It took three hours and almost some tears, but I've done it! You'll now find me at www.howtohackhighschool2.wordpress.com. Make sure you add the 2, because otherwise you'll go to nothing. Possibly a site I ended up deleting because I messed it up. ANYWAYS, just go to that website from now on, and everything will be dandy! Thanks folks, and sorry for the rough transition.
-Eliza
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
I Am Literally the Worst
I am so, so, so, so sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been so busy, which I'll tell you about in a minute. However, I think I've figured out a way to change that. I've set a weekly reminder on my phone that'll well, remind me to think about if I have anything to post about or not. If I do, I'll post- if I don't, I won't; it's as simple as that. Additionally, I'm considering taking this blog and running it via WordPress. Honestly the only reason is the fact that WordPress has an app, and for some reason Blogger doesn't anymore. I love using Blogger, but being able to blog from my phone would be much more convenient. I'm not positive that that's what I'll do yet, but I'll let you know when I've made my decision.
I've been babysitting about 40 hours a week- a little more than I'm in school. I babysit every weekday, and will continue to until school starts August 25. It's been really fun, I absolutely adore the kids, but it does take away a lot of free time. It's worth it though, because the money I'm saving up is going towards my school's fine arts department's trip to ORLANDO! Disneyworld, Universal Orlando (only Harry Potter world, which is obviously going to be my favorite.), it's going to be a blast. On top of babysitting, I am also taking weekly lessons with my band director over the summer, to start prepping for All State auditions. I also have softball two night a week, for an hour each night, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometimes I'm out there for more than an hour, as in sometimes three hours a night, watching games for my brother, my nephew, and 2/3 of the kids I babysit. Again, I love it, but that also takes up a fair amount of free time. However, softball season ends this weekend actually, so that shouldn't be an issue. Band camp starts August 8 (I'M SO EXCITED BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE ON PICCOLO) which will take up most of my time too, but there will be a couple weeks I only have to babysit until band camp starts. I signed up to take AP English Language and Composition, and I got some summer homework, so I've been quite busy working on that too. I have to read A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, as well as The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and then answer some questions about the characters, a plot synopsis, the theme, etc. I'm almost done with TSL though, so I'm looking forward to that. I finished AFA a while ago, and I honestly did not like it.
Anyways, the main point of this post is to explain why I've been such garbage at posting, and what I plan to do to fix it. I'm going to go look into WordPress now, so I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks for not giving up on me!
-Eliza
P.S. School supplies is officially on sale at Walmart, but I don't know for sure about Target. I'm excited, how about you guys?
I've been babysitting about 40 hours a week- a little more than I'm in school. I babysit every weekday, and will continue to until school starts August 25. It's been really fun, I absolutely adore the kids, but it does take away a lot of free time. It's worth it though, because the money I'm saving up is going towards my school's fine arts department's trip to ORLANDO! Disneyworld, Universal Orlando (only Harry Potter world, which is obviously going to be my favorite.), it's going to be a blast. On top of babysitting, I am also taking weekly lessons with my band director over the summer, to start prepping for All State auditions. I also have softball two night a week, for an hour each night, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometimes I'm out there for more than an hour, as in sometimes three hours a night, watching games for my brother, my nephew, and 2/3 of the kids I babysit. Again, I love it, but that also takes up a fair amount of free time. However, softball season ends this weekend actually, so that shouldn't be an issue. Band camp starts August 8 (I'M SO EXCITED BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE ON PICCOLO) which will take up most of my time too, but there will be a couple weeks I only have to babysit until band camp starts. I signed up to take AP English Language and Composition, and I got some summer homework, so I've been quite busy working on that too. I have to read A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, as well as The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and then answer some questions about the characters, a plot synopsis, the theme, etc. I'm almost done with TSL though, so I'm looking forward to that. I finished AFA a while ago, and I honestly did not like it.
Anyways, the main point of this post is to explain why I've been such garbage at posting, and what I plan to do to fix it. I'm going to go look into WordPress now, so I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks for not giving up on me!
-Eliza
P.S. School supplies is officially on sale at Walmart, but I don't know for sure about Target. I'm excited, how about you guys?
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Theatre Banquet
Hello all,
The theatre banquet was on Thursday, and that was a blast. Most of the seniors gave a speech and awards were handed out- I didn't get a letter or anything because I've only been in one performance venue, but I will next year! I'm going to do large group speech and individual speech, plus possibly one or both of the plays. of course, I'll have to make sure I'm not taking on too much, but I'll make sure I can balance everything. I don't have much else to say, but as always, leave questions or comments down below.
Bye for Now-
Eliza
The theatre banquet was on Thursday, and that was a blast. Most of the seniors gave a speech and awards were handed out- I didn't get a letter or anything because I've only been in one performance venue, but I will next year! I'm going to do large group speech and individual speech, plus possibly one or both of the plays. of course, I'll have to make sure I'm not taking on too much, but I'll make sure I can balance everything. I don't have much else to say, but as always, leave questions or comments down below.
Bye for Now-
Eliza
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Long Time No See
I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been really busy. Today's post is going to be me talking about some stuff that's happened, plus some upcoming stuff in the future. But first, a short overview.
- Show performance
- Interview
- Band banquet
- Theatre banquet
- Next marching show (note to self: talk about section leader/drum major auditions)
I had so much fun being in my school's play oh my goodness. It was taking up a lot of my time, and during dress rehearsals when I was getting home late, I was really wondering whether or not I wanted to do this next year. But then we opened, and I knew I'm going to want to stay involved with this. The energy between the cast members is almost tangible, and I love the camaraderie of everybody. Yeah, it's a lot of work, and yeah, it's time consuming, but the post-show excitement, and the cast dinner after the show, makes it SO WORTH IT. There's only one activity I've had so much fun doing, and that would have to be marching band.
I didn't get into the volunteer organization I applied for. My parents got the letter on a Thursday or Friday, but they waited until Sunday to give it to me because they didn't want me distracted from the show- a good choice. I was really upset about it, but I've had some pretty positive stuff going on in my life now, and I really didn't dwell on it for long.
