is a point where you have to realize that you know what you know. There’s nothing you can do to change it but chances are that you know the most important concepts anyway and you have to trust your instincts. Take your best guess because you probably do know the right answer.

5)      Stay focused. I know you have been studying all year and are getting tired of working so hard and all you want to do is stop worrying about it. But it after the couple hours it takes to complete your exams, you will have nothing to worry about. You don’t want to regret not studying as hard as you could have because you got a crappy score. I mean you did work hard all year to get good grades and you want to be able to show that off. Besides, if you do well enough it could save you hundreds of dollars on tuition fees if you pass out of some basic classes.

I just want to wish all of you good luck on your exams and best wishes while studying!

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Why Mondays Suck

I think we can all attest to the fact that Mondays suck. Like a lot. We have to go to school again, deal with homework again, wake up early again, and actually have to have social interactions with people. I mean we are tired because we spent all Sunday night doing the homework we should’ve been doing all weekend but decided to save it for the last possible minute and the last thing we want to do is go to school to face our responsibilities.

All we’ve done this weekend was stay in bed watching Netflix, so to actually do things on Monday is always a struggle. Without fail, every Monday will feel like the longest day of the week. I don’t know if it’s just me but usually I'm counting down the hours until I can go home and take a nap.

I think Mondays are especially terrible because you know that you have four more days just like it until the next weekend when you can go back to doing nothing all day. Just the way you want it am I right?  I mean during the week you are literally up doing stuff for most of the day, while on the weekends you can just stay in your bed all day if you chose to do so. Also, you don’t have to worry about homework until Sunday night and by then the Monday blues are already starting to hit you. Maybe that’s why we stay up too late Sunday nights? We are dreading the upcoming Monday and just don’t want this weekend to end.

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Dealing with Rising Tuition Fees

I just wrote a post about picking the college you want to go to. But with college, usually, come debt. So here are some ways to help manage the extent your debt.

1)      Start saving early. I know it’s hard, but don’t spend all of your money. You need to save a little for the future, whether it’s to help with tuition, or for some spending money you will probably need it sometime in the future. I also wrote an earlier post about finding a job while in high school, and I would suggest getting one even if it is only a couple of hours a week it will help.

2)      There are tons of scholarships out there that you could apply for. I know they can take a long time and not be for a lot of money but every little bit helps in my opinion. Even if it’s only for 100 dollars its 100 less that you have to spend. Plus if you apply for more than one, they can really add up.

3)      Like stated in a previous post you don’t have to go to the most expensive school to get the best education for you. Try looking at your local state school, it could be more prestigious than you realize and typically one third of the cost of an elite school. To be successful is really all about your personality and how hard you work at your job. Plus, if you decide to go to a less expensive school you won’t be in as much debt and it will take you significantly less time to pay off your student loans. Which leads into my next point,

4)      Student loans. For most, they are inevitable if you want to even attend college. I mean who has ten thousand dollars just lying around?  And that’s on the cheaper end of college possibilities.  Some can cost upwards of fifty grand per year to attend, and if you get a four year degree that’s two hundred grand alone. That’s literally a house, like a decent house.  Unless you’re really rich and your parents are willing to pay that for you, you might have to look at student loans. They are an unfortunate sacrifice to going to a decent college, and can take years to pay off. You really want to minimize how much you borrow so you can start spending your money on stuff you want as soon as possible. Hence, the need for scholarships and jobs.

Helpful Tip: Control your spending, and I would suggest, if you can, putting at least fifty percent of your paycheck into savings. You’d be amazed at how fast that money grows. Good luck.

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Picking Your Perfect College

It is getting to that time of year when you need to start thinking about which colleges you are going to apply for if you are a current junior. It is important to choose the college that is right for you so that you get the most out of your education and have the greatest chance of finding a job once you graduate.

First thing, it is important to pick a major or have an idea of the general category in which your major is in. You don’t need to be 100 percent set on this because you can change it later if you find out you aren’t that interested in it. Picking a major that you would like to pursue will narrow down your college options. There are thousands of colleges out there so it helps to know what to look for. When you have an idea of what you want to major in, you can search for colleges that specify in what you are looking for. You want to make sure your college will have the best education for your particular subject.

You will also want to look at your potential college’s website to see your chances of getting into that college. I mean you don’t want to pay the 90 dollar application fee if you have close to no chance of getting in. You might want to check out: average standardized test scores for incoming freshman, the average grade point average, the acceptance rate,   and sometimes you can even find what specific things administrators are looking for when reviewing applications. While on the website you can learn even more about what this college is like. I would specifically look up your major and what that’s like.

It is also important to like the location you are moving to, the size of the school, the average class size, tuition, and any other specific criteria you are looking for. I mean you are going to be living there for the next four to six years of your life so you need to feel comfortable. You will also have to look and see how far from home it is and make sure you are okay with that distance.

I suggest that when looking for undergraduate schools you don’t need to go for the most expensive just because they are more prestigious. I have learned that it might help you get a job in the future, but more for graduate school. So, you could save a whole lot of money if you went to the less expensive school for your undergraduate degree, then you could transfer to the expensive prestigious schools for your graduate education. That way you are on the same level who went there for all six years but you would have paid especially less. But the most important thing is that you still get a good education and really figure out what you are passionate about. Being successful isn’t just about what school you go to, it’s about how good you are at your job and how passionate you are about it.

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The New Apple update for iphones

In the description of the new software update for iPhones it says “redesigns Emoji keyboard”. While that is true it also adds more Emoji’s to your phone, and now you can add little symbols of all races to your text messages. This has been getting a lot of hype recently on the internet and I would like to congratulate Apple for trying to become more racially diverse. Let the memes begin! 

 

 

Photo Creds: http://d236bkdxj385sg.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Emoji.jpg

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New Movies

So I know this might seem unrelated to “surviving high school” because this post is going to be about movies that are coming out that I am really excited to go see. But, everyone needs some downtime once and a while, and what better way to spend it than at the movies? I have done a post about teen TV shows that high school students should watch, so why not movies? School can be stressful, so it’s okay to take two hours of your day to indulge yourself in someone else’s fantasy world, right? I think so.

First off, I went to a friend’s birthday party the other day and we went to go see The Longest Ride. It is the newest Nicolas Sparks story to hit the big screen, and it was pretty much what you would expect from him. Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Something tragic and heart wrenching happens. They live the rest of their lives madly in love. While this was super sappy and total chick flick, I found it slightly less cliché than the other Nicolas Sparks movies I've seen. I would also say it is pretty graphic for a PG-13 movie, there were middle school aged girls sitting behind me and they gasped a few times for how much was shown during a sex scene. I thought it was a beautiful story and thought it was (slightly) more realistic than some of the other romance movies I have seen. Also, I might have mentioned in a previous blog post that I might have a celebrity crush on Britt Robertson. Anyways, would recommend if you like sappy romance movies like me.

Next are movies that haven’t come out yet, but I am dying to see.

The Age of Adeline looks like another beautiful yet tragic love story. This time the female doesn’t age. Ever. I've always liked Blake Lively ever since her Gossip Girl and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants days.  I feel like I haven’t seen her in anything recently so it’s nice to see her star in an upcoming feature film. It’s set to some out in later this month (April 24^th) so hopefully I will be able to go to the theaters to watch it.

Keeping with the theme of Britt Robertson, I am really looking forward to see Tomorrowland.  As we all know I am a geek, so I think it seems like a really cool concept about a pin that transports you to another world. I mean what could be better than a sci – fi (ish) movie with Britt Robertson? I just hope that the whole concept appears “plausible” and that there aren’t any major logical or logistical gaps in their reasoning.  (Did I mention I was a nerd?) Anyway this movie is set to come out May 22^nd.

