Advice for high school

     Last night, I talked with my older sister, who is currently a Sophomore, about what it's like to be in high school. She says it's a lot like middle school, but you have new teachers, and more freedom to choose what classes you're interested in.
     There are of course new students, so you have more people who are interested in what you like and you usually make a few new friends. You get to mingle with students in other grades as well, which can be fun.
Although the idea of going to a bigger school with more people may seem intimidating, she says it's really not. Just like you were nervous for middle school, and it ended up being much better than elementary, the same goes for transitioning from middle to high school.
     As for advice goes, just do your best. Stay organized, so you get things in on time. Manage your time so you don't get overwhelmed, and set aside time to study so when tests come up, you know the material. She says high school is less about blending in, and more about finding out who you are, being yourself, and learning what you're interested in.
     Personally, I am nervous about high school, but I was nervous about middle school too, so I'm sure it will be fine. This is the last stage, until independence, until college. I guess I will just try to enjoy it and do my best. Here we go.

Only 17 school days left until freedom!! And high school :c

School In a Perfect World

     School in a perfect world wouldn't be so different than it is now. Although there are certainly improvements to be made. First off, all students, in every country, would have the best quality utilities to enhance their learning experience. For example, everyone would have iPads or laptops, smart boards, and comfortable classrooms.
     Next, classrooms would have no more than 15 students. This way everyone could sit in a half-circle formation, where they could ask questions and actively participate without feeling like small questions aren't worth asking. This would help them learn and decrease the number of students that don't pay attention.
     Students should not be forced to participate in non-academic classes, such as PE. They come to school to learn, and have the ability to be active during the break periods. Breaks should last for 30 minutes  three times a day. This allows time for students to relax, eat, socialize, and exercise, which in turn improves performance when they return to the classroom.
     In addition to the required classes, more electives should be available. At least five different foreign languages, arts such as ceramics and painting, creative writing classes like poetry and song composing, and other electives that open the eyes of students to possibilities in their future.
     With the best materials, small classrooms, frequent breaks, and better class options, school might truly be perfect. Although this may never become a reality, we can always take baby-steps to making improvements around our school, the future comes one day at a time. Work hard, clean up your school, organize a fundraiser for new equipment, or just thank a teacher for your education.
   

Found this in my photos. We go to this wildlife refuge every year on our trip to Idaho to see family. It feels like a hidden gem, even if it is just a large expanse of untouched land.

I Believe

     I believe I can do anything. I'm not extraordinary, like Wolfgang who was composing by the age of five. I might not even be special, but I know if I want something, I can be unstoppable. So many times in life, we are the only thing standing in the way of our own success and dreams. We strive for things that we think ourselves capable of achieving, which is good, but usually we are capable of so much more than we know.
     A quote from one of my favorite movies, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower: "We accept the love we think we deserve." Although this is true and leads to many disastrous relationships, it applies to more than love. We accept what we think we can do, when we expect more from ourselves, more is what we receive in return. For example, I keep a constant 4.0, and people always say to me,"It's because you're smart, I wish I was smart." And they would be completely wrong, I'm just dedicated. Things don't come easy to everyone, which is obvious, but when they don't come easy, you just have to work harder. Straight A's don't come from being too tired, too busy, or just too lazy to do your work. If you really want something, it becomes a priority. Over sleep, sports, video games, etc. Of course it's not just grades, maybe what you want to do is simply be the best at something you have a passion for, music, art, athletics.
     In this day and age, there are so many paths and opportunities for every person. I don't know what I want to do, but whatever I do pick to pursue  I will do my absolute best. When I have a goal in mind, or decide what I have a passion for and where I want to set my horizon, giving up is not at option. In my personal life, I sometimes feel frustrated when I loose sight of the true meaning of success. When I fail at something I get stressed, but failing is not the same as giving up. If you are doing your absolute best, you are giving 110%, and you are getting all C's, then you are succeeding.
     Don't accept how other people measure success, by a score, a weight, a time, or a grade. Give your all at everything you do. If I feel like I can't do something I just remember, "It's alright not to know all the answers." and keep pushing forward. Perfect is fake, so don't strive for it, beauty is in the imperfections. You are invincible.

If you're looking for something to listen to with a nice beat that's slighty alternative, try Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood.

My favorite quote of all time, and something we should all think about, was said by Mother Teresa. It makes me think about the fact that we're all part of something that's so much bigger than ourselves, and even if our best efforts only affect one person, it's still making a difference. 

                               "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

I would like to play around more with shadows, and reflections. Here's some random bird.

Here's a monkey picture for your enjoyment. They were very active when we went to the Wildlife Safari. I decided this one should be named Chester...

Yes, I take pictures of lots of things, including my food! I would die for some of these right now... A little riverfront shop makes these up in Spokane. I'm not sure how you like your donuts, but these are perfect! They're tiny, fluffy, and sweet. Definitely going back for more next time I'm up there!

If you like blogs that are entertaining and funny, go check out Elena's blog http://randomlydaydreaming.blogspot.com/ . She does a wonderful job of illustrating her dreams for the reader. It's very fun to read, and I highly recommend it. I wish my dreams were as interesting as hers!  Just hear this excerpt: “…when I say "completely full", I mean that it looked like someone had turned the fridge on its side and poured a couple barrels of hummus in there.  I opened it and a ton of hummus fell out onto my feet. I was not pleased about this, but my whole view of hummus changed when I looked into the fridge again.” Go check it out!

So ready for summer!! The weather feels like it's almost here <3

Picking a disease to research, I chose  Creutzfeldt , or Jakob Disease. Mainly because it isn't well known, I've certainly never heard of it before. If I were to choose one disease to CURE, it would probably be cancer, because it affects so many people. I'm guessing everyone will do that, and I already know about it, so here are a few facts on Creutzfeldt disease.

-There is no cure

-It starts by progressive memory loss

-The disease was discovered around 1920

-It is a disease that affects the brain, similar to Mad Cow disease

-Usually affects people around the age of 68

-Progression of the disease can take from 3-14 months before it becomes fatal

Because this disease is not curable, to help people living with Creutzfeldt, do your best to support them. Eventually they may not remember who you are, but be there for them as much as you can.  Hope this was informational for you!

Took this one at the Wildlife Safari! Happy Birthday to meee, hope everyone is having a good day!

Todays message: There's always time to stop and smell the flowers<3 Happy Friday everyone from Button(: