Braces

            I have had braces for over 3 years, in fact over 3 and a half years yay… oh wait never mind.  Braces suck and I don’t know how else to describe them, and they are really just a hassle.  There is brushing, the appointments, and the lovely rubber bands for months on end… oh and don’t forget the diet change.

            If you think that brushing your teeth is time consuming, try it with braces.  You have to make sure to brush from every angle of the brackets, wires, and hooks every time.  Plus, food gets stuck so much easier and is that much harder to get out.  The biggest fear with not brushing is the dreaded stains after the braces come off, for me it is basically a given after almost 4 years I will have some sort of stain though, especially with my coffee love.

            The monthly appointments to the orthodontist are so much fun.  I can never wait until my next one.  I really hope you knew that was sarcasm.  Spending a good almost hour every 4-6 weeks well they basically tell you to just come back again in another 4-6 weeks, I’ve lost track of how much time I have spent laying in the chairs at the orthodontist.

            For me, the longest and most difficult part of the braces part has been the rubber bands.  I have been wearing rubber bands for I have no idea how long.  They are always breaking and are everywhere in my house and car by now.  In fact, this post topic was decided when I yawned and my rubber band snapped.

            The favorite part everybody says when they get braces is when they can no longer chew gum, well technically.  Although in some ways braces have been convenient in getting me out of eating foods, such as celery, in middle school when I really didn’t want to eat it, now I’m just tired of not being able to eat a caramel apple.

            I remember looking forward to getting braces, now I look back and laugh at myself.  Just remember kids, braces suck.

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Gardening... Strawberries

            Today was in the seventies, like what is this, this has not happened in forever.  I was finally able to feel comfortable with planting all of the strawberry plants in my hanging trellis off of my deck that my dad and brother put up for me last year.  Yeah, I’m one of those crazy garden people and I don’t know why but I am so deal with it.  I was so excited to be able to plant my strawberries that I couldn’t wait to do it and did it right after I got home from work even though I was so tired and just really needed a nap.

            This is going to be one of those awkward blog posts with tips about gardening I’m just super excited so sorry if I start to ramble.  The unfortunate thing with strawberry plants are that they take need to be planted a good 18 inches apart from each other and are always sending out these things called “runners” from the base plant.  If you are planting strawberries, I would recommend when you plant them, plant something like radishes or carrots around them that will be able to be harvested within a few weeks so that you aren’t wasting all of the extra growing space in your garden.

            Strawberry plants are also very frustrating in the fact that they usually have very crappy growing years for their first year, and then only last a good 3-4 years before being burned out.  The way that you avoid having them all have the same good years is pinch the blossoms off of every other plant the first year, after the third year go through and remove all of the plants on one half and replant the next spring doing the same with the other half the next fall.  This is to avoid having them all have the same first year twice, and pinching off the blossoms gives them a good second year but nothing the first season which is why you only do half.

            Have fun growing, oh and don’t forget to water all your plants.

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Country Concerts

            In case you didn’t know, and most likely you didn’t, Kenny Chesney’s “No Shoes Tour” was in Des Moines, Iowa last night.  I happened to have tickets to the show with my mother, and it in many ways may have been the best concert I have ever been to.  It took place at the Wells Fargo Arena which was the same location I saw Carrie Underwood a few months ago, and there were a lot of differences I found in them and liked more in one than in the other.

            Generally you go to a concert for the music so I am going to start with that.  Carrie Underwood has been my favorite artist for as far back as I can remember, but I’m not really that old so probably shortly after she was off of American Idol.  I love so many of her songs and I love her voice.  Unfortunately the night she was in Des Moines she was losing her voice so I was slightly disappointed in a few of the songs and she played a shorter set than normal.

            During Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away Tour she played a lot of her more recent songs that were not necessarily as known or popular.  I have all of her albums except the most recent one, but I still did not know quite a few of the songs she sang which was very disappointing to me.

