midterms 101

Midterms are kind of like a slap in the face. They tell you how you’re doing and show you that in a few weeks it will be the end of the trimester and finals. Being a high schooler you dread finals, they are stressful and hard and determine your final grade in the class or if you pass or not. Midterms aren’t as bad but can be stressful; here are some helpful ways to stay stress free for midterms and finals.

1.      DON’T GET BEHIND: getting behind is never a good thing, it drops your grade down and is hard to get back to getting things done on time. So the simple resolution is to just get it done on time and then you don’t have to worry about it. But that doesn’t mean you can make excuses about not getting it done because you had football practice or had to work, and ect. Most teachers are very understanding so they can help you and give you more time if you need it without it being late.

2.      BE THERE: absence though it may seem not that important it is! You miss the lesson the teacher teaches and you have a ton of makeup work in all of your classes, which can easily make you get behind and or confused in your class and not understand what is going on. I know that you can get sick and you really do need to stay home but it is your responsibility to get everything caught up with as soon as possible, the faster the better.

3.      PAY ATTENTION: yes, we all have those days where we are side tracked and not very focused but you need to try your best to stay focused, and yes some classes can be boring and long but pay attention so you can understand everything and get a good grade! Yes that does mean ask questions, no one’s going to make fun of you all they can do is help, asking questions helps you understand so you can focus better and in the end get a good grade.

4.      ORGANIZE YOUR TIME: do not wait until last minute to get your homework done, that basically forces you to do it fast and not really get and understand what is trying to be taught. Even your time out so you don’t have to wait until the last minute and you can have free time for other things.

5.      GET SLEEP: without sleep none of these things above will work, you will be tired in class and won’t pay much attention and when you do your homework you will not do it well, it is not smart to stay up until 1 on a school night, you should have a consistent bed times every night, so you will always be fully energized and focused.

Midterms can be stressful and so can finals so use these key things to help you get good grades in school and not be too stressed. (503)

cougar pride

Friday night, I was one happy cougar. Our football team at the start of the day was 0-5 and later 1-5. Everyone has been doubting the football team, because of their 5 games lost and none won, and they were just assuming we would lose Friday night, but they happily one with an outstanding score of 44-0. The football team came together and made all of us proud, and had a winning game on homecoming week!

                The student section was great too; all my friends and I went kind of all out for this game, we put yellow and green handprints on our face and it was awesome. The student section was much crowed and we all were screaming cheers and helping the boys win. And no offence to the seniors, they actually did pretty good and cheered.

The last couple games it has been the juniors starting all the cheers and it has also been the juniors that stayed until the end of the game even if we lost. I think it’s ridiculous if you’re just going to leave at halftime if we’re losing that is horrible and think about how it affects the football players! In a recent blog I talked about the sophomores not wanting to move back either, this game it was the same. I was one of those people asking me to move back and the literately stood there and glared and just made me feel so stupid, it was very rude. But I didn’t let them ruin my night.

I am very proud of the football team and I am one happy cougar(: (269)

homecoming week, sayyyy whahh

That one week in the year that everyone can look silly without getting judged is homecoming week. This past week at my high school was homecoming, for those of you that have no idea of what that is…. It’s basically a week before your annual “homecoming dance” where you have random kinds of days that you dress up for to promote school spirit.

This year we had a week full of random days, Monday was lazy day. Everyone showed up in sweatpants and t-shirts, some people even had flannel pajama outfits, some had slippers, and others footie pajamas, which personally are my favorite because of the fact that you get to look like a 3 year old. Lazy day is my favorite because the whole day you are just so comfortable.

Tuesday was “crayola” day; each class had a color to wear. Seniors got to be black, junior’s white, sophomores yellow, and freshman green. This year I wasn’t very happy with crayola day because the colors weren’t very fun like neon or random color themes like that. They were just all kind of boring you could say.

Wednesday was twin day. Everyone found a friend and dressed exactly like them as if they were real twins. It was fun to see some of the wacky outfits that people came up with. Some people really did look like twins and you could easily accidentally mix them up… which is what I did… oops.

Thursday was cowboy day, now everyone was not happy with cowboy day they all thought it was lame and not a lot of people participated with it. I did and I wore my flannel with pride (: some people even dressed up as Indians, high school has never failed to make me laugh sometimes.

