Recycled Blogpost Fun!

Hey guys! It's been so long since I've last written to you. Well, I don't have much to say now. I have been working on an essay for the last day and I want to get back to that. But I do not want to leave you hanging. Here's a blog post I submitted for another website a little while ago. It's really good!

Reflective Rambling

I wrote my first "story" in kindergarten. I can't remember what exactly it was about (I think it might have been related to Pokemon) but what I remember is that it included a "gril" (I had spelled girl wrong) and a boy running from something. Then I remember when I was in the third grade, when my sentences and thoughts became a little more complex. That was the time when I really fell in love with writing. I was always eager-- yet extremely embarrassed-- to share my writing with the class, and for the most part, people really liked it. Then, in the sixth grade, I shared some more of my writing, and people still liked it.

Writing has always been a very significant part of my life, and up until recently, it's been my dream to be a writer. I've have recently been faced with reality. Last year, I was in what you can call an "advanced writing class" at my school. It's a class for the sadistic freaks who like doing extra work and like to deprive themselves of sleep to perfect a two-paragraph essay (it's happened before, and that class wasn't even weighted). I scored very, very low in that class and I'll tell you why. All my life, I've been told by everyone around me that I'm really smart and that I write very well. I was almost skipped up a grade twice! But of course all that praise got to my head. I started to actually believe that I was smarter than everyone else and this happened because it was the only thing I knew. So I started getting lazy.  I figured that since I was already a genius, what would be the point of trying to learn more?  However, it felt like when I was in that writing class everything I had ever been told was a lie. I realized that there were people in the world who actually knew more than I knew and did way more thinking than I did. It was an epiphany. But still, I was lazy and thought that since I wrote everyday, my writing was already perfect and not have any flaws. I was so wrong about that, and was thus devastated by the scoring I'd received on many of my essays. I cried almost every single day last year because of it.

However, because I realized that I really needed to work on my writing, I never gave up. I'm one of those people who gets stabbed so many times in battle fights but does not back down until their very last limb gives out. I corrected my papers, asked other people to help me, harassed all of my teachers-- including the ones who taught math and science--and never stopped asking questions. I won't say that I got perfect scores on my essays because after that because I didn't and they still sucked, but I will say that I have grown from the process. If you were to see my writing from the beginning of Sophomore year to now,  you would clearly notice that so much has changed since the beginning of last year. And even now I still have some things to work -- run on sentences, incorrect or excessive use of semi-colons hyphens, rambling, starting sentences with conjunctions, etc...-- but no one is perfect. Seriously, no one is. Not even the president or the best selling writers are perfect; they've got issues too. But realizing their mistakes is what makes them better people and that is mostly what life is about-- realizing your mistakes and fixing them. If I did not stopped being so arrogant and realize that I was wrong, I would never have known the things that I know today. I never would have made friends with the people I know today, and I never, ever, ever would have been the person I am right now.

I am still sixteen, and I know I have a lot more to learn because what I am experiencing now is just the beginning. But realizing that there's so much more to life than being better than everyone else just feels... good. I am now realizing that it pays to have an open mind and perhaps through my experience, you will too.

Until next time folks,
Adieu.

Want to Know How to Survive High School? Look at this!

Hey guys! I hope the school year has been going well for you all! For me... well, you know the routine. :D

However, I haven't given up hope! In fact, I've come up with a neat list to help myself get through the year, and I want to share it with you all!


I hope that this advice I give will help you as it is currently helping me. Although I only came up with it last week, I think it's a great list that every person in high school should follow!

10 Tips to Your Survival in High School:

1.) Prioritize

I'm not sure if you're an unorganized person or not, but this step really helps. What you need to do is find out which things are a priority and which things are not quite as important. What's due tomorrow? What's due the rest of the week? What's due in the upcoming weeks?  You want to start with the thing that has the most immediacy, meaning the thing that's due tomorrow, and is worth a whole bunch of points. Start out with that, then work your way down to what's not as important. By doing this, you save yourself a whole lot of stress than by trying to start everything all at once.

2.) Set Yourself Up For Success.

This one might relate the most to you. If you care so much about your future, then why aren't you doing anything that will help you get to where you want in life? Sitting around may feel great, at the moment, but what about that awful feeling of embarrassment and shame you get when you realize that you've missed a whole bunch of assignments, and you procrastinated so much while everyone else is turning in their assignments? It does not feel good to be left out like that. Don't lie to yourself, you will NOT be able to finish it later, because something really important might come up and then you really wouldn't be able to finish your work. Don't let it get to that point. Do the work the instant you get home, or even do it at lunch if you can (this is my new tactic and it's been working well so far) so that you won't have to worry about it when you get home. It feels better when you know that you've completed your work than knowing that you've got tons of work left.

3.) Get a Good Work Space.

This is vital if you want to be successful. If you're in an environment where you know you can't work well, don't shrug it off and blame the environment for your problems-- MOVE! Go somewhere that you know you'll be able to work without any distractions, like the library. When my therapist suggested that I go to the library to do my work, I cringed. Not because I don't like going to the library, but because I felt like it was just a terrible idea. I didn't even consider it until I actually tried it, and guess what? It worked. I was able to focus on my homework and not the internet or the television and I actually felt good that I had gotten my work done. I got into a place that would make it hard for me to procrastinate, and I suggest that you do the same.

