Key to Happiness

              

         When you think of happiness you think of objects or people, well in this video Author Brook talks about the secret of happiness and how to get it. A couple of nights ago my cousin texted me this link telling me to watch it as soon as possible. She has been helping me a lot with my college applications so she understands how stressed I am about my future. So I guess she sent me this video to sort of guide me. I liked this video because everyone wants to know the key to happiness so it refers to anyone who watches it. Some people are not happy at all and some just want to be happier than they are now. Brooks explains the three causes of happiness which are; genetics, big life events and choices. An interesting fact that I liked was that 48% of our happiness is inherited. Another fact is that more women are happier than men. Big life events drive your happiness depending on your struggles to those life events. Brook talks about not always chasing the big thing because they usually don't last and as human beings we normal don't get what we really want. Your happiest when you’re doing the little things in life. Brook’s gives an example about someone who wins the lottery, they aren't happy for very long because they already have everything they want. They lose the little things in life like hobbies and the great relationships they had with friends or family. He also says "if you want to be happy don't spend your time obsessing over the great big things." I think he's right because when things don't happen the way you want or expect them to you shut yourself down after that and you just want to give up and stop trying. If you focus your time on the smaller things like what you have to do in order to get the big thing you want, you will be happier. The main cause that I related to the most was faith. I relate to faith making you happy because after I started going to church I noticed that I was happier about the little things like hanging out with friends and spending time with family rather than going to parties or being at the mall every weekend. Faith has become a big part in my life and I do believe it has brought me a great deal of happiness.

College Rant

I know what college I want to go to after high school, but I don’t know where I’ll end up, quite yet and its killing me. My dream school is Howard. I remember a time when I didn’t think I was smart enough to get into Howard, because it’s considered the Black Ivy League School. Now that I realized that I can get in, I’m scared because there’s a possibility that I won’t get accepted. Nobody wants there plan A to fail. I do have a plan B, C, and a D, but it won’t be the same and that college won’t give me the same experience that Howard would give me.

I never thought that my senior year would be as stressful as it is. College apps have stressed me out to the point, where I’m tired of college and I haven’t even gotten there yet. I’m so glad that I started my personal statement early, because at first it was not going well for me at all, until I chose the right topic. My weakest point is my SAT and ACT scores, because they’re not as high as I would like them to be. To know that may be the reason that I don’t get into college is scary. I’m hoping that my personal statement and my grades will outweigh my scores. I know I have to stay positive, but it’s so hard when your life is literally in the hand of some unknown person.

Everyone is so scared to leave the nest or leave Mayfair, but I’m not I can’t wait to graduate and go off to college next fall. I really need a change in scenery. I want to meet new people and get away from some of the old people in my life. I rather be on my own somewhere out of state and figure out my life without any distractions. I believe there’s so much life has to offer me beyond California. How can I succeed in International Business if I can’t leave my nest or California?

I can’t believe that I’m going to be eighteen in less than eight months. Soon we’re all going to be on our own somewhere all over America. When you really think about it, it’s scary but I can’t wait. The only thing I’m really scared of is the college professors, because when I get to college, I know that I have to do everything on my own.  I’m not ready yet, to let go of our high school teacher’s didactic ways.

College

Life after high school is to me honestly one of the most terrifying things. I'm planning on going to college out of state where I'm going to have to learn to take care of myself and be more responsible than ever. 

I grew up in a rough housing environment so to make up for it, I got mostly everything I wanted. I'm going to have to go from having everything handed to me, to having to do things all by myself. There are so many failures, successes, and struggles that are to come upon me that I'm not quite sure I'm ready to conquer them quite yet.

I'm scared to leave my loved ones behind and miss out on everything that happens. High school is so much easier and I know that. If I had an option, I would stay in high school for as long as I can.

High school is a place to be able to find yourself. You're growing up and maturing into the person you're gonna be. High school is like training wheels for college.

So going out of state for college is going to be a huge jump. California is amazing and other states would die to be just like California. Colorado has some major weather differences and I think it's going to be adventurous to be able to experience these things. I want to travel when I'm older and living in another state is one step closer to traveling the world. As much as I'm not ready for college I'm excited to take on the challenges coming my way. 

SSR is Coming Up!

I have been eagerly anticipating the SSR Mondays since the first day of school. Just imagining the relaxing and peaceful time we are going to have every Monday starting next week makes me happy. I’m so excited! Is there anyone else as excited as I am?? I don’t think I have ever been this excited about reading before, and I think I know the reason why.