             Now to talk about Kenny Chesney’s music, I do not always actively listen to country but I knew every single song he sang except for two of them.  This to me was able to keep me very entertained and I was able to enjoy all of the music since he was playing his more popular music rather than just his newer music.

            To get away from the music part of the concert, I’m going to talk about the set and costuming of Carrie Underwood which was just awesome.  She had some of the prettiest dresses, cutest outfits, and I loved her shoes.  She did a lot of costume changes and had awesome backgrounds.  At one point, Carrie even went on a stage over the floor part of the crowd.  Carrie also had some really good lighting that was never over powering or too bright.

            When it came to Kenney Chesney’s staging, well it stayed the same.  He also never changed outfits which I find a little more normal since he is a guy and all.  His original stage was never anything all that special though, he just had screens with pictures and videos playing throughout.  However, I did like how his stage had a spot that stuck out into the crowd on the floor in the middle.  His lighting, however, for a majority of the time was very obnoxious and over powering.  For me it was disorienting, and made it difficult for my mom to drive home later.

            The last thing I will discuss is the opening acts.  Carrie Underwood had Hunter Hayes with her.  Hunter Hayes was the other person I really wanted to see at the time so I was really happy when I found out they were together.  I knew a lot of his songs and he is pretty well known.  To put it nice and short, to have him there made me very happy.  Hunter was also very good and had very good staging.

            Kenney Chesney in Des Moines had two opening acts, in some places he has more.  I heard Kacey Musgraves and the Eli Young Band.  I had never heard of Kacey and she mainly sang songs by some other artists but she did have one song that is relatively new she wrote that I have been hearing quite a lot.  Eli Young Band has been around for about ten years and has a few songs that are pretty popular.  They even sing like my all- time favorite song and it left me almost in tears.

            All in all, both concerts were very good and I am glad I went to both of them.  I will have to thank my mom for buying the tickets and taking me with her even if the Carrie Underwood ones were my birthday present.  Last night’s Kenny Chesney concert was much better though than what I can remember from the one I went to years ago with my mom when our seats were occupied by people who couldn’t fit just in their seats, and after being put in other seats had beer poured on us…  I’m glad I went last night J

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Fads

            I am going to make this blog post in response to my dear friend Finley's latest blog post.  He had a blog post about hats but I found the actual purpose to be about fads.  I wanted to talk mainly about the last point he made and the big hair fad in the 70s.

            If you ever stop to think about it, many of the fashions from the 70s and 80s have been coming back.  The poofs in the hair and in general a lot of the clothes are all coming back from the time of my parents.

            A couple of years ago I was so confused why everyone was going from wearing boot cut jeans to skinny jeans.  I used to think that they were the craziest idea ever, but a few years later I am wearing usually only skinny jeans.  In case you didn’t know, skinny jeans are a returning fad, as Finley would say, from the 70s and 80s.

            Another fad would be neon.  Nowadays you can walk into quite a few stores, and they have a whole section of neon clothes, or at least they did last summer.  Once again, neon is from the time of my parents and it had its return to us.

            The biggest shock I have had with returning fads would have to be the idea of poofs in the hair.  Now it is quite common to simply poof your bangs or the front part of your hair to keep it out of your hair at any time.  Other people will wear a headband and put a big poof in the back.  I used to think that this was the craziest thing ever when the fad began to return, but now I do it too.

            It really is weird the way that fads come and go, being recycled and returning as the generations age.  I’m just hoping that shoulder pads never come back, I don’t think I would be able to handle that fad.

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A True Friend

            Everyone has friends or at least a friend, hopefully.  I don’t know anybody that doesn’t have at least one good friend that they can always talk to.  Sometimes they may be just like you and sometimes they may be the exact opposite of you.  No matter how much you have in common, they are still your best friend that you can always trust.  To me there are some important things you should have in every friend ship, such as trust, respect, and some similarities in personality.

