That time of the year is coming once more: finals! The treachery of having to take two hour tests with more than one hundred questions is something that we teenagers have to face every semester. It's amazing how many people manage to lose so much sleep, gain ten pounds, AND faint on the exact day of the finals. To help prevent any of those things from happening to you, I've composed another list of more tips, this time about your semester finals.
1. Pay attention in class. If you've dosed off during class this semester, it's time to wake up. As finals get closer, teachers will be giving out clues as to what will be on your finals.
2. Two weeks before the finals, start creating some sort of study schedule. This really, really helps. Try, Monday: study for Trig; Tuesday: study for Chem; Wednesday: break... things like that. You don't even half to study for several hours, just set aside one hour and skim your notes and former tests.
3. Use the internet to help you out. But, don't get distracted by websites like Facebook or Myspace. Use websites like Quizlet, Study Stack, and Quia to help you out with memorizing and such.
4. Study with a friend. Quiz each other on various things regarding your lessons and lists. Make sure you don't get distracted though.
5. Make sure you study for the classes that need it. If you've got a 98 percent in fifth period and a 65 percent in sixth, it's common sense that you should study for your sixth period test more. Emphasize on the classes where your grades will drop dramatically if you fail.
6. GET SOME ZZZZZ'S. Sleep is absolutely important. If you get less than 8 hours of sleep a night, then you should start fixing that. On the week of your finals, make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep each night to guarantee brain function.
7. Don't stress. Finals may be a large part of your grade, but your health should come before your GPA. If you're already stressed, take at least 30 minutes a day to relax or meditate.
8. On the day of the finals, get your game face on. Just don't faint while you're at it. Eat a good breakfast, listen to your favorite music, and watch some early morning news. When time comes and they hand out that sleazy packet of questions, you'll be all good.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Literature Study Guide
English class can be a pain. From literary devices to essays and reading books that make no sense, we've got to get that extra help sometimes. This is when this list comes in handy. I've listed websites and a few books that can help you out to get that shining "A" in English class.
eNotes.com : a website designed as a resource for students and students. Just type in the book and what kind of help you need on it to find your answer.
Spark Notes: Like the books, sparknotes.com provides you with an easier to understand the old-school literature assigned to us students. The only difference is that it's free!
Book Rags : For the ultimate procrastinator, use this website to get your book summaries, study guides and even practice quizzes. Along with that, there's essays and criticisms that will definitely help you out. Just be careful if your teacher's got a watchful eye; she might realize you and your friends have the exact same essay.
eNotes.com : a website designed as a resource for students and students. Just type in the book and what kind of help you need on it to find your answer.
Spark Notes: Like the books, sparknotes.com provides you with an easier to understand the old-school literature assigned to us students. The only difference is that it's free!
Book Rags : For the ultimate procrastinator, use this website to get your book summaries, study guides and even practice quizzes. Along with that, there's essays and criticisms that will definitely help you out. Just be careful if your teacher's got a watchful eye; she might realize you and your friends have the exact same essay.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
15 Things to Do with Friends Before The End of High School
We've got our friends, our buddies, our homies, the "gang", "us", the usual group of people... all those names for that group of friends you've got. And even if you're not a very large group of friends... there's a lot of ways to have fun together. I've listed 25 things to do before high school ends, in hopes that you and your friends can have some genuine fun (:
1. Sleepovers! Sleepovers aren't limited to girls only, guys can have them too. Have them once a week, once a month, anytime! They are an immense source of fun and a great way to get to know each other. You can watch a movie like Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]
, sing some karaoke, make some prank calls, or just hang out.
2. Go to a theme park. Places like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Six Flags, or parks in any area are a great way to bond. The sounds of your friends' screams will be a memory you can't possibly forget. If you're in California, you're in luck. The state is filled with theme parks such as Disneyland Resort 2-day Park Hopper® Ticket Adult (Age 10+)
and the like.
3. Play a prank. There is certainly no comparison to the degree of hilarity that ensues when a prank is pulled. I'm not talking about a prank call, or that pie-in-the-face sort of thing. I'm talking about a larger prank. Follow my blog to make sure you'll see when I post 15 Pranks During High School
4. Go to a concert or sports event. Whether it be a part of a tour or a city basketball game, these events are sure to get you and your friends hyped up. Not to mention the possibility of meeting some amazing teenage fans.
5. Play a game of hide and seek after school hours. Just imagine it: "It's 9 p.m. and you are hiding behind a staircase in the art building. Suddenly, you hear a sound and you think you've been caught..." This game is an absolutely fun experience with the risk of being caught, the sheer amount of hiding areas, and the scary-factor of it all.
