Ending on a High (school) Note

When graduating from high school there are many things I have to think about, reflect on, and evaluate. From what did my school do right? What did they do wrong? What is the most important thing for me to know when I leave? As well as what my school could do better for the kids following after me?

There are so many things I love about Central High School. I enjoy my classes for the most part, I've had experiences with absolutely amazing educators. Really I've learned a lot of information as well as many important life lessons. I know more than I care to elaborate about U.S. History, Government, and Politics thanks to Mr. Flaherty, I can speak French very well thanks to Mlle Weir, as well as tell you all the States in Germany because of Herr Kierblewski, & of course every Spanish speaking country, in song, thanks to my Spanish teachers, Senorita Day, Mrs. Trimble and Mrs. Preciado. Of course I've learned more than just these things, but all in all they are some of my most coveted memories and important information.

Though this is a great school with great teachers there are some weaknesses. There are times when I wonder "Why in the world do we have to have seven senior meetings, when all we do is talk about the same things?" Though I understand it's hard to fit all our information into one time, I get frustrated missing class for things that I have heard a million times before. There is also the argument with lanyards. I don't wear mine, I admit it, and I see why they may be important, but if it's not enforced why do we bother? There is a flaw in the system, unless everyone enforces it, it isn't going to make a difference to the school. Same goes for tardies. If it's not enforced no one cares. End of story.

When I graduate this June, it is very important that I know how to study. People often times underestimate the value of a good study session. In college it's going to be hard to show up to class, breeze through your homework and expect to get an A on the tests that you haven't even studied for. It just doesn't work, it's not logical. I really value my physics teacher, who wishes to remain unnamed, in my high school career. Yes he brought me to tears at times, and his class really challenged me, but it was one of the firsts that I really had to study. I've always been a studier, but physics was the class that taught me the ability to sit and really focus on what I'm doing. The study sessions that lasted all until all hours of the night really taught me that you need to succeed, but without working hard, you won't. When it comes to expectations, I always have high expectations, and believe everyone should. Even if the teachers don't have high expectations, it doesn't mean you have to have the same level of expectation that they do. The more you expect from yourself the more you get back.

I'm not going to be here next year, but I have plenty of friends who will be. I really hope that they are just able to learn what I've learned. I hope Open Campus gets worked out so that they won't have to wait weeks after midterms and finals to find out if they are able to go out again. Central is really doing well I believe, that could just be my optimistic outlook on life, but I really think it's one of the best schools in the Midwest, and I have no worry for the kids coming after me. We're all going to turn out just fine.

Inspirationally Speaking

I thought it would be fun to make an inspirational-esque "poster" with a cutsey French monument, seeing as lately that's been the theme of my blog posts. I should seriously think about getting my obsession with all things French checked out. For now though I'm going to let it flourish! Ciao mes amis, je vous aime :)

Experimentation with Technology

J'aime les mots français!

Music is the food of the soul.

A Dream is a Wish the Heart Makes

The assignment: Tell about a recent dream. What do you think it meant?

My dreams are not something I really remember. I can always find a wisp inside my brain, but never anything with a whole lot of sustenance. Sometimes I chose to sew them all together and hope for the best. My most recently sewn together dream consisted of me on a boat. I vaguely recall being with two people who aren't my parents, but I referred to as "mamon & papa", as well as speaking in French. Seeing as I've grown up in Iowa and only spoken french for a solid nine months this is odd.

Basically I think this dream indicates that I need to go on a boat ride and speak French. Two of my absolute favorite activities. I'm not sure if there is really any deeper meaning. It's not really unusual for things to be in French in my dreams, because I stress so much about my French assignments and what not throughout the day, as well as read different things (stories, notes, passages, etc.) in French right before bed. The whole boat ride is probably because I love  being out on the water with the feel of the air rushing through my hair and the feel of the water spraying all around.

In general I don't believe that this dream is very significant, but it is interesting to diagnose what I think that my dreams might mean. As Princess Aurora says "a dream is a wish the heart makes".

My Best Advice

The question: What's the best advice that you have ever received or given?

Not to toot my own horn, but I feel that I am actually full of a lot of good advice. Whether I personally always take it or not just depends, but I sure can dish it out. It's not that I'm exceptionally wise or anything, more that I am almost a sponge, I soak up all the advice I can from others, and then put a spin on it to make it my own. Solving other people’s problems has always been easier for me than facing my own. Which is some of my advice, always face your problems before you try to help others (like I pointed out I don't always take my own advice).

My best advice that I can possibly think of is "make a difference to at least one person a day". No matter what I try to impact someone, a stranger on the street, a teacher, really anyone in a positive manner. This can simply mean giving someone a simple smile or holding the door open for a group of people. Whatever it is, making one small gesture can really make a difference to that person. This is advice even I take, so you have to know it's good!

No matter how small the impact anyone makes on another person, they've still made that impact, positive or negative, and for the majority of the time, everyone should try to make thier impacts positive. The more positivity you put out, the more positivity you get back.

The A to Zen of Life

The Task at Hand: The A to Zen life principles is a list of twenty-six ways to zen out your life, pretty self explanatory. Though I could probably find a reason all of them are important to me, I have been limited to two for this specific assignment.

C-Consider things from every angle

It is really important to always look at things in a new way. You may have to stand on your head to look at the world, or, if you become easily light headed, just listen to someones opinion with an open mind. Problems can always be solved more than one way. There is never a right or a wrong way to look at things, there are ways that may make sense to one person, but not at all to someone else. Though I tell people, the way I do things and decide them is always right, doesn't meant that it's necessarily true (though I really am always correct, don't question me). I always try to look at things from different angles, if it means literally laying on the ground to see the problem from the bottom up, or figuratively but just talking it out, I always try to figure out the best way to solve a problem.

L-Love yourself

I believe that everyone should be their favorite person. I am my favorite person. My mom always says "If you don't like yourself how do you expect other people to like you?". No matter what I think everyone should love themselves for who they are. I may not like everything about myself, I'm loud, I talk too fast and sometimes I don't filter my thoughts before they come out. In the end though I think I'm great. We all have flaws, it's just how we look at them, try to fix them, and sometimes we just have to accept them. There isn't always going to be a way to fix something we do, it's a fact of life. At the end of the day though, I always try to tell myself three things I love about myself. Having self confidence and really truly loving yourself for who you are is one of the most important things I have ever learned in life.

So though I could go through the whole alphabet and say why it's all important, for now I'll just settle with these two. I am going to live my life considering things from every literal and figurative angle, as well as knowing that I must always love myself, because if all else fails, at least one person will always love me.