4.) Don't freak out.

This was a big one for me. I always got anxious about not completing my work and worrying about my future and about how I wouldn't accomplish my goals, and yada yada. Realize that it's going to be okay, and it isn't the end of the world -- or rather your world-- if you don't complete one homework assignment. If you're worrying all the time, you won't have any time to get your homework done and if you're pushing it off to the side all the time (which can be another form of anxiety), you still won't have the time to do what you're supposed to be doing. Find the right level of motivation, and stick with that. 

5.) Be realistic and/or strategic. 

This step ties in with Step 2. You need to realize that not everyone is perfect; not everyone makes straight As or makes it to valedictorian of their class. This is perfectly fine. You, however, need to do what's best for you. If you know you aren't going to finish editing that entire essay by midnight, then don't push yourself and see if you can go beyond your limit. You have to set up a common goal, and not try to be perfect all the time.

6.) Don't Beat Yourself Up.

Again, nobody is perfect. If you didn't get the score you wanted to get or that you worked really hard to get a perfect grade on but you missed a few questions, it's perfectly fine (in this case, you can be perfect). There's always going to be another day to work on a new assignment. My teacher says that he doesn't do "right now's" but he does "next times". This means that you're always going to have another chance. One measly essay or test does not determine your fate. Just learn from your mistakes and move on. But just because you get another chance, does  not mean that you should take advantage of it.  Don't let your procrastination tie into what you're trying to accomplish, and don't turn it into an excuse. You've still got deadlines to follow.

7.) Reach Out.

You didn't think you could do all of this by yourself, did you? It's important to ask for help, no matter how much of the information you think is tedious and dull. If you're not understanding the content, why let yourself suffer? Use you worrying time to ask the teacher questions. Invest in a tutor, grab a study buddy. Do anything that will help you not suffer this stuff alone. Most importantly, get someone who can hold you accountable for your work. For instance, if you were to get a study buddy, that buddy could call you up and make sure that you're doing you're assignments because you both will be responsible for making sure that the other is doing their work. That way, you won't be able to give up so easily or procrastinate as easily. Since this is your last year, you really want to make sure that you're getting help from someone else, not just because of the work, but to make sure you are doing what you're supposed to be doing (parents are not very helpful with this step. It'll just feel like they're nagging you).

8.) KNOW AND HONOR YOUR LIMITS!

I love this one. This is my favorite step of them all and it ties in with step 4. Sometimes a person can be so caught up with trying to make something perfect that they forget that they have an actual life besides school. If you cannot make stay up any longer or if the clock's saying it's almost three am, you know there's a problem. Sometimes you just have to let things be. If they don't work out, of course you'll feel bad, but sometimes that's just the way things work. Sometimes you have to throw in the towel. This is cliche, but, Life really isn't a race. If it was, who would you be racing against and what for? There's no point in trying to beat someone at your own game, you know? If you need to stop, then stop. Don't keep going if you know you'll collapse at the finish line. How can life be good for you if you're too tired or stressed out to enjoy it? Be happy with what you have, and recognize that you are trying your best, and that should be just enough.

9.) Always Try Your BEST. Period. 

This one kind of explains itself, but I will elaborate on it. It's not the kid who gets straight As and answers all the questions correctly that gets noticed. The person who tries their hardest, and keeps pushing but recognizes where they need to stop is the person who's more praised. When a person recognizes their own limits and shows their dedication to something, that is so much more meaningful than being the one who's always right. It's the person who knows that they have faults and tries to fix them that's good. It makes that person so much more real than the guy who just gets everything right. And frick the people who think they're better than everyone else because they get the best grades. Newsflash, college is almost nothing like high school. In fact, it's ten times harder, so just because everything is working for them now doesn't mean it'll be like that after high school. You do a lot more learning and knowing yourself when you realize a fault and you fix it. It makes you much more real of a person, and people will admire that.

10.) GET YOUR BUTT IN THE CHAIR! 

This should have been listed as number one because it's really the most important one of them all. How are you going to follow any of these steps or get what you want in life if you don't put in the work for it? Get yourself in the CHAIR! Not the computer chair, the restaurant chair, the roller coaster chair--- THE STUDY CHAIR. Yeah, it sounds so dull and mundane, but if you're expecting the car to work, you need to put in the keys, you know? Sit down and don't wait until the last minute.

Junior Year is Awkward...

Things have been going okayish since the start of my junior year. It's only been my first week and already I am overwhelmed with some of my classes, but that should be what's expected of Junior Year, right?

I know that I haven't been posting here much, but that is only because I've been held up with homework and studying. For instance, it's ten p.m., I have a Chemistry test tomorrow, and I have yet to study for it... Yeah.