            Trust is a big deal in any relationship, but in a friendship I think it is vitally important.  You have to be able to have someone that you can talk to about all your problems and tell all your secrets to, and I think that that should be your friend.  However, if you are telling your friend all your secrets, you have to be able to trust that they won’t judge you, but most importantly would be trust that they won’t tell anybody else.

            Those may be the most important parts of trust in a friendship, but there are also some smaller things that you have to be able to trust a friend with.  As a high school student, you have to trust your friend not to ditch you and plans you make at the last minute, or leave you hanging at school or lunch.  That may seem like something really small, but as a student in high school it can sometimes become a huge deal to be ditched.

            In a friendship, respect for each other is a huge deal.  If your friend is always putting you down, they are probably not a good friend.  If your best friend constantly calls you and can’t give you a break, it is probably time to reevaluate your friendship.  A friend is someone that doesn’t judge you for the things you do and wear, or other friends you may talk to.  A true friend is someone that respects the decisions you make, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or others.

            Personality, it is simple.  A friendship where you like nothing the same would probably not work out.  If you are a straight –A nerd and your friend is a straight C procrastinator, there will probably end up being a lot of fighting over whether there should be hang outs during the week.  A differing personality can also cause issues in clothes, if your friend likes one thing and you like another style, they may always be judging your clothes, but that also can go back to how much they respect you.  The bottom line though, if you have nothing in common the friendship probably won’t be able to last long before someone gets annoyed with the other.

            Just remember, a friend is a friend.  If you get along and have fun together don’t sweat it.  If your friend is bringing you down, you might need to reevaluate the friendship.  In a lot of ways a friendship is like any other relationship, so think before you act and don’t do anything you are going to regret.  These are only my opinion about a friendship. 

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Winter

The brown, barren earth

A chill runs through

Howling in its anguish

For it is alone

 

Glass panes fall to earth                                                                                                       5

Like a window being shattered

As white waves wash

Over this lonely land

 

A lone wolf cries out

But only the wind responds                                                                                                10

Howling in its anguish

For they are alone

 

Glass is snow

Piercing my skin

As white waves wash                                                                                                         15

Over this barren land

 

 

1)      Line 2-3, Personification.  “A chill runs through Howling in its anguish” I personified the wind by having it running through the land as it is howling out in anguish; however, wind is not able to have feelings but giving it the personification of having feelings of anguish emphasizes the lonely and desolate place.

2)      Line 13, Metaphor.  “Glass is snow” I make the comparison that glass is similar to snow as it hits me.  The piercing made by sharp pieces of glass, and the piercing chill of snow are compared to each other in order to not only make it clear that the glass falling is snow, but also to keep the lonely and somber mood of the poem.

3)      Line 5-6, Simile.  “Glass panes fall to earth Like a window being shattered” I am comparing the glass falling to earth similar to when a window is shattered and broken.  I am able to help clarify the image I want readers to see as the glass falls to earth through the use of a simile.

4)      Lines 3-4 & 11-12, Lines 7-8 & 15-16, Parallelism.  I end each stanza of the poem using the same alternating phrases.  I am able to emphasize the snow covered lonely land by repeating the same lines with only a few word changes.

5)      Line 1, Imagery.  “The brown barren earth” I am able to use visual imagery right at the beginning of the poem to create a scene for my reader.  Throughout the poem I continue to use imagery to remind the reader of the visual and at times auditory and tactile scene in the poem.

6)      Line 2, Metonymy.  “A chill runs through” the chill that is being discussed in the poem has replaced wind in order to give the reader the feel of the cold in the scene.

7)      Line 3 & 11, Diction.  “Howling in its anguish” I use the word anguish out of many other words I could have used.   I chose anguish in order to give the feeling of pain and that it doesn’t want to be alone or there.  It is able to keep the somber tone of the poem.

