Does it even count anymore? Some people can fall asleep in every class yet still ace every test and correctly answer the questions your teacher attempts to trip them up on. As someone who still believes that work ethic is a dying skill that is still very aplicable, relevant, and valuable in this world, I am frustrated by the little it takes for some people to get by in high school these days. If you think about it, high school is only there to assist you in building your resume for colleges. In those resumes, two numbers that are the most important are your GPA, and the number representing how well you did on a standardized test. The people that are naturally smart and are good test takers are the ones whom which I am jealous of, the colleges will never know that they turned every assignment in late because they finish every test with flying colors. Past college, when we enter the real world, no business seeking workers is going to know that the applicant sitting n front of them is one of the laziest people there is because they got into a good college and graduated purely based on how well they could take a test.
Maybe it is because I was not blessed with photographic memory or having the ability to naturally understand math. Maybe it is because I was a gymnast for 12 years and the importance of hard work was instilled at my brain when I was just learning how to form sentences. Maybe these are the reasons that I will always be rubbed the wrong way when I am confronted with someone that has never had to work for what they want, and therefore does not have the motivation or work ethic to get things done when they need to be done. Life is unfair and I know it. Some people are just blessed with incredible talents and they choose to just ride them as long as it will take them. Others, the majority of us, who have to buckle down and really concentrate to get things done might have a disadvantage, but hopefully in our future work ethic and dedication might become important once again.
JSL
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Groups.
You are who you hang out with.
It is a simple fact. Even if you do not have the same beliefs or morals with the people you hang out with, in people's eyes you will be associated with them and all their ideals. And if you are hanging with people who do not have very strict guidelines for themselves to follow, your lines may begin to appear a little fuzzier the more time you spend with them.
You should not care what people think. I would say that is a point-blank fact but there is some grey area around it. Let me revise: You should not care what irrelevant people think of you, however, your friends that want the best for you, your parents, adults that respect you, should not fall in that category. Believe it or not the reputation you have with the people who you should care about is what is going to benefit you in your life. Your teachers are the ones writing recommendation letters, you friends are the ones that are sticking up for you (or at least should be), and your parents love you, and to love you is to care about you and see you make the best version of yourself present in all situations.
If you hang out with people that disregard authority, do not mind people's feelings, or do not hold any of the standards you hold from yourself you should not let them be influencing you.
I am in high school, I understand how difficult this can be. It is hard enough to find a group of people that all like you let alone are actually all decent people. Once you find a group that will accept you it is often really tempting to conform because no matter what kind of people they are, it is better to be included and invited than it is to be alone. People in high school also seek out the best offers, so if you are trying to find that good group of people and you find one person, the makings of a good group, that one person might jump at the opportunity to hang out with another group because apparently a party is more appealing than just a night with you and them.
Do not let the ever-changing friend groups of high school define you. And just start laughing and move on when the group of friends who you thought were your friends turn out to be awful and go seek out the individuals who will always care for you.
JSL
It is a simple fact. Even if you do not have the same beliefs or morals with the people you hang out with, in people's eyes you will be associated with them and all their ideals. And if you are hanging with people who do not have very strict guidelines for themselves to follow, your lines may begin to appear a little fuzzier the more time you spend with them.
You should not care what people think. I would say that is a point-blank fact but there is some grey area around it. Let me revise: You should not care what irrelevant people think of you, however, your friends that want the best for you, your parents, adults that respect you, should not fall in that category. Believe it or not the reputation you have with the people who you should care about is what is going to benefit you in your life. Your teachers are the ones writing recommendation letters, you friends are the ones that are sticking up for you (or at least should be), and your parents love you, and to love you is to care about you and see you make the best version of yourself present in all situations.
If you hang out with people that disregard authority, do not mind people's feelings, or do not hold any of the standards you hold from yourself you should not let them be influencing you.
I am in high school, I understand how difficult this can be. It is hard enough to find a group of people that all like you let alone are actually all decent people. Once you find a group that will accept you it is often really tempting to conform because no matter what kind of people they are, it is better to be included and invited than it is to be alone. People in high school also seek out the best offers, so if you are trying to find that good group of people and you find one person, the makings of a good group, that one person might jump at the opportunity to hang out with another group because apparently a party is more appealing than just a night with you and them.
Do not let the ever-changing friend groups of high school define you. And just start laughing and move on when the group of friends who you thought were your friends turn out to be awful and go seek out the individuals who will always care for you.
JSL
Wake up call.
Thank goodness they could handle it.
It is deeply saddening that it takes something devastating to happen in order for people to make a change, to be nicer for example. People are bullied all the time in high school. Maybe someone is not bullying one person but is just a mean person, and for some reason most of the time we accept the fact that it just happens. Only when something tragic happens is when teachers, students, communities demand a change immediately.
This was a wake up call that no one was expecting. I did not know this girl, but a freshmen at my school was pushed the the brink by people, and she felt that pushing back was no longer worth it. Battling not only bullying but also the darkness of depression, this girl felt alone in a school of over 1500 kids. Twitter blew up with pictures that had been taken at football games with her, posts expressing how they would be there for anyone if one should ever feel this way, and many more regarding how great she was as a person and how much she will be missed. This was a little more than a month ago. Shortly after this happened we had a school-wide assembly promoting the importance of being kind. The goal was to make a kinder school and I believe that it did make a difference, for about a week. The wake-up call to bullies and mean people jolted them but did not defer them from being who they are. And the bystanders, are still just bystanders, and often just brush things under the rug when they are presented with situations where they have the choice to help or not.
Sadly bullying not what is used to be. If only it was. It would be so much easier to prevent someone from punching someone in the face, than to delete the mean test messages that are sent out or shush all the gossiping that occurs behind closed doors. Bystanders are the root of the problem in my opinion. They conform to be friends with whomever they are around and disregard people's feelings when they are not standing right in front of them. No wonder there are so many individuals that feel alone, in high school, people are really good at making you feel like you are.
