The Finale

I suppose there are many topics I could talk about in my last post: grades, finals, college, summer plans (academic of course), and senior year. 

 

Only an hour ago I returned from Los Angeles where I celebrated my sister's college graduation from USC. Being there for her accomplishment in turn made me reflect upon my junior year. At the moment my grades are unsatisfactory, but in these final weeks I plan to work that much harder to bring them up (better late than never). I also must begin to prepare for my first SAT while simultaneously studying for finals. I hope to bring my grades up high enough where my finals have little negative affect on my grades. And even after that last exam on June 6th my school year doesn't end. I have the pleasure of AP Lit homework and college applications. Although I currently have no idea how to complete either of those tasks I know that once they are complete there  will be a huge sigh of relief. I also hope to visit more universities over the summer to gain a better knowledge of where to apply and what type of college I want to attend. Currently I hope to visit Sand Diego State and Loyola Marrymount, possibly Azusa Pacific. Thus far my high school career has been a great balancing act of social and academic and I only see this task becoming more difficult. I hope that this summer and senior year will be one of productivity and hard work coupled with indulgence and relaxation. 

To all my fellow AP Langstas, good luck and best wishes!

Almost There

Very recently I completed the SAT class offered at Westmont and just in a couple weeks I'll be taking my first SAT. Similar to most, I feel the pressure to score well and the worry that I may not. Unfortunately, I scheduled my SAT the weekend before finals, so I should probably start studying now... But as all these test crowd my mind I easily forget about the ACT. Although many schools do not recognize the ACT and prefer applicants' SAT scores I realize it may be in my best interest to still take the test. I'm still struggling to decide how to prioritize the ACT since school is winding down and summer is approaching. Some say that the ACT is "easier" than the SAT while others disagree. I suppose I should just make a decision and stick to it. Well either way my schedule is busy, junior year at its finest.

SoCal College Trip Day One

Today we visited Cal Poly and UCSB, although they are rival schools they have a lot of common. Both require a minimum completion of the A-G requirements and have great engineering schools. Their close proximity to home, warm climate, and relaxed environment are some of the qualities I found inviting about both schools. Also both colleges have large undergraduate programs with small graduate programs, which I found to be reassuring because each school centers their focus on their undergraduate students and prepping them to enter the highest level graduate program possible. I also liked the fact that Greek life (fraternities and sororities) does not have a large presence throughout the campuses because I have little support for the Greek system.
Of course to be some of the best schools in California Cal Poly and UCSB have very competitive submissions programs. On average students who are admitted to both schools have about a 3.7 gpa and higher with SAT or ACT test scores. But the qualitative data is not all they focus on; both schools look for applicants to be active in extracurriculars, such as leaders in clubs, volunteering, and sports.
Although I can see myself at either college, after today I favor UCSB. It's location, diverse student body, and variety of of majors seem to be more suited for the college experience I want to have. But today was only the first stop among many and with four more schools to visit I'm still unsure of the type of school I want to attend. I hope that by the end of this weekend I have narrowed down the schools I want to apply to.

Career Presentations

So for the past couple class sessions students have been presenting their possible future careers, including myself. I find it very interesting to see the wide spread of goals that every student has, and we're only half way through! Watching the presentation has given me possible career options if my first choice isn't the best fit for me. This project definitely gave me the opportunity to further explore my profession as a neonatal nurse. I made the conclusion that my ultimate goal is to be a neonatal nurse practitioner. They make the most money and work in Level III NICU, which was always my goal. They also are more educated because their title requires a Master's degree, and who wouldn't want that? Through my analysis I also found that nurses make very personal connections with the patients and their families providing a strong sense of community. I enjoy working in a team environment and with people, both of which nurses do frequently. Although I still have some doubts, this project gave me more confidence that neonatal nursing was the right job for me.

Finals

The most wonderful time of the year only to be preceded by the most awful time of the year. For some, finals have little effect on their lives or grades, but for others such as myself finals are the make or break for their grade. I find myself being on the cusp of B's or A's as finals are right around the corner. Due to the fact that finals are no more than 20% of our grades as long as I maintain at least a C average grades only drop 1 or 2 percent. Although, I realize that in college this is not the case. Finals are worth much more of one's grades and must be taken more seriously. It may be the latter half of my high school career but it can't be too late to build better study habits! And with the new year so close I have my first resolution: work harder during the semester so finals aren't so stressful. Wish me luck! Hope everyone else's finals aren't too scary!

Athlete-Student

If you don't know, I play volleyball for both high school and a club team named Stingray. Although many athletes are scouted by colleges through their high school teams, others are also evaluated throughout the club season. For some, club is recreational, but for most girls it is a way to earn scholarships to colleges. For example, a friend of mine has committed to playing for NYU. Until a couple of years ago I was seriously intent on playing volleyball in college. After watching my sister struggle as a student athlete I reconsidered. Although she only played on USC's club filed hockey team, a lesser commitment than Division 1,2, or 3 teams, she still found herself sacrificing time to play. Even friends of mine have difficulty balancing academics and sports at junior colleges, such as West Valley. Regardless of the commitment level, the trend seems to be athlete first, student second. For now, I don't plan on playing sports in college. Although, that doesn't mean if I were to get a scholarship to one of my dream schools I would decline the offer.

Naviance

Today we were introduced to a college and career website name Naviance. Here students can monitor colleges they are interested in and have teachers write letter of reconmendation. One of the most helpful things, I think, is the extensive personality test. After a series of questions Naviance provides a general personality assessment, a list of strenghts and weaknesses, and possible careers that go well with your personality according to what majors you are interested in.
The career options that Naviance suggested for me were interesting and jobs that I had never thought of. For example, a copy writer, crisis hotline operator, or a human resources manager. I plan on really utilizing this extensive list of possible careers to further explore what I really want to do in the future.
As a sidenote Naviance gives its users four letters to describe his or her personality but no explination of what the letters mean. I got ENFP, if anyone oculd tell me what they mean I would appreciate it. Please and thank you!