Senior Year is AWESOME: Don't Waste it.

I know I've been sticking to tips and writing lately, but let's be honest, I've just been lazy and had nothing else to say. Posting something I've already written was an easy way around that. However, I will get back to writing tips later because I do think that's helpful, but this post is something that I think is really important.
Throughout school, we can't wait to get older. On drill team, there's a poem that's traditionally read on our last night of show, that I read this year. My favorite part of it is:
Now, we finally realize that we could have waited to get older. We realize that time has somehow slipped away and soon we will be saying goodbye.
You can read the whole poem here.
Anywho, it's so true that we spend our childhood wishing to be older. In elementary school, we want to be in middle school. In middle school, we want to be in high school. As freshman, we can't wait to be 16, so we can drive. When we're 16, we can't wait to be 17 to see R-rated movies. When we're 17, we can't wait to be 18 to be adults! At 18, we can't wait to be 21.

Pine Cove Christian Camps this year!

I'm 18, but for once, I'm not waiting to be older. I'm content with being 18. Senior year is the easiest life is going to be ever again. After 12 years of school, senior year is a year of school where I don't have to stress about grades and ranking anymore. After senior year, I go back to stressing about everything in college, and after graduation, it gets even more stressful with a full time career. It's never going to get any easier, so for once, I'm content with where I am in life, not looking to get any older or younger.
Students get so caught up in what's ahead, we fail to relish the blessings of each age. I don't want to miss out on what this year has to offer simply because I'm excited for next year. I have next year to get excited about next year. This year is all about this year!
The picture I included may not seem very relevant, but trust me, it is. I went to Pine Cove for 10 years, starting in the 3rd grade. This past summer was my last year going. I went for the two week option, which allowed me to go help on Friday night at the Towers (the elementary school camp). They do an event called buffalo hunt, which involves a large pit of mud. The high schoolers (like me) and the counselors all have rubber bands on each of their wrists and ankles (we are the buffalo). Then a bunch of elementary school kids run at you and try to take your rubber bands. They kill the buffalo by removing all four rubber bands. When I was in elementary school, I don't think I ever got a single rubber band from a counselor because I stuck to the sides during buffalo hunt, trying not to get too muddy. Going back and doing it again, I realize how much I missed out on. Buffalo hunt was so much fun. As a leader, I tried to get those young girls like me, sticking to the sides, involved and playing in the mud. I've learned with time how much each year of my life has to offer. I now work to be involved and excited about everything that life and focus on the present, instead of the future. I urge all of you to do the same. Each year has it's own things to offer, and we need to appreciate those things while we can, instead of simply looking ahead at what's to come. We can focus on those things when they come!

Only 104 more days... Until then, keep calm and boomer sooner!

My Tips for Essays: Number 1

Be yourself!

I have friends who always ask me to edit their papers, and I never can. I have to tell my friends simply that I can't edit. I always try to change their work to make it my own because I just simply dislike papers without any voice. Papers that don't have voice are boring, and I don't like reading them. I also don't think others really like reading boring papers. 

For application essays especially, I think people get so focused on pumping themselves up. People get so focused on making sure they sound intelligent and bragging about their resumes. The issue with this style of writing is that you lose yourself. In trying to make a reader want you, you give up yourself. No one wants a a block of wood, even if the wood is super talented and a genius. Colleges and scholarship committees will be more attracted to you if you have a personality. Being really smart and talented is obviously important, but the rest of the application is where the numbers go. They will speak for themselves. You need to sell yourself, not just your talent, that's why colleges have essays.

EXAMPLE: Why I Want to Be a Journalist

 I want to be a journalist. I decided this when I was in the 6^th grade. At that point I knew three things: 1. I like to write, 2. authors don't make any money, and 3. journalist is a job that involves writing. Since then, I've learned a bit more about journalism and a bit more about what I want for my future.

I still like to write, that much hasn't changed, but I've learned more about my writing style. I'm not a creative writer by any means. I get severe writer's block whenever I try to write anything fiction especially since, as a writer, it has to be perfect. Instead, I prefer to write about given topics. Research papers, articles, essays, etc. always come much easier since I'm given a topic, but I don't like to just inform you. I want to tell you about the topic. When I write, I want to make the reader feel like I'm telling them first hand. Since the fourth grade, my teachers have been telling me how much voice I have in my writing, and I've continued to develop that over time. When I write, I want people to feel like I'm with them, not like they're simply reading more words off a page.

Authors still don't make much money. I've always been very practical. Even at a young age, I knew that in order to be successful, I had to do something more than just be an author. Before journalism, I wanted to be a lawyer, simply because I knew they made a lot of money. I knew/know what society calls “success,” but today, I look it at it a bit differently. Journalists might make more than authors, but let's be honest, journalists don't make much. Over time, I've realized that money is not nearly as important to me now as it might've been back then. Often, you hear adults complaining about their jobs and how they hate what they do. They makes tons of money, but they spend all their time sitting in a cubicle working on something they hate. Obviously, I need money to live and pay for things, but I'd rather make just enough do something I enjoy than make a lot doing something that I hate.

Journalists still write, but they do so much more. Journalists have to research, interview, collaborate, write, rewrite, work on deadlines, edit, and more that I don't even know about yet. Furthermore, I hadn't even considered broadcast journalism when I first decided back in the sixth grade. Today, I am more interested in broadcast than print. Broadcast journalists do everything that print does and more. They have to plan, search, research, interview, film, collaborate, edit film, edit written parts, work on deadlines, and more. Still, it's hard for me to imagine myself doing anything else. I'm never going to be “the cubicle type,” and the rush of a work room just seems like the perfect place for me.

Today I have one more point to add to my list. I like to learn. Everyday journalists have to go out and find a story. Everyday, they go out to talk to people, organizations, businesses, etc. to research and discover their stories. Everyday they get to interact and work with new people and new things. Then they take everything they learn and teach the rest of the world. I want to spend everyday discovering and learning new things, so I can inform the rest of the world of the amazing things that I've found.

I want to be a journalist for four reasons:

1. I like to write
2. Authors don't make any money
3. Journalist is a job that involves writing
4. I like to learn

Hakuna Matata

I'm sorry for going MIA for a little while there. My schedule was super busy for a period of time, but I'm starting to make my way back. Anywho, I promise my next post will be my tips for writing essays for scholarships, applications, and just in general, so check back! Until then, here's what's probably the final of my example essays!
When I first started applying to college, I planned on applying to both the University of North Carolina and the University of Southern California, but I decided upon further investigation that these were not schools that I wanted to go to. However, I had already worked on the essays for the common application. One of the topics was "how a fictional character has influenced your life," so the following is my essay on how Timon and Pumba from The Lion King have impacted my view on life.

Timon and Pumba aren't regularly considered the most profound characters in The Lion King. I don't think people give them enough credit. With merely two words, Timon and Pumba created a way to solve all their problems. Humans have been working to come up with a universal solution like this for years. 

I have seen the movie The Lion King too many times to count, the musical once, and I have the soundtrack for both. If you look through my iPod, Hakuna Matata can be found on my list of "Top Twenty Five Most Played." Timon and Pumba have played a pretty big part in my life. 

"You gotta put your past behind ya, kid. Look, bad things happen, and you can't do anything about it..." Timon says to Simba before bursting into song, "Repeat after me, Hakuna Matata." In swahili, Hakuna Matata is a phrase meaning "There are no worries." For me, Hakuna Matata means that life moves on, and you have the choice to either move on with life or get stuck in the past. I choose to move on. 

Somewhat recently my car battery died in the school parking lot. I hadn't bothered to fix my poor parking job that morning, so for the next few days I was constantly getting complimented on my "amazing" parking ability. It would've been so simple for me to be upset about not being able to drive myself, the insults on my parking job, or how much replacing the battery would cost, but I wasn't. I couldn't change the situation. All I could change was my attitude. 

There's a well known prayer called The Serenity Prayer that begins with "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Hakuna Matata perfectly sums up this prayer. Don't waste time dwelling on things that are unchangeable. When my car battery died, there were so many different things for me to be upset about, but I had places to go and people to see. There wasn't time to sit and pout. 

In today's world, too many people waste their time pouting about what's already happened. Timon and Pumba never fretted about their past. Pumba didn't have the best past. He struggled with some embarrassing bodily issues and lost a lot of friends because of it, but in the film, he doesn't dwell on it. He found Timon and moved on with his life. In the book Sun Dials and Roses of Yesterday, Alice Morse Earle writes, "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." We can't change history. Timon and Pumba taught me that. They taught me to stop worrying about what's already happened and get on with my life. 

"It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's our problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata."

Only 112 more days... Until then, keep calm and boomer sooner!

The Difference between Serving and Volunteering

Like I said before, for the next few posts I will be posting various essays that I've written for scholarships and college applications. The following essay is about community service and volunteering for a scholarship from my school. Soon I will post my tips for writing essays for applications, so check back!
In this essay, I mention a documentary that I put together for school. My group members and I are very proud of our work on this documentary, and if you have time to spare, I would really appreciate if you watched it. http://vimeo.com/43697508
Anyways... on to the essay!

Many organizations require their participants to volunteer. I've been volunteering for various organizations my entire life, but it wasn't until last year that I learned how to serve, not just volunteer. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

The key part of this quote for me is the world “sincerely.” In order to truly serve, I can't just be there to get the hours that I need or to get moral brownie points. When I'm just volunteering it's so simple to get caught up in what I'm getting out of it, but when I'm serving, I am focused on what's best for the people that I'm serving rather than what I'm getting out of it. It's when I'm working to serve others than I am sincerely trying to help others.

In June, I volunteered at an event called Kid's University. I was a leader to a group of 2^nd and 3^rd grade kids who lived in shelters. To say they were a bit of a handful would be an understatement. I spent hours chasing rambunctious 7-9 year olds in circles around the room, but I never left a day unhappy. We took a class called “Crazy Critters” where a man came to teach the kids about different animals. I ended up holding a tree frog in my hand because one of the little girls wouldn't touch it unless I did. It was gross and slimy, but she lit up with giggles when the sticky feet wrapped around her finger. Later when we were learning about nutrition, the same little girl tried to give me her pasta because she saw that I didn't get any. This little girl and many kids like her are what taught me to be sincere in my serving, and not just volunteer for the hours.

Over this past year, I was assigned a project in American Studies at school. The project was to create a 12-15 minute, professional quality documentary on a nonprofit organization of our choice with a group of up to five people. With four of my closest friends, we started to work with an organization called Rainbow Days. A few weeks into the project, it was made optional. Too many groups were having problems working with and filming their organizations. Few groups continued on to finish the project, but we felt that we didn't have a choice. We were already emotionally invested in Rainbow Days, and this project was already bigger than ourselves.

Rainbow Days is a nonprofit organization in Dallas, TX. It works with homeless kids to try to break what's called the “cycle of homelessness” by teaching young children about the amazing things that life has to offer. Teaching kids how to make healthy choices, respond in various scenarios, and excel in life is Rainbow Days goal. Their mission statement is to “give kids a hope for a promising future,” and it was our job to catch all of this on film.

When you're trying to film for something like a documentary, you have to work to try to get certain emotions out of whoever you're working with, but at the same time, you're not working with actors. You can't look at a child and tell them to laugh or to look like they're having fun. You have to serve him/her and make sure that the child is having fun, so you can capture that delight on film. Working on this project, opened my eyes and showed me how to truly serve. Early on, it wasn't even about evoking the right emotions anymore: it was about making these kids smile.

There was this one little boy at Kid's University who was a real trouble maker. He wouldn't listen. He wouldn't participate. And he would run around the room when everyone was supposed to be sitting. I was getting quite flustered having to chase after him and reprimand him constantly. I hate to say it, but after dealing with this kid from 8-2 for 5 days, I was ready for him to “graduate.” At the end of the week, the kids get tiny graduation caps and gowns, so they can graduate from Kid's University. We were sitting in the auditorium where the graduation was held, and as my group of kids waited for their turn to walk across the stage, this little boy came up to me and asked to sit in my lap. Although I was confused, I let him, at least he was sitting.

After the ceremony, he introduced me to his mom. I noticed tears in her eyes, along with a lot of the other parents. They were so proud to see their little kids graduate even just from this summer camp. She thanked me for giving up my time, and as always I told her it was my pleasure. She then proceeded to share with me how tough his life at home has been recently. His dad left a few months ago, and she and her 3 sons were forced to go into a shelter. The transition to life in a shelter was hard for the whole family, and it was causing the older boys to act out. I was taken aback. I wasn't prepared for her to share her story with me, but I was so thankful that she did. This little boy's troublemaker nature started to make sense, and my heart went out to her and her family. Furthermore, she explained that he'd been coming home so happy and excited about his time at Kid's University. I was a bit confused. He spent much of the time having to sit alone or getting in trouble for his actions, but she told a very different story. She told me of how much he loved learning new things and how many new friends that he'd made. Before she left, she gave me a big hug and once again thanked me for all I'd done. Her son gave me a hug too, and he told me he'd miss me. As I watched she and her son drive away, the little boy waved from the backseat.

When the car left the parking lot, there was no “sigh of relief” like I had expected after dealing with him all week. I was sad to see him go. I wanted to love on him even more. This is when I first realized what Emerson meant when he said to be “sincere.” Every morning at 8 before the kids arrived at Kids University, I had to remind myself, “You're here to serve. This isn't about you.” I did whatever was needed of me, and I chose to be active. Although I had to give myself mini pep talks every morning, I worked to be sincere and wholehearted in serving. By the end of the week, I learned how true it is that when your whole heart is in serving, you get so much more out of it.

The little boy definitely left his mark on my heart, and when I thought that I was teaching him, whether it was how to behave or the lessons, he was teaching me how to be thankful and positive. The kids at Rainbow Days taught me so much more than I could've possibly taught them. They taught me how to praise God for the many blessings in my life, to have hope and positivity because we have been given everyday as a gift, and to serve.

One little girl was being bullied by the kids at school because she came from a homeless shelter. She rode the bus to school everyday, so they were able to see which stop she got on at. They would make fun of her and mock her, calling her poor. She was telling a member of Rainbow Days's staff about all of this, and she asked the staff member, “Am I poor?”

Trained to deal with these kinds of questions, the staff member asked her, “Well, what do you think?”

“No. I think God gives every person exactly what they need.”

I volunteered with tons of different people and organizations before I worked with Rainbow Days. I even worked with Rainbow Days before junior year, but this past year my whole outlook on community service was flipped upside down. Rainbow Days showed me how to be sincere in service, and if I could recommend anything to someone of any age about community serivice, I would tell him/her to work wholeheartedly and with sincerity because he/she can't help but be helped. If he/she is really serving, the impact goes far beyond what could possibly be expected. Working to put smiles on the kids' faces at Rainbow Days always puts a smile on my face. I don't think I can ever give them as much as they've given me. Since working with Rainbow Days, I try not to volunteer. Instead, I try to serve.

120 days until I move in... Until then, keep calm and boomer sooner!

Scholarship and College Application Essays

Scholarship and college applications often require you to write essays. Lucky for me, I love writing essays. Writing about personal experiences and lessons learned is where I thrive. However, most people aren't like me. For the next few posts, I'm going to share with y'all some of the essays that I had to write. This first one, I wanted to pick an essay that was short and sweet.
This was part of my application to the University of Oklahoma as well as for the President's Leaders' Class. It's very common for students to reuse old essays that they wrote for school or various other things for college applications. I first wrote this essay for my application for the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership award in the 10th grade, which I ended up winning.

Here's a 100 word essay on leadership:


For some reason, people have developed the strange idea that a leader is "in charge," but in reality, a leader is no more in charge than anyone else. A leader simply sets the path for others to follow, but others must choose to follow the path on their own. It is only when people willingly follow that path that a leader begins to be "in charge." Compassion, assertiveness, dedication, and responsibility are the types of qualities that cause other people to follow a leader. A person does not choose to be a leader; rather, others choose to make him/her one.

