Change...

Everywhere we look, we often think of ways of how something could be different, how it could be better. Henry Clay has been a good experience the past three years and I have some things I would change. I think that students should be able to leave for lunch. Yes, there are a bunch of legal implications in letting students off campus during school hours, but those should be fixed as well. Once off campus, the student shall be responsible for their safety and for getting back on time. It teaches students responsibility, which seems to be lacking with the countinuing growth of government parenting of students. Summers! Oh summers. They should be a week longer at least. We have gone back to school as early as August 12 while my little sisters are going back on the 27th and other friends that are out of state are going back in September. These are just two things that I can think of at the moment that I would want to change.

Reflection

This year has been very eventful as a whole, yet it seemed to fly by quite quickly. I started the year not knowing what to expect; I wasn't sure whether I would do GSP or GSA, whether I would get a 36 on the ACT, or whether I would be killed in some unfortunate smelting accident (Okay, I wasn't really thinking about the latter). However, the year turned out pretty well as I said before. I must say that I learned so much about life and what it means to dedicate time to something you truely love in Marching Band. This was one of the most rewarding experiences that I have ever had, and I undoubtably plan on continuing it next year. In taking three AP classes, I found out how to effectively manage my time between school work and study without drowning myself in stress. I had the great fortune of liking all of my teachers this year, which my previous years sadly deprived me of. In retrospect, not including the past month of AP/EOC/Final study torture, this year has been very rewarding and I am blessed to have experienced it. Looking forward, I  hope to continue my current efforts at furthering education and staying alive as long as humanly possible. Thanks for a great year of writing chop-building!

Gigantic late-blog Bonanza. Blogs 5, 6 and Reflection

So, i've been procrastinating awfully on these, time to get them in. On the last day of school. In 5th hour. Yeah.

Blog 5: 100 years from now.

100 years from now, I expect the world to change a great deal. Moore's law dictates an exponential increase in processor power, and according to scientists such as Ray Kurzweil, it is not improbable for processor power to soon reach a point where it roughly equates to the power of the Human Brain. When computers are as powerful as the human brain, it will hit a point known as the Singularity. Then, machines will be able to create machines more intelligent than themselves, or, more intelligent than humans. And so on, and so on, and so on. This massive exponential leap in power will result in a gigantic change in the way we view the world, from the advent of conscious AI to the gigantic jump in technology that will be associated with it. The world will change from such levels of technology, and I believe it could occur 100 years from now.

Blog 6: Somewhere in the world right now.

Out in the world, according to the population bureau's 2010 study, around 1.8 people die per second. That's around 108 deaths a minute, 156,000 a day and 56.7 million a year. That means that out there right now in the time it's taken you to read this blog post, someone has died. Many someones. Out in third world countries people who suffer under the grip of poverty starve to death, or someone is killed in a war-torn nation by a savage tyrant. There is much, much death in the world right now. So, while your life is cushy and comfortable, right now, no matter what you're doing, every second, someone dies. Someone with family, with friends, with aspirations and dreams, their lives are extinguished. Every second of every day of every year. That's what's going on in the world right now.

Reflection:

This year has been a doozy. I've spent it taking 3 AP courses, with all the finals and AP tests those entail, alongside two online courses attempting to repair damage that occurred at the end of Sophomore year. I've had to do a lot of work, and while i'm not going to say i'm responsible (the fact i'm entering this blog at the quite literal last minute shows), I have been taking a lot of effort to do work. I've pretty much had to cut off hanging out with my friends outside of school. I haven't never gone to see a movie this year, but i certainly have had a lot less social interraction, because i've been having to try to take responsibility for my actions and prepare more for my future. In that method, I think i have maybe gotten a little bit more grown. Possibly a tad. And, I have finally figured out what I want to do with the next school year, and i've chosen a mentoring project I really care about. So all in all, it's been a good year. I've scraped by in some areas, but in others i've done fine. I got my first 100 in a real class this year, which is a big accomplishment. Yes, overall Junior year was nice.

