Tag: school

So much to do, I hope I go to college

poofypuffyLeave a comment

College applications are so much work. So many adults will go “Guess how many colleges I applied to?” and you know they’re going to say one but you ask how many and they smile and hold up one finger and say “One!” kind of smugly. It kind of sucks how so many people apply to so many schools, so that the same super qualified people get into a lot of schools and make it that much harder those of us that didn’t cure cancer or win the Olympics. Why is the whole process so extensive? It’s just so much information, writing, time, and in some cases so much money just to get a little rejection email.

This Saturday, I need to write a supplemental and a half, review and submit an application, play a volleyball game for some strange reason, and finish two paintings for a deadline in AP Art.

I can’t wait to be done. I already submitted two applications, but there are still other things like test scores and recommendation letters that I have to send. Then, for scholarship money I have to do in-person interviews out-of-state during school because they only have certain dates, but I’ll probably try because it’s for a full ride and I’m only applying to three colleges anyway.

Picture credit: https://research.collegeboard.org/

Sports

leapingwaterLeave a comment

I have never really been interested in sports, especially when I was younger. I never played a sport seriously, nor did I have any interest in watching it either. I think the reason why I overall completely avoided sports was because I felt like I couldn’t do it. I felt like every time that I tried to play sports in elementary school I just didn’t have the “skill.” This was a pretty negative way of thinking. I didn’t want to try. I didn’t have any motivation to, just because I thought I was not going to improve if I was not good at it immediately. This caused me to not branch out and try to find something I liked, which actually applied to other areas in my life involving skill as well. I simply lost motivation way too easily. When Covid hit and online school started, I hardly ever exercised. I thought sports weren’t for me. When I first joined my current school, I was nervous about all of the sports options. There were so many things that I hadn’t tried before. I heard many of the girls in my grade that were joining volleyball, and because I didn’t know what else to do, I joined it as well. When I first began to play volleyball, I was very discouraged. I started putting more effort in, and even though I was so terrible, I enjoyed it. I was excited to go to practice. I would talk to parents about it, and how happy and nervous I was to play in a real game. It is my third year playing volleyball, and although I am still in the JV team (and not good at all), I am so thankful that I first tried playing it.

Also, at the end of September, my best friend and I went to go see a baseball game that she invited me to. I have actually been to one baseball game when I was younger, but I can’t remember very much about it. My best friend first invited me to go during the summer, and we were so excited and ready for the day to come. When we arrived, just being in the environment with so many people passionate about this sport made it all the more exciting. We got into the stadium, and my best friend bought both of us matching jackets! I hadn’t even seen the baseball field yet and I was so happy. I had such an amazing time there watching the game with my best friend who made it even more special, and there was even a fireworks show afterwards. I’m really happy that I have come to appreciate not only playing sports, but watching them too.

pc: me

Advanced Procrastination

kittenqueen3Leave a comment

Last night, I talked to my mom about how I used to be an academic weapon, and now I’m an academic victim. This is due to procrastination. I can make up the best excuses for not doing my homework. I used to just go on my phone, clean my room, or maybe make food. But recently, I have been getting advanced in my procrastination strategies. Now, instead of that, I will do an assignment from a different class instead of the one I need to do. I tell myself it’s not procrastinating because I’m getting work done. I actually need to stop doing this, especially with world notes, because it has caused me to do poorly on SAQs, and I also still haven’t done notes from like 2 weeks ago. Overall I’m pretty behind in all my classes, but at the end of the day, I usually get things in on time, but it’s extremely stressful. Last week we had a notebook check, and I was up till 3 a.m. doing notes. Anyway, it’s Thursday and this isn’t due until Friday so technically, I didn’t procrastinate this one.

“Png man running late“/ CC0 1.0

SHIN SPLINTS

progstenLeave a comment

Shin splints are a prevalent issue among athletes, caused by repetitive pressure and stress on the tibialis and the tibialis anterior tendons. This often happens when increasing the intensity of your training or if you have just begun training. Medically referred to as “medial tibial stress syndrome,” shin splints can cause symptoms like soreness, tenderness, and pain. These symptoms can mostly be treated with ice and lowering your training intensity, and trying to build up to where you want to be. However, if these symptoms are left unchecked, it can cause a stress reaction, which is a defense mechanism the body does under intense stress either physical or mental, and stress fracture in the foot, tibia, or even hip. The reason it can occur in the hip is the same reason a building will collapse if part of the support is taken out. With a weak base (the tibula in this case), then the whole structure will be weak. The hip will start compensating and having to much strain on it, causing micro fractures. These micro-fractures will often cause significantly more pain and rarely get treated due to the pain being not intense enough to go see a medical professional.