Last but not least Friday was spirit day which meant that later that night was the football game (: Spirit day was easy to dress for, I saw people who literately had their face painted green! I waited later that night for the football game for paint but props to them! They had major school spirit!

The dance. Yes that dance that every girl goes incredibly all out for, and yes it really does happen. The homecoming dance is always a big deal, you have to get the perfect dress with the perfect shoes and jewelry, your hair has to be perfect along with the nails. Let’s just say homecoming is a very expensive event that most girls spend way too much money for. The girl is usually the one that plans everything and makes everything perfect so that night they can feel beautiful and dance their hearts out.

Homecoming is one of my favorite times of the year; you only get 4 of them in high school, so make a memory of it. (470)

fall time is my favorite time

I think it’s safe to say that fall has arrived and summer has left. I love fall, it is by far my favorite season, a lot of things are changing and happening in the fall. All seasons have their differences but fall has the most change.

Fall time is full of cool air, and all the leaves changing colors. When it starts getting cold out bonfires start happening, I love going home at night with the smell of bonfire and the memory of a great time with friends. Also when the cold air comes so doe’s football games, I get to go watch them on Fridays with my friends and on Sundays with my family and cheer on my team.

Oh and we can’t forget fall fashion, jeans and boots(: I love warm clothes and big sweatshirts. Then right around the corner we have Halloween where we can pretend to be whatever we want (:

            Fall is my favorite season, and describes almost all my favorite things. (167)

materialistic people....

We all know that one person who ALWAYS has to fit in. They always have the coolest phone and the most expensive outfit. Some of us try to fit up to their standards and others just don’t really care. But I always ask myself, why? What is the point of spending 200$ on a pair of jeans that you are only wearing to “fit in” what is the point of that? When maybe the jeans that you like only cost 20$. Materialistic people are everywhere now days and it is beginning to drive me insane.

                If you are one of these people I feel sorry for you, I’m not trying to sound mean. But seriously you should wear what you WANT not what someone else wants. Having money doesn’t mean everything, you really don’t need to flaunt it that much, or brag about it to the max. It’s annoying and you sound stupid.

                Now don’t think I’m telling you what to wear because I’m not. I personally have expensive jeans because I really liked them, but my whole wardrobe is not made up of all expensive jeans or shirts for that matter. I am not ashamed to say I shop at thrift stores, there is nothing wrong with them, and so what someone else has worn them, they are still the same clothing and still can be worn with just as much confidence. Also at the same time you are saving money, so WHAT A GOOD DEAL!

                I want people to read this blog post and then go wear what they want to wear, because they want to wear it not someone else! Thank you. (276)

clean freak 101

If you know me, you know that I am a very organized and clean person. I think I have OCD about organization and cleanness but I don’t know for sure. I mean you’re probably thinking to yourself that I’m one of those crazy people from the TLC shows, but I promise you that I am not crazy; I just like things being a certain way and place. I also am not overboard about it, if it’s not perfect I don’t break down or cry and throw a huge fit, I move on.

When I wake up in the morning I have a routine, I’m sure almost everyone does. I wake up shower, get ready, then after I make sure my room is neat and in the right place, I like to make sure there is nothing on the ground and that everything is in its right place, like for instance my TV remotes, are in order and always on my nightstand. I make sure that on my dresser my earrings are all in the right place and all my perfumes (which is a TON) are in the right order. It’s not that bad though I mean if I’m in a rush to get to school I don’t do any of that, I just leave and later that day I come and fix everything. It is bad at night though because when I go to sleep everything has to be perfect or I just don’t feel right and then I can’t sleep.

When I say organization I mean it, in my room, in my backpack. Everything is organized, and when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Even my closet is color coordinated. I feel that if things are organized you can find them easier witch in return makes life easier. If someone decides that they want to change my organization they will see me put it back to what it was like at first.

Cleanness. Where do I even begin, I like everything to be nice and clean cut. All my clothes have to be washed and clean. I also never leave my house without smelling delicious. Before I go to bed at night I wipe all my furniture tops with Clorox disinfectant wipes and I vacuum my room at least once a week. Okay, now when I read that over again in my head I seem above crazy but in my mind it’s just the right thing to do.