The last movie I want to talk about is Little Boy, I saw the trailer for the first time in theaters when I went to see The Longest Ride. I think this looks like this is going to be both a heart breaking and heartwarming story about a little boy who wants to bring his father back from the war. I can’t wait to see this one. It’s set to come out April 24^th.

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Finding a Job

Recently I have been looking for a part- time job so that I can start earning money for college, and so that I can get my parents off of my back. I just sat down one day and filled out a ton of applications online and sent them in. I have realized that finding a job is not as easy as it may seem, especially if you are as busy as I am. It tends to turn off perspective employers when you say you won’t be able to come in to work until 6:30 every weekday. But, nonetheless I still need to find a job.

I have also found that the application process is a lot more difficult than expected. Sometimes you will be required to answer multiple questions and they’ll test your character, and these “tests” could take upwards of an hour each. So, when applying make sure you have enough time on your hands that you won’t be rushed and are able to sit down and really think about what the question is asking.

I have found that the place with the most flexible hours is the grocery store chain in our town, Hy-Vee. They hire a ton of students and are pretty understanding when it comes to sports or other scholastic obligations. Plus, the pay isn’t horrible. Their application is completely online and super easy to fill out and send in.

Another thing to keep in mind when applying for jobs is to be patient. Sometimes you will get a call right away to schedule an interview and sometimes it might take a month. It all depends on when they are hiring, how many people they are hiring, and the job they are hiring for. So don’t get discouraged when it might take a while to hear back from somebody.

When going in for your interviews make sure you are personable and you talk clearly. I've been to an interview that took an hour and a half, but I have also been on an interview that took twenty minutes. The people who are interviewing you know it can be nerve – racking and they are typically really nice people. From what I've seen most of the time they want to see you succeed so there really shouldn’t be any reason for you to be nervous.

Before going to an interview it is important to be as prepared as possible. I recommend these things:

1)      Think of some questions to ask the interviewer. At the very end they will ask you if you have any questions and it looks good when you have them. It shows the potential employer that you have really thought about the job. I typically ask, for example, when I will hear back if I got the job or not. This is also helpful because it gives you a timeframe to look for instead of you just guessing.

2)      Make sure you look decent. I'm not saying wear a suit to a cashier job interview, but don’t show up in Pajamas or something like that. They want people who can take care of themselves because it gives them some indication of what you will be like if hired.

3)      Know your social security number. I don’t know if it was just me but before I started looking for jobs I had no idea what mine was and had to look it up when applying. They could ask for it if you happen to need to fill out any paperwork.

4)      Be on time. Don’t be late. It sets a bad precedent for the future.

5)      When speaking, be clear. You might have to deal with customers at your future job and if the interviewer can’t understand you, then they’ll think the customer won’t be able to either.

And lastly, good luck! I wish you all the best of luck on your job searches.

Word Count: 648

Fandoms

There is a relatively new fad that has taken over some aspects of our high school society, “fandoms” are popping up everywhere and for me, the meaning of the word has taken on a whole new meaning. When you used to hear of the word you would think of a particular sports team but now, you think of TV shows or video game usually related to the supernatural, science fiction, fantasy, or anime. There are new adjectives that you are going to be able to use to describe someone such as a “fangirl”, or I have even heard it used as a verb in more than one instance. For example “She is fangirling” meaning she is kind of freaking out over her fandom.

Personally I think this is fantastic, because as we all know I am a huge nerd, and I may or may not be a fangirl of Dr. Who. But I think this is a great way to get together with other people who have the same strong feelings about a particular show that you like and be able to nerd out together. There are a million websites online that you can go to and read/ chat/ blog/ communicate to fellow members of your fandom of your particular show and can fangirl out with other people, which, makes it twice as fun.

Word count: 226

Things to do in order to boost up your college Applications

It is still crazy to think that soon I, along with my entire high school class, will be applying to colleges soon. In five short months we will be sending out all of the applications to potential schools and will have to decide where we want to attend for the next four years of our lives. I mean it’s a huge decision. You will be spending thousands and thousands of dollars on this school and you want to be sure to pick the right one for you so you don’t waste all the money. But first, you need to be accepted.