What makes me the most upset, angry even, is that this wake up call did nothing to change my school. From my observations, the nice and considerate side of people disappeared in just a few short weeks. If I had any inclination that I had been mean to this girl, it would hang over my head for the rest of my life.
If I had been mean to anyone with knowledge of it, I would thank God Himself every time I saw their beautiful face in the hall way. Thank the Lord, they decided that ledge was not very appealing to them. Sadly, this revelation has not rang through the halls of our school yet, hopefully we do not need another wake-up call to change things.
JSL
It is deeply saddening that it takes something devastating to happen in order for people to make a change, to be nicer for example. People are bullied all the time in high school. Maybe someone is not bullying one person but is just a mean person, and for some reason most of the time we accept the fact that it just happens. Only when something tragic happens is when teachers, students, communities demand a change immediately.
This was a wake up call that no one was expecting. I did not know this girl, but a freshmen at my school was pushed the the brink by people, and she felt that pushing back was no longer worth it. Battling not only bullying but also the darkness of depression, this girl felt alone in a school of over 1500 kids. Twitter blew up with pictures that had been taken at football games with her, posts expressing how they would be there for anyone if one should ever feel this way, and many more regarding how great she was as a person and how much she will be missed. This was a little more than a month ago. Shortly after this happened we had a school-wide assembly promoting the importance of being kind. The goal was to make a kinder school and I believe that it did make a difference, for about a week. The wake-up call to bullies and mean people jolted them but did not defer them from being who they are. And the bystanders, are still just bystanders, and often just brush things under the rug when they are presented with situations where they have the choice to help or not.
Sadly bullying not what is used to be. If only it was. It would be so much easier to prevent someone from punching someone in the face, than to delete the mean test messages that are sent out or shush all the gossiping that occurs behind closed doors. Bystanders are the root of the problem in my opinion. They conform to be friends with whomever they are around and disregard people's feelings when they are not standing right in front of them. No wonder there are so many individuals that feel alone, in high school, people are really good at making you feel like you are.
What makes me the most upset, angry even, is that this wake up call did nothing to change my school. From my observations, the nice and considerate side of people disappeared in just a few short weeks. If I had any inclination that I had been mean to this girl, it would hang over my head for the rest of my life.
If I had been mean to anyone with knowledge of it, I would thank God Himself every time I saw their beautiful face in the hall way. Thank the Lord, they decided that ledge was not very appealing to them. Sadly, this revelation has not rang through the halls of our school yet, hopefully we do not need another wake-up call to change things.
JSL
Bubble Wrap.
You're all precious little snowflakes.
A phrase my favorite teachers often uses when making jokes regarding my generation. This teacher claims that we are babied into thinking we are all the most important things ever and participation ribbons are going to get us nowhere in life. He always goes on to say that it is not our fault though, he says its okay that is the way you were raised you do not know anything different.
To an extent, I agree with him. I think my generation is one who thinks that we are entitled to things. Things should be handed to us on a silver platter and things are never our fault.
Bad grades?
Teacher's fault.
Not an all-star athlete?
Coaching issue.
Debts are piling up thanks to college loans?
Make college free, it is not my fault I did not apply for scholarships or saved money throughout high school and college. It is not my fault that no one taught me how to be smart with my money, make them pay for my college because they did not teach me what the real world was going to be like.
I believe that the generation that I am in is going to get hit below the belt when they reach the real world. As kids, we have been wrapped so tightly in bubble wrap that nothing can harm us. No parents saying "rub some dirt on it" just hugs an kisses and a new pony. Because everything has been handed to us, why would we expect anything different when we venture out on our own? I am a junior in high school and I still know next to nothing about taxes. I can teach you the best ways to memorize things right before a test or how to suck up to your parents to convince them to say yes to something. These are very valuable skills do not get me wrong, but I am worried about what the future has in store for us all. Thank goodness mom is only a call away and we are blessed with the all-knowing thing called Google.
JSL
A phrase my favorite teachers often uses when making jokes regarding my generation. This teacher claims that we are babied into thinking we are all the most important things ever and participation ribbons are going to get us nowhere in life. He always goes on to say that it is not our fault though, he says its okay that is the way you were raised you do not know anything different.
To an extent, I agree with him. I think my generation is one who thinks that we are entitled to things. Things should be handed to us on a silver platter and things are never our fault.
Bad grades?
Teacher's fault.
Not an all-star athlete?
Coaching issue.
Debts are piling up thanks to college loans?
Make college free, it is not my fault I did not apply for scholarships or saved money throughout high school and college. It is not my fault that no one taught me how to be smart with my money, make them pay for my college because they did not teach me what the real world was going to be like.
I believe that the generation that I am in is going to get hit below the belt when they reach the real world. As kids, we have been wrapped so tightly in bubble wrap that nothing can harm us. No parents saying "rub some dirt on it" just hugs an kisses and a new pony. Because everything has been handed to us, why would we expect anything different when we venture out on our own? I am a junior in high school and I still know next to nothing about taxes. I can teach you the best ways to memorize things right before a test or how to suck up to your parents to convince them to say yes to something. These are very valuable skills do not get me wrong, but I am worried about what the future has in store for us all. Thank goodness mom is only a call away and we are blessed with the all-knowing thing called Google.
JSL
Meaning.
There are plenty of words I could write in this blog that would seem unprofessional, and offend the older generations. Four letter words weave in and out of sentences as I talk to people in the hallway, even to some teachers if we are on that level of formality. If you see someone flip someone off in the classroom, your first thought is that they were only joking with their friends. Heck, there is even an emoji for it now. Words and things that were once found offensive and inexcusable are now used in a whole new context.
I myself do not swear. My dad rarely does and he told me that it was because there are plenty of more intelligent words out there that could be used in place of them. As I went through middle and now high school and my peers around me began to expand their vocabulary in that direction, when faced with an argument they found it more difficult to get their point across using only these four letter words as their aids. I however found that an extensive vocabulary demonstated in an argument can be most intimidating and very much useful.
Another reason why I chose not to swear is because I have to spoken with people who do and some have told me that once you start you can find them starting to slip in places when you do not intend for them to. For instance, around your parents. Now, knowing that once you start swearing, it becomes difficult to stop, I do not understand why people who swear do not attempt to stop themselves for doing it. One of my worst fears would be me accidentally swearing in an interview, and having that be the thing that prevents me from getting the job. One slip of the tongue can cause plenty of repercussions. This can happen even when you do not curse, so adding those words into your vocabulary only gives you more danger areas to avoid.
The musical Anything Goes touches on this subject. There are so may more things that are widely accepted nowadays. There are more things you can get a way with in a proffesional setting that some may make the claim that there is no reason to filter yourself at all. This means that my whole view of never swearing is pretty pointless. Maybe the tables will turn again and the meanings of the words will be redefined, so the young and the old will be able to agree.
JSL
I myself do not swear. My dad rarely does and he told me that it was because there are plenty of more intelligent words out there that could be used in place of them. As I went through middle and now high school and my peers around me began to expand their vocabulary in that direction, when faced with an argument they found it more difficult to get their point across using only these four letter words as their aids. I however found that an extensive vocabulary demonstated in an argument can be most intimidating and very much useful.
Another reason why I chose not to swear is because I have to spoken with people who do and some have told me that once you start you can find them starting to slip in places when you do not intend for them to. For instance, around your parents. Now, knowing that once you start swearing, it becomes difficult to stop, I do not understand why people who swear do not attempt to stop themselves for doing it. One of my worst fears would be me accidentally swearing in an interview, and having that be the thing that prevents me from getting the job. One slip of the tongue can cause plenty of repercussions. This can happen even when you do not curse, so adding those words into your vocabulary only gives you more danger areas to avoid.
The musical Anything Goes touches on this subject. There are so may more things that are widely accepted nowadays. There are more things you can get a way with in a proffesional setting that some may make the claim that there is no reason to filter yourself at all. This means that my whole view of never swearing is pretty pointless. Maybe the tables will turn again and the meanings of the words will be redefined, so the young and the old will be able to agree.
JSL
Grand Ole Times.
Nashville Tennessee, a once in a lifetime experience.
Show choir is a growing activity nation-wide, and I am fortunate enough to be apart of the famous Happiness Inc. Every four years Happiness travels to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in Show Choir Nationals against some of the best show choirs in America. We preformed on the Grand Ole Opry stage where many famous artists have stood and sang. Although lots of the members of our choir are not the biggest country fans out there, the experience on that stage in indescribable. Because of the tough competition and with how our show turned out for the competitive season, we did not know if we would make it past the prelims and be able to preform again in finals the nest day. Standing on that stage very well could have been the last time preforming for over half of out choir.
We were siked. A number of people from our other choirs made the trip down to Nashville and we could hear them loud and clear as we stood on the other side of that curtain, waiting for it to rise. They started singing "If you are Happy and you know it" and everyone on stage sang along on stage. We could only hear the front row from the stage, but my mother later informed me that the whole place was belting it, all of us on stage included. High school can take its toll on everyone especially when everyone is trying to make everyone around them happy. It is especially hard in my opinion when you have students from all different grades with pre-decided friend groups in one choir and you tell them to act like a family. This year has been very difficult for me in that regard, however clapping my hands and singing that song on stage is something I will never forget.
Sometimes in high school there are going to be people who attempt to derail you and step in the way of you making memories. Now if the memories you want to make involve bad decisions, they are probably just looking out for you, keep them around. But those people who just try and prevent your from making good memories, please just push aside. I can tell you from a personally that if I would not have had my mother and good friends to tell me that those people do not matter, I would have wasted this once and a lifetime trip dwelling on something insignificant people said. Keep making good memories, do not allow yourself to remember only the bad moments in high school.
JSL
Show choir is a growing activity nation-wide, and I am fortunate enough to be apart of the famous Happiness Inc. Every four years Happiness travels to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in Show Choir Nationals against some of the best show choirs in America. We preformed on the Grand Ole Opry stage where many famous artists have stood and sang. Although lots of the members of our choir are not the biggest country fans out there, the experience on that stage in indescribable. Because of the tough competition and with how our show turned out for the competitive season, we did not know if we would make it past the prelims and be able to preform again in finals the nest day. Standing on that stage very well could have been the last time preforming for over half of out choir.
We were siked. A number of people from our other choirs made the trip down to Nashville and we could hear them loud and clear as we stood on the other side of that curtain, waiting for it to rise. They started singing "If you are Happy and you know it" and everyone on stage sang along on stage. We could only hear the front row from the stage, but my mother later informed me that the whole place was belting it, all of us on stage included. High school can take its toll on everyone especially when everyone is trying to make everyone around them happy. It is especially hard in my opinion when you have students from all different grades with pre-decided friend groups in one choir and you tell them to act like a family. This year has been very difficult for me in that regard, however clapping my hands and singing that song on stage is something I will never forget.
Sometimes in high school there are going to be people who attempt to derail you and step in the way of you making memories. Now if the memories you want to make involve bad decisions, they are probably just looking out for you, keep them around. But those people who just try and prevent your from making good memories, please just push aside. I can tell you from a personally that if I would not have had my mother and good friends to tell me that those people do not matter, I would have wasted this once and a lifetime trip dwelling on something insignificant people said. Keep making good memories, do not allow yourself to remember only the bad moments in high school.
JSL
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Sanitation.
Whenever I see something in a movie or T.V. show where there is one person stomping grapes in a bucket, I am disgusted. Which, I believe is a natural reaction to have. The first thing I think about is the stinky feet sweat that is being mixed in with the grape juice, or the toenail fungus. Now I do not consider myself a germaphobe by any means, but some people think about the worst-case scenarios, like I do when I think about grape juice, as they regard everything in their day to day lives.
I think the line that I draw with what is unsanitary is fairly reasonable. Bugs should be no where around food unless you are outside, and if a fly lands on it while you are out there you probably will survive. If your teammate is thirsty and is not kneeling over by illness, let them have a drink. It is not like it is a stranger who might have just gotten done eating cockroaches or something. Plus, you should get over that pretty quickly if you ever plan on having a significant other, unless you are only planning to kiss them right after they brush their teeth. Washing your hands is something you should be doing regularly, but do not make it an obsessive habit. I personally think that a lot of the germs on your hands that you acquire throughout the day will in the long run only build up your immune system. Give your body a chance to build antibodies and fight against the illnesses you are so afraid of.
I understand that a phobia is a phobia and sometimes people are not able to prevent themselves from seeing the very worst things, and I feel bad for them. If I have chocolate cake at a graduation party and a fly lands on it, I am still eating that cake. To some people though that fly will have stolen that pleasure from them and I truly feel bad for them, because it was probably a really good cake. Maybe those who do not have an actual phobia of germs but just do not like them could just think of the heads up your body is getting throughout the day with the different germs you encounter.
Eat the cake.
JSL
I think the line that I draw with what is unsanitary is fairly reasonable. Bugs should be no where around food unless you are outside, and if a fly lands on it while you are out there you probably will survive. If your teammate is thirsty and is not kneeling over by illness, let them have a drink. It is not like it is a stranger who might have just gotten done eating cockroaches or something. Plus, you should get over that pretty quickly if you ever plan on having a significant other, unless you are only planning to kiss them right after they brush their teeth. Washing your hands is something you should be doing regularly, but do not make it an obsessive habit. I personally think that a lot of the germs on your hands that you acquire throughout the day will in the long run only build up your immune system. Give your body a chance to build antibodies and fight against the illnesses you are so afraid of.
I understand that a phobia is a phobia and sometimes people are not able to prevent themselves from seeing the very worst things, and I feel bad for them. If I have chocolate cake at a graduation party and a fly lands on it, I am still eating that cake. To some people though that fly will have stolen that pleasure from them and I truly feel bad for them, because it was probably a really good cake. Maybe those who do not have an actual phobia of germs but just do not like them could just think of the heads up your body is getting throughout the day with the different germs you encounter.
Eat the cake.
JSL
Stress.
In high school, there will be points in the year where stress becomes a chronic state, rather than just an adjective used to describe yourself for one particular day. Some of these instances will be in the crunch time of your sport season, the weeks leading up to finals, and when your friends are all in a spat. As someone who gets overly stressed and has had multiple weeks filled with stress induced stomach pains, one may think I am not qualified to give advice on such topic. I, however believe that I am fully capable and will proceed to write this anyways.
In any instance where you feel stressed, you first need to analyze the situation at hand. You need to determine if the problems you are faced with are really worth loosing any sleep over. In most cases, they usually are not. Getting worried about a big race, meet, match, or game will only keep you from doing your best. Studying all night rather than getting a good night's sleep the day before a test may seem to work, but for finals, there is not enough hours in a night for it to work. If you do not know the material, there is little you can do the day of, or in the wee hours of that morning. Allowing an argument between anyone that does not involve yourself, is a waste of time. That does not mean do not care if others come to you with their problems, listen and give your best advice while always staying neutral. When you get involved, things never turn out the way you wish them too. My best advice, is to stay out of others' petty personal problems. Of course, this does not include situations where right and wrong is being questioned. In those instances you should always firmly stand with the side which you believe is right.
One way to prevent yourself from being stressed is to stay very organized. Make yourself a schedule and keep it up to date. Constantly put things you need to remember on a To-Do list. The times we usually get stressed out in high school are for reasons that could have been avoided. When I get stressed out, it is usually because I have let myself believe that I can be in two places at once, but sadly, they have yet to invent that technology. Do not allow yourself to get behind or let your responsibilities become cluttered in your head. This is the best way to avoid stress in general.
Even the most organized people still get stressed unfortunately, and even if you follow my advice to avoid stress at all costs, it still may happen. It will happen. We are in high school, and stress in inevitable. Do your best to roll with the punches, just start laughing whenever you can, and look at the bright things in life. Never let stress get in the way of you being happy because I have yet to think of something that should be placed over you having a good day.
In any instance where you feel stressed, you first need to analyze the situation at hand. You need to determine if the problems you are faced with are really worth loosing any sleep over. In most cases, they usually are not. Getting worried about a big race, meet, match, or game will only keep you from doing your best. Studying all night rather than getting a good night's sleep the day before a test may seem to work, but for finals, there is not enough hours in a night for it to work. If you do not know the material, there is little you can do the day of, or in the wee hours of that morning. Allowing an argument between anyone that does not involve yourself, is a waste of time. That does not mean do not care if others come to you with their problems, listen and give your best advice while always staying neutral. When you get involved, things never turn out the way you wish them too. My best advice, is to stay out of others' petty personal problems. Of course, this does not include situations where right and wrong is being questioned. In those instances you should always firmly stand with the side which you believe is right.
One way to prevent yourself from being stressed is to stay very organized. Make yourself a schedule and keep it up to date. Constantly put things you need to remember on a To-Do list. The times we usually get stressed out in high school are for reasons that could have been avoided. When I get stressed out, it is usually because I have let myself believe that I can be in two places at once, but sadly, they have yet to invent that technology. Do not allow yourself to get behind or let your responsibilities become cluttered in your head. This is the best way to avoid stress in general.
Even the most organized people still get stressed unfortunately, and even if you follow my advice to avoid stress at all costs, it still may happen. It will happen. We are in high school, and stress in inevitable. Do your best to roll with the punches, just start laughing whenever you can, and look at the bright things in life. Never let stress get in the way of you being happy because I have yet to think of something that should be placed over you having a good day.
Judging.
We all criticize others of doing it. We all do it ourselves. I believe that it is a natural occurrence that one must cautiously think about to refrain from the act. Why though? Why do we constantly judge others and compare ourselves to the ever-changing idea of "perfection" when we all know perfectly well that "perfection" does not exist? I ponder this question and also wonder why we all waste so much time in high school when we revolve everything around that idea. Do we just not know better?
In the blog Jade's Declassified School Survival Guide, there is a post on "Insecurities".(http://jadeirish.blogspot.com/2015/09/insecurities.html?m=1) This post poses the perfect question, "Why are we all insecure?". My answer to that is that we are all worried of others judging. We are worried about others doing the exact same thing we do to them. In my opinion, this prevents people from allowing their true personalities to shine, burying them deep in a shell of assimilation where no light comes through. I have heard people say college is the time where people find themselves, and I think that makes high school a place where we are judged to the point of where we do not even know who we are. Which adds on to the list of things that make high school the painful experience it is.
Another thing we all tend to do that goes hand in hand with judging is assuming. The best people are the ones who stop rumors in their tracks and confront the person whom it is about. Every situation is only awkward if you allow it to be, and most likely the person will truly appreciate you asking. Sometimes, our closest friends are not able to ask us whether something said was true. Do not be that person. It is really aggravating knowing that no one is sticking up for you and people tend to do to you, what you do to them, therefore making it a win-win. Also, when you do discover what people say about you, and it is maybe not a great thing, just start laughing because irrelevant people attempt to drag people to their level to make them feel better about themselves. Those are the people whom we all have to be the very nicest to.
I have also mentioned before the concept of sensitivity, this is relevant when speaking of judging because we all do need to not care what others think. As chichè as it sounds, it is one maturity point you will hopefully achieve during your years at high school. Now, I do tend to bag on high school a lot, not all of the experiences have been the most pleasant for me, and this blog attempts to aid other in avoiding those situations. However, if you make a conscious effort to not judge others, attempt not to assume things, be up front with people, and try to not care what others think, high school will be great! It's a long, difficult list to complete, barely possible, but achievable.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Organization.
Two AP classes, three varsity sports, speech, drama, and a job. At the beginning of the year, I also had another job on top of all that, so one could say I have some experience scheduling. During the summer, with two jobs that always conflicted, stressful did not even begin to describe the situations it had put me under. Even with a detailed planner and a color coordinated calendar, stressed-induced stomach pains filled a couple of weeks of my summer. Now know that this is not an argument against being involved, that is the complete opposite of what I would advise. The two jobs is the one thing that got me into trouble, so if you gain any knowledge from this post, do not get two jobs in high school, it is not worth it. And back to being involved, get into as many things you can without overwhelming yourself. There are so many opportunities in high school, search for every one that interests you. The busier you are, the more organized and focused you have to be. The more free time you have, the more time you have to slack off. Being in so many activities, the responsibilities that I have placed upon myself, in my opinion, has better prepared me to face what ever obstacles life has to throw at me.
On to how I possibly fit everything into a 24-hour period. First, prioritizing is key. School should obviously come first, so make sure to plan times to get homework and studying in, because with as busy of a schedule as mine, the snowball effect becomes twice the size of the avalanche. Having a color coordinated calendar and a planner is also a necessity. If I was not able to write everything down, my days would spiral out of control. Here is a tip, every time you tell yourself, "Oh, I will just remember it." JUST START LAUGHING and pick up a pen. Even if you do remember everything, it always helps me get through the day when I can cross things off my list because I know when I am done I can get to what is the most important part of my day, sleeping. Make sure you schedule that in with all the other things, some of the best days I have are the ones that I know that I am getting more sleep than usual. Now, I have mentioned my color coordinated calendar multiple times, and I hope you have realized its importance to me. Now color coordinating works very will for me, the bright colors makes the long days a little brighter, but if it does not work for you, I will not be offended.
From one busy bee to the next, good luck with your future endeavors, make time for yourself, and know that it is possible to be extraordinarily busy and still enjoy ever moment of your high school career.
JSL
On to how I possibly fit everything into a 24-hour period. First, prioritizing is key. School should obviously come first, so make sure to plan times to get homework and studying in, because with as busy of a schedule as mine, the snowball effect becomes twice the size of the avalanche. Having a color coordinated calendar and a planner is also a necessity. If I was not able to write everything down, my days would spiral out of control. Here is a tip, every time you tell yourself, "Oh, I will just remember it." JUST START LAUGHING and pick up a pen. Even if you do remember everything, it always helps me get through the day when I can cross things off my list because I know when I am done I can get to what is the most important part of my day, sleeping. Make sure you schedule that in with all the other things, some of the best days I have are the ones that I know that I am getting more sleep than usual. Now, I have mentioned my color coordinated calendar multiple times, and I hope you have realized its importance to me. Now color coordinating works very will for me, the bright colors makes the long days a little brighter, but if it does not work for you, I will not be offended.
From one busy bee to the next, good luck with your future endeavors, make time for yourself, and know that it is possible to be extraordinarily busy and still enjoy ever moment of your high school career.
JSL
Seniority.
Seniority is something you need to respect. The only time it becomes a problem is when underclassmen start to step over their boundaries. In middle school, when sitting on the bus, I used to always get so frustrated when the older kids would make such a big deal about the back of the bus. We were all going to the same place, what was the big deal? This was the big deal, they needed to feel bigger, they wanted to have power over the little kids. Now in high school it gets better, it is not as big of a deal because people start taking classes together and the maturity levels grow to be on the same plane. However, seniority is still a big deal to people, especially in football games and in drama and other things. This is my best advice when it comes to that, if you make the most of wherever you get to sit, and be humble about positions or places you get over an upperclassmen. Here are some other pleasant gestures you could do for upperclassmen:
Give up your seat for them at sporting events
-Cheer loud for every team (this is one of the seniors largest pet peeves)
-Congratulate everyone in everything they do (people deserve the credit for all the work they have done)
-Know that you will soon be the ones who sit in the front
You will get older, give it time.
Now being an underclassmen once before, I understand the frustrations that come along with the idea of "seniority". Even as someone who supposedly one who has the power over underclassmen. This is not a power I use often, or at all really, but I appreciate when it is acknowledged. But as I said because I have been an underclassmen, as an upperclassmen, I do my best to treat underclassmen just like anyone else, as long and they know that I may be a bit older and wiser than they are. It has been working for me so far, so keep that in mind when you discover how agitating the underclassmen can be. Rather than being meaner than is necessary when you get to your reign of power, remember you were once in their place too.