Spring

It is finally Spring! Well kind of… I mean it was warm today but I think tomorrow it is going to be like 40 degrees again.  The weather today got me thinking about all the things I always have to do each Spring.  I’m sure that you probably have to do many of the same things, you might have not thought about it yet though.

1.      I found out today it is very important to make sure that your shorts and tank tops fit.  Unfortunately, or fortunately if you are looking at it differently, I lost a lot of weight since last summer and therefore none of my clothes fit.  Most likely you are going to want to try on some or all of your clothes just to verify that you will have clothes to wear when it warms up.  I would recommend taking whatever doesn’t fit to a local consignment store.  If you don’t know what that is, it is a store that will pay you money for your clothes and you can even do some shopping while you are there for clothes at discounted costs.  I went through my clothes today and next weekend I now have 3 large bags full of clothes to sell.

2.      Another thing it is time to start thinking about is your summer job, if you haven’t already.  If you worked somewhere last year, most likely they will send you a letter requesting you return again for another season.  If not, there are plenty of places that will hire you for seasonal work.  There are seed companies looking for pollinators and detasslers, garden shops looking for additional stockers and sellers, ice cream shops that are open only when the weather is warm, and cities looking for lifeguards and camp counselors.  There are plenty of jobs out there if you really try to look and search around.

3.      If you have a garden, it is probably time that you start making sure you have plants and seeds, and that your garden is ready to go.  This year it has stayed much cooler and therefore I have not been able to plant anything yet.  This is kind of worrying since most years I am planting radishes, carrots, and onions before now and I’m getting ready to plant other things.  I’m sure for other gardeners this is also concerning them as the growing season will probably be shorter this year than average, making things like melons difficult to grow.

Today got me thinking about Spring a lot more.  Maybe it got you thinking too and hopefully it will start to warm up more so that we can all enjoy the time of year.

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Languages

            Most likely, if you are in high school, you are taking a foreign language or are planning on taking one the last two years.  People have been asking me why I would take the language I took in high school (Chinese) especially since it is such a hard language.  If you are trying to figure out what language to take, I’ll give you some ways to decide.

1.      Is there a specific language you have always wanted to learn?  Maybe you have always loved French romance novels, well then maybe you have always wanted to learn French to better understand all the novels you enjoy reading.

2.      Is there a type of food you really love and would like to visit that country at some point in the future in order to enjoy the food in a more authentic way?  A lot of people love Mexican food so maybe you want to visit Mexico, well then take Spanish.

3.      My family on my mom’s side is from Germany.  Maybe you have family from a country that speaks a language your school offers.  You might chose to take that language so you can communicate with some of your older relatives or maybe even relatives that still live there, in their own language.  Or even better yet, at some point in the future when you want to visit your motherland, you will know the local language.

4.      Simplicity may be the reason you end up choosing your language.  Chinese for most would not be an easy language, but if you are a visual learner, it might end up being easier for you.  Some languages, such as Spanish, are very similar to English and share some common sounds; making learning the language easier to learn.

5.      I think the biggest reason you should chose a language, would be its prospects for the future.  The Spanish population in the United States of America is on the rise, but so is the number of kids taking it in high school.  The population of many Asian countries is on the rise, and so is their economic influence in the world markets.  It is expected that the Chinese GDP will soon pass that of the United States, so if you are thinking about a career in business, Chinese may be a smart option.  The industry of Japan is also on the rise, so Japanese may also be a smart option for your future career.  Some of the more unique languages can also end up looking good on a college transcript, or even on job applications.

No matter what language you chose to take, I would recommend thinking about it thoroughly before signing up.  You make not think it now, but your choice could have effects on you for the rest of your life.

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The Simple Dates

            I’m a high school girl, obviously, but I thought I would let you know just in case the title and username didn’t tell you that clearly.  I’m a girl that doesn’t have any care about money and I don’t really care for really extravagant things.  Yesterday I went on a date for the first time in months, and even though it was really simple, I had the best time I have had in a long time.

            My lovely date started off at a movie.  Even though it wasn’t a movie I would normally go to see (Scary Movie V) I still had a good time.  After spending two hours at the theater, he took me to get ice cream and we went to sit at a park for two hours just to talk.  The simplicity of the day left me smiling and I can’t wait for the next time.

            Some girls want their dates to get all dressed up with them, and take pictures.  I know girls that would expect flowers before going out, or maybe even jewelry.  The guy would then have to take her out to dinner at some fancy restaurant and then maybe a movie.  Personally, this date might be okay like a few times a year during a special event or special date, but I can’t handle the thought of going on these on a regular basis, plus they are expensive.

            My idea of a perfect date would probably take place in the afternoon rather than at night, but it would probably last into the evening.  I would want to start the day off with an old-fashioned picnic in the park, or on a farm somewhere.  I would probably prefer the farm picnic, so the rest of the date would work.  After the picnic, I would love to go four-wheeling for a few hours through the fields and just talk.  If the date was going well, I would want to stay until after dark to just look at the stars, maybe even light a fire and make s’mores.

            To me, simple is better.  I know not every girl would have the same opinion as me, but everything else just causes problems.  I love nature, and would want it to be just nature and the guy on my date.  If you think about it, a picnic is how it was done hundreds of years ago so why not now?  Simple will always be better.

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Ad Analysis

"is used to hunt all night for something to sink my teeth into. now i grab a bag of popchips. it was love at first bite."

"think popped!
never fried. never baked."

Procrastination

Procrastination may be the worst thing ever.  No matter how much you have it in your mind you are going to do something, most likely you will put off things still every now and then.

A good example of my procrastination skills would have to be these blogs in general, I need to have 3 each week between Monday and Sunday.  Has anyone else figured out what day I usually post on? That’s right, Sunday night!  I could probably take the time to do them throughout the week; I just never get around to it.

Another great example would be the 2 posters I have due in AP Comparative Government tomorrow morning.  I have had this assignment for over a week and I have yet to start.  Why? You might be asking… I just honestly have not felt like doing them whenever I have had time.  You are probably thinking that I will be doing them as soon as I get done with this then… But no I am planning on waiting until tomorrow morning at 4 to do them, no joke there.

If you struggle with procrastination, I would like to give you some advice that maybe I will start following too.  First, I would recommend writing everything in a planner.  Not only does a planner help you remember, you are able to schedule out your time.  Second, follow that planner.  This is where I fail.  I am very good at writing everything down, but very bad at following everything I write down.  My best advice, write everything in a planner and stick to it! No matter how much you want to hang out with your best friend at HyVee, always stick to your planner!

286

Baseball

            Baseball season is finally here. Yeah I am a chick but yeah I am pretty excited.  Baseball means that it is officially Spring and the weather has begun to warm up.  I have enjoyed baseball for almost my whole life and definitely think that is not only different from softball, but also better to both play and watch.

            In case you are some crazy person that just decided now to start reading my blog and aren’t actually one of my friends (which I highly doubt), I work for the local baseball team in my town, The Cedar Rapids Kernels.  This year the Kernels signed and moved their Major League affiliation from the Los Angeles Angels (who they had been with for 20 years) to the Minnesota Twins.  As weird as it was switching affiliations, this has had a lot of benefits for the team.  Cedar Rapids is located in Iowa, in case you didn’t know, this means that we have gone from being hundreds of miles away from our affiliate, to being a 4 hour drive.  We are now the closest affiliate team to the Twins and therefore we are receiving many of their top draft players, and are expected to be the team their injured players will go to.