I have heard so many things about what college admission representatives are looking for when reviewing applicants and I think there are some things you can do to make your application stand out.

1)      They like to see that you tried and pushed yourself in high school. So when picking classes try not to go for the easy route, as long as you can maintain a decent GPA I would suggest taking harder classes to show that you have ambition and aren’t afraid of a challenge or working hard.

2)      Get involved in clubs and sports. Even if a certain club only meets like once a week, the more you participate the more you can add to your college application. You want to make yourself look as good as possible, so the more you are involved the better.

3)      Be careful when writing your essays. Make sure to go over them as many times as you can and give it to teachers, parents, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. to try to get as much feedback as you possibly can so that you are putting your best work out there for the colleges to see. Your college application is the reason why you worked so hard in high school, so you wouldn’t want a silly little grammar error keep you from your dream school.

4)      Make sure your tests scores are up to your standard. You can take the SAT and ACT more than once, so why not take them until you are happy with your score? I am pretty sure this is one of the first things colleges look at because when you look up colleges, sometimes they are ranked by their average ACT score.

5)      The goal of this application is to show the colleges what you are made of, you want to seem driven, hardworking, and ambitious. You work SUPER hard all of high school and you do not want to slack off when it comes to college applications.

6)      Try to get as many letters of recommendation as possible. You can get creative on who writes them because it doesn’t necessarily have to be teachers. You could try your employer at work, or your supervisor if you volunteer. I think the more unbiased opinions you can put in there the better, because it is one of the only parts of the application where you aren’t bragging on yourself.

I think it is important to note that if you are looking at the more prestigious colleges because you think they will make it easier for you to get a higher paying job in the future, I would tell you to consider other colleges as well. I think where you go for graduate school is going to be more important than where you go for undergrads. Yes, the argument could be made that if you get your undergraduate degree from a prestigious school it would be easier to be accepted into their graduate school, but you could save a whole lot of money if you consider other schools.

Word Count: 609

Spring Is Finally Here

I don’t know about where you live, but the weather is finally starting to warm up where I am at. The birds are back, the sun is out, the grass is getting greener, and, unfortunately, we still have to continue to go to school. This time of year is always especially hard because it is finally nice outside and you are stuck sitting inside under fluorescent bulbs listening to lectures about acid-base reactions, or finding the derivative of a function. I know I am only a junior but I feel like I have a bad case of senioritis. This is also the time of year when the girl’s golf season gets up and running, so every day after school we are outside practicing. This is especially bad because we all know that AP exams are coming up and it is almost time to start reviewing and studying for those babies.

All you want to is relax in the sun before it gets too hot outside, but no, you have to study your butt off for the AP exams.  This year I am taking four: AP language and composition, AP Physics1, AP Chemistry, and AP U.S. History. I feel like I am going to regret this decision later.

Also with spring, I have started looking for a job. I will probably be writing an entire blog post about this later, because it is turning out to be harder than expected. I have applied to many places and hardly anyone has contacted me back. Anyways, if you’re looking for a job as well just wait, there’ll be a blog coming to help.

The summer is almost here and the most important thing right now is to stay focused on your school work and not get distracted by everything else. I know it’s not fun and there are more exciting things you could be using your time for but you will regret it later if you let your school responsibilities slide. So to keep on track make sure you get as much done as you possible can while at school so then when you come home in the afternoon you will have less to do and more time to relax or work on other projects.

Just a side note here, I don’t know if it’s just me, but one of my favorite parts about spring is all of the thunderstorms. I know it’s a weird thing to like but, strangely, I find them calming. I know, I'm weird. Don’t Judge.

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Spring Break

Congratulations to all of my fellow students who are now on spring break. It’s finally here! I know it has been a long time coming but I am proud of all of you for making it. I hope that you all take this week to relax and have fun. Whether you are going on a Caribbean cruise or planning on staying in bed all day I hope all of you will be able to let go of the stress from school and just sit back and relax.