My thoughts on that chick from the walls treat journal

http://on.wsj.com/YU6rF0

She ends by acknowledging the fact that she is "an underachieving selfish teenager making excuses for her own failures," and I'm glad she does. At least she knows that she's a brat.
I first heard about Suzy on the Today show this morning, and I laughed as I heard about internships and whatnot that have been offered to her since her article was published. She's getting praised for being an entitled brat, and for those who aren't insane and see her for the brat she is, I do not appreciate the fact that many are throwing my entire graduating class under the bus with her. What did I do?
I understand that it was a satire (according to Weiss), but she compared it to 30 Rock as a satire. 30 Rock is Horatian; Weiss's article is one of the most juvenilian and harsh satires that I have ever read. Furthermore, as a student myself, I know that there was obviously some true pent up anger that is reflected by her words.
If you were to watch the Today show you would learn that her GPA is a 4.5 (on who knows what scale), her SAT was a 2120, and she had something to do with the senate. She is obviously a good student. She's probably near the top of her class, but she is complaining about not getting into Yale, Princeton, Vanderbilt, and UPenn. She is smart, but she is not Ivy League. I have a 4.12 GPA on a 5.0 scale, ranked number 122 out of 1,106, a 2140 on my SAT, and I've managed all of this while holding a leadership position on drill team for 3 years, being editor of the yearbook, a member of national honor society, national charity league, and being an active member of my church. Plus, ive still maintained a pretty nice social life. I'm not trying to brag; I'm simply trying to explain how outlandish her expectations were. I could not get into Yale, Princeton, or UPenn, and although I looked at Vanderbilt before deciding not to apply, I think I would've been a bit of a longshot.
Not because I'm not diverse, but because I'm not good enough for their standards.
She's right though, diversity does play a role in the acceptance process, but if you work hard, you can beat it. One of my friends is ranked higher than me and is 50% Mexican, but she was rejected from the University of Southern California. And I don't think she misheard whoever it was who told her to "just be yourself." I think they meant "just be your best." Colleges look for well rounded students.
She was simply disrespectful and obnoxious. Now I'm done venting. I'm sorry.

125 more days... Until then keep calm and boomer sooner.

Extracurriculars: and I guess kind of life lessons I learned from them?

Extracurriculars should be required for all students. I've seen too many kids struggle in school and make poor life decisions, and I think that requiring extracurriculars could really help this problem.

Benefits of extracurriculars:

1. Incentive to keep grades up
In order to participate in any sport or team event, you have to pass your classes, so students will have a reason to keep their grades up and study.

2. Promotes school spirit
I understand that one of the biggest problems with extracurriculars is a lack of funding. Many extracurriculars have been cut over time because of this issue, but  schools with more spirit have been shown to also have better funding.

3. Helps students to get into college and furthermore get scholarships
College is no longer just about grades. You have to do more if you want to succeed. Colleges favor kids that are involved. Plus, having extra talents from extracurriculars would help students to get different scholarships.

4. Talent
Being good at something helps with attitude. Plus being talented is just more fun.

5. Gives students something to do
Students who aren't involved in things find other things to do with their time, and the other options that they find aren't always the best decisions. I've seen people who've quit their extracurriculars and have chosen to fill their time by drinking or even smoking weed, so extracurriculars give kids a positive way to fill their time.

6. Friendships
Extracurriculars bring people together and help to form lasting friendships.

7. Helps to develop character
Extracurriculars instill different characteristics that students otherwise wouldn't have. I've learned leadership, respect, responsibility, commitment, integrity, dedication, and that's just the beginning. I would not be the confident young woman that I am today if not for drill team.

8. Discipline
Having a good coach or teacher can do a lot. There are rules and guidelines that are enforced. Many students who struggle do not strict rules at home that must be followed, so being involved in an extracurricular gives them the discipline that they need.

There are so many options of extracurriculars for students. There's sports like basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, hockey, track, cross country, water polo, swimming, baseball, softball, football, and more. There's spirit groups like cheerleading and pom squad. There's drill team, band, orchestra, and choir. There's volunteer groups like KEYY club and support groups like AVID. If extracurriculars are required, old ones might be able to be funded again like car mechanics and other career oriented extracurriculars. Even volunteering at the local library everyday is better than nothing. Students should have to be involved in something. They can do recreational sports outside of school like dance, or they can get a job. There will be a waiver for students who are involved in outside of school activities, but otherwise, students need something to help them build a positive character and fill their time.
I don't think extracurriculars are going to be required anytime soon, but I know that a lot of parents read my blog. I think that you should get your children involved in school, and to the students who read my blog, you should get yourself involved.

127 more days.... Until then, keep calm and boomer sooner!

Life Lessons I Learned from High School

1. If you're going to do something halfway, you might as well not do it at all.

Seriously, don't do it. Being simply okay at everything is not nearly as amazing as being super great at one thing. It's much better if you're amazing at one thing. I tried to be editor of the school's yearbook and officer on our dance team at the same time. I wasn't as good an officer or editor. It wasn't worth it. Don't do things halfway.