My school's annual band banquet was on Monday, and that was really fun. It was a potluck, so everybody brought some food, and it was really fun. I talked to some friends I'm not super close with, but I'd definitely like to get to know them better. I teared up during the senior recognition, because my favorite section leader is graduating, and I really got to know her better because we were both in the play. I made her promise to come back and visit, and she said she would. I also got my band letter, so that was pretty cool! I'm going to have to wait before I can put it on a letterman's jacket though, because they're pretty expensive. The theatre banquet is tonight, so I 'm going to have to wait until after that's over to talk about that.
Our next marching show is going to be a Freddie Mercury tribute. I don't listen to much of Queen's music; I only know parts of what few songs I do because of my friends. I really want to be on piccolo this year, so I'll have to talk to my band teachers about that. There's a sign up list for drum major and section leader auditions, but I'm not going to sign up for either. I don't want to be drum major- I'd miss marching too much. Being section leader as a sophomore would be a bad idea- none of the upperclassmen would listen to me, so I'm not going to do that this year. I think that's something I want to pursue though, but we'll see.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading, and thanks for putting up with my hectic schedule!
-Eliza
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Down Time
Hello friends. I'm in C3 right now, but I finished the assignment we've been working on, so I've got some free time. This is going to be a lot of stuff I've already said, but hey, my blog, my rules.
Last night I went to my school's chorus concert, and it was really fun. I saw lots of people from theatre, and some people from band that aren't in theatre. Everybody did a really good job, I really liked listening to the songs. I really liked hearing the solos- people who got to the all state festival, or people who got a Division 1 at solo and ensemble. Those were probably my favorite performances, but I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Rehearsal is really buckling down. Opening night is in about 2 weeks, so I'm going to be at rehearsal at least 5 days a week for at least 3 hours until performances. It's worth it though, I love the people I've met and the memories I've made. That'll definitely be something I'm going to do a post about, you can bet on that.
May 2nd I have my band concert, and I'm looking forward to that. The new piece we got on Friday is really difficult, but I've already made a lot of progress. I can play most of it, now I need to master the rest and then get the entire thing up to tempo. It's going to be a challenge, but it'll be so worth it. I'm also working on The Flight of the Bumblebee, and that's coming along nicely too. I'm nowhere near being able to play it at 144 bpm, but I'm really happy with how far I've come on it. On May 2nd, I'm going to be at rehearsal until around 5:30, and then I have a band concert that I'll need to be at school at around 6 or 6:30 for, depending on when it starts, so I'm really crossing my fingers I don't get much homework.
May 3rd is my interview for the volunteer organization, at 6:45. I had to reschedule to make it work with rehearsal, but it's no big deal. I just had to push it back an hour and 45 minutes. I'm kind of nervous, but I'm going to do some thinking about what I'm going to say for a couple of possible questions, and then go from there.
Like I said, this was a lot of stuff I've already said, but I figured why not. As always, if you have any questions (or general interview tips!) leave them in the comments. Thanks for reading!
-Eliza
Last night I went to my school's chorus concert, and it was really fun. I saw lots of people from theatre, and some people from band that aren't in theatre. Everybody did a really good job, I really liked listening to the songs. I really liked hearing the solos- people who got to the all state festival, or people who got a Division 1 at solo and ensemble. Those were probably my favorite performances, but I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Rehearsal is really buckling down. Opening night is in about 2 weeks, so I'm going to be at rehearsal at least 5 days a week for at least 3 hours until performances. It's worth it though, I love the people I've met and the memories I've made. That'll definitely be something I'm going to do a post about, you can bet on that.
May 2nd I have my band concert, and I'm looking forward to that. The new piece we got on Friday is really difficult, but I've already made a lot of progress. I can play most of it, now I need to master the rest and then get the entire thing up to tempo. It's going to be a challenge, but it'll be so worth it. I'm also working on The Flight of the Bumblebee, and that's coming along nicely too. I'm nowhere near being able to play it at 144 bpm, but I'm really happy with how far I've come on it. On May 2nd, I'm going to be at rehearsal until around 5:30, and then I have a band concert that I'll need to be at school at around 6 or 6:30 for, depending on when it starts, so I'm really crossing my fingers I don't get much homework.
May 3rd is my interview for the volunteer organization, at 6:45. I had to reschedule to make it work with rehearsal, but it's no big deal. I just had to push it back an hour and 45 minutes. I'm kind of nervous, but I'm going to do some thinking about what I'm going to say for a couple of possible questions, and then go from there.
Like I said, this was a lot of stuff I've already said, but I figured why not. As always, if you have any questions (or general interview tips!) leave them in the comments. Thanks for reading!
-Eliza
Sunday, April 24, 2016
I Kept My Promise
Hey guys, I finally found time to do the post I told you about? I know it's been a while since I said I would do it, but I've been really busy with life in general. But alas, I'm here now.
First on today's agenda is Solo Festival. I got a Division 2, which is the second best. You could get from a 1 to a 5, and there was a range of points for each rating. I was two points away from a one, which would have been AMAZING, but I got some good comments for improvement. I'm looking forward to next year, but I'm actually kind of glad that it's over, because now I have more time for other things. I spent a lot of time practicing, and even though I loved it, I'm glad I have some extra time for homework or whatever I choose to do with it.
The Dallas Brass concert was definitely something I'm glad I signed up for. During the day, they did a clinic with us, where we worked on the piece we were performing. Then, later that night was the actual concert. Two middle school bands performed, as well as the Dallas Brass by themselves. It wasn't a stereotypical concert either;they used lights, had choreography, and played a range of songs from jazz to classical to pop. If they're ever near you, I definitely recommend going.
A Midsummer Night's Dream was also something I really enjoyed. I will admit to almost falling asleep a couple times, but that was because I didn't get enough sleep the night before, it was by no means a boring show. I really liked seeing the interpretation of the play, and the actors dd a really good job conveying the meaning of the play. It was in Shakespearean English, it wasn't a modern version, so it was sometimes hard to comprehend what they were saying, but the body language and blocking of the actors really helped with that. It was a really fun day, I'm glad I went.