JSL
Give up your seat for them at sporting events
-Cheer loud for every team (this is one of the seniors largest pet peeves)
-Congratulate everyone in everything they do (people deserve the credit for all the work they have done)
-Know that you will soon be the ones who sit in the front
You will get older, give it time.
Now being an underclassmen once before, I understand the frustrations that come along with the idea of "seniority". Even as someone who supposedly one who has the power over underclassmen. This is not a power I use often, or at all really, but I appreciate when it is acknowledged. But as I said because I have been an underclassmen, as an upperclassmen, I do my best to treat underclassmen just like anyone else, as long and they know that I may be a bit older and wiser than they are. It has been working for me so far, so keep that in mind when you discover how agitating the underclassmen can be. Rather than being meaner than is necessary when you get to your reign of power, remember you were once in their place too.
JSL
Salt.
While baking, most of the time the recipes are very exact. However, when someone is telling you their own recipe, especially grandmas, the get a little lazy with the exact measurements. Although a "pinch of salt" is not completely accurate, you know well enough to not dump a whole handful in. If you did allow too much salt to infiltrate your batter or dough, your end product will not be appealing or as scrumptious as it should be. However, some recipes call for salt. It is neccisary to put in to complete it, and that is how you should treat your days, a little salt is okay, but not too much. Another thing that is very important to pay attention too when it comes to baking is paying attention to how long you keep the goodies in the oven. In order for the the treats to taste just right, they have to be baked the right amount. The best chocolate chip cookies are the ones that are completely done, but not "done" too much that they become hard or burnt. When something is too "done", it does not taste very well.
Being "salty" is a slang reference that o have no clue where it started, but I for one use it all the time. When someone stares that they are "salty" they could be peeved, rubbed the wrong way, upset, frustrated, or just done. Being "done" means almost the same thing. However, this slang term takes a more literal meaning and is typically used when you are finished dealing with a situation you are presented with.
When a teacher gives you a bad grade on something you worked hard on.
Salty.
When someone is spreading false rumors about you.
So done.
When you thought it was Friday but it is only Thursday.
Salt.
When you are running late for school in the morning and then you cannot find a parking spot.
Just done with the day.
Now because I do not aim to be a hypocrite, I have to defend my case for my reasoning as to why I say these things so much. When I state that I'm "salty" about something, or I'm just "so done" it usually is me referring to a small situation that I felt people around me needed to know my opinion on it and then it does not bother me after that. I consider myself a overall happy person so little things that I make those comments on do not usually ruin my whole day. Others, on the other hand, let their salt consume them, or they forget to take the literal meaning of being "done" and allow it to drag on the rest of their day.
Do not do that.
Do not let those things consume you. Allow it to happen, then move on with your day. We all have bad days but I feel as if people in high school like to dwell on them. They like to tell everyone about what terrible day they are having, rather than trying to forget about it and allow it to become a good day. I have had a lot of bad days, and I cannot wait to get out of high school, but I do not let that change my overall happiness. So you suould not either.
It is okay to add just a pinch of salt, or allow your cookies to be just the right amount of being done, but be careful when you bake. I consider myself to be a proffesional baker, one time I made home made brownies and this kid wanted to propose to me right then and there, (Joking obviously) but my rainbow cupcakes are certainly something to beat. Plus, it's easier to just start laughing when you have a house full of perfectly made goodies than if you have a messy kitchen with salty cookies and the fire alarm going off in the back round.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Big Picture.
"There are REAL problems out there, and petty drama in high school is not it."
High school students are often labeled as those who believe their whole life is represented by the situations they are in right now. Adults often remind us to think of how this will affect us in the future.
"This is not going to matter in a year, a month, it is not the end of the world."
They preach this to us every time we come home crying, time and time again hoping that one of these times we will finally understand they are speaking the truth. As much as we hate to admit it, wisdom only comes from years and our parents and adults we speak to usually have plenty of those. I am now realizing this as a junior in high school, way later that I wish I would have realized it, but there in fact is more to life than these halls of my high school.
We are reminded that there is a bigger picture we should look at other times besides when we are caught off guard by petty problems. Such as when we read bibliographies, listen to history lessons, or watch movies with sad endings. However, those humbling thoughts are quickly silenced when our own problems reappear. I am sure that I will forget this sediment sooner than later, but as of right now I am taking more things with a grain of salt as my time in high school dwindles. The reason for this was my good friend sharing her philosophy on life one late night on a show choir trip. She was able to open my eyes, though unintentionally, to the real problems there were, versus the minute ones we are faced with in high school. Now having a better perspective on how insignificant time, individual people are, and little letters on the tops of papers, I am able to enjoy high school more than I did before this conversation. High school can be really awful and I am sure that I have not seen all the hurdles it has put in front of me yet, but when I take a step back and look at the actual hurdles others are going through, and the ones I might actually have to face when I am older, these ones seem miniscule.
I wish more people could realize this, because if everyone saw the big obstacles that lie ahead in their own paths, or even in the lives of others, why would continue to place these itty-bitty, annoying, and idiotic hurdles in the lanes of others to trip them up. They should rather be preparing themselves to jump the big ones ahead, and worry about themselves. And if they already think they are going to finish this race in one piece, then they could help others by deterring those who refuse to stop placing the little hurtles in others lanes.
The sooner people realize how few days we have left, hopefully the sooner they will understand that causing these petty problems just isn't worth it.
JSL
High school students are often labeled as those who believe their whole life is represented by the situations they are in right now. Adults often remind us to think of how this will affect us in the future.
"This is not going to matter in a year, a month, it is not the end of the world."
They preach this to us every time we come home crying, time and time again hoping that one of these times we will finally understand they are speaking the truth. As much as we hate to admit it, wisdom only comes from years and our parents and adults we speak to usually have plenty of those. I am now realizing this as a junior in high school, way later that I wish I would have realized it, but there in fact is more to life than these halls of my high school.
We are reminded that there is a bigger picture we should look at other times besides when we are caught off guard by petty problems. Such as when we read bibliographies, listen to history lessons, or watch movies with sad endings. However, those humbling thoughts are quickly silenced when our own problems reappear. I am sure that I will forget this sediment sooner than later, but as of right now I am taking more things with a grain of salt as my time in high school dwindles. The reason for this was my good friend sharing her philosophy on life one late night on a show choir trip. She was able to open my eyes, though unintentionally, to the real problems there were, versus the minute ones we are faced with in high school. Now having a better perspective on how insignificant time, individual people are, and little letters on the tops of papers, I am able to enjoy high school more than I did before this conversation. High school can be really awful and I am sure that I have not seen all the hurdles it has put in front of me yet, but when I take a step back and look at the actual hurdles others are going through, and the ones I might actually have to face when I am older, these ones seem miniscule.
I wish more people could realize this, because if everyone saw the big obstacles that lie ahead in their own paths, or even in the lives of others, why would continue to place these itty-bitty, annoying, and idiotic hurdles in the lanes of others to trip them up. They should rather be preparing themselves to jump the big ones ahead, and worry about themselves. And if they already think they are going to finish this race in one piece, then they could help others by deterring those who refuse to stop placing the little hurtles in others lanes.
The sooner people realize how few days we have left, hopefully the sooner they will understand that causing these petty problems just isn't worth it.
JSL
Monday, April 11, 2016
Hard Work.
Talent can only get you so far, but not everything in life will be handed to you on a silver platter.
As a high school student with little time on her hands, hard and persistent work is the only solution to getting things done. I began diving in high school after I ended my gymnastics career. Flipping in the air was nothing out of the ordinary, but this year, I found myself hungering to be better and get my name out there. With only one more year of high school left, my time left to make an impact was slowly diminishing. I made a decision to not waste the precious time I was given and implemented the years of hard-work training from my gymnastics years, back when flipping was not always so simple. Despite the unbearably early mornings in the pool, I felt myself getting better. I continuously would remind myself not to procrastinate on homework because I knew my weekends would be filled with competitions and private practices. All those mornings spent shivering, all the air that was taken out of my lungs when a dive ended in a smack, all the water swallowed never hindered my drive for success when I could see the leaps and bounds I was accomplishing. During the most competitive part of my season this year I unfortunately had a series of illnesses, yet continued to dive which legnthened my recovery time and just when I thought that I was good to go for state meet I injured my back during warm ups and competed in a lot of pain. I was still able to place 16th at state though. Although the season came to a disappointing end, I was shown that my hard work did not go unnoticed when I was named one of the swimming and diving team captains for my senior year. If hard work has gotten me this far this year, I can only imagine the progress next year.
As a high school student with little time on her hands, hard and persistent work is the only solution to getting things done. I began diving in high school after I ended my gymnastics career. Flipping in the air was nothing out of the ordinary, but this year, I found myself hungering to be better and get my name out there. With only one more year of high school left, my time left to make an impact was slowly diminishing. I made a decision to not waste the precious time I was given and implemented the years of hard-work training from my gymnastics years, back when flipping was not always so simple. Despite the unbearably early mornings in the pool, I felt myself getting better. I continuously would remind myself not to procrastinate on homework because I knew my weekends would be filled with competitions and private practices. All those mornings spent shivering, all the air that was taken out of my lungs when a dive ended in a smack, all the water swallowed never hindered my drive for success when I could see the leaps and bounds I was accomplishing. During the most competitive part of my season this year I unfortunately had a series of illnesses, yet continued to dive which legnthened my recovery time and just when I thought that I was good to go for state meet I injured my back during warm ups and competed in a lot of pain. I was still able to place 16th at state though. Although the season came to a disappointing end, I was shown that my hard work did not go unnoticed when I was named one of the swimming and diving team captains for my senior year. If hard work has gotten me this far this year, I can only imagine the progress next year.
Escape.
Escaping high schools pressure in a productive way can take on many different forms, mine however, is running. I have had many different paths of escape including tumbling in gymnastics, jumping of trampolines, diving, and now running.
I was a gymnast for 12 years, and thankfully my early years as a gymnast were not very stressful, but then came the middle school years that everyone dreads. Gymnastics became something that was stable, unlike the girls at school who claimed to be my friends, and pounding on the floor was something else I could concentrate on.
You would be surprised at how quickly one can get winded by jumping on a trampoline. Even as a physically fit kid I still had to sit down every couple of minutes. I would work on more gymnastics skills or try to do the fun thing someone showed me at gymnastics camp. I would see how high I could jump and imagined how high I could get if I jumped off my roof onto my trampoline. My trampoline was right outside and (weather permitting) I could use it whenever I liked.
Diving is a technical sport. Thanks to gymnastics flipping in the air was nothing out of the ordinary and I was able to catch on pretty quickly soon after I started freshmen year. Diving was not an escape at first, the early morning practices followed by my hair being soaked as I walked to my first class of the day was not always thrilling. This year, however, things changed. The difficulty level needed to be doing my dives was heightened, as was the risk component. As I said diving is a technical sport and while you are in the air there is little room for outside thoughts. Diving became an escape because it was something I could focus on, and it was also rewarding as I became a higher and higher ranked diver.
Working out every week was nothing out of the ordinary for me. Back in the gymnastics days I would be in the gym for around 20 hours a week. If I wanted to maintain the form I was in I could not stop after I retired, so I started going to a gym. A high-intensity work out only gives you one thing to think about, how much pain you are in, and the only other thing that you are fighting to put in your mind is telling yourself it will be worth it afterwards, and reminding yourself to breathe. Pain is a very good escape plan as long as its productive.
Sometimes high school can be really difficult, and being stuck in the same place with the same people who constantly remind you of where you are messing up and what they do not like about you can be just draining. It is too much, to be quite frank, and the unbelievable amounts of pressure on us are the reasons young people make bad decisions and turn to things that are not good for them. Staying active has always worked for me, but maybe for you its puzzles, rubics cubes, drawing, writing, singing, the list could go on and on. If you want to escape, its simple, just concentrate on something else. And also remember to just start laughing, although they may seem monstrous, the pressures of high school max out at four years.