6. Go camping! Camping is a great way to bond with the fires, s'mores, and the smell of the great outdoors. The only downside is the bathroom issue.
7. Build something together. Working with your friends is a fantastic thing to do. You can build a treehouse, a small boat, or even restore a car. Do something together that yields results in the end.
8. Have a food fight! Go to a local park and bring large amounts of food. Then, just throw it on one another. You can hide behind trees and tables as you and your friends throw a pie at one another. As stupid as that sounds, it's really fun. The clean up is horrendous but it's worth while.
9. Hold a surprise party for one of your friends. In cooperation with their parents, give them party they'll never forget. Invite lot's of people and have a great theme. Don't forget to get them a cake and push their faces in to it!
10. Pull an all-nighter. Attempt to stay up all night with your buddies. Get out a movie, play some games, have pillowfights, drink LOTS of soda, bug your parents, and watch as the sun rises in the morning. You'll be completely drowned out by 7 a.m., though.
11. Do a "photoshoot". Find a friend who's got a nice DSLR like the Nikon D3000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
and take turn taking pictures of one another. Do individual shots, duo shots, random shots and a group shots. Print the pictures out and you've got something to remember them by.
12. Plant a tree in someone's back yard. Not only would it be a small help to the environment, that tree would become a symbol of your friendship and a reminder of the good times you've had. Maybe in a decade or so, you'd come back to that tree and smile at the great memories you shared.
13. Create a painting. Go to your local arts supply store and buy a large canvas along with various colored paints. Then, take your friends and have fun placing your painted hands on the canvas. You might, however, find a paint fight amongst one another. But no worries, the paint should wash off your skin.
14. Bake something together. Go to the grocery store in a little crowd, pick out ingredients, and go to someone's house to bake what you desire. Ranging from cakes to pies, cooking together is whole lot of fun. Make sure to take some pictures in case someone get covered in flour.
15. Appreciate each other. Your friends are like your second family and once you guys leave to go on your own paths, you'll find that there's really no like them out there. High school wouldn't memorable without them so show your loyalty and don't search for new "cool" friends that are popular. Find the genuine friends who you know won't leave you no matter what.
1. Sleepovers! Sleepovers aren't limited to girls only, guys can have them too. Have them once a week, once a month, anytime! They are an immense source of fun and a great way to get to know each other. You can watch a movie like Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]
, sing some karaoke, make some prank calls, or just hang out. 2. Go to a theme park. Places like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Six Flags, or parks in any area are a great way to bond. The sounds of your friends' screams will be a memory you can't possibly forget. If you're in California, you're in luck. The state is filled with theme parks such as Disneyland Resort 2-day Park Hopper® Ticket Adult (Age 10+)
and the like. 3. Play a prank. There is certainly no comparison to the degree of hilarity that ensues when a prank is pulled. I'm not talking about a prank call, or that pie-in-the-face sort of thing. I'm talking about a larger prank. Follow my blog to make sure you'll see when I post 15 Pranks During High School
4. Go to a concert or sports event. Whether it be a part of a tour or a city basketball game, these events are sure to get you and your friends hyped up. Not to mention the possibility of meeting some amazing teenage fans.
5. Play a game of hide and seek after school hours. Just imagine it: "It's 9 p.m. and you are hiding behind a staircase in the art building. Suddenly, you hear a sound and you think you've been caught..." This game is an absolutely fun experience with the risk of being caught, the sheer amount of hiding areas, and the scary-factor of it all.
6. Go camping! Camping is a great way to bond with the fires, s'mores, and the smell of the great outdoors. The only downside is the bathroom issue.
7. Build something together. Working with your friends is a fantastic thing to do. You can build a treehouse, a small boat, or even restore a car. Do something together that yields results in the end.
8. Have a food fight! Go to a local park and bring large amounts of food. Then, just throw it on one another. You can hide behind trees and tables as you and your friends throw a pie at one another. As stupid as that sounds, it's really fun. The clean up is horrendous but it's worth while.
9. Hold a surprise party for one of your friends. In cooperation with their parents, give them party they'll never forget. Invite lot's of people and have a great theme. Don't forget to get them a cake and push their faces in to it!
10. Pull an all-nighter. Attempt to stay up all night with your buddies. Get out a movie, play some games, have pillowfights, drink LOTS of soda, bug your parents, and watch as the sun rises in the morning. You'll be completely drowned out by 7 a.m., though.