If you're wondering, I haven't felt that sluggish feeling most people feel when it's the first week of school because they've been so used to summer, which completely amazes me. If I have homework, I jump right on it and try not to procrastinate. I don't think I posted it here--maybe I did--- but last week I was struggling to complete all my summer assignments, spend time with my family, worry about school supplies, and just stay sane all at once. It was difficult trying keep myself together (I finally broke down the day before school started, right after singing a solo song to my church). However, this week, I've been a completely focused on my school work. It takes me four hours to complete, so basically I'm working non-stop from four in the afternoon until ten at night, which is my official bed time.

The first day of Junior Year was awkward like all first days of school are. Everyone was quiet in the classes. That's one of the things I truly hate about the first day of school; everyone's mouths are closed like they've been glued together and told not to speak because they are so scared out of their whims about everything. Okay, I know it isn't fear that they're all feeling, it's nerves, I get it but even the loudest kids become silent. What, do they think it's taboo to talk or laugh on the first day of school? Sometimes I pray for a student to say something, even ask the teacher a question, on the first day of school. I just hate how everything's so uptight and no one is as loose as they usually are doing the school year.

However, I am being a hypocrite. I never speak to anyone on the first day of school. It's also because of nerves, and mostly because I am waiting for someone else to break the silence at that time. See, I'm not really the "leading" type. I'm more of a person that just goes with the flow of things. I know this isn't always good, but it saves me from a ton of future embarrassing moments when I conduct myself that way.

Anyway, fellow readers, I hope you have been surviving your first days in whichever grade you are in. I am steadily climbing over hurdles each day, and I will never stop because I know that there's a golden medal waiting for me at the end. I'm just going to keep climbing and not let anything get in my way because to stop climbing would mean that I've cheated myself out of a good future. I hope you avid high school readers out there are thinking the same way. Whatever hurdles or obstacles you encounter now, just remember that today is just one day out of the rest of your life and that there's a new day coming tomorrow. Remember that high schoolers, and you'll definitely be able to cope with any problem thrown your way.


Until next time folks, I bid you adieu and happily plan to tell what will come up next. As for right now, like, right now, right now, I am going to do a bit of studying and then hit the haystack for some hours. I really need that sleep, I've got that Chemistry test at the end of the day tomorrow, and I'm planning to do well on it. I hope you liked the positive energy I've expressed tonight. Was it different from the self-deprecation and angst I usually toss on you? I know it feels good to know that life isn't always made up of angst and stress---and it isn't.

I'm going to stop talking now. *Yawn* Good night!

CALLING ALL JIGGLYPUFFS: WE CHOOSE YOU!!!

This is the version of a blog I posted on an AWESOME site I've recently stumbled upon. It's called http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/ and it's really great. Writers get to post their writing on the website and have it reviewed by other writers on the site. It's almost like wattpad except the site isn't like you are competing in a popularity contest to have your work read. You can get your work reviewed by people regardless of whether you're a popular user or already a published author (which is what I really like about the site). Now, I am not trying to rag on either website, both are good in their own ways, but if you are the type of person that is more suited towards smaller groups, things that aren't "mainstream", and prefer the less energetic side of things, then you should click on that link to Young Writers Society. It's great, I've got some stuff on there, and the title of this post is the title of another post on that website. Check it out: My name's MooCowPoop. Make an account, add me and I will love you even more forever, okay? :) Not only that but you'll get to see some more of the beautiful stuff I write. However I haven't posted anything yet, but keep an eye for it!

And I know what you're thinking: why is there always something about cows in this lady's username? To answer that, I shall say: I have no clue my friend. It was something I came up with a few years ago to replace my infamous username for most things which was juju149_13 (don't even try looking me up on gaiaonline. That isn't my username anymore, so ha!). 

So, enough about that. How is it going party people? Summer is almost over and school is quickly approaching. If school is approaching, then that means that MY JUNIOR YEAR IS QUICKLY APPROACHING! THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NIGH! Cover your heads children because there's a storm coming.

Guess what I haven't worked much on this summer. I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with my future success, college, ate-Pee, His Story and Ringlish Dome Work Packet.

Have you guessed it?

Oh, "going to the gym" was a close one Johnny, but unfortunately, the correct was: working on my HP History and English Home Work Packet. 

Yupp. You are absolutely correct, I DO only have a week to complete a three-part homework assignment and YES I DID stare at it every single day but never laying a finger on it because I had "more important things to do". Boys and girls, you are on fire today! 

I did not do much of the assignment this summer because I wanted to have fun. Unfortunately the only "fun" I had this summer was sitting in front of the computer watching reruns of Lost and eating ice cream. Oh! And I did that other thing, I did the musical stuff, but that's always fun. I'm talking about new fun. 

The funny thing about all this is that I knew that it was going to get to this point. I knew that I was going to let myself get so behind, and let myself cry and pull out my hair, tell myself what a failure I'll be because I didn't do my homework, yet I never tried hard enough to stop myself. Or rather, push myself.  Maybe this was why I was so afraid of taking breaks during the school year. Maybe I prevented myself from slowing down because I was afraid just breaking completely. Now, I haven't broken yet but somehow, for some reason, I don't think this school year will be as easy for me but will ironically be approached with few tears. And that isn't good, that isn't good at all. 

