Christmas Plans

For Christmas, my Grandparents are taking me to see the musical theatre production of "The Lion King," and I am very excited. It is my Christmas present from them, and one of the best presents I've ever gotten. I am also very excited about being free from school work for the break, which is not at all what I can say for the Thanksgiving break. I am also planning on working at a fireworks stand for New Years. The last thing that I want to do, is learn how to ride a stick shift. I also need to do Christmas shopping, but it seems a little late for that.

                                                         

College

I hope to accomplish, as I go to college, independence, a future, and a degree to back up the career of my choice. I am mostly going to college for the lord, because I believe that is where he wants me when I graduate from High School. The college characteristics which I value most, include a good reputation (not a party school) and a place where the students who come out seem successful. I will firstly seek my parents input, because they are the closest ones to me who have the full college experience. I will ask my older sister, my grandparents, and friends from church.I will achieve my life goals by working hard, and doing everything for the Lord.

Thanksgiving Plans

My Thanksgiving is going to be very low key. I plan on doing homework and relaxing, and then unpacking because we just moved and boxes are everywhere.I will probably help my mom with the Thanksgiving dinner and we might have my grandparents over. Also, the grandparents are bringing a car down for my twin sister and I to have, so we will learn how to drive a stick. I also might get my license. I just keep thinking of more things to do! All in all I will be able to spend time with my family and possibly friends, and with God. Also, I plan on spending a great deal of my time with food.

Finding a Job

Most jobs for teens which I looked at are small, and mostly include fast food restaurants. The job I found is an inside worker- someone who makes salads, answers phones, does prep work, ect. The company is called tomato pie. This job would be appropriate for students like me, because of the experience and skill set which most of us have. A possible interview preparation would be to know why I wanted to work there, what qualities I possess which would make them want to hire me, and any other questions that seem fitting for a restaurant job. Finding a job online is generally easier than trying to find one in the newspaper or by driving around and looking for "Help Wanted" signs. Many websites and organizations pop up looking for employees, and all I have to type in the search engine is, "jobs for teens." However, anyone else can turn in an application just as easily as I can online, so printing it out and giving it to the manager by hand is a good way to be noticed. Even though jobs for teens like may be minimal, or selective to fast food, we all have to start somewhere. I just need the experience.  

Resilience

The movie "Homeless to Harvard" is a very inspirational story which I enjoyed very much. I found myself wanting to find out what happened and the decisions which the main character, Liz Murray, made. My favorite part of the movie, was when Liz was working almost non stop to finish high school in two years, and studying at her job. She had stayed late at school one day and her principal came in and said "You're going to kill yourself," which is a loosely used phrase. Liz responded with a resolved, "No, I am going to live." The loose saying which her teacher used meant more to Liz because her mother had just recently died and Liz did not want to follow in her footsteps. This quote and the attitude in which the quote was presented shows how resilient she was. I am not entirely sure if I would have been as determined as Liz if I were in that situation. If everyone I had ever known were drug addicts, angry, tired, and living off of welfare, I would probably follow in their footsteps. It is really cool knowing what she accomplished, and how her life is so much better because of it.    

College surprises

I always knew that college would cost a lot, mostly because my parents enforce it. Even though both of my parents had college payed for by their parents, us children are receiving hardly any financial help. A big blessing to reduce costs is that my grandparents have given me a car. They have also saved up a significant sum of money for each of my siblings and I. College will cost a lot, but I am determined not to use a student loan. Many people who require student loans continue to pay them off for years. I am definitely ready for the responsibility of going to college, mostly because I am going to community college for basics. The option of choosing what time and what days I prefer to have classes will help significantly in the area of jobs. Not being required to attend school for eight hours a day is what I am looking forward to so that I can manage time on my own watch. I am preparing for college by making sure that my grades in school are A's. Also, I am taking Dual Credit classes to prepare me for college. I am taking every test available for scholarships, and am looking at some particular scholarship requirements. I have signed up on College Board and am looking at colleges e-mails. I have put a lot of thought in what I will do when college comes around, and feel confidently prepared.

A Dream Deferred

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief movie came out into theaters when I was in sixth grade. Prior to the film being released, I had been anticipating it's adaptation onto the big screen a great deal. I was such a fanatic, because I was an even bigger fan of the book series written by Rick Riordian. After watching the movie, I went home and watched different videos of how the producers and crew made the movie. I watched actor's interviews and their stories and experiences with being a part of the Lightening Thief movie. I continued to form a habit of watching highly anticipated makings of films, and formed a great interest. My church held several opportunities for plays in which I could participate, and I started to act in school shows. I even went as far as to attend two movie sets for the chance at being an extra. My goal, I think, is to be able to participate in those feelings and experiences which I see the real actors being involved in. The ultimate dream for my future career would definitely be acting. I would not want to act for fame and recognition or anything like that, but my interest is to have fun and enjoy what I do. I greatly enjoy being onstage and performing for an audience, and am interested in performing on camera. Also, learning about how movies are made and what intense work goes into them and any little detail imaginable is a great interest. But, no matter how much I long for this career to be mine, there are thousands of others who have the same dream. A more realistic approach would be made towards another job, one that would be solid and that I could show a degree for.  

Time to Chill

The stress test which I took showed that my stress level is a four out of twenty four. Based on this test, and experiences in my own life, I am stressed out by very little. However, I do become anxious about assignments for which I need to rush in order to finish. I deal with this extra stress by becoming organized and writing down all that I need to do and at what times I need to do them. I always make sure to plan for time to relax, because trying to finish ten assignments at once adds unneeded pressure. Having the mental attitude of taking small steps for the completion of a big goal is important for me to be able to calm down. Also, knowing my stress point is very important. Mine is headaches, so I know that if my head is hurting an excessive amount, there are issues which I need to address. I am very fortunate to have a supportive family who is willing to help me with anything I need.

Be Neat

My current organizational method is to have a different folder for each class. This method works because I know where to put my notes and assignments and I keep my class papers separate. Procrastination hurts me because I rush to finish assignments and don't absorb the information that I so hurriedly try to memorize. I can fight procrastination by scheduling on a calendar what I should be doing, and when. Regulating a time calendar will help with organization as well as procrastination.

Abby

Hi, my name is Abby, I am in eleventh grade, and I am seventeen. What I hope to get out of this class, is the knowledge of how to apply to collages, and when the best time is to apply to collages. Most importantly, I really need to know what the best scholarships are, and how I apply to every one available.