11. Do a "photoshoot". Find a friend who's got a nice DSLR like the Nikon D3000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
and take turn taking pictures of one another. Do individual shots, duo shots, random shots and a group shots. Print the pictures out and you've got something to remember them by.12. Plant a tree in someone's back yard. Not only would it be a small help to the environment, that tree would become a symbol of your friendship and a reminder of the good times you've had. Maybe in a decade or so, you'd come back to that tree and smile at the great memories you shared.
13. Create a painting. Go to your local arts supply store and buy a large canvas along with various colored paints. Then, take your friends and have fun placing your painted hands on the canvas. You might, however, find a paint fight amongst one another. But no worries, the paint should wash off your skin.
14. Bake something together. Go to the grocery store in a little crowd, pick out ingredients, and go to someone's house to bake what you desire. Ranging from cakes to pies, cooking together is whole lot of fun. Make sure to take some pictures in case someone get covered in flour.
15. Appreciate each other. Your friends are like your second family and once you guys leave to go on your own paths, you'll find that there's really no like them out there. High school wouldn't memorable without them so show your loyalty and don't search for new "cool" friends that are popular. Find the genuine friends who you know won't leave you no matter what.
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Freshman Reading List
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- The Pearl by John Steinbeck
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Now, these books listed above don't guarantee that you'll get an A in the fall semester of 2010. However, I do guarantee that they will increase vocabulary and understanding of high school literature. Along with that, I give out a warning that these books can be extremely boring and difficult to comprehend at times as I mentioned in the paragraph above. Hopefully, this book list will at least help you. Good luck!
(This photo courtesy of artsjournal.com/bookdaddy)
The Do's and Don'ts of Freshman Year
Ah yes, FRESHMAN YEAR, the most intimidating, strangest, and strangest year of my life. I'm finishing it up as of right now and I've made this list to give some advice to the next freshmen. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined, but it's had it's ups and downs. I hope you, reader, can consult this list throughout your freshman year.
The 10 DO's:
The 10 DO's:
- Do remember that you're not alone. Other freshmen are experiencing the same things.
- Do get to your classes on time.
- Do your best in class (that includes doing your homework). As nerdy as this sounds, GRADES ACTUALLY MATTER. They will lead you to a better future.
- Do remember your locker combination. It's an inconvenience if you forget it.
- Do talk to someone. Say "hi" to that person sitting next to you in fifth period; they won't bite.
- Do make friends. They will be your company for the year and you don't want to spend ten months by yourself.
- Do go to a few sports events. Some school pride wouldn't hurt and sports events are really fun. If these aren't really your type of fun, watch a school play or see a show.
- Do show your funny side. It's the quickest way to get some friends.
- Do join a club. They're fun and a great way to meet people. Along with that, they're great on a college resume.
- Do have fun. Don't take everything so seriously. Loosening up can do wonders.
The 10 DON'TS:
- Don't get lost on your first day. Get a school map from the office. If somehow, you still do, ask directions from a TEACHER not a student.
- Don't refer to your upperclassmen friends as though they're God. (i.e. "My AH-MAZING junior friend..." or "This senior is so funny! He did this... and everyone started laughing. He is so cool")
- Don't say "I wanna be a senior already". Don't we all. Just shut up and don't mention it.
- Don't be obnoxious. Obnoxious meaning: laughing so loudly everyone knows it's fake; screaming down the hallways; slapping butts in public; talking about how you're going to get a Mercedes when you turn sixteen; bragging about that crazy "party" you went to on Saturday; yelling "That's what she said" every five seconds; and etc.
- Don't carry everything in your backpack. Get a locker and stuff your crap in there.
- Don't be scared of cafeteria food. Unless the lunchladies cook with uranium...
- Don't start fights. They're a stupid waste of time and could get you expelled.
- Don't do anything stupid (i.e. drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sleeping around, cheating on your significant other, and things of the like). These things just just ruin your chances of a better future. Trust me, you'll just regret it later on.
- Don't do things because the "popular" kids are doing it. The popularity things dies out by sophomore year.
- Don't lose your individuality. If that's who are, appreciate it.
Surviving the Crowded Hallways
The bell rings and a crowd of students eagerly walk out of their classes, clutching their phones, heading home. The hallways are lined with blue lockers while teenagers push one another out of the way. It's the glory and terror of high school. Everyone must go through it and everyone will finish it. It's no stroll in the park with classes, friends, and various cranky teachers. I've created this blog not for my personal whining, but for a summary of what I believe is the best way to survive this place.
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