2. Your attitude is a choice.

You choose how you feel about something. Personally, I choose to be positive. Even when things go absolutely awful, I can choose to be positive. There was this one day where I was late to school, had to take a really hard test that I thought I failed, dropped and cracked my phone, and it was raining, but I was okay. True, I could've spent the whole day upset with myself for being late and not studying more, angry about my phone, and bitter because of the rain, but that wasn't going to change the situation. I'm not even saying to find the positive in a situation because to this day, it's tough to tell you the positive of that day, I'm simply saying that being bitter about what's already happened isn't worth it. Instead, choose your attitude, and choose to be positive.

3. Even if everyone else is doing drugs, don't do them.

For some reason, people think that being in high school (ESPECIALLY senior year) is like a right of passage to do drugs (I include underage drinking in this "do drugs" category). I don't know why. All i know is that the number of people that I know who drink and do drugs has increased exponentially in the last four years to the point where I can literally make a list of people I'm friends with who don't drink, and it'd probably not even take up a whole page. It's sad that so many people think drinking and drugs are okay, but YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN THEM. I'm friends with people who drink, and they don't pressure me. You just have to be upfront with how you feel. I won't even be around drinking because I think it's wrong, so people don't drink around me. If I'm around, they'll generally avoid it. If they don't, I leave, and if they plan on drinking, I don't get invited. I still have plenty of friends. Furthermore, my closest friends, who also don't drink or do drugs, and I have more fun. I hear stories from weekends that I was not invited to, and I simply laugh at how stupid they sound. Drinking causes a lapse in judgment and people do things that they wouldn't otherwise do. I can assure you that my weekend where we played mini golf at Adventure Landing and then went to Chili's for skillet queso and lava cake was much more fun than their drunken party where some people hooked up and everyone is a bit hazy on the details. Listen to your elementary guidance counselor: drinking and drugs is NOT WORTH IT.

4. Don't let other people define you.

If you let other people's judgments define you, you will be unhappy. You cannot please everyone. Everything I'm saying right now is super cliche, and you're probably rolling your eyes. These things are cliche because they're true. Everyone says them because they're true. People are going to judge you. You can be the most awesome person in the whole wide world, and you will be judged. As long as you know that you're stinkin' awesome, it shouldn't matter. 

5. Resilience... again.

I've now gone to 3 school dances, but I have not been asked to any of them. I've had to ask a date myself 3 different times because no one asked me, and that was hard. In my school, people get asked to dances in really cute, all out ways, and I have yet to experience that. I also don't expect to be asked to prom (this is not me being down on myself, this is me being realistic. I'm really okay with it. I promise. I'm over it). Around school dances, I would become an emotional wreck, freaking out about not being asked. It was not fun, but I would ask someone myself and still have a great time at the dance. I once again, had to learn to be resilient and not let these obstacles and hardships get me down.  Life is hard, and not being asked to a school dance is not a big deal. Life gets much harder, and I can't let life stop me. 

Life Lessons I Learned from Middle School

1. Middle school isn't as awkward as everyone says it is. 

This is a tricky one because middle school definitely is awkward. You're growing. You're not mature yet by any means, but you still don't want to be treated like a child, despite the fact that you 100% are a child. People are going through puberty. All of those things are very awkward, but you have to remember: everyone is going through the exact same awkwardness (except for me, but I'll get to that later). Yes, your expander that gives you a lisp, bangs, and clothes that don't fit right because your body is changing are all very awkward, but everyone else has the exact same problems! Because everyone is all dealing with the same things, no one notices anyone else's awkwardness. It really works out kind of perfectly... unless you're me.

2. "Body changes" are not the only awkward thing in middle school.

This isn't second semester of 8th grade...
This is the END of middle school,
and I was still this weird...

I did not "become a woman" until I was 16 years old, the summer after my sophomore year in high school, so when all of my middle school friends were dealing with their body changing, dealing with "aunt flo," and buying bras for the first time. I wasn't. I wore a 32AAA bra in the 7th grade because I didn't have any boobs, but I needed to wear something because I had to change in the locker room with everyone for PE. Needless to say, I got made fun of for my "bra. (honestly, I don't even think you could call it a bra)." I had to shop at Limited Too until halfway through freshman year because my body hadn't grown enough for me to fit into teenager clothes, so while all my friends started shopping at Hollister, Aeropostale, and American Eagle, I was stuck searching Limited Too for clothes without sequins on them. Then a few years later, having to deal with awkward body changes without the comfort of "everybody's going through it too." No they weren't. They had already "been there done that." What I'm saying here is, y'know what's more awkward than all the adolescent changes that everyone goes through in middle school? Not going through those adolescent changes

3. Really, don't do drugs.

Because we don't have a guidance counselor to come visit every week in middle school, red ribbon week was a huge deal. There was only one week devoted to not doing drugs, so we had to go ALL OUT. There was a huge assembly to kick off the week, and every class, the teachers had to give us a fact about drugs. The freakiest thing was on Wednesday we had "dead day." Where names were drawn and the students who were drawn got their faces painted white and were told they were "dead." This represented statistically, how many deaths there are related to drugs. The paper explained how you died, and you weren't allowed to talk all day. Seriously, don't do drugs: they could kill you.