In elementary school, I am sure most of us dreaded the thought of reading and writing little summaries of the chapters we have read because all we ever thought about were all of the other fun things we could be doing instead of reading and/or writing. And in some cases, maybe some of us still do detest reading and writing. Fortunately for myself, I have learned to enjoy reading as I got older. Though I still find writing as a bit of a hassle sometimes, I realized that writing helps me remember things better. I think that our appreciation for reading and writing grows as we get more mature because our interests also changes as we get older.  

The best part about reading is when you get sucked into the story and you feel like you’re living the protagonist’s life. It helps me get away from the stressful reality and live in a whole different world, even if it’s just for a while. I believe that everyone needs that break from reality once in a while and our SSR times will be a great opportunity for all of us to do just that. This is most likely the reason why I am so excited about reading this year, I need to relax and take a break from all of these work! Reading stories is just so much fun! I am generally a fiction reader but I was strangely captivated by nonfiction books when I was younger; I used to love reading autobiographies about people in the past during World War one and other devastating historical events. But now I tend to like reading fiction books more and I already have a list of books I want to read this year. For those of you who can’t decide or is completely clueless on what to read next, I recommend checking out this website: http://www.goodreads.com/list

Don’t forget to bring your books on Monday!

Military vs. College?

     Moving ahead and looking forward after high school is a difficult process and students have a variety of options. College, trade school, and even working after high school can lead to a fulfilling life, but I feel as if the military can lead to even better rewards. After having discussed the perks of joining the military with a recruiter, I learned many new things that I took into consideration. One of these perks, was that after finishing your contract with any branch of the military, they are able to pay for tuition and schooling. Free or discounted healthcare is also available and higher priority over others is as well. In my eyes, respect and discipline are rewards that can be taken with you during your service and after, whether your searching for a new job or making new connections with people, discipline and respect gives off a more prestigious vibe that recruiters and businesses look for.
      After twelve years of sitting in classrooms listening to teachers for hours on end, it is no wonder that some students join the military, not because listening to teachers is noneducational, but because some students prefer the hands on work and would rather spend their energy and focus accomplishing tasks that are relevant in today's world. The range of jobs that can be acquired in the military is unbelievable and the resources each branch has is crazy. The thought of learning and using the skills you learn simultaneously draws out many students from the high school crowd; such as, having a career in aerospace engineering can lead to classes in piloting and working on planes as a mechanic, instead of sitting in a class room and taking notes without doing anything. In conclusion, the option of the military should not be brushed aside so easily and it should be considered strongly because success is built through hard work and the military does well in putting students through that and more.

Adults

It seems everyone forgets what life was like when they were younger. I, for one, don't know why I did stupid and immature things as a child, but I also don't remember what it was like to be that age. Maybe there were reasons for what I did that made sense back then but now that I've grown more I see they we dumb. Everyone has been made fun of or judged for a stupid reason, but no one really remembers what it's like while they are doing it to others. In fact, the more I think about it the more I see this fact of life come true all throughout the day. The most prominent way I experience this is with parents or even adults in general. They expect so much of us, they punish us harshly, they act like they were never our age. We are treated as adults in so many matters, yet as children for others, seemingly depending of which choice is more convenient for them. They act like at the ages 17-19 they were saints. But they weren't. No one is. So why is it so demanded of us?

Uncertainty and Inhibition

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of "You need to work on your college applications!" from my mother, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  I've put off the applications not because I'm lazy, but because I'm uncertain.  There are a few major turning points in life that can only be experienced once, and graduating from high school is one of these turning points.  Uncertainty leads to worry which leads to fear, and fear inhibits accomplishment.  I think that instead of worrying about the possible failures I could experience, I'm just going to try my best by making my personal statements reflect myself as best as possible.  One of the most worrying parts of applying, though, is choosing a major.  For one of the schools I plan on applying to, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a major must be declared immediately.  I'm nowhere near ready to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life.  I know that most people change their minds during college, but I also don't want to waste my time on subjects that I'm not going to pursue, making the already elongated college experience longer.  Of course, the money that it would cost to change majors and start again is a huge deterrent on top of the time spent.  However, all I can do is choose the major that I am most interested in now, ecology, and if it doesn't work out - oh well, then i will have to change majors.  I've spent to long worrying about "what-ifs," and now it is time to go for it.