JSL
I was a gymnast for 12 years, and thankfully my early years as a gymnast were not very stressful, but then came the middle school years that everyone dreads. Gymnastics became something that was stable, unlike the girls at school who claimed to be my friends, and pounding on the floor was something else I could concentrate on.
You would be surprised at how quickly one can get winded by jumping on a trampoline. Even as a physically fit kid I still had to sit down every couple of minutes. I would work on more gymnastics skills or try to do the fun thing someone showed me at gymnastics camp. I would see how high I could jump and imagined how high I could get if I jumped off my roof onto my trampoline. My trampoline was right outside and (weather permitting) I could use it whenever I liked.
Diving is a technical sport. Thanks to gymnastics flipping in the air was nothing out of the ordinary and I was able to catch on pretty quickly soon after I started freshmen year. Diving was not an escape at first, the early morning practices followed by my hair being soaked as I walked to my first class of the day was not always thrilling. This year, however, things changed. The difficulty level needed to be doing my dives was heightened, as was the risk component. As I said diving is a technical sport and while you are in the air there is little room for outside thoughts. Diving became an escape because it was something I could focus on, and it was also rewarding as I became a higher and higher ranked diver.
Working out every week was nothing out of the ordinary for me. Back in the gymnastics days I would be in the gym for around 20 hours a week. If I wanted to maintain the form I was in I could not stop after I retired, so I started going to a gym. A high-intensity work out only gives you one thing to think about, how much pain you are in, and the only other thing that you are fighting to put in your mind is telling yourself it will be worth it afterwards, and reminding yourself to breathe. Pain is a very good escape plan as long as its productive.
Sometimes high school can be really difficult, and being stuck in the same place with the same people who constantly remind you of where you are messing up and what they do not like about you can be just draining. It is too much, to be quite frank, and the unbelievable amounts of pressure on us are the reasons young people make bad decisions and turn to things that are not good for them. Staying active has always worked for me, but maybe for you its puzzles, rubics cubes, drawing, writing, singing, the list could go on and on. If you want to escape, its simple, just concentrate on something else. And also remember to just start laughing, although they may seem monstrous, the pressures of high school max out at four years.
JSL
Communication.
This is not only a lesson that will help you in high school, but will also aid you in your life adventures.
In your life, good communication skills are the key to good, honest relationships. Good, honest relationships are the key to success. Success is what everyone feels leads to a happy life, so the moral of the story is that good communication skills will most definitely lead you in the right direction.
The tricky thing about communication is the many aspects of it, verbal and physical, and the new addition of technological communication.
Verbal communication is something that is of a dying breed. We have technology to thank for that. In this day and age, there are many people, especially those in high school, that would choose to text rather than talk on the phone. According to statisticbrain.com, the number one fear of people in America based on a study they did was Glossophobia- the fear of public speaking. I know that this is but one aspect of verbal communication, but this falls under the same category. Although it often times seems that working on improving your verbal communication in a high school setting would not be worth your time, high school may actually be the best place due to the many different individuals you will come in contact with, giving you more experience. And with the many sensitive people who flood the halls you will become especially aware of your tone of voice and your diction. Verbal communication is a necessity because it is essential to creating personal relationships.
Physical communication is something seen and not heard. How people act without saying anything is a key concept in understanding someone. Crossing your arms, not making eye contact, edging away are all signs you would not have in an interview, or if you were having a conversation with someone you liked. Verbal and physical communication have to go hand in hand when you are having a conversation because how would you expect people to understand you otherwise?
Technological communication has taken away some of the key components in communication in my opinion. In a text, without an emoji, you cannot hear the person's tone, nor can you read their body language. And even with an emoji or if all caps are used there is still plenty of room for speculation. With the growing usage of phones I believe my generation is able to understand the meanings of text messages more than other generations have, but due to that we now are loosing our skill of actually talking to communicate.
Thankfully I like to talk. Keeping eye contact is not difficult for me and I can pick up on others' tone and stature pretty well. However I fear this is a dying skill that people need to revive. Keep talking, and maybe that will make you just start laughing.
JSL
In your life, good communication skills are the key to good, honest relationships. Good, honest relationships are the key to success. Success is what everyone feels leads to a happy life, so the moral of the story is that good communication skills will most definitely lead you in the right direction.
The tricky thing about communication is the many aspects of it, verbal and physical, and the new addition of technological communication.
Verbal communication is something that is of a dying breed. We have technology to thank for that. In this day and age, there are many people, especially those in high school, that would choose to text rather than talk on the phone. According to statisticbrain.com, the number one fear of people in America based on a study they did was Glossophobia- the fear of public speaking. I know that this is but one aspect of verbal communication, but this falls under the same category. Although it often times seems that working on improving your verbal communication in a high school setting would not be worth your time, high school may actually be the best place due to the many different individuals you will come in contact with, giving you more experience. And with the many sensitive people who flood the halls you will become especially aware of your tone of voice and your diction. Verbal communication is a necessity because it is essential to creating personal relationships.
Physical communication is something seen and not heard. How people act without saying anything is a key concept in understanding someone. Crossing your arms, not making eye contact, edging away are all signs you would not have in an interview, or if you were having a conversation with someone you liked. Verbal and physical communication have to go hand in hand when you are having a conversation because how would you expect people to understand you otherwise?
Technological communication has taken away some of the key components in communication in my opinion. In a text, without an emoji, you cannot hear the person's tone, nor can you read their body language. And even with an emoji or if all caps are used there is still plenty of room for speculation. With the growing usage of phones I believe my generation is able to understand the meanings of text messages more than other generations have, but due to that we now are loosing our skill of actually talking to communicate.
Thankfully I like to talk. Keeping eye contact is not difficult for me and I can pick up on others' tone and stature pretty well. However I fear this is a dying skill that people need to revive. Keep talking, and maybe that will make you just start laughing.
JSL
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