4. Sometimes you have to let people make their own mistakes.

I was a cheerleader in 8th grade, and I was a flyer. There was another girl who really wanted to be a flyer, but she was obviously not "flyer sized." I tried to reason with her in the nicest way possible (without telling her that she was simply too big), saying how she hasn't been tried with proper flyer technique, my bases aren't used to her as a flyer, etc. However, she would not take no for an answer. One game, she took my spot and was a flyer. They could not hold her up and dropped her multiple times. She realized that she couldn't be a flyer. Not everyone is willing to simply accept someone else's reason or experience, and you sometimes have to let people drop a girl in order to help her learn. 

5. Really this last point is just for uniformity...

For some reason, I don't have as many middle school memories as high school and elementary school. Middle school is kind of a modge podge of mismatched memories, and I was unable to come up with 5 real lessons from middle school. Honestly, number 2 doesn't reallly say much, so I barely came up with 4 lessons. Nevertheless, I wanted my "Life Lessons I Learned from School" posts to be uniform, so this point is here.

Life Lessons I Learned from Elementary School

I have decided to do a post series for the next 3 days on lessons that I've learned from different stages in my life. Before I move on to the next chapter in my life, I think it's important that I look back at the past chapters, and I thought you might benefit from my life lessons too. Plus, you seem to really like these list-y posts...

1. I'm not good at everything.

I am a member of what they're calling Generation Y, aka the Me Generation. 2 generations ago, our grandparents were the silent generation. Because of the Great Depression and World Wars, this generation was silent and were called the Silent Generation. When raising their kids, they didn't really know how to show love and encouragement in the best way (because of the hard conditions that they were raised in) and focused on success, so their kids grew up to become the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers grew up goal-oriented and competitive because of their harsh parents, and then they had kids. Generation Y is their kids. Kids generally do the opposite of what their parents do, so since the Baby Boomers were raised so harshly, they try to be as encouraging and loving as humanly possible towards their kids, so we are the Me Generation because we grow up being told that we are the best thing that's ever happened to this world and that we're amazing. In elementary school, I learned that I was not that amazing. I tried soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball, and I was terrible. I had to come to the life-changing realization that I wasn't going to be amazing at everything, and sports were definitely not something that I was good at.

2. Resilience

However, not being amazing doesn't mean I shouldn't try. Being terrible at sports did not stop me from trying all of them. Every time I failed, I simply tried a different sport. I wasn't going to simply give up. Not being good at everything is not a reason to give up. Sometimes I will fail, but I will keep trying until I succeed (or in the case of sports, move on because I was never going to succeed at sports).

3. Don't do drugs.

Once a week the guidance counselor would come and tell us not to do drugs. Occasionally, she talked about being healthy or stranger danger, but even so, she would find a way to work drugs into the lesson... Stay healthy by eating right, exercising, and not doing drugs... Strangers are dangerous because they will try to sneak you drugs... etc. Drugs are bad, and you shouldn't do them. 

4. Knowledge is power.

I was in the gifted and talented program, and I had an older sister. I pretty much knew everything, or at least I knew more than the average elementary school kid, which I learned, made me really popular. In elementary school, everyone is at the point in their lives where they love knowing stuff and learning is still fun, so being the kid that could teach everyone extra stuff was really cool. In fifth grade, I would teach my classmates French at lunch. Now, if I tried to teach my friends French they would laugh and ignore me, but in elementary school, I was super cool. Since then, I've wanted to gain as much knowledge as possible, so I could stay on top. Now, I'm just that weird kid with the facts, but someday, it will pay off again! I'm just holding out for that day.

5. Have fun.

Life is fun. Don't waste your time on random un-fun things, like Spanish club every Thursday after school (especially if you don't like Spanish and plan on taking French). As you get older, you have less time, less energy, and less imagination, so having fun gets progressively harder. In elementary school, speaking French and learning to knit on colonial day was fun. Today, other people get annoyed if I start speaking a foreign language and knitting is time consuming, hard, and never turns out right. Relish every moment of fun because fun gets harder.

A note to parents and how senior year feels

"Are you excited about graduating?"
"It depends on the day."

People don't seem to understand what I mean when I tell them, "it depends on the day." I really do mean that it depends on the day. I'm supposed to be excited and overjoyed that I'm finally moving on to be independent, but oftentimes I'm not. It's terrifying.
I've gone all my life under the constant supervision and protection of my parents, and now I'm just going to go be independent. That's scary. My dad is the micromanaging type of parent. My life IS his life, especially for the last 6 years since my sister graduated. There are some pros and cons to being micromanaged all my life. Pro: I know all the right things. My dad has made sure that I know what I'm supposed to do and when I'm supposed to do it, who I'm supposed to talk to and what I'm supposed to say, what I'm supposed to wear and where I'm supposed to be, etc. I know all the right things, and it's definitely helped me to succeed in my life so far. Con: He's not going to be there to micromanage me any more. Although he's equipped with all the right knowledge, I'm now going to have to remember what and when, who and what, and what and where all on my own. I'm going to have to wake up, dress myself, feed myself, and take care of myself without anyone there yelling at me constantly to straighten up and get things done. There's no one there micromanaging me to make sure that I don't screw up. I have to make sure that I don't screw up all on my own. That's freaky. That's a lot of responsibility to take on suddenly.
Here's my recommendation to all you parents out there (since I know at least 90% of my readers are parents... which I'm totally okay with... recommend me to your friends;), micromanage the heck out of your kids through elementary and middle school. This way they get the healthy habits and the know-how instilled in them at an early age. Plus, they'll also get the notion that you really do know everything from basic arithmetic to trigonometry, from how to suck up to teachers to get good grades to how to be a leader in school, and from how to put together a rush packet for sororities to how to apply for scholarships. When you micromanage, it shows us that you know everything. However, when your kid reaches high school, slowly start to back off a bit. Obviously, they still need you to hover over their shoulders to some extent, to ensure they're still doing their homework, making good choices, etc., but by backing off, you're transferring some of the responsibility to your child. Now, when they go to college, they won't suddenly be handling things on their own for the first time.
This is what gives me my anxiety. I went to the dentist today, and he told me that I shouldn't have as much damage as I do from grinding my teeth until I'm around 25 or so at the earliest, so yeah... there's that. Don't get me wrong though. I am very excited for college, and with some help from my friends and family, I think I'll be able to get along just fine.
It's a complicated emotion that I have towards everything right now. It's like when you realize for the first time that the boy you've been crushing on forever likes you back. You're really excited because it's mutual and whatnot. However, you're worried because you thought that he would never like you in a million years, and you're not sure how everything is going to work itself out. College is my newly discovered mutual crush, and I'm freaking out because it's like he just asked me out (admission). I'm worried about how the relationship is going to work out, but if I give it some time, I'm sure everything will work out (at least until we have a mutual breakup and part ways in 4 years). And that's why you're hear, reading (and recommending to your friends) my blog: so you can be the bestfriend that I always gush to about the relationship. Thanks for listening to me gush <3