Change in weather

Today during my soccer practice I noticed a change in the weather. Not only did I feel a change in weather but I also felt a change in me. I'm feeling way more more motivated. Starting off the year I have been really lazy but I am slowly getting back into better work habits. The summer heat was going on for too long. Now it's feels more like fall and I am ready to make the most out of this senior year. Also,  Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are coming up and I'm pretty excited to end 2014 on a good note.

Finished At Last!

It is 1:00 in the morning and I have finally finished all of my work.  Well, I've finished all my English work at least.  Even though I still have other work to finish up, I still feel like a weight has been lifted.  I probably could have finished my work a lot faster though if I didn't get so easily distracted all the time.  I don't know if I am the only one that does this, but I like to work for 20 minutes and then take an hour long break, which is a habit I'm really trying to break because it just leads to sleepless nights.  This blogging is the last thing I have to finish tonight, and I am determined to get it done.  Even though it was a pain to have all of this work due all at once, I'm hoping it means now we will have a break this weekend.  If not, I am going to be in a lot of mental pain from this overload of work we have been getting.  I hope everyone else got all of their work done way before me and for those who may still working on it, all I can say is that your pain will be over soon.

Life after High school

Senior year we are all supposed to make this life changing decision on what we want to do for the rest of our lives when we are basically still children ourselves. I feel like there is so much pressure put on us to make the right decision, choose the right college, and get good grades. What if we make the wrong decision? What if I can't handle going to college? We all say and think we are grown up and can handle life on our own but when it comes down to it, can we really? I'm not trying to say that we absolutely can't because you can do anything if you really want it. Maybe not everyone is asking themselves these questions or thinking the same thing I am. These are just the things I think about while we are supposed to be applying for colleges and making these decisons for life after High School. 

Stress

So I'm sitting here catching up on America's Next Top Model, and I'm trying to just knock this out so I can be done for the week. So far, this week has been one of the most stressful weeks that I’ve had so far. In my imagination, my homework are the flesh-eating monsters that I’ve been trying to escape for, what seems like, the umpteenth time. Since this year began, my level of stress has skyrocketed. All of the pressure of college apps + SAT scores + Homework + life in general = overwhelm.... ment? I am someone who stresses out A LOT. I can’t help it. Even in non-stressful situations, I always seem to find something or someone to stress about. How many times did I use the word "stress"? .... Whatever, STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS.

So I looked up the word “stress” and I honestly believe that someone has been watching me my whole life and said “what she is doing…I must name it”. (And yes, I was born in the late 1800s. Don’t hate.) It says that one of the usual responses to stress is to seek comfort instead of facing it when it becomes too much. Basically your body is screaming at you “Noooooooo”. Which makes sense because there have been nights when I just stare at my mountain of homework and I think “No. No. No.” But when I stare at my bed, my head sighs in wanting. My head almost always leads me to my bed. I’m not kidding. I head-butt my bed all of the time.

I guess stress and procrastination are related? But I’m not going to delve into that because my mom just told me that there is cake downstairs.

Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to get at is that I'm kind of happy that I’m not the only one who seems to be stressing out this year. Luckily the entire senior class is with me. *We’re all in this together* 

*Side note: Does anyone like ponies?

Leaving the Nest

                High School is going to end soon, and for some of us that means leaving home to live off on our own.  It’s going to be difficult, trying to get enough money to pay for insurance, gas, rent, food, etc. and still have the time to go to college and study enough to pass, not to mention paying off student loans for who knows how many years, but despite how much things are going to change and how much harder it’s going to get, there’s still something really attractive about leaving home.  Now I’m not necessarily saying that in an ‘I can’t stand being here’ kind of way, but more of an ‘I can live my life how I want to now’ way.  There’s a sense of satisfaction know that after moving out, everything you do is completely on your own terms.  Don’t want to go to school anymore? You don’t have to.  Want to live with some good friends? Go for it.  Feel the need to sleep on a countertop every other Wednesday? Sure, whatever floats your boat.  You get what I mean, for the most part we won’t have to worry about what we want to do interfering with others, unless you dorm, but chances are they’d get used to it, since they don’t know how you were before. There’s also the question of where you’re going to live.  Some of us are going to live in apartments, others are going to dorm, or some might even get a couple friends together and get a house.  Of course all of this freedom is going to come at a price.  Literally.  Finding work isn’t necessarily as easy as it used to be anymore, and chances are we’d most likely have to put up with some pretty crummy jobs in order to get by.  It’s going to be hard, but not impossible.  Those who have work experience already are a step ahead, making it that much easier to get a job, but for those of us who don’t, we have to get searching before we leave.  So I want to know, what are your plans for college/work?  Anyone plan on moving out too, and if so, what kind of place do you plan on living in? For myself, I plan on going to SJSU and dorming there, for I’m pretty sure a daily 360+ mile commute is out of the question.  Another thing to consider though, is loneliness.  Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen, we’ll end up missing our family and old friends, and going home to an empty apartment/dorm/wherever you live will sometimes bring you down.   Or even the opposite, if you live with others daily, eventually you may run into something neither person can agree on and you will have to end up going back and facing them again after work/school. Living with others isn’t all bad though, it can help keep off loneliness and it means you’d be able to mess around with your friends whenever you want.  So now I extend my question, for those moving out, do you plan on living alone or with others, and what’s your reasoning for it?  I don’t mean to just poke into anyone’s business, but for those who are undecided on what to do, they may get some ideas from people who do know (more or less) what they plan on doing.