It worries me now: will I let things fall apart like this in the future like I did with this homework assignment? Will I be able to keep fighting and not take advantages of breaks and give up so easily? 

I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. Till next time readers!

adieu,
- Anonymous Cow

P.S., I just realized that I don't have a profile picture.

A Leisurely Summer Should Be Done With Precaution...

Bad news guys: I think I might be contracting a case of Premature Senioritis!

Although I don't really know the depth of the feeling because I haven't started my senior year yet, I really feel lazy about everything. I approach every single project, work, or request with utter hesitance. I don't know if this is what it's supposed to feel like to be sixteen or if it's an extreme reaction/mechanism to stress about the upcoming Junior year, or what! Whatever it is, it's been getting me into a lot of trouble lately. For instance, I promised myself this summer to complete all my volunteer hours for a special college enrichment program I am in so that I wouldn't have to worry about it during the year. Now, I have been to the library this summer and I always left my house before going there with the intention of asking the librarians if they need any help with anything. However, each time I step through the doors, I run straight to the computers (or to the graphic novels section) and procrastinate all my time away, telling myself that it's okay for me to "take a break". That mantra has been what I've been living by since I finished one-fourth of the summer homework I was given from my future teacher.

It's strange how just a few weeks ago I was the anxiety-ridden, stressed out teenager I usually am. Yet when summer started, I just got all chill and crap. But everything feels great! I love not having to worry about how I'm going to finish an essay on the same night of a performance or a math final or anything else that is school related. I FEEL FREE! But I can't help feeling guilty because I know that in a few weeks, I will regret the freedom I have been giving myself because school starts NEXT MONTH and I haven't worked on much of my homework, like I said before. I know that everything will start to catch up with me and I can't bear to think about the consequences I'll suffer if I don't stop milling around...

Anyway, let's speak on the brighter side of the things I have done this summer:

I finished 3 books: The Crucible by Arthur Miller (school reading), The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Maus I & II by Art Speigleman.

To you avid book readers out there, this might not seem like much, but to me it's a lot. I don't usually spend a lot of time reading books because I never give myself time to do so. It feels really good and is especially self-gratifying when I finish a book because I am a scatterbrain (I've mentioned this before), so you know that I can't stick with one thing for a long time. Luckily, I forced myself to stick to one thing while reading these books and I realized that by doing so, I got a lot more out of than I usually do from most books.

Also, I want to say that my reading style is different. I'll pick up a book and power read the first few chapters and then put it down for a few days to ponder its significance and depth (or to just use the computer and play video games). Then I'll pick it back up and read non-stop for a while and repeat the aforementioned step. I am starting to get through most things that way...

Anyway, the books I read were really, really good. They were very thought-provoking, and inspiring. They made me think out some things and learn some things that I have never before imagined, thus I've obtained  a slightly different eye to the way some things are in my life. One message I got from The Giver was that sometimes things cannot be changed and some things that may seem bad to one person is really just for the better and it sucks to know that nothing can be done to make it better. That's really the plot of the story (didn't I tell you I was bad at extracting themes from literature?) but that's some of what I got from it.

What I also did over this summer was buy (and download) some new books! I've been really into classics lately so I bought some good books, such as The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (I'm not really looking forward to that last one).

I've downloaded some cool books such as: The Unsocial Socialist. This one has gotten some bad reviews, but I don't have much to say about the book yet because I have only read a few pages of it! However, I am not always the type of person who has a strong opinion about things-- which is why I will not join Debate Club at my school. I am an easily swayed  person too, but I think reading more has been shaping me into a person with a few opinions like I mentioned the books before.

I'll come back later to talk about the other books I downloaded. Thanks for reading!

A Thoughtful Quote of mine.

Albert Einstein was not "Albert Einstein" when he was born...

Finals Flashback

It's three in the morning right now but for some reason I felt I needed to post something else on this here blog for you all. I am supposed to be somewhere at nine in the morning. This shows you how crazy I am.

I scrolled through my posts and as I was scrolling, I realized that I never updated you on how I did on my finals! I shall do that soon but before I get to that, I want to "get some things straight":

I will never, EVER post about information about my actual grade markings in school. 

I might talk about how I get what I will perceive as a  bad score on an essay or a high score on a math test (I will the day that happens) but I cannot talk about any final grades I receive (as in semester grades or marking period grades) because I believe that piece of information to something for me to keep to myself-- like my name, number, address, blood type, etc. This "promise" to myself will be hard to follow though. I might occasionally have a few blurbs but please, I don't want things like this to be shared with people I am not that close to. Don't take it personally; you'd do the same thing if you were in my condition. Also, although this is a blog, I am not comfortable--nor do I have to--share every single detail of my life with you. Blogging is a form of journaling, but it isn't my very own journal.

I got this idea from another blogger on here. I am not going to say who because I think that I would have to ask permission to put their name out there. That doesn't make any sense because they are a blogger and there should be no reason why the wouldn't want their name "out there". Anyway, screw logic for now and just try to follow what I am saying. It's three-- four o' clock in the morning. 