With your body undergoing your new style of training, it causes issues in your tendons and muscles but how does one fix this? Oftentimes times, the simplest treatment is the most effective for treating shin splints with ice and decreased intensity however, if your symptoms get check in with your doctor to try and fix the issue. However, it will most likely cause you to stop engaging in intense physical activities for a while.

https://www.google.com/search?q=shin+splints&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjG09-av-yBAxU8OUQIHfNnA2QQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=shin+sp&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgBMgcIABCKBRBDMggIABCABBCxAzINCAAQigUQsQMQgwEQQzILCAAQgAQQsQMQgwEyCwgAEIAEELEDEIMBMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEAM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgoIABCKBRCxAxBDUNYKWLIaYKoqaABwAHgAgAFqiAHbBZIBAzcuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=bsslZcbkArzykPIP88-NoAY&bih=878&biw=1600&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS974US975#imgrc=uqV7adEv0eTABM

I Hate Blogs

godgoldngloryLeave a comment

Every week for journalism class, we have to write a blog. It is actually getting a bit annoying, and we are only on Blog #5. I know some other people actually really like the blogs, but I feel like I always have a hard time coming up with the topic of the week. My ideas are either way too broad and boring or way too personal. Also, I always forget about the blogs until around ten or eleven on Friday night. This is really scary because I have to quickly go through the process of writing an entire blog and go through the struggles of choosing a topic in the span of about twenty minutes before it turns twelve. In conclusion, I hate blogs, and I’m going to make this exactly 150 words to spite the word minimum. Thank you for listening to my speech, and have a wonderful night.

A depressed student sitting on a floor with his head down crying. Depressed school boy in side view Stock Photo - Alamy

PC: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alamy.com%2Fa-depressed-student-sitting-on-a-floor-with-his-head-down-crying-depressed-school-boy-in-side-view-image328791276.html&psig=AOvVaw1gw3oQIwGG4C3RZZJbX26q&ust=1696742614266000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CA4QjRxqFwoTCJCg9fqY44EDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

AP Chem, More Like AP Misery

godgoldngloryLeave a comment

I know junior year is supposed to be hard and all, but this is really my tipping point. Between three other AP classes, precalc, journalism, and being a yearbook editor, as well as other extracurriculars like being in Student Council, a dorm prefect, and in varsity sports, I have taken on a lot this year. All of these things are in addition to keeping up with my friends and family and also keeping myself in check.

Even though it’s a lot, honestly, I could do it. That is, if it weren’t for the class that could commonly go by the name of the course of satan himself.

Now, I have nothing against Mr. Driscoll; I love him. He’s super sweet, helpful, and knows what he is talking about. However, I don’t think the best teacher in the entire world could get me through that class. Again, this is not due to Mr. Driscoll, but as soon as I walk through the door of the chem lab, I am flooded with an immediate sense of grief. If I hear one more person talk about mass spectroscopy, thermodynamics, or stoichiometry, I don’t think I will make it to next week. I genuinely think everyone still in that class is some sort of superhero.

This past week, I have been pursuing other options for classes to take if I drop out of AP Chem. After much thought, I have decided to transfer to AP Bio. Now, I know AP Bio doesn’t sound all that different from AP Chem, but it is for me. I just have this deep-rooted and indescribable hatred for chemistry that cannot be applied to anything else. I’m not exactly sure what ionic compound demon possessed me when I was choosing my classes last year.

Anyhow, it doesn’t matter anymore, as I am out of that class forever. I will never be haunted by intermolecular forces and chemical reactions again. I am free.

Sad Asian Student Clutching Head After Failed Experiment In Chemistry Class. Disappointed Asian Student Carrying Out Experiment In Chemistry Class. Vector Flat Design Illustration. Square Layout. Royalty Free SVG, Cliparts, Vectors, and
https://www.google.com/search?q=chemistry+sad+class&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwif863ozL2BAxUfI0QIHcW_BCIQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=chemistry+sad+class&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQgARQ0wdYlw1ghA5oAHAAeACAAUaIAZsCkgEBNpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=djUNZZ_gLp_GkPIPxf-SkAI&bih=803&biw=1470&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS917US917#imgrc=aQow0fyf_WhZLM

I would be a duck

poofypuffyLeave a comment

If I could be any animal, I would be a duck.

First, ducks have small brains. I think it would be nice to just hang out in the water all day thinking about nothing but food. Actually not all day, like your whole life.

Secondly, ducks are cute.