"Social Casualty"

This is the name of one of the most relevant songs to my life right now. Not only is it by one of my favorite bands but the lyrics are exactly how I feel lately when I think about the future. 

The lyrics state, "So save me from who I'm supposed to be. 

Don't wanna be a victim of authority.

I'll always be a part of the minority." Which describes that the person being mentioned in the song does not want to live life doing something dull and ordinary. 

In my case, I'm actually terrified that as I get older and move on from high school, that I won't do anything memorable for myself. I don't want to accept the fate that I might go through college not being able to experience the world. I want to see the world and figure out what I want before I completely dive into college before discovering myself. Sadly, it's coming so fast and I don't have the time to figure out what I want. 

People tend to ask me what do you want to do in the future? I just say I want to travel. And I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. In all honesty, I may be nervous about where I want to go to school or what I want to major in or how much money I'm going to make, but in reality, I just don't want to live life in routine and completely hating the person I would become. Some say routine is inevitable, but I think finding myself through experiencing the world, seeing new places, and meeting new people, is not only something I long for, but something I want to do in college before settling for a basic job that I'll regret in 20 years. 

Reality.
These past couple of weeks it's been slowly hitting me that high school is going to come to an end and that my life is going to change dramatically within the next year. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do career wise which totally terrifies me and makes me feel unprepared for the upcoming year but on the other hand I'm excited for this new adventure. I'm not going far for college I'm going to LBCC and I wish I had tried harder as a freshman and sophomore. I see all these kids applying to major colleges out of state and out of this city and it makes me green with envy. But instead of being bitter I've decided to just embrace my fate and just apply myself fully in  college.

Procrastination

There's always a week when everything seems to be due at the same time. Instead of getting it all done before hand, I know most of us, or maybe just me, wait til the night before. It kind of feels like English is taking over our lives. Yesterday, Myah asked our cheer coach to put the music on the blog. It sounded normal at first, but then we realized that this blog is running our lives. We laughed pretty hard and our coach thinks we're crazy. You start to feel pretty crazy when you have  three typed papers, a blog, and government homework due all on the same day. I thought the Peter Elbow book was going to be boring or irrelevant, but it made me feel so much better about these assignments. Like yes, I do only have one night to finish, but it's feasible with his methods. Even just skimming through each chapter, picking up only a couple words, it makes a huge impact on my mindset. I don't plan on following each of his steps thoroughly; however, just knowing these rules makes writing easy.