Now for that update on how I think I did on my finals. 

Well, finals last semester were... serious. I don't mean that they weren't serious before, but I mean that I actually took them more seriously than I did last year. How and why did this happen, you ask? Well, this year (Sophomore Year) was the year my teacher became more serious about school and started to crack down on the laggers. I sometimes call this year the nitty-gritty year because it's the year where puppy dog eyes and lame excuses won't get you an A in your class (I've tried the puppy dog method numerous times on my teachers this year and it never worked) and the work you do actually does matter to the colleges. It is the year of developing GOOD HABITS and sticking with them or finding out which methods of going about things works for you. 

The finals my Sophomore Year were not challenging, but they were difficult to get through because they required a lot of previously acquired and absorbed knowledge in order to be worked through thoroughly. What I mean is that whatever we learned in class ended up on the Finals. The most annoying part about some of my finals were some of the questions had been about things that we had learned at the very beginning of the semester for about five minutes. The teachers inserted questions like those because they like to see children suffer sometimes. At least they aren't like the Collegeboard-- my teachers didn't insert any trick questions that they made up out of dust about a subject no one has ever learned about before. 

I had a bad habit this Sophomore Year. I never studied everyday. I always crammed the information into my head the night before the tests. I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I am a HUGE procrastinator, and I can't help it. Putting things off to side is just what I do. I can't help stopping my procrastination nor can help stop my extreme laziness. I like lying down all day and letting things pile up. It's not very often that I get to do that. So, with that, my habit of cramming most things the night before helped me but only barely. I liked how fresh the memory of information for my classes was in mind but doing such things makes me feel incomplete. 

So, I think I did well on my finals this year.I did do well on my finals this year although I crammed everything and even that wasn't enough. My grades averaged out from previous marking periods and they were so-so. Like I said before, I wasn't expecting much out of them, but knowing this little unsatisfied Taurean, I really was expecting more than I wasn't expecting. 

Just think of me thinking that I am going to get a 3.5GPA. Think of me being happy and satisfied with whatever grades I get. Now think of my getting a 3.89GPA. Now think of me being upset because this entire time, I had been really dreaming of a 4.0GPA. 

This is a hypothetical/pretending. The previous statement doesn't match my current condition with grades. 

A "Formal" Introduction

I have read this blog and realized that I have never "formally" introduced myself! I wrote some stuff in the 'About Me' section of this blog which you can find...

Here, is a bit of information about me. I added some stuff to the About Me section. Find the About Me section about me.

About Me

Hello, I am Anonymous Cow! This is a blog a write in my spare time. Its purpose is to help me with my writing in general because I plan on doing AMAZING THINGS WITH WRITING IN THE FUTURE such as becoming an author of (possibly) a memoir! *fingers crossed* Either way, I really just love to write and I think that this form of writing is a great way for me to express my passion. I also write other things, such as short stories, and novels (that have yet to be finished). I might post a link to my stories in the future. Keep an eye out on that. 

I myself am a normal teenager-- at least I hope I am-- and this blog will and is mostly about random stuff I find on the interwebz and charting my stressful journey on the road to college. If you haven't noticed already, I am very, very enthralled with the entire college process and I have very big plans for myself. I thought that it would be interesting to log this process somewhere and share it with people. So I really hope you enjoy my blog. Now, get to readin'!

*The intentions of this blog is for personal and mildly educational purpose only. It was created to harm or offend people physically or mentally.

Cell Phones and Youtube

So yesterday there was a verbal confrontation between these two guys on MUNI and one of them was obviously drunk (go figure). The two guys were shouting at each other and sending each other death threats and such. It escalated and when the bus stopped at their stop, the drunk guy, who was standing right next to my sister and I, bumrushed people through the aisle, --including a couple of kids-- while smacking a few people with his beer bottle and brown paper bag along the way allthewhile trying to catch up with the guy he was arguing with. They tumbled off the bus and fell to the ground, and the seemingly sober man pulled out his "weapon" and apparently hit the other guy with it, which caused him to bleed. Now, the people off the bus who witnessed this altercation instinctively pulled out their cellphones, however, they didn't do what one would assume should be the correct response. They instead recorded the fight and let the two guys beat each other to death, or what seemed like death. I thought that was strange. Also, my actions weren't just either, I just sat and let adrenaline pump through me as I watched, and not once thought about pulling out my phone to call 911. Eventually, the bus driver drove us away and called the police when we were about a block away. My sister and I talked about this, and she brought up an interesting point: why didn't anyone call the police once they saw what was happening? I know, that at least a few people did dial them up but when I saw so many phones pointed at the two men it made me wonder even more. Is this where our society is headed? Are we approaching the times where an emergency will be responded to by a bunch of commenters on a socializing website? Or was it the fact that humans always need a leader or someone to depend on that some people did not call 911? What I wrote is all a bunch of jumbled and perfectly justifiable.mess, I know. And I also know that I might be wrong about some things. But I wonder about these things.  What are your thoughts? Please be respectful.