Third: ducks can fly. I think it would be so nice to fly, so just be above everything and look at it from afar. Also, being high up is scary to me, to the point where it’s kind of exciting so I think flying would be cool.

Fourth of all, ducks are all-terrain. They can go in the air, land, or water. I think the water would be the best part, if not the sky. To just float in the cool water for your whole life would be so nice. No college applications. No class, no grades, no tests, no SATs. No worries, no stress, no hurt, no tears, no disgust, no listening to people cry and not being able to do anything about it. 

Fifth of all, ducks look very soft. I just want to pet one so bad, but they don’t sound like very good pets because they poop everywhere. A duck would probably be happier in the wild anyway. Also, I have a cat that would definitely attack the duck.

Photo by Prathap Karaka

Big Step

graypenguinLeave a comment

The summer after 9th grade in my home country I made the biggest decision of my 15 years of life. It was the decision to come to the United States. What I wanted to do, was to get an education in the United States and go to college. I first became interested in studying abroad when I went to Australia for a week in 5th and 7th grade to attend a local school. I was shocked by the cultural differences there. The technological advances, the teaching styles, everything was new and fascinating. My parents are very supportive of what I want to do. I was very blessed with my surroundings, and I was a little sad to leave my school in Japan. However, I was more excited about my new life. When I arrived at my current school, it was during the Covid pandemic. However, my mother came with me to the United States. I felt sad to be away from my family, even though it was the path I had chosen. But more than that, I was surrounded by wonderful friends and teachers, which made me realize that my decision was not a mistake. I was sure that this big step would enrich my life.

pc: me

Reflecting

leapingwaterLeave a comment

Since we have been back at school so far, a lot has happened. The first week of school consisted of meeting an incredible amount of new people from all grades, getting back into dorm-living, and and having an overwhelming amount of homework. There was a camping trip last week, and now we are just approaching the end of the second academic week. I’ve been loading my plate up a lot recently, and I’m not quite sure if its the right thing to do. However, this stressful-ish energy has been motivating, in a way. It’s exciting because it reminds me of how many opportunities that high school can provide.

However, I feel as if school has been rushing past me all too quickly. I’ve been to many schools in my life, and lived in many places. It feels sometimes as if my life is on autopilot and I cannot slow down. Only yesterday does it feel like I was scrappily coloring, eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich that had been tossed around in my bag, and coming home begging my parents to have more time to play Minecraft. Now, I’m held up to a standard, where everything in my life is more complex.

I know, thats quite literally what growing up is about, but I feel like it has all gone by too quickly. I might never get back living in such simpler times, where the only thing to worry about was what color crayon I was going to use, but I will always appreciate and feel grateful for how those moments shaped me and led to me becoming the person who I am now, and who I will continue to become in the future.

pc: me

Imagine

urmom8bean1 Comment

Your mom.

No, I’m just kidding. On a more serious note, I really do want you to imagine something. Imagine a guy named Paul, and all Paul wants to do is follow his dreams and go to NASA Academy. NASA Academy is perfect for Paul, whose only dream is to be an astronaut. However, NASA Academy is very expensive, and Paul does not have the money. What is Paul to do? Should he give up on his dream?

Now, I’m not being too fair to Paul. Yes, there are schools that have astronomy classes, so why not just go to one of those? It’s like telling a kid you’re taking him to Dojo Boom and giving him a trampoline. Not those big ones where you can do flips, but the small ones made for 3-year-olds. You know, the ones that say on the box “3-8 years old.” Here’s a visual if you need

Fold & Go Trampoline (TM) - The Original Toy Company
PC: https://www.theoriginaltoycompany.com/59609/fold-go-trampoline-tm

Back to Paul, now it’s not necessarily the worst thing ever. Your kid gets to jump around, and Paul gets to see the stars—through a telescope… instead of flying among them. What would you tell Paul? Seriously would you look him in the eyes and tell him to jump on some small trampoline? I have to move away from the trampolines.

To make this even harder what if i told you Paul needs space to live. Not like in a literal sense but in a way that his life would be meaningless without it. You can only ever truly understand if you’ve love something so unconditionally, so purely, so passionately. I can’t expect you to understand if you’re going to college for a job. Paul is going to college to live, to give his life meaning. Who knows maybe Paul is just being difficult, dramatic, extra. I guess most dreamers are. Paul will have to choose, and thats if Nasa even accepts him. Ha! Paul hasn’t even been accepted and he’s worried about everything else. Heres another thing about Paul, he stresses too much but we all do… right?

I’ve definitely gone over the 150 word mark so I guess, Im done.