Names and Coincidences

Since freshman year orientation, something has stuck with me. It has to do with names and their effect on people.  On that day, I remember my link leaders explaining how people like to hear their names told back to them. I know now that it was just a script (since I've been a leader myself), but it still sticks with me. When you hear your name, your attention is drawn instantly. You want to know who is saying it and why. However, that is not the only reason it draws our attention. you see, when someone says your name, things become more personal. It seems as though the person knows you better even though a name is nothing but something to refer to oneself. I guess it's because names are unique. I don't know of anyone named Chris Keith, and so when I think of my name I think of myself. When I think of my friends name, I think of my friend. So names give us individuality. They give us a sense of identity, we aren't just another person in the crowd. We like when people acknowledge us as just that, us. we like to be appreciated for who we are.
This train of thought led me to another idea. Does your name affect your personality? I know people who just look like they belong in the name they have, as if names were coats and each of us had a unique size corresponding with a certain name. Imagine a guy that totally looks like he should be named Steve instead of Joseph? Has the choice of his parents to name him a certain name affected him at all, even if only in the smallest of ways?
This led me to ponder the affect that small things have on our lives. I've had my life changed from small things that I've done or experienced in my life. Story time. The summer after sophomore year, I was at the mall with my good friend and we were at the apple store screwing around and we took some pictures on an iPad and made one picture the wallpaper. We left and walked around the mall some more. Meanwhile, our other friend and a girl I didn't know were in the apple store and they saw our picture and decided to go try to find us. They eventually did find us as we were walking out of the mall to go home, and we all ended up going to see World War Z together . That girl that I didn't know before that day became my best friend after that. We are still close. Now think back to all those tiny, insignificant choices that have affected that day. If we had not made that picture the wallpaper on that particular iPad, or  if they had not looked at that iPad, they would not have come to find us. If my friend and I had left 5 minutes earlier, they would have missed us, if we had decided to stay in a store a bit longer than we did, they may have missed us also. All those circumstances had to work out perfectly, and they did. All because of those small outcomes, I have one of the best people I've ever met in my life. It's mind blowing to think about what could happen or what could not happen just from the choices we make in this moment.
Yes I get that this blog post was rambling and seemingly unrelated to anything, but that's what happens when Chris Keith stays up late. Goodnight.

The Voice

There's always that little voice in the back of anybody's mind that just speaks to them. Like right now as I write in thinking about what I'm going to say before I even write it. I know at night before I sleep that voice almost always plagues me with all of the "what ifs" in the world. Most of the time it makes me regret not taking opportunities that I've had in the past but didn't take . With that being said, I've learned to jump when you're on top of that cliff. The cliff being the opportunity, and the water 30 feet below is the thing that distinguishes where or not you took the opportunity. I'm sorry in advance for having my thoughts so scrambled, but in my head they're so organized. I sometimes, no always, kind of fine it the slightest bit of humorous how I've had millions of conversations in my head that no one has ever heard or even known about. Also, I realized too that it's the repetitive monologue in my head that leads to most decisions that not only I, but you as well make on a day to day basis. One thing I truly admire about myself is my seemingly rare ability to think in debt about even the most shallow subjects. Although that sometimes leads to answering questions with even more questions. I know that if a person doesn't have unanswered questions then that simply makes them all-knowing. Anyways, everyday I learn more and more about the people, places, things, and ideas that surround me and the more I learn I just take note of it and stash it somewhere in my seemingly infinite labrynth of thoughts and ideas. 

"A Time I Experienced Failure" Response

A minute ago I completed the prompt four essay assignment and I couldn't be more relieved. It took me about thirty minutes to an hour to get the ball rolling on this essay which really annoyed me. Generally, I can write things pretty quickly (like right now), but when it comes to writing about myself or experiences I absolutely hate it. In the end, writing about a  moment of failure makes me feel better about the topic of choice. It really made me put things into perspective. I realized that my moment of failure happened FIVE YEARS ago and that it is so silly that I am still so effected by it. To many it's a funny story, but to me it was a very traumatic event. In my life, there hasn't been moments of life-altering failures, but that doesn't diminish the impact of other mistakes made. At the time my failure was a big deal, but now it's time for me to laugh at it. I did learn from the mistake I made and I need to let go of the guilt  I continuously put upon myself. It really is ridiculous! I'll just say it on here: in seventh grade I broke the big, new T.V. during an altercation with my brother. The whole story in fact sounds silly and kind of IS, but truthfully it was a hard day for me. I don't think of that failure everyday, but the times people bring it up it has really bothered me inside. Not anymore. From now on I will laugh and be okay. I will always be sorry for breaking the T.V. and I'll always remember the angst of that day. But I will now be lighthearted and think of how foolish I was as a child. I'm very glad I wrote transparently. It definitely was not my intent when I sat in front of this giant computer, but it helped me accept the problem and has undeniably helped me put the past behind me!
The End.