Random Scrawlins From Davvy Jones' Locker

It's amazing how our world has become accostemed to using items that we would never think twice about because they have been with us for so long. But haven't you ever wondered where or how such a overlooked yet much needed item like the pencil came from? Or how it got its vibrant yellow color?

I am a scatterbrain; I admit it. But sometimes having so many unorganized thoughts actually pays off. I scrounge around the interwebs and find websites that talk about useless facts that I think are very entertaining. Here are some of the sites I look at while I am not stuffing my nose in between a book or making some random scriblings on my homework. I hope you enjoy them, I find some of the facts fascinating and sometimes daunting. Enjoy

didyouknowblog.com: Very interesting, tumblr format website.

snopes.com: My favorite website. It isn't necessarily about random facts but about proving (or disproving) rumors you may have heard in your life. *Warning: It's got pop-ups, but clicking the red "x" on the top left or right hand corner of your browser is worth it!

factmonster.com : I literally went on this website yesterday. It doesn't have many facts on the website but it is very interesting.

omg-facts.com: This is my second favorite website. I believe they gather their facts from users on the website and have other people (us) verify them by, "liking" them. They have a lot of stuff on there about WW2, which is also quite interesing... in a way.

Published: 1 July 2013

Edited: 2 July 2013

Last Day of Sophomore Year

It's last day of school and I am still freaking out about my grades.

This morning I had kind of a semi-nervous breakdown in front of my teacher because of the really bad I received in his class. 

I had finished my French Final earlier than the allotted time needed for my school's Finals (two hours). So, I asked my French teacher for a pass to my other teacher's classroom. Of course she didn't give me one without obvious hesitation. Eventually, though, after some time-consuming interrogating, she let me go.

I entered my other teacher's classroom with what might have seemed like an awkward grin on my face but was really my usual facial expression for all occurrences.

Now let's fast-foward to the part where I had the mental meltdown...

I had one missing assignment and that caused my grade to fall dramatically. My teacher had asked me why I missed the assignment and I gave him a reason. It was a legitimate reason, but I'll tell you, it was one of the worst excuses in the book: I told him that I was tired and that I had fallen asleep without completing any homework that night.

Sounds terrible, right? I felt foolish saying it. I even acknowledged how stupid of an excuse it was after I said it. Yet although it was a lame excuse, I can confidently say that I have people (the right people) to back me up on it. The excessive amounts of homework I had this year were taking a major toll on me. Not only was the homework an issue, but the massive amount of extracurricular work I was doing was affecting me too. All this work I did caused me to deprive myself of sleep and certain people, like my doctor, my family, and friends, started to notice that. So, I gave in and finally decided to take their advice of getting rest no matter what work I have because sleep is more important and yada-yada.

But doing so caused major consequences--like this one.

Although I knew he did what he could about the grade, I was still not satisfied with the result I received. I knew that I wasn't supposed to expect much but for some reason, all my prepping had been thrown out the window when I saw the final grade. I buried my face into my hands and succumbed to the one thing I am close to most afraid of: failure.

When I saw the grade he had given me, I felt like the word had stopped for a second. I instantly buried my face in my hands to mask my shame. My teacher tried to "comfort" me by telling me that the grade I received was better than the one I had had a few seconds before, and that I had next year to make up for my grades. But that didn't help. And after he said that, I shouted at him, screaming that "the colleges won't accept me!"

That was when I started getting a little flustered and panicky. I cried a bit too.

I don't know what came over me at that moment. The night before while I lied in my bed awaiting slumber to envelope me, I thought I had conditioned myself thoroughly for that situation because of all the preparations I had made. I had mentally prepared a script, cried my eyes out, screamed out my frustrations, and blasted songs on my mp3 player! So what was it that I was doing wrong?*

He got my final grade by averaging the grades from previous marking periods, so there kind of wasn't any way I could convince him to make my grade any better.

So, I will now be stuck with a mark on my report card that everuone knows isn't supposed to be there, and that just infuriates me.

So, besides my First-World problems, how has the week been looking so far?


Published: 13 June 2013

Updated: 19 June 2013

"Brain Mush", Should Be Recognized as a Medical Condition. It is Completely Justifiable

So tomorrow is the last day of FINALS and I am not freaking out as much as I should be. I think my brain has finally given in to the temptations of summer and so now, it is officially mush. I don't think I have the will power to study anymore tonight because I am so... out of it. But I must not give up, especially not on the last day of Finals, which I might add, is the last day of SCHOOL. That brings me to another topic:

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL!

That really amazes me. A short time ago, I was an awkward kid who felt awkward because of the awkward first days of sophomore year which I consider to be the "real deal" of high school, by the way. I was afraid of my seemingly intimidating teachers and I was also very fragile because I was stressed out about all the work I had. Now, it's been a little easier because I cut out some things from my schedule.