The bigger thing right now is Byron Buxton, the top draft pick that we have ever had play for the Kernels.  He is currently playing in the outfield and is being paid a six million dollar signing bonus, yeah you saw that right.  If I could get one of his autographs I could already sell it on eBay for $50, but he always seems to be hiding in the dugout during team signings. Hmmm…

Since I work concessions this change has only affected me minimally.  First off, some of the best employees will receive Twins tickets at the end of the season, that is pretty exciting to me and I definitely am going to try to win them.  Second, our attendance is expected to increase as Twins fans come to the stadium to see hopeful future players for the Major League team.  I know our attendance was far better on opening night this year, than it was last year; but last year it was also much colder opening week.

In general, however, baseball is here.  The weather is warming up and fans are coming out to watch the all the players.  I will always love the sound the bat makes when it makes contact with the ball.  From the sound, you can almost always tell if it is going out of the stadium.  Even the crack as the baseball reaches the catcher’s glove after each pitch.  All the sounds are what makes baseball, well baseball.  I’m hoping the weather holds out until the next home stand, I think I might have gotten a little burnt today when I went to watch the game after getting off.  But it’s baseball season, so let’s play ball!

494

Iowa Assessments

            This week at my school, Kennedy High School, we have been taking the dreaded Iowa Assessments.  This is my, I have lost track, year taking the different standardized tests.  When I first started taking the tests in 3^rd grade we were taking ITBS, then in 9^th grade they were ITEDS, and the last two years they have been Iowa Assessments.  This was my last year, so I am pretty excited, but for kids who may have a few more years, I have some hints on how to do well.

1)      Get plenty of sleep the night before.  The tests are very boring, along with any standardized test and most tests in school.  It will help tremendously if you are not trying to doze off during the test.  A full 8 hours will also help you concentrate during the test, as you will be less likely to start staring off into space, which seems to happen so frequently.

2)      Make sure to eat breakfast before coming to school that day.  If you have a full stomach you will be more alert and energized.  You will also be able to focus more fully on the test since you won’t be sitting there thinking about how hungry you are.  I think everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and although I don’t usually eat a breakfast I always make sure I do during the week of testing.

3)      Have plenty of #2 pencils, oh and an eraser.  Almost every test is going to require that you use a #2 pencil so that the machine they run everything through will be able to interpret your answers.  Almost every pencil you find in the store will be a #2 pencil so you are probably okay, but I wonder what happened to #1 pencils… Also make sure you have an eraser that works very well, so that same machine you need the #2 pencil for doesn’t think a line has two marks instead of one and then count it wrong.

4)      Go to the bathroom before going to your homeroom for the test.  I made this mistake today, and it was a very long morning.  If you are sitting there thinking about how full your bladder is, you will not be focusing totally on the test. Trust me, nuff said.

Even though I was talking about the Iowa Assessments during my lovely post here, these tips would also work for the ACT, SAT, and any other standardized test you may be taking.  I have also got to add, that although I say the testing is terrible, I am kind of sad to go back to not having them.  The Iowa Assessments mean I don’t have to go into my 0 hour class until 7:20 and all my classes are shorter.  However, I am certainly excited to not be eating lunch at 1:05 any longer.

484

Social Media on Relationships

Social Media can affect relationships both positively and negatively.

Social media can create trust issues in a relationship by things that are posted on walls. Sometimes a boyfriend may see something that another guy posted on his girlfriend's wall and freak out about it. Even though she didn't know why they posted it, or maybe had nothing to do with it, her boyfriend may see it before she does, creating an issue in the relationship. Sometimes boyfriends may have something posted on their wall that the girlfriend sees and takes it to mean something it doesn't. My advice would be to always check with them before freaking out.  You never know the actual meaning of something, or it could always have been an old post from before the relationship between you had begun.

Sometimes if one person may not be talking to their significant other, but they are still posting, it can lead to awkward moments in a relationship.  It can also lead to false thoughts about why they may or not be talking to me.  Always know there must be some reason, and if it is really bothering you ask them politely about it.

Social media can also allow for some positives, such as nice little flirting on each other's wall and cute little messages. These can allow for you to make nice little positives in each other’s days.  It also makes it so other people can see how happy you are with each other.