ERW ACTUALLY HELPS

        Most of us go through high school wondering "When will I ever use this in life?" I, of course, am one of these people. I don't think it's necessary to sit through hours upon hours of history and science classes when neither of those subjects have anything to do with my future. I think the reason I love ERW so much is because even though we've only been in school for about two months I've already learned a lot that will actually benefit me in life. I didn't even know how to write a personal statement a couple weeks ago and I thought I was going to have to figure it out on my own while applying for college. I was so glad when I heard Ms. Fletcher say we were going to be writing personal statements. 😪 I now have a personal statement I am very proud of.
        Slowly I've started to realize I've been using things and saying things I've learned in ERW. I used the word banal I don't even know how many times the past month and just the other day I said something was a "viable option". When I was reading those articles about college and taking gap years I thought it was stupid, but I actually learned something from it, so that's good. My vocabulary is already expanding and the school year isn't even close to being finished. Yeah, I complain about something as simple as vocabulary, but it is clearly useful and now I can sound all smart when I talk to my friends.  
        This class is really impacting all of our lives slightly. I have a funny story to tell that has to with this. Today at cheer practice we were huddled around our coach listening to the music we are going to be performing to and some girls had asked where we could find the music. Out of no where Myah Mayes yells, "I was about to say put it on the blog!" All of the ERW students immediately started laughing.
        All of these things I've talked about aren't of much importance because they are small things, but this just goes to show that this class can be very very helpful!! We do have a lot of work and we are stressed out and this is totally cliché to say, but it's going to be worth it. Once all of this hard work is done, we are going to thrive.
 
   

I really want to thank Ms. Fletcher for putting up with all of our complaining. Sooner or later we will all realize that WE CAN ACTUALLY USE THIS CLASS FOR REAL LIFE.

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Monday Night Experiences

Why is it that stress is the starting point of most health issues? On Monday, I experienced a feeling that I've never felt that serious and nerve raking before. I've experienced anxiety attacks but I would always be able to control it. 

I was just eating dinner and working on my personal statement when I started to feel nauseated and overwhelmed. I started to get horribly sharp chest pains and couldn't breathe. Along with the fact I was home alone, I didn't have enough strength to pick up my phone to call my mom.  I struggled for 15 minutes trying to call her and tell her I needed her to come home. She called my brother and he ran home from band

practice to make sure I was okay. I never want my brother to be the one to call 9-1-1 because of me. 

When the ambulance got to my house, I counted about 6 or more people in my small room asking how it started and what I was feeling. The more questions they asked, the worst I got. My hands started to get clammy, my knees started to lock, and I started to get blurred vision. They put me on a trundle, transported me to the hospital, and started to run test. 

Because of all the test they had to run and to also receive the results, I couldn't eat or drink. I was at the hospital from 7 pm to 1:30 am the next day. Thankfully I had my mom, dad, boyfriend, and my boyfriends mom stay with me the whole time. As of this moment, I feel better and I'm still waiting for some results to come back to see why I had abdominal pain. I'm praying that everything is treatable. 

No, I'm not asking for anyone's sympathy or to feel sorry for me. I'm simply sharing what happened because many people called me, texted me, and tweeted me asking if I was okay and what happened. 

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Community College Is Not A Bad Word

     So, I'm just going to put it out there, I'm going to community college right out of high school. No, it's not a "maybe" or a "I might", it is a big fat "I am", and I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell anyone this. I feel that there are some heavy negative connotations that follow the words "community college" as though it is a curse word and I don't see why that is.

     Many teachers have "warned" me about the problems I may face in community college and sort of make me feel as though I am doomed to be stuck there forever. I think if you're focused and take all the classes you need to complete your GED then you can be in and out of there in no time. The one thing that I think will really benefit me in my situation is that going to community college will save me a lot of money; all that saved money can go towards affording the university I transfer to.

     I will admit, though, that I have had my moments of hesitation to tell someone my plans for after high school because I have had people subtly (yet, very obviously) judge me for how I have chosen to go about my future. Not everyone is the same, so not everyone is going to have the same plan for their future. This is a hard thing to accept especially when your friends really don't have the same plan as you. You become the odd man out in your own circle of friends. This, I can say from experience, makes you start to doubt yourself because some of your closest friends may even look down upon your decision to attend community college or to skip college all together and just start working. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that, this is your life and you can't let anyone -even your friends - decide your future for you.

     So, if "community college" is a bad word then I have the biggest potty mouth around because I am proud of my decision on how to take the next step in my life and everyone else should be too. Whether you're going to Harvard, Long Beach Community College or starting work with your parent's business, be proud of that decision because you have made that big decision in life when there are others who are too afraid to even utter an idea of what they want to do. Having the courage to take that next step in life is something to take pride in, so take pride in whatever that decision is.
   