Many of my friends are going on vacation this week, and I am a little jealous. I plan on getting caught up on my homework, apply for jobs, and start looking at scholarships. Yes, I know, I'm a nerd. But I don’t have much of an option because I am also getting my wisdom teeth out. Chances are that the majority of you will have to get yours out too, and let me just say I am not looking forward to it. For the next three days I'm going to be stuck in bed eating Jell-o and mashed potatoes while all of you are across the country getting tan. (Not that I'm jealous or anything)

But my point is, yes you need to relax and have fun on spring break, but you could also use this time to save your grades. It’s not often that you get a whole week off that you can spend working on things and maybe, for once, get ahead on your school work. But, if your family has planned a vacation, don’t worry I would rather be there than staying home to do homework and getting four teeth ripped out of you.

Helpful hint: RELAX! School can be super stressful, I know, so take this time to distress, you need it.

Word count: 303

The Best of Teen Drama Shows (part 2)

Teenage Drama shows have been a guilty pleasure for many people for many years. I'm not sure why, maybe it makes us feel better about our own lives or maybe we watch it because we have nothing better to do. Either way these shows are super addicting, and needless to say, I have watched way too many of them.

Now, I haven’t watched all of Pretty Little Liars but after about season three I moved on. Maybe it got better after that, I don’t know, but I stopped watching because I found the plot super drawn out and kept feeling as if the characters where just going in circles. Quite frankly, I got bored. I liked how this show had a darker side to it and I think the hair and clothes are amazing, but that’s pretty much all it has going for it. I would not recommend this show unless you have a high attention span and a lot of time on your hands.

The Secret Circle is a lesser known drama and it didn’t last for many seasons but I thought it was one of the better ones I’ve seen. I know you can watch it on Netflix but other than that I'm not exactly sure where you can go to watch it. Anyways, I liked this show because it was different than other shows I've watched recently. It’s a mix between the stereotypic teen age drama series and Supernatural. It’s about a group of teens who discover that they are witches and ban together to save their town from the evils that try to attack it.  I find it sad that more people don’t know about this show and for how short it actually lasted. Plus, I might have a little bit of a girl crush on Britt Robertson.

One of the first teen dramas that I ever got into was The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I personally liked it because it opened the doors to the world of teen drama TV shows for me and I remember thinking it was super scandalous. But, to be fair it has been a while since I've watched it and I don’t even remember if I finished it, but if you are looking for something to watch, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.

 Another show I haven’t seen in a while is Awkward on MTV. I remember falling in love with the first couple seasons but then I never really got back into it when the third season started up. If you haven’t seen it I would recommend at least the first two seasons. I think this will be the next show I’ll watch because I the first two seasons were that good.

Word Count: 455

The Best of Teen Drama Shows (part 1)

Everyone has their own guilty pleasure. One of mine, like many of my high school peers, happens to be teen drama TV series. I know that this is a huge stereotype that I am playing right into, but I mean it’s not called a “guilty” pleasure for just anything. I am writing this blog post as, sort of, a review for the different ones I have enjoyed recently.

First off is One Tree Hill, this one I most recently completed through many binge sessions on Netflix. I found it strangely addictive. By now it isn’t hard to predict what happens next on shows like this one, but I still found the show engaging. Plus, the cute boys helped keep my attention. It starts off when all of the characters are in high school and follows them as they grow into, somewhat, mature adults. Like most series that last as long as this one, at times it can be slow and predictable. But, overall I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I have to admit, however, that I didn’t like that for the last two or three seasons the characters, Peyton and Lucas weren’t hardly seen or heard from.

I finished watching 90210, a while back but I can still remember that I enjoyed the first couple seasons but by the end, it got a little repetitive. I really like how distinct the characters are and even as they grow up and mature they still have distinct personality traits that stay with them. I felt like the ending to the final season was a little rushed and predictable, but it fit the plot line and it tied up all of the loose ends. The final seasons seemed very drawn out and repetitive to me, so I would recommend only watching the first couple. I mean, this show is exactly what you would expect when you think of teen drama.