139 more days... Until then keep calm and boomer sooner.

How to make sure your roommate isn't psycho

So, you've picked a college... that means the life altering decisions are over, right? WRONG. Next, it's time to pick your roommate. There are various different processes you can do to go about finding the perfect roommate. Here are my thoughts on the roommate picking process.

1. Potluck is not a good idea.

My sister had a friend who went to college and did potluck. Long story short, the roommate used Facebook to pretend to be a guy and date her roommate. If that's not enough to scare you out of potluck, simply google "roommate horror stories." I once read a story where the this girl's roommate's insane boyfriend put glass and drano chemicals in her roommate's food after she told him to stop hanging around their room. This girl had to go to the ER, puking up blood, and she literally almost died. Remember the movie with Leighton Meester? That could be your life. In conclusion, if you go potluck, your roommate's boyfriend might try to KILL YOU.

2. The Facebook method

I have a lot of friends who are currently searching for or have picked their roommate using the Facebook method. Tons of colleges have Facebook groups for their incoming freshman, where people post some basic information about themselves, saying they are "looking for a roommate." From there, you message anyone that seems like they might make a good fit or anyone that comments on your request for a roommate in order to get to know eachother better. This way, you know what you're getting. You can see the person's photos and have an actual conversation before you move in with a crazy. However, ALWAYS meet your roommate IN PERSON. Have you ever seen the show Catfish? Although some of it looks fake, the situation is possible. You need to be careful, and meet your roommate in person. Do not trust Facebook wholeheartedly! Even so, as long as you meet in person, I think using Facebook is a great option, especially for people going to smaller schools or schools where they don't know anyone.

3. Friend of a friend

This is another method that I completely support. Room with a friend of a friend. 

"Oh you're going to OU? I have this friend from another school in the area that's going there too! Y'all should room together! Here let me give you her information."

This is a great idea. You can get to know each other and see if you're compatible as roommates, and it's easy since you're probably in the same area. Plus, if your friend is her friend, she's probably not psycho. Obviously, you still need to meet and see if you have that magical roommate connection, but this way you know your roommate isn't crazy, while still getting to meet someone new.

4. Ignore what people tell you and room with you BFF

This is what I'm doing. My roommate has been on the drill team (dance team) at school with me for 2 years now. She's not my absolute closest bestie for the restie, but we are definitely bestfriends. I know that rooming with your bestfriend is supposed to be completely off limits, but my sister roomed with her bestfriend since childhood. They're still good. My sister is going to be the matron of honor in her wedding this summer, so trust me; it didn't ruin their friendship. I understand the worries of rooming with someone you're so close to, but I think that you should be able to tell if your friend is someone you can or can't room with. Many of my friends I COULD NOT room with, but my roommate and I are very compatible. We are similar enough where we have fun together, but we are different enough where our lives won't be overwhelmed by each other's presence. I like this method because I know what I'm getting into. On various trips with drill team, we've roomed together, and I know all about her. I know her quirks and pet peeves. I'm not going in blind, but when rooming with your bestfriend, use your judgment. Not everyone can room with their bestfriend.

5. Just some things to consider when picking a rooommate

-sleeping habits

-religion

-cleanliness

-study habits

-social habits: drinking, smoking, late nights, parties, bringing guys home, etc.

-anything you can possibly think of: remember you are living with this person!

These are my tips and opinions on roommates for now. They could very easily change in the next few months. Everything could go horribly wrong for my roommate and I. Maybe she's just faking being my bestfriend. Maybe she really IS a killer. I'll let you know if I end up in the hospital.... Wish me luck!

140 more days... Until then keep calm and boomer sooner!

College Choices: AKA a huge and terrifying choice that will change your life forever

This August, I'll be going to the University of Oklahoma in Norman to pursue a degree in journalism with an additional emphasis in advertising. I only applied to two schools: Oklahoma and Missouri, but I decided pretty early on where I was going to go. Tons of people kept asking me how I made my decision. These are the biggest things that influenced my decision.... and if you're unsure of where to start, I think Oklahoma is a pretty option if I may say so myself.