Senior year

I thought senior year was suppose to be the best, funniest and stress free year? How come I'm so stressed & overwhelmed with everything that's going on. The fact that we won't be going to Mayfair High School anymore in just a couple months actually kind of scares me. I've grown so close to the people & the school & I never thought I'd be friends with the people I am today. Mayfair is like my second home, I've been going to The Fair since 7th grade, we've all seen each other at our worst. By this time next year, we won't be going to the same school anymore, we won't be seeing the same people anymore (unless you're going to the same schools)  we all watched each other grow into the people we are today, we've all seen each other go through puberty. I'm terrified for what's going to happen after graduation. My biggest fear is for my plan to not go as planned. I have this college plan all figured out & if it doesn't go the way  I planned it, I'm screwed because I don't really have a plan B. I don't know if this made any sense but I just had to let this out. 

AF: I lost a great friend and teacher

My friend Bob Calfee lost his battle with cancer this weekend.

Robert Calfee is a professor Emeritus from Stanford University, and a rock star in English education, language and literacy.  I met him two years ago when I was selected to serve on the California Framework committee, and in that short time, he became a wonderful mentor and friend to me.  He would invite me to have breakfast with him in the mornings, before the work of the day began, and he would pick my brain and ask me the kinds of questions that made me think hard.

Bob inspired me to do good work, and to remember that the work we do serves the future, and that literacy outcomes for young people are highly consequential.  Whenever I have been confounded or confused by some policy issue or implementation plan with the Common Core Standards, I ask myself "What would Bob think?"  He was so open and generous with his time and his wisdom — an unfaltering advocate for the students of California, the country, and indeed the world.  He traveled far and wide to talk and work with teachers, and his influence is huge.  I am going to miss him terribly, and I will think of him always as I work with friends and colleagues to bring the vision alive -- that every student we face gains access to the keys that unlocks and opens the gate to their future.

It's a challenge.  Students often treat me as if I am an inconvenient interruption of their very busy lives, but I have to remind myself that this cannot and will not set my agenda.  I need to expect the best work possible -- demand it, and settle for nothing less.  There is just too much at stake to accept mediocrity.  The "C" and "D" grade just should not be acceptable to anyone.

It is my great wish for all of you that you have someone in your work life like Bob -- someone who moves you to do great work with their thoughtful and intelligent example.

FINALLY

Hello seniors!  How is everyone doing?

How many people are stressing out about that personal statement due on Friday? *raises hand*
I honestly never thought that senior year would be this stressful.
Moving on...how many people watch American Horror Story?  Today is Wednesday, which means the freaks come out! (American Horror Story reference)

So, I would like to talk about our school.  I have heard many students say, "Mayfair sucks!"
Although it may not be the best school, it certainly can't be the worst.  I have been attending Mayfair since 7th grade, and I am honestly proud to be a monsoon.  This school will always have a place in my heart because it is where I have developed as a person and where I met many incredible people.
Sure, the dress code is strict and extra, but that doesn't mean that it sucks!  If you think that Mayfair sucks, could you drop a comment below saying why you think so?

One of the superlatives that we had in class was "what is happiness?"
I couldn't come up with a definition because I think that happiness is different for everyone.  What do you guys define as happiness?

Seniors, we are going to be graduating in 8 months.  How does that make you guys feel?
To think that I might not see a majority of you guys after high school makes me really sad.
I hope you guys all go to the high school reunion!

What did the green grape say to the purple grape?  
BREATHE!

Have a nice day everybody!

AF: What Pat Dean Said

Pat Dean recommends an outline as you write.  Good advice.  Also he read Peter Elbow, and recommends that you read it too.

Pat Dean recommends that your start your own blog.  More good advice.  You are creating a personal and professional profile.

Pat Dean uses a writing acronym called C-A-R:  Set the CONTEXT, show the ACTION, discuss the RESULT.

Pat Dean recommends this website as a gateway research for colleges.

Stalling?

It is 8:20 on Monday night, and I, like many other students are either beginning or completely stressing over how to write this personal statement. Writing a personal statement is something that is some what vaguely familiar to all of us. We know how to write about ourselves. We've done it every single year that we've been in school. Let's be real: we are pretty good at it. At this point, though, I feel completely stressed and honestly freaked out.

It's like I almost forgot who I was for a second and began to indulge on what someone else would like to see me as. I began to write for an admissions officer when I should be writing for myself. I was throwing in vocabulary words I have never used in my life and using all types of crazy punctuation. Rather than throwing who I am onto that computer screen, there were 12 years worth of English education that I thought would wow some random old guy who would accept me into his school. But that isn't what I would like to submit to the school of my dreams or something they would like to read either. I deleted the page, disregarding the "would you like to save this document before exiting?" pop-up.