I got an interview for the volunteer organization I applied for! It's on May 3rd, but I realized I'm going to need to reschedule to work around rehearsal. That'll be fine though, I'll be able to make it work, because all I need to do is sign up for a time an hour and a half later on the same day. There'll be 8-10 people interviewing me, so I'm kind of nervous about that, but I'm excited. I really hope I get it, and I'll be sure to keep you updated!
Speaking of rehearsal, May 2nd is going to be fun. I have rehearsal until 6, and then a band concert at around 7. I'll have to be there at 6:30, so I probably won't be home from 7:15 am (when I leave for school) until probably around 9 pm. 14 hours of school, and I won't have much, if any, time to do homework. My teachers are pretty cool though; if I get homework, which I probably will because of pre-IB classes, I'll just have to explain why I won't be able to get it done and they'll be understanding about it.
That's all I have for now, I'll do another post when I can!
-Eliza
First on today's agenda is Solo Festival. I got a Division 2, which is the second best. You could get from a 1 to a 5, and there was a range of points for each rating. I was two points away from a one, which would have been AMAZING, but I got some good comments for improvement. I'm looking forward to next year, but I'm actually kind of glad that it's over, because now I have more time for other things. I spent a lot of time practicing, and even though I loved it, I'm glad I have some extra time for homework or whatever I choose to do with it.
The Dallas Brass concert was definitely something I'm glad I signed up for. During the day, they did a clinic with us, where we worked on the piece we were performing. Then, later that night was the actual concert. Two middle school bands performed, as well as the Dallas Brass by themselves. It wasn't a stereotypical concert either;they used lights, had choreography, and played a range of songs from jazz to classical to pop. If they're ever near you, I definitely recommend going.
A Midsummer Night's Dream was also something I really enjoyed. I will admit to almost falling asleep a couple times, but that was because I didn't get enough sleep the night before, it was by no means a boring show. I really liked seeing the interpretation of the play, and the actors dd a really good job conveying the meaning of the play. It was in Shakespearean English, it wasn't a modern version, so it was sometimes hard to comprehend what they were saying, but the body language and blocking of the actors really helped with that. It was a really fun day, I'm glad I went.
I got an interview for the volunteer organization I applied for! It's on May 3rd, but I realized I'm going to need to reschedule to work around rehearsal. That'll be fine though, I'll be able to make it work, because all I need to do is sign up for a time an hour and a half later on the same day. There'll be 8-10 people interviewing me, so I'm kind of nervous about that, but I'm excited. I really hope I get it, and I'll be sure to keep you updated!
Speaking of rehearsal, May 2nd is going to be fun. I have rehearsal until 6, and then a band concert at around 7. I'll have to be there at 6:30, so I probably won't be home from 7:15 am (when I leave for school) until probably around 9 pm. 14 hours of school, and I won't have much, if any, time to do homework. My teachers are pretty cool though; if I get homework, which I probably will because of pre-IB classes, I'll just have to explain why I won't be able to get it done and they'll be understanding about it.
That's all I have for now, I'll do another post when I can!
-Eliza
Monday, April 11, 2016
Small Update
I don't have a ton of news for you all today, but a little bit is better than none, right? Anyways, theatre has been going really well. It's kind of hard because it's a new thing, with new people, so I'm still getting used to that aspect, but it's really fun, I love it.
Solo Festival is this Saturday, which I'm really nervous for, but I think I'll be fine. It seems a lot different than anything I did in middle school, even though we had a solo festival of our own. I'll be sure to do a post on that, but I don't know when for sure. The day after that, Sunday, I'll be selling chocolate bars outside of Walmart with a couple of my friends to raise money for the band trip. The band directors put out a sign up sheet and I figured it would be a nice way to earn some money for it- all money raised will be divided up equally between the three people there. It's supposed to be really nice, so that'll be fun.
Tomorrow, the Dallas Brass, a world-renowned brass quintent, is coming to do a clinic with my high school, and at least one middle school. That's 400 kids! It's going to be so crazy, but I'm really excited. Tomorrow night there'll be a concert with them, but just the high schoolers will be performing, I think. I'll put that in a post, too, but I doubt it'll be Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday, but don't hold your breath.
On Thursday, my C3 class is going to go to the local performing arts center to watch (college kids??? I don't actually know) perform A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, which I'm actually really excited about. I borrowed a copy of the script from my teacher, but it has an easier translation with it too, so I should probably finish that before we go. Just to clarify, my next post will include stuff about solo festival, the Dallas Brass thing, and the MND performance, as well as anything else that comes up. Thanks for reading, and as always, comments and questions go down below!
-Eliza
Solo Festival is this Saturday, which I'm really nervous for, but I think I'll be fine. It seems a lot different than anything I did in middle school, even though we had a solo festival of our own. I'll be sure to do a post on that, but I don't know when for sure. The day after that, Sunday, I'll be selling chocolate bars outside of Walmart with a couple of my friends to raise money for the band trip. The band directors put out a sign up sheet and I figured it would be a nice way to earn some money for it- all money raised will be divided up equally between the three people there. It's supposed to be really nice, so that'll be fun.
Tomorrow, the Dallas Brass, a world-renowned brass quintent, is coming to do a clinic with my high school, and at least one middle school. That's 400 kids! It's going to be so crazy, but I'm really excited. Tomorrow night there'll be a concert with them, but just the high schoolers will be performing, I think. I'll put that in a post, too, but I doubt it'll be Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday, but don't hold your breath.
On Thursday, my C3 class is going to go to the local performing arts center to watch (college kids??? I don't actually know) perform A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, which I'm actually really excited about. I borrowed a copy of the script from my teacher, but it has an easier translation with it too, so I should probably finish that before we go. Just to clarify, my next post will include stuff about solo festival, the Dallas Brass thing, and the MND performance, as well as anything else that comes up. Thanks for reading, and as always, comments and questions go down below!
-Eliza
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Phone Issues
For today's first order of business, I thought I should inform you all that I looked into to downloading the Blogger app, but it didn't show up in the App Store. Maybe it was because I'm connected to school WiFi at the moment, but I honestly have no idea. I'll try and redownload it when I get home tonight, but no promises.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO TELL YOU THIS BUT MY SCHOOL'S BAND IS GOING TO DISNEY WORLD DURING SPRING BREAK NEXT YEAR!!!!! IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF MONEY BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED AND I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THE MONEY AND BASICALLY I'M JUST SO EXCITED BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE AND I'M GOING TO GET TO GO TO HARRY POTTER WORLD AND I MIGHT CRY.