1. Location 

For me, this means two things: how far I have to travel and weather. I pretty much drew a line across the United States because I didn't want to go anywhere too cold. Many people forget to think about things like this in their choices. Traveling is also a big deal. How far away from home do you want to be? One of the reasons I chose Oklahoma over Missouri was because of distance. I wanted to be able to drive home for a quick weekend if I something were to happen where I needed to be home.

2. Numbers and Statistics

Number of students

Teacher:Student ratio

Average SAT

COST: This is obviously a big one. What can you afford?! Student loans are NOT a good idea IF you can avoid them

Average number of graduates with jobs

Guy:girl ratio

Scholarships

etc. etc. etc. When you start the search process, you'll hear lots and lots of numbers that might not mean much to you, but when you get more into the search, these numbers become more and more important. I recommend keeping a record of the information from schools that you're really interested in. Here's an example of a college comparison chart that is given out at UNT... 

http://howtochoose.unt.edu/sites/all/files/How-to-Choose-toolkit.pdf

3. Campus Living

What do you want your college experience to look like? Do you want to go to every football game and be super gung-ho about school spirit? Then you might want to nix any colleges that don't have a football team. Do you plan on joining fraternities or sororities? You'd need to look into what the campus has to offer. I love all of the Christian organizations and the Greek life found on the OU campus. 

4. Education

This is about your education. If you have an idea of what you'd like to major in, look at schools that are known for their programs. However, remember prestige isn't everything. I looked at schools like Vanderbilt, Columbia, and the University of North Carolina for a while, and even though I had a pretty good chance of getting in, I didn't like the more prestigious schools. They weren't the place for me. Mizzou is often seen as the top journalism in the nation, while Oklahoma is only up and coming. However, I chose OU. In the end, I'll probably get more personal attention and learn just as much from the program at OU because I won't be competing with as many people within the school of journalism. Go where you think you'll be most likely to succeed, which is not necessarily the top school.

5. Go with your gut

This was the biggest part for me, and when I try to explain to my friends, they kinda think I'm crazy. Oklahoma felt right. I was simply more comfortable on the campus. I was more excited about what it had to offer. I envisioned myself at both OU and Mizzou, and it wasn't hard to decide from there. For a while, I wanted to go to Mizzou. I knew the program was better, so I thought it was a better option for me, but after visiting both schools 3 times each, I couldn't deny it any longer. 

Oklahoma felt like more of a home. 

142 more days... Until then keep calm and boomer sooner!

Laundry: esp. the stuff you can't dry

I'm used to having my washing machine and dryer in our family's utility room. It's no biggie to wash clothes. You put the clothes in the washing machine, pour the detergent that in kept in the cabinet above the machine, close it, and push the button. When the cycle finishes, you put the clothes that can be dried in the dryer and hang the others up on the rack behind you. I was folding my clothes the other day when I first realized that laundry is going to be very different in college.
For one thing I'm going to have to pay to use the washing machine! I remember my parents sending my sister rolls of quarters, but I never actually considered how different that is. Whenever I want to wash my clothes, I'm going to have to search through my things for some change, and as someone who normally doesn't use cash, this may be a problem. I'm going to have to get a piggy bank or something...
Next, the laundry room is not part of my house, which has two huge consequences. 1. I cannot just bring my clothes to the utility room whenever I want and deal with them later. I have to plan out when I have time to go wash my clothes because it will most likely involve lugging my laundry bag down a flight of stairs along with my detergent and whatever else I may need because there's not a convenient cabinet full of laundry essentials at my disposal at college. 2. There's not a convenient drying rack. What do I do with all my clothes that I can't just toss in the dryer? Do I have to carry my dripping wet clothes on their hangers back up the stairs and hang them on a towel rack in the bathroom? This is actually a question that I don't know the answer to, and I will let you know when I do. This may not be something many people consider before going to college, but this is a predicament I am sincerely worried about...

143 more days... Until then keep calm and boomer sooner!

Chevrons Dresses and Bubble Necklaces

I move into my dorm at the University of Oklahoma in 145 days to pursue a degree in journalism with an emphasis in advertising. Contrary to what I tell some people, I'm actually quite terrified. I have no idea what I'm going to do living on my own, but for now, I've still got 145 more days to figure it out. My older sister told me to start a blog, so here it is. This is my journey to college and my experiences once I get there.
You may be thinking to yourself, "What in the world does that have to do with chevron dresses and bubble necklaces?" It has a lot to do with it, actually. It just goes to show how completely lost I am when it comes to college. I have no idea what I'm doing. My friends and I were talking the other day, and we all have this mental picture of girls in black and white chevron dresses and bubble necklaces the school's color at football games. That's what we are excited for. We are excited to look cute in our preppy, school colored outfits. I feel like this is a very good picture of how completely and entirely lost I am, and how I have little to no idea what to expect as I venture onto independence!
That is what this blog is for. I have amazing people in my life and examples to guide me as I push onward. I invite you to join me on this big adventure called life and tackle the many obstacles of growing up with me. This way, when you find yourself in my shoes, beginning to glimpse the real world for the first time, you've already learned from many of my mistakes, so you don't have to make as many on your own. You're welcome.
I've got the red bubble necklace and flats already. I just need to chevron dress. Then I'll be set.

145 more days.... Keep calm and boomer sooner!