The messaging feature on some, well actually most sites, also makes it possible to communicate when one might not be able to otherwise be near their phone or other means of communication.  Although that can also lead to more conflict if for some reason one is not talking to the other.

Just remember that however you use social media, it can affect your relationship so use it wisely and carefully.

316

The Three Types of Students

            In the beginning of the year we all are prepared to do our best and to go above and beyond, doing far better than year before. I have always had this state of mind when I start school, but once I hit about the third trimester or a little before, I just give up. As sad as this sound it’s true, and I bet 80% of my class would agree with me. I think everyone will start off saying I am going to go right home and do homework, and I’ll get a GPA of 3.7 or higher, or say they are going to maintain all A’s. For some kids they will do this quite well, I call these kids Lucky Smart People, then there are kids that are Hardworking Smart People, and finally we have the I’m Just Going to Get Through It People.

            The Lucky Smart People are usually the kids you just want to strangle when the whole class takes a test, and no one studies, and they end up getting an A+. These kids usually have a 3.8 GPA or higher, probably 4.0. Even though I am one of these kids in most classes, sometimes it will come to a disadvantage. What I mean by disadvantage is that even though we are really smart naturally, we think that they can just get away without doing anything, so in turn we will sometimes fail and then not get our points. What I hate the most is when people complain (and I know I do this) and say “Ugh! I only got a B+”. I know that it frustrates people around us, but it just kind of happens naturally when we aren’t used to scoring like that.

            Now on the other hand there are Hardworking Smart People. I look up to these people so much because they have so much heart in school and they really deserve all that they get. I wish I could be as determined as them and actually do my homework the night before rather than in the class before it is due. These kids are so smart and motivated, but not lucky, and are definitely going places. But, just like the Lucky Smart People there is a down fall to this, and it can be socially or street smarts. I still idolize these people and just wish I could have the drive to do so well in school.

            Finally we have the I’m Just Going to Get Through It People. These people are usually the kids that come in looking like they would rather be somewhere else every day, and are the ones to say “There was homework yesterday?” or “Shit, the test is today?” Now we all have these problems, but the kids I am talking about have no drive and no problem failing out or getting a bad grade. I honestly have no clue how they do this, or whose parents would let them do this. I mean you have to do well, even in high school, to be successful in the future.

            I am guessing that by reading this, you found one that really fit you.  I also know that depending on the day, and class, I could fit into all of these categories.  The times where I am one of the I’m Just Going to Get Through It People, always tends to bite me in the butt later when all of a sudden I realize how crappy my grades are getting, like now.  My recommendation would be to stay in the first two categories whenever possible, if you really want to succeed in school.

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Ice Skating(:

            Ice skating is one of many recreational activities you can participate in year round (as long as your town has an indoor rink). While the only ice arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, there is another one in Coral Ridge Mall in Iowa City. This activity is great for ages three all the way up to being an adult. It is great exercise, something different, as well as challenging.

            While ice skating, you have to use your whole body, including leg muscles, abdominals, and arms. But legs and abdominals are the key to doing well; balance is probably 40% of doing well too. When you are out on the ice, you get the brisk feel on your face while you glide through the people on the ice with you and you feel like you could go forever. While this feeling could go on forever, your feet are screaming for you to stop. If you enjoy ice skating and want to pursue it then go buy your own pair of skates! If not, you better stick with the rentals, which are only a few bucks to rent, and your feet hurting like hell! But isn’t it… “No pain, no gain.”?

            People generally go to more of the generic hobbies such as bowling, shopping, hanging out with friends and many more, but ice skating is something way different. I mean you’re on ice and have two- eight inch long blades (depending on your foot size) that could slice someone’s head off.  That sounds pretty different to me. I like this because you can burn calories, have fun with friends, and do something not many people can do or will do on a daily basis.