In other news: yesterday I attended an orientation for my HP English and HP History class next year, but I was late to it. Do you know how bad I feel about doing that? I know I left a terrible impression on the my new teacher and I was surprised he didn't revoke my spot in the writing program I am in when I walked through the door. He said nothing to me, however, I was yelled at by the AP teacher for being late, and my excuse was terrible. I told her that I went to go get lunch (which was true, I can never tell a lie) with my friend. I am totally to blame for being late, too. I convinced her that we wouldn't miss anything or have anything bad happen us if we were late. What makes matters worse is that my current teacher (well, until about eight hours ago) asked me what my opinion was of my new teacher, and I think he did that on purpose. The other teachers might have told him about my tardiness and asked him what kind of student I am and he probably had to talk me up as a good student so that the new teachers won't have second thoughts and now I will have to work twice as hard and--

I am freaking out. 

*Takes deep breath, begins to think rationally* I won't go into anymore details about that but I just know that I will be apologizing to him tomorrow before school lets out. Hopefully he won't do that thing adults do when you try to apologize about something and they accept your apology yet they after accepting, they end up saying: "But..." after it. Can't you just take my apology without threatening me? I know screwed up this time but I am smart enough to not let it happen again. If it does happen again, then it's an accident. You don't have to threaten to take something from me to prevent it happening again.
Oy vey, my head hurts. I think I need to take another five hour break. Then maybe I'll get back to cramming-- I mean "studying".

Until next time folks,
- burgers

My Haphazard-Hit-Or-Miss-Indecodable-Wonton Soup of a Life: It Don't Taste Too Bad

*Sigh*...
As Finals approach, I begin to experience the tension and the vast amounts of pressures teachers or anything else start to put on them self which effects the students. My week has been a very tense week as it is the penultimate week before finals begin. And I know that next week will be the week where everyone begins to set themselves on fire because of the increased pressure teachers will put on us. Next week , I in particular, have orchestra rehearsal for two and a half hours each weekday. This is happening because Friday will be last concert of forever for a music program I am in. The program is ending for good and we are going to be the history makers of a forty-two year legacy and yada yada. I'd like to get more in depth about that but I really wanted to talk about the loads of work that's been and will be dumped on me next week and about loads of work I have (hopefully and possibly) dumped on myself for this summer. I signed up for online college classes (woohoo) that seem really fun but the timing and demand they want conflicts with my other summer program, and nobody likes it when things like that happen. Anyway, the thing with next week is just... I don't know how I am going to balance rehearsing with approximately a half an hour of homework time and no studying at all!
Sigh...
On the bright side, I have been noticing the changes in my writing so much that I've regained a miniscule amount of confidence in posting Facebook statuses ( *blank stares). Unfortunately, one of my posts had received a lot replies, but according to one person it's "spam". I guess one shouldn't reply to post with just the word "Ah" followed by over a thousand Hs (it was a friend who replied this way). I didn't have a problem with it, but I feel bad for the people who's news feeds that appears in. But I shouldn't feel bad, right? I should be happy that someone even responded at all-- and I am.

Gosh, I just realized how much I sound like an ignorant teenager. I'm talking about a measly comment on Facebook while someone else in the world might be starving or figuring out the one millionth place of pi. Please remind me not get sucked into the evil whirlpool of social networking (if blogging is a form of that, then it is an exception and is not evil). I will get back to my original plan;

FINALS ARE COMING AND I AM SCARED!

I want to end my year on a really good note, specifically one that probably isn't in the tetra-chord field (weird music joke). Sophomore year was painfully difficult for me because of all the adjusting to things and learning experiences and such. But I think I can say that although it was difficult, it was sooo very life-changing. I think I really got a dose of reality. I have realized or finally understood  that life isn't going to be easy and no one said that it will be either. No longer will I have everything I need to know served to me on a golden plate held up by the hands of all the adults I interact with. I have realized that if I really truly want something, and I know it in my heart that it belongs to me, that I will undoubtedly have to fight for it. I have to show my desire for something and not let my own insecurities get in my way. And to most importantly, screw what everyone else thinks.

I have so much more to say and so many more cliches to use but, my friend, the clock has reached three minutes till midnight and I have lots of work to get through tomorrow. So sleeping into the afternoon will make my natters worse. But I had fun talking and I guess I will see you next time!

Adieu,
-burgers

**P.S., I wanted to talk about the massive increase in the amount of words I use in a paragraph. My writing has reached to astounding amounts-- and I love it. I will try to mention that next time. That is all.