Going into theatre, I knew it was going to take a lot of time, but I wasn't prepared for how tired it would make me?? We don't even do (intense) physical activity but I have rehearsal for 3 hours, a couple of times a week (it's arranged by scene and I only have to go when my scene is being rehearsed,) and I don't get home until 6, and then I get home and have to do homework and practice my flute. With the pre-IB classes I'm taking, I have a lot more homework than regular classes, so my schedule is pretty filled. My parents enforce a 9:00 pm "bedtime" for my sister and I, and I know it's kind of inconvenient at times, like nights when I have rehearsal, then homework, and then I should practice my flute for Solo Fest, but can't because I have to go to bed. I practice during my study hall a lot though, so that helps. Wow that was kind of a side story. Basically what I'm trying to get at is theatre is taking up a lot of my time, and it'll only take up more as the performance dates get closer, but I think it's going to be worth it. My time management skills are going to get a lot better, that's for sure.
Report cards are going to be sent out on Monday, because April 1 is the end of 3rd quarter. I can't believe this year is almost over, it's gone by so fast. I've actually really enjoyed my first year of high school; I've met amazing people and had amazing experiences. I have to go we're putting the computers away, I'll try and do another post when I can!
-Eliza
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Wow I'm Not Good At Blogging
So I realized how bad I actually am at blogging, and I'd like to apologize. I think I'm going to download the Blogger app on my phone, and hopefully that means I'll be more active. I have a lot to tell you guys though, so hopefully that makes up for it!
C3 is still going really well, I'm actually typing this as I'm in that class. I got my work done early, and realized it had been forever since I had posted. Concert band season is underway, and that's pretty fun. Solo and Ensemble Festival is April 16, and I've been working really hard to prepare a solo for that. It's in 12/8 time, and its got a few parts that make it tricky but it sounds really nice; I can't wait to perform it.
Do you remember me saying I wanted to get involved with theater, but I wasn't sure if I was or not? Well, I decided to go for it! I auditioned for the spring play, and I have three roles actually. None of them are major roles though, and I realized I'm okay with that. It's easier to balance everything I have going on now, and it gives the director a chance to know me as a person and actress before giving me a major role, something I realized makes a lot of sense. He wouldn't want to cast someone he barely knows as the lead and then have them fall on their face, and I don't think I have the guts for a lead part anyways. I'm perfectly content with just dipping my toes in. Rehearsals started March 21, and the performances will be May 12-14. Combining the cast we have and the script (jokes, wordplay, etc.,) I think it's going to be a really great production. It's a comedic play, so it's funny anyways, but then some of the people we have cast are PERFECT for their roles, so it's going to be fantastic.
I think I'm going to apply to get involved with this volunteer organization where I live, but I'm not sure yet. All of the meetings for the organization are on Sunday, which works out really well with band and other extracurricular activities. I think I'm going to talk about one of the students already involved with it to find out more, and I can do that at rehearsal, because a bunch of the other students involved are in theater too. I want to make sure I'm not overextending myself though, because I've had problems doing that in the past, and it hasn't worked out well. I think I'll be able to manage though, so we'll just have to see how it goes! I'll be sure to keep you guys updated.
Again, I'm so sorry for being so bad at blogging I swear I'll try and get better. Thanks for reading, and as always, leave any questions in the comments below!
-Eliza
C3 is still going really well, I'm actually typing this as I'm in that class. I got my work done early, and realized it had been forever since I had posted. Concert band season is underway, and that's pretty fun. Solo and Ensemble Festival is April 16, and I've been working really hard to prepare a solo for that. It's in 12/8 time, and its got a few parts that make it tricky but it sounds really nice; I can't wait to perform it.
Do you remember me saying I wanted to get involved with theater, but I wasn't sure if I was or not? Well, I decided to go for it! I auditioned for the spring play, and I have three roles actually. None of them are major roles though, and I realized I'm okay with that. It's easier to balance everything I have going on now, and it gives the director a chance to know me as a person and actress before giving me a major role, something I realized makes a lot of sense. He wouldn't want to cast someone he barely knows as the lead and then have them fall on their face, and I don't think I have the guts for a lead part anyways. I'm perfectly content with just dipping my toes in. Rehearsals started March 21, and the performances will be May 12-14. Combining the cast we have and the script (jokes, wordplay, etc.,) I think it's going to be a really great production. It's a comedic play, so it's funny anyways, but then some of the people we have cast are PERFECT for their roles, so it's going to be fantastic.
I think I'm going to apply to get involved with this volunteer organization where I live, but I'm not sure yet. All of the meetings for the organization are on Sunday, which works out really well with band and other extracurricular activities. I think I'm going to talk about one of the students already involved with it to find out more, and I can do that at rehearsal, because a bunch of the other students involved are in theater too. I want to make sure I'm not overextending myself though, because I've had problems doing that in the past, and it hasn't worked out well. I think I'll be able to manage though, so we'll just have to see how it goes! I'll be sure to keep you guys updated.
Again, I'm so sorry for being so bad at blogging I swear I'll try and get better. Thanks for reading, and as always, leave any questions in the comments below!
-Eliza
Sunday, January 24, 2016
I AM SO SORRY
GUYS IT'S BEEN LIKE FIVE MONTHS SINCE I STARTED SCHOOL I'M SO SORRY BUT I SWEAR I CAN EXPLAIN. The computer I had been using to run this blog got a virus or something, and now my parents said we can't use it for anything else but school work, and I don't have enough space on my phone to download the app. I have so much to tell you guys about though, it's going to be fun.