I remember what you said earlier today in class, Fletch. My first draft is going to be shit (was I allowed to say that?) and it will be okay. Regardless on how long I spend trying to write this personal statement tonight, I've concluded that it indeed will be some form of shitty. So I've started over and it won't be great, but it will be a start.

Anyways, this was me stalling and trying to gather my thoughts and get some blogging done. I can't wait to read some of your personal statements this week.

AF: The Media Dean

Mayfair Alum Patrick Dean will be coming in to class to chat with us about his journey from Mayfair to CSULB, and then to UCLA Extension, and finally to Pepperdine, where he earned his MBA -- I'm very proud and excited to invite him back to speak with you; please prepare a few questions in advance for his visit.

(You'll have to ask him, but I think he was in my AP classroom during 2001-2002.)

AF: Community College Students! Please read

Dear Students who are going to community college first...please read this article:  Community College Students Vexed by Placement Tests

AF: Get your blog on

You will become a blogger this year. Writing for an authentic audience who has expectations of you is excellent practice for writers and thinkers.  You must be clear; you must discuss things that merit discussion; you must make sense. If you cannot write clearly, no one will really be able to respond to you.  When you cannot make yourself understood, you are effectively silenced, no longer a part of the ongoing conversation and exchange in the world of ideas.

“If thought corrupts language, then language can also corrupt thought.”  —George Orwell

The basic ground rules:

1. If you have not already, you will need to create a Google account.  It’s easy and free.  I suggest that you create an email address that is simple and professional; standard on most college campuses and in corporate settings is your first initial, followed by your last name: You must sign each post with your real name.
2. Absolutely, positively no flaming.  You may question one another, ask for clarification, admit that you don’t understand what somebody is talking about, add a point that you believe somebody has missed, but you must NOT attack people.  Challenge ideas, ask for clarity, but do not bash one another.  If I have to censor you for this, expect one warning; the second time, your access to the blog will be blocked and I’ll simply enter a zero for this part of the assignment.
3. Please do not waste our time or bandwidth with “Me too!” and “I agree with you!” responses.  Such posts are ANNOYING.  If you agree or disagree, EXPLAIN yourself.

Round 1: What’s Next?, Peter Elbow and the Personal Statement

You’ve received the texts for this unit.  Read and annotate them with thought and careful consideration.  You’ve also read your chapter of Peter Elbow’s Writing With Power.  These will be the primary sources for your discussion starters.

Basically Fine Performance

Write one post— that is, you have to originate a conversation. When you start a conversation, refer directly to which of the texts you are reading and the question you want to raise.  Give us enough information so we can orient ourselves and figure out what you are talking about.  Use your questions generated from the handout of texts and even make connections to outside sources (if you’re ambitious, use any part of Peter Elbow’s Writing With Power, too!) to start a conversation for the rest of the class to consider.

These conversation starters should be between 400-450 words long.  Anything shorter will not be effective.  

Respond to Two Classmates

You must respond to someone else’s conversation at two times.  You may also respond to a response.  Good conversations can become quite lengthy.  Your responses should also be complete thoughts, fully explained.  I don’t want to get all nit-picky on word counts; just don’t go overboard (rambling is never a good idea), and make sure you say enough to make a point.

I’d like to see you involved over a course of several days; all blog work posted in one day subverts the spirit of open discussion, so will receive half credit.  We have approximately three weeks left for this unit; don’t jam the work into one or two days. Good writing comes from a thoughtful place; poor writing is almost always superficial.

Let’s see a lively exchange of ideas!  If you are confused, go to your classmates for help.  If you see something on television, online or in the newspaper that relates to what we are working on, share it.  And watch for my posts — when I see something that I want to share with you, I go to the blog with it.

If you’re curious to see how a class blog looks, you can read an example from Ms. Fletcher’s AP English 11 summer homework blog from this year.  Familiarize yourself with how a blog works: Explore; orient yourself with the format and how to post; understand how the posts are catalogued; browse a few entries and the responses to those threads.  Keep in mind that not all student posts and responses met Ms. Fletcher’s expectations.

Feel free to email me with questions or problems; that’s what I’m here for.  I honestly don’t mind; however, I may redirect many of your questions back to the blog.