Glass half full kinda year

Thank God Junior year is over. I am looking forward to experiencing bonnaroo and also my exciting trip to Spain! Although this was a rough year and not an easy transition, I feel like I have grown as a person the past couple of months. As most of you know, coming home from boarding school and enrolling in Henry Clay was not my decision, but my parents. All I could think about the first half of the year was how miserable I was being here. It consumed my life. Instead of trying to make the best of the situation and make myself happy, I was making myself miserable. However, I came to a realization that I can't move around and switch my life up trying to make myself happy. I have to think positively in every situation and it won't seem as bad. Given the option between Sayre and Henry Clay, I chose Henry Clay. Now that I am content and happy with my life, it doesn't matter to me where I am or what I'm doing.

Year in Review

This past year has certainly been an interesting one. From school, AP tests, and studies to stress, colleges, and driving Junior can accurately be described in one word: Deadlines. Whether this refers to school, projects, studying for AP tests, or the upcoming college applications that my (insane and very stressful) college planner has been making me fill out, my life in the past 10 months can be characterized as divisions at which the end of something important is due. Sure, next year might have additional deadlines but for me this "warm-up" if you will has not only prepared me for the coming Senior year but has also made for a stressful life that I have had to learn to deal with in healthy and effective ways. For instance, I now know that when I'm really stressed out taking a shower and putting a washcloth over the drain to achieve a sound very similar to that of rain instantly relaxes me. Furthermore, taking my dog on a walk also has a similar effect in taking my mind off of things that are stressing me out.

Reflection

Reflecting back on the past school year, I realize that I have learned many things. I have made new friends, learned how to communicate better, and additionally have had to deal with the shock and wake up call of difficult classes. I have also been faced with new pressures and stressers. However, overall I have had a phenomenal school year. Learning new things and meeting new people have been big components of this teat. I have also been presented with many new opportunities and experiences. I have verb able to go to Europe this summer and have been event planners for many groups and clubs. That has helped me to learn many new skills. I have really enjoyed this year and all of the people who were involved.with it. :) However, this year has also proven to be difficult with grades and teachers and such. I received my first B in a class taht I found to be very difficult for me. Additionally, the added stress of End of Course Exam did not make the month of May any easier for me. May Madness has been very difficult for me, and as I bet it suprises you, I'm ready for summer. I'm ready to relieve the stress I have been feeling and just relax a little bit. Even though, I know that I have a tough year ahead of me.

i better make sure this is on time. i've used up all my late passes.

Quite honestly, I felt like this year has passed more quickly than any other. Then again, I don’t think there is a single part of junior year that I wished I had gone back and savored. The only thing that is truly disheartening is the fact that I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing. I’ve certainly made progress, and I’ve had wonderful teachers to guide me. But while everyone has been telling me that I’ve “gotten my act together” in recent weeks, I feel even more lost than before. It seems now that the question has digressed from “where do you want to go to college?” to “what career are you going to pursue?”. My answer?

I DON’T KNOW.

In fact, I don’t have a clue. And for the last few years I’ve been reassured, “Oh no, dear. You don’t even need to be thinking about that yet”. Well, I’m almost a year away from stepping onto a campus that I have committed to, to take courses that will determine my ultimate success in the workplace and my life in general. That’s a pretty frightening thought.

On the bright side, junior year has taught me to live with myself. I notoriously set the bar high (too high, according to most). It has taken me this long to realize that I don’t have to. I don’t need to ace every test, I don’t need to win every leadership position I run for, I don’t need to pack my schedule with AP classes. Because frankly, it just isn’t worth it. This is far from apathy, mind you. Rather, this mentality just puts things into perspective. In terms of strict input and output, what I gain isn’t worth the cost. It makes far more sense for me to achieve in my own way, than fill up the cookie-cutter positions that the school system has punched out for me.

Many of us have been blindly led into these positions and supposed responsibilities. In most cases, they don’t really mean anything. Our class in general has conformed to the same clubs, interests, and even colleges. This is really bad. We’re just hurting ourselves by doing it. I hope by next year, we all can diversify and find our own niche.

I’m sick and tired of doing things that will “look good on paper”. I’m going to start hiking again, set aside time for leisure reading, and play my saxophone again.

I’m not saying I’m one of those long-haired, peace-lovin’, holy jean-wearin’, pinko hippie-types…

But you just gotta live, man.