Okay, I know second semester is already under way, but it just gives me that much more to talk about. Starting high school wasn't as hard as I thought. I had orientation 3 days before school started, or somewhere around there, and then I started 9th grade. I didn't walk through my schedule after the end of orientation, which we could have done, because my friends wanted to go home. I was kind of stressing about finding my classes because of that, but it was no big deal. I'm taking pre-IB classes, to prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) so there was quite a large increase in homework. I went from occassionally having half an hour-ish in middle school, sometimes a little bit more, to having a couple hours a night. I've always started my homework as soon as I get home from school, or very soon after, so that wasn't a problem. Marching band was great, I had so much fun. I really miss it because I made so many great memories, but pep band started in December, which is a blast too. I love the atmosphere, and some of the songs we play have singing parts, and the whole band gets really into it.
I did join the debate team, which was kind of fun. It was a very intellectual activity- you had to know a lot about the subect or else you'd fall on your face. I did end up quitting though, because it was taking time away from band, homework, my friends, and my family, all of which come first. I liked debate, don't get me wrong, but I didn't like it enough compared to how much time it took. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically, what I'm trying to say is, I didn't want to spend as much time as I was on activity I didn't have a passion for.
I recently finished my first semester of high school, and everybody knows what that means- finals. I had winter break from December 23- January 3, and over that week-ish, I studied probably around 12 hours. I actually ended up getting my backpack taken away for studying so much, if that tells you anything about my personality. In between January 4, when classes started, and January 14/15, when finals were, I studied for another 7 hours, somewhere around there. All that hard work paid off though- I'm really pleased with my scores. They were all somewhere in the 90% range, but that's all I remember.
I think, in a previous post, I said something about getting involved in theater, which I didn't do this semster. I wanted to focus on getting my feet on the ground and making sure I could focus on band and school. I'm actually considering auditioning for the spring play though, now that I know I can handle high school. I'm not sure of anything yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. I promise to start posting more often, it's just a matter of finding a computer I can use. It shouldn't be a big deal though.
My school has this class that all freshmen have to take, called C3 Foundations. I heard from some of my friends that had it first semster that it was basically another study hall, but so far I disagree. The 3 C's are college, career, and I can't remember the third one for the life of me. I'm in the ELP C3, so the work is going to be a bit faster-paced. I have to write a paper on my learning philosophy, which is basically just me talking about how I learn best, why I learn, what I do with my learning, and what I learn. It sounds pretty easy but it was actually a little bit harder than I thought. I actually need to get that typed this weekend, but I'm at my friend's house right now and I don't have my backpack with me. I stayed the night at her house, and I've been up by myself for two hours and probably will be for four more. Anyways, that's off topic. I also have to write 3 participation papers. For those, I have to participate in 3 school related activities, and describe what I did at said activity, and reflect on the experience- would I do it again? The first one is due March 1, the second one is due April 1, and the third and final one is due May 2. I have the first one done already, that one was about pep band, and I want to try and get the second one written today, about my school's hockey game last night. The third one will be about my band concert February 22, and then I'll have all three done- before the first one is even due. Yes, yes, I'm a nerd, I know. My friends never let me forget and I also accept my fate as such.
Wow this is kind of a long post. I owe it to you guys though, to make up for not posting in 5 months. Now I'm going to walk you guys through my schedule, and tell you about each class. I'll start off with first semster, and then discuss some of the changes made to my schedule for second semester. Before I start, I want to clarify that I took all my 9th grade classes in 8th grade, so this year I'm taking advanced 10th grade classes. I'm one credit away from technically being considered a sophomore, but that's a technicality. These classes, with the exception of seminar, driver's ed, C3, and band, are all pre-IB, but I don't feel like addinf that in every time.
Period 1: Seminar. This is basically a study hall.
Period 2: Adv. Bio. This class has a lot of homework but I like how the material is presented, and I'm really interested in what I'm learning.
Period 3: Adv. English 10. Personally, I don't really like this class, which is a shame. English was my favorite class all through middle school. My teacher is just very monotonous and bland.
Period 4: Spanish 2. I took Spanish 1 before school my eighth grade year, so I'm in Spanish 2 now. I love this class so much- I love what I'm learning and the people I'm learning it with.
Period 5: Lunch/Driver's Ed. First I went to lunch, which lasted about half an hour, and then I went to driver's ed. I honestly hated that class, it was so boring but I needed to take it so I can get my liscense next year.
Period 6: Geometry. This class took me a while to adjust to, because the teacher doesn't teach math how I learn math. It's a very self-taught class, with lots of exploration and group work. This semester will go better, I'm determined to make it so.
Period 7: Adv. World History. I don't really like history in general, but my teacher is crazy, which makes it a little more interesting.
Period 8: Band. I love band a lot too, as anybody who knows me (and maybe some who don't know me) can tell you. For my concert next month, I'm going to play the piccolo for one song, which'll be great. For those of you who don't know, I play flute normally- I'm not sure if I've said that before or not. I probably have, but better safe than sorry. Anyways, that's my schedule. For second semester, I have C3 Foundations first period, and then seminar fifth. C3 and driver's ed are only semester long classes, so it all works out great!
As always, leave any questions you have down below in the comments, and I'll be sure to answer them. Again, I'm so sorry for not posting, I've been so busy with school and stuff, and I can't use the computer I usually have access to. That shouldn't be a problem anymore though, so I have high hopes for the future of this blog.
-Eliza
Okay, I know second semester is already under way, but it just gives me that much more to talk about. Starting high school wasn't as hard as I thought. I had orientation 3 days before school started, or somewhere around there, and then I started 9th grade. I didn't walk through my schedule after the end of orientation, which we could have done, because my friends wanted to go home. I was kind of stressing about finding my classes because of that, but it was no big deal. I'm taking pre-IB classes, to prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) so there was quite a large increase in homework. I went from occassionally having half an hour-ish in middle school, sometimes a little bit more, to having a couple hours a night. I've always started my homework as soon as I get home from school, or very soon after, so that wasn't a problem. Marching band was great, I had so much fun. I really miss it because I made so many great memories, but pep band started in December, which is a blast too. I love the atmosphere, and some of the songs we play have singing parts, and the whole band gets really into it.
I did join the debate team, which was kind of fun. It was a very intellectual activity- you had to know a lot about the subect or else you'd fall on your face. I did end up quitting though, because it was taking time away from band, homework, my friends, and my family, all of which come first. I liked debate, don't get me wrong, but I didn't like it enough compared to how much time it took. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically, what I'm trying to say is, I didn't want to spend as much time as I was on activity I didn't have a passion for.