School Dreamin'

My dream school is a school that is small and comfortable, intellectually engaging, not extremely competitive, and most of all enjoyable. Not too many public schools contain some of these characteristics, so thatis why my dream school is a private school. Dartmouth university is my dream school.It has the major I am looking to get into--which is neuroscience. I am interested in neuroscience because I love studying about the brain and how it communicates with the rest of the body. It's interesting to know complex processes have to occur in our body and most of it is conducted by the brain.I also really love doing research because I love learning new things. Dartmouth college supports the neuroscience major. It has a really good neuroscience program and they compare with Brown University. But it isn't the best school with a neuroscience program. It does not rank on the list of Top School for Neuroscience major according to Top Grad Schools ( http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/neurosciences-rankings). It does not have the best program for graduate studies. Dartmouth is also more liberal arts based, therefore it might not have  very strong science majors. Also, according to medcity.com, Dartmouth ranks #68 on the list of schools who recieve National Institute of Health(NIH) funding while schools that are closer to home, such as UCSF and UC San Diego rank in the top ten of the list. This means that Dartmouth might not have extensive researching oppurtinities because they are not funded as well as some other schools are that are geared toward science majors.
Also, the school's location might not be the best for.me. I am used to California weather-- where the sun always shines and it can never really be too hot or cold and if so, bad weathwr only lasts for a little while. In Washington DC however, the weather is very humid and thick. It can be ninety-degrees outside but can rain at the same time. Tge weather always stays very hot and I would like to go to a school where the weather is not indecisive meaning that it can either be really hot or extremely cold (although I do prefer the latter).I still think that Dartmouth is a great school, but after doing my research I think I have realized that it might not be the best school for me because of it's small interest in science.

Mirrorizing My Future

I remember in the second grade after using the restroom I would approach the mirror (after washing my hands) and just stare at myself. I stare deeply at all proportions of my face and ask "Is this really me? Is this who I am?" and I would ask it in a way of disbelief, as if there had to be someone else standing on the other side of the mirror who was playing tricks on me. And I would leave the restroom, hoping that the next time I saw myself, that there would be a completely different person before me.

When one is young, or a teenager, they go through that awkward stage where they care about every thing on themselves. I have always had problems or insecurities about the way I look (and most people do at this age, I'm sure of it). But my "excessive excessing" ( as I used to call it)  about what I look like has died down over the years and I think that it's because as I get older, I become more familiarized with certain parts of myself-- physically and emotionally. I feel like I can semi-confidently walk outside my house without a jacket to hide anything and with my hair freely brushing my shoulders without being confined to a rubber band. I am beginning to understand why some people say that "looks aren't everything" because if one spends the majority of their time psychoanalyzing a part if their body, then they'd never find the time to see and enjoy the growing world around them. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but I remember how sometimes I wouldn't participate in some activities or socialize because I was always worried about the way I looked. Therefore, I missed a lot good opportunities in my life because of self-doubts. I am learning to overcome my insecurities and I am getting used to the person I see in the mirror. I am loving myself more and feel like the way I am is the image I was born with and there is no way of changing myself because in the end, it'll only be me who I'm left with and that's way more important than anything else.

Me for real on feelings.

well, it is nearing eleven p.m. right now and I feel really tired. But for some reason, I want to to stay up. I think that I want to stay up al hours od the night. I rarely get any time like this to myself. TI love it when I hear eveyone in the house snoring and dreaming while get to hog all the cool stuff like the computer and such. I havr recently acquired a couple of followers, whch was suprising to me because I rarely use this blog thing and my stories... Well, they definately arent finished, I know that. That isbone thing you all should get used to.  I never finish my stories and I never  them out. I wish that I could have some time to plan  my atories and such and sych. Sigh, my brain iz shutting down tight now, so I really need some reat. I went to an amusement park today (don't worry, I didn't ride any roller coasters ;)) so I am so drained right now.

So, goodbye I guess and thank followers.

Sometimes, when I want to leave , I go to a special room that I call my own. A sacred place it is, and there is no other place like it-- at least not any that I know of.

After one exhausting day of completing all my duties, I walked home the way I had always gone, but something had caught my eye. I ran into a girl on the side of the road. The girl seemed uninviting: her hair was greasy and it covered her face, her clothes were dishevelled, and she was not wearing any shoes. I was brought by a mother who strongly believed that chivalry was the epitome of all things and the reason why people were born.
  "Excuse me, miss?" I made my way toward the young girl but had gotten no answer from her. It seemed like she had no interest in anything around her but the broken gravel under her. She was sitting on the ground and made no movements. I had started to wonder if the girl was even real at all.
  "Miss, are you alright?" Again, I had not been given any indication that the girl had wanted to talk at all. I had been about five feet away from her and with each question I inched closer. I had wondered what the stopping mark would have been between us to had she yet to speak.
Finally, I had thrown all chivilary rules out the window and made my way to the girl. I was closer to her than any stranger before had been close to another had been before. I crouched and met my eyes were level with her head. To me, I was in an uncomfortable position because-- well for one thing, I was out of my character to behave this way.

Mickey was in her garden tending her plants. She turned the rich soil with her hands meanwhile being carressed with comforting smell of dirt. The soil had filled her fingernails and had dyed her hands making them an even darker earthy bark color than they were before.

She forced her hands farther down into the soil and felt the fragile roots of her bean plants; they were just beginning to sprout. The beginning of life was a special thing to experience for Mickey. Even if it hadn't been a human life that was sprouting. Mickey thought about how often the little things in life were always taken for granted. The sprouting of that bean meant that the soil was rich. It meant that life was still happening and that things were still living. It meant that eventually, someone would have something to eat on a dry plate and perhaps live for another day. The life of that bean, represented the human lives of seven billion others on the planet. Someone had to be rewarded...