            Ice skating is one of the best recreational activities because it is challenging, different, and gives you great exercise while you’re having fun! If you’re looking for a new hobby or to pass time, any time of the year, I recommend ice skating as your first choice.  Plus, if you live in Cedar Rapids, you can visit me if I’m workingJ

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Cleaning

            So this morning my mom decided to remind me at 6 that the cleaning people were coming today.  Now this might sound weird, but for the cleaning people to be able to clean, your room already has to be picked up so that they can just do the vacuuming and dusting.  Because I have a 0 hour, the short notice I was given meant I had about 15 minutes in order to pick up my very messy room, that usually requires at least an hour.  I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping it picked up lately, but here are some easy tips for keeping cleaning your room quickly.

            The first thing you want to do is make your bed. Usually this would be the last thing to do on people’s lists but it’s the first on mine. You will soon see why I suggest you do this first. Next, look at your floor, everywhere, and search out all the clothes, putting them all on top of your bed. Now I bet that cleared about half or more of your room, I know for me it is almost all of it. With this pile of clothes on your bed, distribute it to a dirty laundry or clean pile.  I would suggest then removing all the dirty laundry and putting it into the laundry room, and putting away all the clean clothes.

            The second thing you do is to get a box or garbage bag, judging how much stuff is remaining on your floor and put that on your bed. Pick up all those scraps of paper and things that have just been laying on the floor you don’t mind parting, putting them into the bag or box.  That should clear up a majority of it.  The remaining things should easily be able to be placed in different places around your room where they belong, and if it is like me there will only be a few things/

            The last thing you have to do is clear out all the garbage bags and boxes you filled up with your stuff and start the big laundry load and that is that.  That is how you clean your supper messy room in 15 minutes flat.

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American Schooling

The school system in the United States of America has been based off of agriculture for more than hundreds of years. Changing this system would be very extensive and could be very difficult. On the other hand, it is not impossible. If I would change this system I would change the grading scale, timing, and the motivation of the students from the time they first start Kindergarten.  It just will take time and a lot of effort.

            Presently the grading scales are at the top, A’s all the way down to F’s. This, from the beginning, has labeled students if they are fit enough or not to take that specific course and receive credit for taking it and their hard work, when in fact if they did do an amazing job with their work ethic and time put into it, they can still get a failing grade. Take from example, say you worked and did your very best on a paper, met all the requirements, and did everything the directions asked you, do you expect to get a passing grade? Yes. But in schools, if it is not matched to the highest standards and you do not meet the “smart” requirements then you will get a non-satisfactory grade.

            This would be the first thing that I would want to change because kids blow by assignments just looking for the answers, getting no knowledge and not learning anything from what they have done. On the other hand, there are the kids that poured their hearts into their work, know the most and have actually learned the material. Saying this, I would change the way that grading is done, so instead of all accuracy I would want the student to be graded on his or her actual work ethic.

            All around the United States the average school starting time is 8:00am. While this is a not so unreasonable timing, knowing teenagers and how their interior clocks work this is very early. This would be the second thing that I would change because of the good results I have noticed on days that my school, Kennedy High School, has a two hour delay. I have noticed the teachers are more alert, ready and prepared. Students are more rested, ready to go, and have a greater acceptance to learning. Pushing back the start time an hour to 9:00am will definitely help the students, just as much as the teachers.

            The last thing that I would do would be to help change students’ motivation. When you first go to school, Kindergarten, you are taught that learning new things is fun and exciting. Once you go into first grade your creativity is still there, but not as much as when you were in kindergarten, first grade is where you switch from getting a sticker or not to grading. And it gets worse and worse as you go on into high school and college. We are labeled from the very beginning that we are either good enough or not good enough. By changing this from the very beginning of schooling, having kids be creative, hands on and not worried about getting that A+, it will help kids know that it is acceptable to fail, try new things, and not to just do work for the perfect grade.

            Changing these things will help them in the long run and help them to be the best student that they can be.

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