I recently finished my first semester of high school, and everybody knows what that means- finals. I had winter break from December 23- January 3, and over that week-ish, I studied probably around 12 hours. I actually ended up getting my backpack taken away for studying so much, if that tells you anything about my personality. In between January 4, when classes started, and January 14/15, when finals were, I studied for another 7 hours, somewhere around there. All that hard work paid off though- I'm really pleased with my scores. They were all somewhere in the 90% range, but that's all I remember.
I think, in a previous post, I said something about getting involved in theater, which I didn't do this semster. I wanted to focus on getting my feet on the ground and making sure I could focus on band and school. I'm actually considering auditioning for the spring play though, now that I know I can handle high school. I'm not sure of anything yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. I promise to start posting more often, it's just a matter of finding a computer I can use. It shouldn't be a big deal though.
My school has this class that all freshmen have to take, called C3 Foundations. I heard from some of my friends that had it first semster that it was basically another study hall, but so far I disagree. The 3 C's are college, career, and I can't remember the third one for the life of me. I'm in the ELP C3, so the work is going to be a bit faster-paced. I have to write a paper on my learning philosophy, which is basically just me talking about how I learn best, why I learn, what I do with my learning, and what I learn. It sounds pretty easy but it was actually a little bit harder than I thought. I actually need to get that typed this weekend, but I'm at my friend's house right now and I don't have my backpack with me. I stayed the night at her house, and I've been up by myself for two hours and probably will be for four more. Anyways, that's off topic. I also have to write 3 participation papers. For those, I have to participate in 3 school related activities, and describe what I did at said activity, and reflect on the experience- would I do it again? The first one is due March 1, the second one is due April 1, and the third and final one is due May 2. I have the first one done already, that one was about pep band, and I want to try and get the second one written today, about my school's hockey game last night. The third one will be about my band concert February 22, and then I'll have all three done- before the first one is even due. Yes, yes, I'm a nerd, I know. My friends never let me forget and I also accept my fate as such.
Wow this is kind of a long post. I owe it to you guys though, to make up for not posting in 5 months. Now I'm going to walk you guys through my schedule, and tell you about each class. I'll start off with first semster, and then discuss some of the changes made to my schedule for second semester. Before I start, I want to clarify that I took all my 9th grade classes in 8th grade, so this year I'm taking advanced 10th grade classes. I'm one credit away from technically being considered a sophomore, but that's a technicality. These classes, with the exception of seminar, driver's ed, C3, and band, are all pre-IB, but I don't feel like addinf that in every time.
Period 1: Seminar. This is basically a study hall.
Period 2: Adv. Bio. This class has a lot of homework but I like how the material is presented, and I'm really interested in what I'm learning.
Period 3: Adv. English 10. Personally, I don't really like this class, which is a shame. English was my favorite class all through middle school. My teacher is just very monotonous and bland.
Period 4: Spanish 2. I took Spanish 1 before school my eighth grade year, so I'm in Spanish 2 now. I love this class so much- I love what I'm learning and the people I'm learning it with.
Period 5: Lunch/Driver's Ed. First I went to lunch, which lasted about half an hour, and then I went to driver's ed. I honestly hated that class, it was so boring but I needed to take it so I can get my liscense next year.
Period 6: Geometry. This class took me a while to adjust to, because the teacher doesn't teach math how I learn math. It's a very self-taught class, with lots of exploration and group work. This semester will go better, I'm determined to make it so.
Period 7: Adv. World History. I don't really like history in general, but my teacher is crazy, which makes it a little more interesting.
Period 8: Band. I love band a lot too, as anybody who knows me (and maybe some who don't know me) can tell you. For my concert next month, I'm going to play the piccolo for one song, which'll be great. For those of you who don't know, I play flute normally- I'm not sure if I've said that before or not. I probably have, but better safe than sorry. Anyways, that's my schedule. For second semester, I have C3 Foundations first period, and then seminar fifth. C3 and driver's ed are only semester long classes, so it all works out great!
As always, leave any questions you have down below in the comments, and I'll be sure to answer them. Again, I'm so sorry for not posting, I've been so busy with school and stuff, and I can't use the computer I usually have access to. That shouldn't be a problem anymore though, so I have high hopes for the future of this blog.
-Eliza
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Orientation Post!!!
Yesterday I told you I had freshman orientation, and I told you I would blog about it when I had a chance. Well here you go, here's an idea of what to expect.
I got there at about 7:58 a.m, which was about ten minutes later than I would have liked to arrive. I have a thing about punctuality, but at least I was still on time. We filed into the gym, where the Link Crew (upperclassmen that help the underclassmen get their footing) had two lines of either side of us, and were cheering. There was music BLARING, and to be completely honest, I was really stressed at that point. I was almost late, there were so many people packed in one hallway, and there was too much noise. However, that's not the point of this post, so let's continue.
We did so many team building activities, it was ridiculous. It started at 8, and tours of the school didn't start until 11:15. For the first hour and a half, we were doing group activities that included all of the freshmen- about 200 people, maybe. I'm really bad at estimating some of that stuff though, so don't quote me on that. At about 9:30, we split up into 50 or so groups, with 5-9 kids in each group, and went to a different classroom. There, we did smaller group activities, until it was time for the tour. I got my schedule for the first semester (which has one minor error), which was pretty cool. I already have it memorized, but not room numbers or anything. I'm really excited for the first day, I'll keep a running list throughout the day of what I need to tell you guys about.
Thank so much,
-Eliza
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Freshman Orientation
Good evening all, and welcome to another post by me.
Tomorrow, at 8 a.m., I have freshmen orientation at the high school I'll be going to. Obviously, since it hasn't happened yet, I can't talk much about it, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. However, there is one thing I can talk about for a little bit.