Gossip Girl is my all-time favorite teen drama TV shows. I would highly recommend it because it never gets old and keeps you guessing at all times. You will fall in love with the characters and immediately want to be immersed into their world. It deals with the pressure of high society, the clashing of different economic classes, the stress of growing up, power, sex, love, money, finding yourself, and, of course, gossip. As a side-note I would just like to add that, yes, you do eventually find out who gossip girl is but you just have to keep watching for it. It’s almost funny at first, because it seems like just a bunch of rich brats but you’ll learn to love them and get passed the wild spending of money. Anyways, highly recommend that you check this show out; I know you’ll love it.

Word Count: 461

How to get away with sleeping in class

Last week I wrote a blog post about how to stay awake in class. This week I will be writing about sleeping in class and how to get away with it. Before we begin let me just say that I am neither condoning nor encouraging you to take a little cat nap in the middle of math class. It is way better to stay awake and try to pay attention to the lecture the teacher is trying to give you. But it has recently been a fad to see all the creative ways students have found to sleep in class while looking like they are wide awake. Some methods are going to be more effective than others and it all depends on the situation. Let’s take a look:

 

 

This is one option, just pretend like you are praying. It is completely natural for people to worship in the middle of class, so why not take a little snooze. No one will even know, guaranteed to be a success. I mean are they really going to question your spirituality? I don’t think so! If the teacher does, however, question you, you can always get offended because all you were doing was just practicing your religion.

 

 

Then there is the classic draw or in this case tape a picture of open eyes on your eyelids. This way when your eyes are closed and you are fast asleep, you will still appear awake to your teacher. This is a flawless plan, except for the risk of looking slightly creepy. But it might be worth it to get that hour of sleep.  I mean it’s not like the teacher will call on you or require you to participate at all. So if you have enough artistic ability to pull this one off. I say go for it. But if you are like me and don’t, then I could see this plan not panning out for ya. I mean teachers might notice if your eyes just turned into a circle with a dot in the middle of it.

 

Then for those brave enough you could always just lay your head down and use your desk like a pillow. But be warned, teachers have a higher percentage of catching you and calling on you when using this method. But sometimes you lack the motivation and creativity to do any other method. This should be a last resort option because it comes with the most risk. I have found that this works better in larger class rooms where the teacher is probably more distracted by others to pay attention to you looking like the people in the pictures above.

 

Picture Credits (not in order, sorry) also check these out if for some reason you cant view the images above:

·         Bottom left picture of person wearing the blue jacket

·         Bottom right picture of girl sleeping on desk with head on books

·         Middle picture with creepy guy with tape on eyes

·         Relatable post #73

·         Top left twitter picture

Word count: 511

How to stay awake in class

                When you are in high school there will be times you stay up way too late on a school night and you can feel yourself drifting off in class. You know the feeling. The teacher is on another long monotonous lecture and your eyelids feel super heavy, and all you want to do is lay your head down, close your eyes, and fall asleep. But, unfortunately, that tends to be frowned upon. So here are something’s I have found, to keep you awake:

1)      Bring a water bottle to school with you. When you are feeling like you can’t stay awake, distract yourself with taking a sip of water. You might need to repeat as needed, but at least you will stay hydrated.

2)      Tap your foot. Not loudly of course, because that can get annoying to others. But, shaking your leg up and down will keep you awake because at least you are moving.

3)      Hold your breath. It increases your adrenaline levels which will make you more awake. If you are bored in class it is also interesting to see how long you can do it. But please be careful, the last thing I want is someone passing out in the middle of class because they were holding their breath for too long.

4)      Standing up. Walking to go get a tissue or to sharpen your pencil is a great way to wake up your mind because it gets you moving around.

Helpful Hint: Coffee is your friend.

