Reflection

So, my classmates have really saved my butt in this class. I am so unaware of what goes on on this site! Less than 5 minutes  ago I found out we had a reflection to do for this class. Well, here goes.
I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much in   an English class. Coming in as a senior whereas my classmates had been in here junior year as well was a call to action. I had to get myself up to their level. Learn what they learned. And for the most part I think I did pretty well. The poetry discussions may seem tedious, but truly they do increase your understanding of literature by a long shot.
Overall, I feel that I have done nearly every assignment (no one is perfect), come prepared for discussions to every class. If I base my grade on my learning, I definitely think I deserve an A. As a student, my work ethic and preparedness would have to receive an A as well, in my eyes.
I’m very happy with how this semester has gone in this class. I feel like I was retaining information rather than learning and moving on.

AP-Worthy

The last AP-worthy book I read was The Color Purple. It was empowering and captivating, yet heartbreaking and maddening. It’s a great novel to increase your knowledge of the past and the world. I am currently reading 1984 for my book group in class, and I love it!!! It’s definitely my type of novel. Dystopian fiction is my thaaang. It’s so descriptive, yet kind of slow. But when the characters make a break through, it really is a big deal. I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

Senior Project

My partner Gabrielle Burrell and I have really taken of on our project in the last few weeks. We’re putting on a “senior” prom for a local old folks home. We have completed the playlist for the event except the order in which we want to play the songs. On this Saturday we have an appointment to meet with the event planner at the home, Destiny. During our visit we are going to discuss a snack menu for the chef to cook for the event, look at decorations and most importantly learn how to make professional looking posters for the high school and the home. We need to come up with a set date, and will most likely come up with that with Destiny on Saturday. Everything is starting to come together and I’m so excited!!

Goals For Second Semester

Second semester, I won’t be with the AP class anymore, but I will still be with you, Ms. Allyn! I learned so much this semester about poetry and how the back ground of the author really can have a big impact on understanding the content of their work. I really enjoyed the poetry like I never have before. It was interesting to see how so much feeling, emotion and experience is put into a 4-stanza poem.

In the future I would like to learn more about speaking with literature. I have no idea what that topic encompasses, which is a good place to start!

All In My Head

So, I’m currently sitting in my bed at the house I am house sitting at. In Camas, far, far away from home. I’m scared out of my mind. Yet, I can’t help but wonder if its all in my mind.
Last night I found my charger cleanly cut in half. I’m the only one here so that doesn’t really settle well with me.  I’ve been hearing voices frequently, again, I am alone.
While I’ve been watching tv tonight, an error shows up saying there is an issue with the cord connection. Lord knows there’s no way I’m going to check it. WHAT IF ITS CUT JUST LIKE MY CHARGER?! I would die. I’d pass out. I’d freeze in horror. Also, the tv decides to start screwing up once a Paranormal Activity commercial comes on.
All I have to say is, why me? Why does this crazy shit happen to me? Its horrifying. I don’t want to be here alone.
This incident just came to my attention, but the dog was also barking out the window and nothing and then suddenly ran back hitting the door. I’m worried.
But this is my warning to you all: if you see my death notice on the news tomorrow, you know what happened to me. Sweet dreams.

Small Changes

Through life we all go through experiences that change us. Slowly, little by little, we are changed. Not often do we notice it, but like many, we are not open to change. People are most comfortable with routine, structure and stability.
The latter may seem logical, yet how can we go through life without change? Its just that. We cannot. We are without a higher power within ourselves. We must take the experience we gain and use it to our benefit.
Enjoy the small changes that shape who you are today. Without hardship, heartbreak and death we are stuck in limbo. We take these experiences and learn from them. Grow from them.
So the next time you see a change in yourself, are you going to watch it pass without wonder or seek to understand how it has shaped you into who you are today?

The big 1-8

When I wake up tomorrow morning I will be a legal adult. Legally, yes. But abkid at heart. Always. The milestones we hit in life are just those,  milestones.
Adolescence was free of responsibility,  days full of running around in the yard, playing ’til dusk and enjoying our daily cartoons. We hit 13 turning into a teenager. Those were rough years. Puberty, boys, and broken friendships. Wishing to be older. When we reach 16, we experience freedom for the first time. Driving, new relationships, false maturity. Then, comes 18,  the big 1-8. It hits us like a meteors. Flaming, fast and short. Here comes the responsibility of actually being an adult. Through the midst, don’t loose sight of those past memories.
What keeps us young is the memories of our childhood. The little girl who fell in love with Disney princesses, fell and scraped her knee, and hung with the big dogs is still inside us all. Life gives us these milestones, but  what we really need to remember are the memories that brought us here.
Don’t lose track of who you really are just because you hit another milestone.

Double standards

Parents always want what’s best for their child. They want good grades, good schools, good colleges, high paying jobs. But they forget that life is about living, having fun, learning lessons. In between school and work parents forget about the fun aspect of being a teen.
Parents forget that they had fun once, too. Maybe even a little too much fun. Our parents seen appalled when they find their child smoking pot, getting buzzed on weekends. But do they not remember their golden years? Cocaine, drunken nights and close calls with the cops. Can they really expect anything more from their own children?
You could say it runs in the family. The smoking, drinking, fun times. Of course there are better (healthier) ways to have fun, but how can they expect us to learn without doing?
Of course they can warn us of the consequences, but who really believes those hell stories without a hands on experience? Be smart. Have fun, and have goals. But don’t forget that you’re young once. You have a short span of time before your responsibilities pile up.
Parents, don’t hold the leash so tight that you choke us from the living portion of life. Let us find our selves through mistakes and dealing with consequences. Of you’ve taught us well, we know right from wrong, but still have a gray area where we teach ourselves. We love you. Trust us.

Purple

Wow… The Color Purple was a great novel to choose as an independent study. The simple style of the narrator really pulls you into the story. It’s authentic, raw. It’s heartbreaking and tear-jerking. I cannot put it down.
That’s one thing my book group partner said as well to me at school today. “I don’t know why, but the book is scandalous and I just cannot put it down.” I can’t disagree with her. My post tonight is so late because I’ve spent the last hour or so (with my little kitty of course) engrossed in this novel.
That doesn’t happen with me very often. Twilight, Fifty Shades, Hunger Games, Divergent, and now, The Color Purple.
The story line is sort of abstract. It’s told from a first person point of view, so you aren’t getting commentary or in depth description of the setting. Just what the narrator sees, through her own eyes. We see her develope as a character not even halfway through. We feel her struggle. It’s an outstanding read, and I cannot wait to finish it (in a good way).

I have a dream

I have a dream that one day my children, my children’s children will not be succumbed to the standardized testing in public schools. That they are not peer pressured to spending thousands on going to college before their time. One day….
But, today, there is a harsh reality. 18 year olds spend thousands and go into debt to pursue an education in what…. Most likely not what they plan on doing for the rest of their lives. Worst of all, colleges trick freshman into thinking they need to pay full tuition for pre-reqs.
I have a hands on encounter with this. I went to Clark College as part of the running start program. I took most of my pre-reqs at a community college, and they will transfer. The worst thought is, that I have classmates that will be paying upwards of $25,000 for theirs. And I got mine, free.
I cannot stress enough that for the right people and the right program, junior colleges are ideal for the classes needed to move on to the bigger, badder stuff. Don’t stress your wallets and bank accounts. Go the smart route, do you.