I've downloaded some apps in preparation for the coming school year, and I'd like to tell you about them. I have the Merriam-Webster Dictionary app, which has a few adds, but not so many it's distracting, Quizlet, which you can use to make your own flashcards, (I really recommend that one), Khan Academy, which you can use to look up videos pertaining to a certain subject, ACT Prep (for obvious reasons, and yes, I know I'm a nerd but better late than never), ACT Up (same deal as the previous app), and last but not least, a tuning app. Now that I look at it, I realize it's called PIANO Tuner. That's kind of a big deal because I, a flute player, was surprised to see that my flute, that I thought was in tune, was registering flat. Now, I'm not saying that's impossible, because I can't hear a difference between sharp, in tune, or flat, but I had my head joint out the same distance I had been told to have it out since sixth grade. That might not mean much to other people, but flute players will know what I'm talking about.
I'll be sure to do another post tomorrow about freshman orientation, and school starts August 31. I'll be busy that week (my first marching band performance is Sept. 4), so I don't know when I'll be able to get it done, but I'll try my best, pinkie promise.
-Eliza
Tomorrow, at 8 a.m., I have freshmen orientation at the high school I'll be going to. Obviously, since it hasn't happened yet, I can't talk much about it, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. However, there is one thing I can talk about for a little bit.
I've downloaded some apps in preparation for the coming school year, and I'd like to tell you about them. I have the Merriam-Webster Dictionary app, which has a few adds, but not so many it's distracting, Quizlet, which you can use to make your own flashcards, (I really recommend that one), Khan Academy, which you can use to look up videos pertaining to a certain subject, ACT Prep (for obvious reasons, and yes, I know I'm a nerd but better late than never), ACT Up (same deal as the previous app), and last but not least, a tuning app. Now that I look at it, I realize it's called PIANO Tuner. That's kind of a big deal because I, a flute player, was surprised to see that my flute, that I thought was in tune, was registering flat. Now, I'm not saying that's impossible, because I can't hear a difference between sharp, in tune, or flat, but I had my head joint out the same distance I had been told to have it out since sixth grade. That might not mean much to other people, but flute players will know what I'm talking about.
I'll be sure to do another post tomorrow about freshman orientation, and school starts August 31. I'll be busy that week (my first marching band performance is Sept. 4), so I don't know when I'll be able to get it done, but I'll try my best, pinkie promise.
-Eliza
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Update
Today I labeled my notebooks and folders by subject, and organized my writing utensils. I have a magnetic pencil holder (scroll down for a picture), my pencil case (again, scroll down for a picture), and a small pocket in my backpack. I'm really excited that, at my high school, you can carry your backpack around with you. Here's my schedule, but only the subjects, obviously.
1st Period- Band
2nd Period- Pre-IB Advanced Biology
3rd Period- Pre-IB Advanced English 10
4th Period- Pre-IB Spanish 2
5th Period- Drivers Ed (if I qualify, which I'm not totally sure I do, but I'm not positive)
5th Period- Seminar (I have driver's ed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and seminar Tuesday and Thursday)
6th Period- Pre-IB Geometry
7th Period- Pre-IB Advanced World History
8th Period- Seminar
That's for first quarter, and then second quarter, band and seminar switch. I have band first hour because of marching band season. Otherwise, everything is the same for first and second quarter, aka first semester.
Then, second semester, only the following classes change.
1st Period- C3 Foundations (not really sure what that is)
5th Period- Fundamentals of Art and Design
I'm going to try and get a seminar instead of FAD, because I think that would be a better way to use my time. I would also like to get it switched because I don't have a seminar second semester, which could be a problem.
I have a friend coming over, so I'll do another post when I can.
-Eliza
Monday, August 17, 2015
School Supplies!
I finally went school supply shopping! Here's a run down of what I, specifically got. (My loot is a bit different than my twin sister's.)
I got one "fun" notebook, and then I have two red, two yellow, etc.
I have more folders that I haven't used from previous years, so I'll use some of those too.
Inside my pencil case I have 12 Ticonderoga pencils, a sharpie highlighter, and a Paper Mate Clearpoint mechanical pencil.
Extra supplies to hang up in my locker- I also have a container of pencil lead, and two spare erasers, but you can't tell in the picture.
I got one "fun" notebook, and then I have two red, two yellow, etc. I have more folders that I haven't used from previous years, so I'll use some of those too. Fun colored pens, a fine tipped sharpie, and pencil top erasers in the bottom of my pencil case.
Extra supplies to hang up in my locker- I also have a container of pencil lead, and two spare erasers, but you can't tell in the picture.Backup pencils because I'm a nerd like that. I also have 48 more in my room haha.
Sorry that some of the pictures were upside-down, I'm not really sure why that happened. I'm really excited for this upcoming school year, and I hope you all are too. As always, thanks for viewing and tell your friends!
-Eliza
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Band Camp
So I started band camp the fifth, and it is, simultaneously, the best and worst thing to happen to me. I love marching band so much- I've learned so much in three days, my section leaders are so nice (I play flute btw), and the music, although difficult at first, and still has some difficult parts, sounds spectacular. I love how all the parts fit together, and even though my heels hurt really bad, it's worth it. I got my band shoes yesterday, and I really love them because the heels are curved, so it'll be easier to roll my steps. Anyways, that's all I really need to say, but I should go school supply shopping sometime soon. I'll be sure to do a post on that.
-Eliza
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Just A Heads Up
My mom gets paid the 15th of every month, so we probably won't go school supply shopping until the middle of August. I don't think I'll do any other preparations, so I don't think there will be any plays until then, just an FYI. If there are, though, I'll be sure to do a post!
-Eliza
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Some More Prep
I know, I know, more of me talking about how ove been preparing. Well, if you've got a problem, then tell me what else I should blog about, because I can't know what else to babble on about if you don't tell me!
That's all for today,
-Eliza
Friday, July 17, 2015
Summer School
Summer school has been over for almost a month, and I'm just now posting about it. Crazy, huh? I've been really lazy about it, but in my defense, I've been really busy too. Anyways, here's a short run-down of my day, and then I'll give a deeper explanation.