Word Count: 252

Studying For Retakes

We have all been there before. When you get a test back and it is a lot worse than what you think you did.  You know you can do a lot better if you get the chance to retake it. For those with enough fortune to have generous teachers that give you the chance to retake tests, here are some helpful study tips for you:

1)      Look at your first attempt. And by look at it I mean actually try to learn something for it. Redo every single question that you got wrong and make sure that you understand your mistake because if you don’t, then you will probably make the same mistake on the retake. I know this can be painful because you want to forget this test even happened, but suck it up and just do it. Trust me; it will be better in the long run. By doing this you will also get a good idea of what the retake will be over and what you need to focus on when studying.

2)      Redo some of your homework assignments. If you got a certain type of question wrong then look for similar ones on past homework assignments and redo them. If you can’t find any go to the internet or ask your teacher. It’s like they say “practice makes perfect”. I know it is not the most fun thing in the world, but it makes you prepared for similar questions on the retake.

3)      Actually study this time. Retakes are rare and they can really improve your grade. Do not take it for granted and actually make sure you are prepared this time for it. It is known that retakes can actually be harder than the first attempt, so you need to be ready for anything. Don’t take this lightly because the last thing you want is to do worse than the first time.

4)      Get help from your teacher. See if you can come in during lunch or before/ after school to get help because they are the ones who write the test so they will be able to answer any questions that you may have. Plus, if you are really lucky they might accidently give you hints as to what is on the test.

5)      Make sure you understand the grading. Some teachers will take the average of the two tests while others will completely replace your grade.  Either way it is worth the time and the effort to retake it. Well, I guess it all depends on our own definition of terrible.

Helpful Hint: If a teacher is offering retakes to you and you did bad on a test, TAKE IT. Trust me, not every teacher is that nice and it is a huge luxury that you shouldn’t take for granted. This could save your grade if you are struggling in a class, and it is over stuff that you have already learned. 

Word Count: 492

What High School is like in other Countries -- Mexico

                High school in Mexico is a little different than in the United States. First of all Mexico high school in Mexico is not required, and most of the time it is too expensive for the rural community to afford. Plus, high schools are mainly found in urban areas which makes it even harder for the rural people to commute. The average class size is quite large with it being between thirty-five and fifty kids. There is a national curriculum and textbooks are free, but you either have to bring your own lunch or buy from the school.

                There are SMART boards in some class rooms to help teach students, like there are here. I don’t know about you, but my school has one in nearly every classroom. In Mexico the grading system is different as well. Instead of A, B, C, D, and F there is a number system between 5 and 10. 10 being like an A and a 5 means you are failing the class. I mean that’s pretty similar to the United States in that you can either pass or fail the class but they gage that a little differently.

                School uniforms are required at practically every school, weather public or private. So that’s either a benefit or an annoyance depending on which side of the issue you’re on.  High school is for grades 10-12 and there are two programs to choose from: the SEP, and the University aimed program. There are other programs but they are only offered to private schools and are less common.

                90% of students will attend primary school, which is good and all but only 62% then go on to secondary school.  These statistics is pretty low considering only 25% of those kids move on and attend higher education after that. The government has been criticized for paying the teachers too much instead of investing in the students or other areas of the education system. Another large problem with the education system in Mexico is the lack of infrastructure that gets to the rural areas. This, like I said before, makes it extremely difficult for the people who live in rural areas to attend school.

                Typically high school in Mexico is three years long and broken into semesters. The beginning is pretty much the same for everyone. However the later semesters are more specialized. Students can differentiate between the physical sciences and the social sciences depending on their on choosing. Students who go to high school for a three year program are usually preparing for higher education such as attending a university. The students who typically attend a two year program are typically training to go straight into the work force upon graduation.

                This is the second blog post I have done like this and my previous one was about China. In both cases I was really surprised at how similar our lives are and the lives of high school students in other countries.  I am not really sure what I was expecting but I guess I thought there would be more differences. I am planning on doing more blog posts like this one and I predict that my conclusion will be the same for each country that I learn about. That no matter where in the world, high school may have differences but they are actually a lot similar than we think.

Word Count: 563