Left at 7:45
Arrived at school
Waiting in line to figure out which room to go to
Got logged in, after getting account set up
Worked
Break time usually around 9:30
Worked
Class over at 11:50
My mom took me to summer school some days, my dad took me twice (he goes to work at about 7:15, so when he took me, I was there incredibly early), but usually, I rode the bus. Once I figured out my account info and what class I was supposed to be in, which all happened the first day, I went up to my room, logged in, and took notes. First, I answered study questions, read an overview of the topic, then an extended overview, and finally, wrote down vocabulary words. There were pre tests available, but my teacher told us not to take those. After I finished the vocab, I took a mastery test of the chapter, and moved on: only if I got 80% or higher.
Break time was usually around 9:30 or 9:45, and that was when we could go down and get a pouch of lukewarm kool-aid and a granola bar. I didn't like the granola bars they provided, so I brought my own from home, as well as a package of scooby doo fruit snacks. We could also be on our phones, so I texted my friends and browsed Pinterest. The break was only about ten minutes long, so the conversations weren't very long. After those ten minutes, I worked for another two hours, and then it was time to go home!
My bus ride was about 20 minutes long, and I passed the time by listening to music and texting my friends. Once I got home, I changed out of my school clothes (we have a dress code where I go to school, and we had to wear dress-code appropriate clothes to school) and ate lunch.
That's a pretty detailed run-down of a normal day of summer school; as you can see, it wasn't the most exciting part of my summer. Comment with any questions or comments (I cringe at using the same word too many times in one sentence but I couldn't think of a synonym) you have, and I'll do my best to answer them!
-Eliza
Monday, June 1, 2015
More Prep
I've done a little bit more preparation for the upcoming year, which I'll explain in a minute. Anyways, summer school starts in two days, which is ridiculous. My last day of school was May 29. I haven't had a week of freedom yet! It only goes from 8 am to noon anyways, so it's not like it'll be that big of a deal. I've always been a morning person, I wake up very close to 6 on a daily basis, without an alarm. I'm also going to make $150 in a week, which is pretty sweet. All I'll be doing is helping elementary kids out at their summer school, which is from June 15-19. I emailed the director of summer school and asked him if there was a way we could work something out where I did the work from home so I could do both. I kind of need the money I cracked my phone and it would be $150 to replace the entire phone, so if it's more expensive to fix the screen than the phone (which I don't know yet, I'll have to get it checked.), I'll replace the phone, which is...$150. If not, I'll put $50 in my wallet, and $100 in my savings money. I'm getting off topic though, I need to be talking about preparing for summer school.
I brought everything that was in my backpack and locker home, and sorted it into 3 groups: throw away, use for next year, and find another place for. I put everything in the use for next year pile by my backpack, until I realized the main pocket zippers were busted, I asked my dad if he could do something about it, but he doesn't think he'll be able to fix it. I have other backpacks I can use though, so it's not a problem. I try to use one of the backpacks I have from my older sister every year, because if a decent backpack is $20+, that adds up fast when my parents are school shopping for 3 kids. I like a lot of the backpacks to, so it's a pretty good system.
I typed up all the notes I had for Spanish, science, and English on my Google Drive, and I'll add to them as I go. I also have math notes that are written on paper, and I need to add some more stuff to those. I don't really have any notes for Social Studies, because we learned through activities and group work. Band and ELP I don't have notes for, obviously, so I think I'm good. One thing I learned this past year is loose-leaf paper is usually used more than notebooks, but I still plan on using both. Notebooks are better for note-taking, but if you tear out too many pages they get skinny and I just hate that.
If you scroll down, you'll see a post I did about possible clubs. I've also done a lot of thinking about those. I'm probably going to join the Gay-Straight Alliance, Spanish Club, and Debate Team, but I'm not sure about any others. That's all I've got for now, so bye. You know all that stuff about telling your friends and stuff, so I'll just let you remember that for yourself.
-Eliza
I brought everything that was in my backpack and locker home, and sorted it into 3 groups: throw away, use for next year, and find another place for. I put everything in the use for next year pile by my backpack, until I realized the main pocket zippers were busted, I asked my dad if he could do something about it, but he doesn't think he'll be able to fix it. I have other backpacks I can use though, so it's not a problem. I try to use one of the backpacks I have from my older sister every year, because if a decent backpack is $20+, that adds up fast when my parents are school shopping for 3 kids. I like a lot of the backpacks to, so it's a pretty good system.
I typed up all the notes I had for Spanish, science, and English on my Google Drive, and I'll add to them as I go. I also have math notes that are written on paper, and I need to add some more stuff to those. I don't really have any notes for Social Studies, because we learned through activities and group work. Band and ELP I don't have notes for, obviously, so I think I'm good. One thing I learned this past year is loose-leaf paper is usually used more than notebooks, but I still plan on using both. Notebooks are better for note-taking, but if you tear out too many pages they get skinny and I just hate that.
If you scroll down, you'll see a post I did about possible clubs. I've also done a lot of thinking about those. I'm probably going to join the Gay-Straight Alliance, Spanish Club, and Debate Team, but I'm not sure about any others. That's all I've got for now, so bye. You know all that stuff about telling your friends and stuff, so I'll just let you remember that for yourself.
-Eliza
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
What I Think I'll Need for High School, Supply-Wise
I did a post based on my middle school supplies, but then I realized it was a little bit redundant. So, I'll list what I was told I needed for this year, and then what I THINK I'll need for next year. Once I get the actual supply list I'll do another post, but until then, this is just what I think.
Middle School:
Middle School:
- 1 medium-sized three-ring binder
- 8 spiral notebooks
- 8 pocket folders
- 2 packages loose-leaf paper (college or wide rule)
- 12 blue or black ball-point pens (No gel pens, please)
- 12 pencils
- 1 package of markers
- 1 package of colored pencils
- 1 protractor
- 1 compass
- 2-4 highlighters
- 1 large box of Kleenex
- Shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes for P.E.
High School:
- 16 spiral notebooks
- 8 pocket folders
- 5 packages loose-leaf paper
- 12 blue or black ball-point pens
- 36 pencils
- 1 package of markers
- 1 package of colored pencils
- 3 highlighters
- 2 boxes of Kleenex
As always, if you have any post requests, just leave a comment down below, and tell your friends about this blog too! My goal is for this to be the go-to website 8th or 9th graders look at when they start high school. It's a tough transition, and as Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, Martha, Zeke, and Martha proved, "We're all in this together!"
-Eliza
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