I guess it’s not the best thing to be crazy clean and organized, but it makes me feel better and that’s how it’s going to stay. Now on that note I have shared with you fellow readers a very secretive thing about me that not a lot of people know. Your welcome(: (461)

the wonderfull workforce

When I first turned 16 I wasn’t even thinking of having a job, but now 2 months before I turn 17 I gladly have a job. My mom was always constantly down my back about not having a job and learning how to have my own money… my thoughts on this were just that she wanted me to pay for everything. My mom at the time was my worst enemy.

Soon I went and applied for jobs, I think I filled out at least ten applications determined to get at least one call back, with the last place I turned in my application, I just knew it was the place, I got a call back that day. When I went in for my “Interview” I was scared to death, I didn’t know if what I was wearing was good enough or even what to say, when I talked with the manager though it just seemed so easy and the words just flowed out of my mouth, and I happily got hired. I am now a hostess at lone star, and I enjoy it.

I feel like having a job has actually taught me things, just like my mom said it would. I learn people skills and how to deal with the happy customers and then the bad ones. I also have learned a lot about responsibility and showing up to work on time and working my schedule around it. I also like having my OWN money to buy myself things and not have to 100% depend on my parents for things. Having a job is a good thing and I feel all teenagers should have one. You learn a lot of “street skills”, and yes sometimes it can be super stressful or busy, and I don’t get to hang out with my friends as much, but it’s all worth it in the end. (314)

sunday not funday

Sundays.       Yes I said it Sundays. That one day of the week that I dread more than Mondays. These days almost are like a slap back to reality, you have that nice 2 day break then bam you are back to getting ready for the work week ahead. Personally Sundays are my least favorite day of the week. If I had any say they just wouldn’t really be there, they would kind of just vanish away.

            My mom refers to Sundays as her peaceful and relaxing day, if you are or know a teenager it is just that, it is more like the night you cram before a history or math test, or the night you realize you have a 3 page paper or project due the next day. I would consider it to more stressful than peaceful by far.

            Now weekends are my favorite, you get a break from school and get to hang out with friends, for me I have a job and I usually work a double on Saturday and 10:30 to 2:00 Sunday morning, Friday nights I am usually with my friends and we don’t do much sleeping. So by Sunday all I want to do is relax and watch TV and watch all the Sunday football games all day but all I can do is homework. I mean some teachers are all like “you can do it Friday night or Saturday”, but who in their right mind would want to do it then? If I had it my way there just wouldn’t be any homework on weekends and people would be able to spend them however they choose, aka mainly sleeping. If I had it my way I guess I wouldn’t be complaining right now, would I?       

            It seems all adults love Sundays because of the fact that they generally do not have homework, so I guess I’ll just have to wait for my adult days for that night of relaxation. But for now, yes I do hate Sundays and no I don’t want homework on weekends.  Sincerely- high school teenager (347)

wilderness adventures

This weekend I went camping, and when I say I went camping I really went camping I mean out in the middle of nowhere without any electricity or bathrooms or anything. And let me tell yah it was fun and all but not as much as I thought it would be, but I would for sure do it again. You have those people that love the outdoors and camping but then you have the complete opposite that love the indoors and absolutely hate camping. I am one of the in-between both of those people. I love being outdoors but I also love all the indoor luxuries. When I go camping I either love it or I hate it, this past weekend I loved it except the temperature it could have been a bit warmer.

            I sure do love having things done for me, things that I don’t really think about like air conditioning, clean running water, and a furness. All of these items I go everyday with but I don’t really think about. When I’m camping though I sure do miss them, oh I almost forgot the most important of them all, a toilet (: when you’re out in the middle of nowhere you tend to realize what all you really do need on a daily basis. First, comes the tent which is my least favorite thing to do, because I tend not to be able to set them up very well and always end up needing help, but later that night when I want to sleep and get away from all the bugs I enjoy it. The fire is a main necessity to stay warm and cook food, this past weekend it probably got down to the low 50’s and it was extremely cold, I have no idea what I would have done without that fire. Water, I never realized how much water I use until it is no longer there for me to use, this past weekend I think I went through like 4 water bottles for cleaning my hands or washing something, not having it would be terrible.

            In a small way I feel that camping makes me think more and I like that, I become more aware of what I use every day. Everyone should go camping at, at least one point in their lifetime; it’s almost like a life lesson. (395)

Its the little things

Pet peeves… we all have them. Those things that when we hear or see them we instantly become annoyed and want to punch the person that’s doing them in the face (I know punching is bad but we don’t really do it we just really want to do it). Some might be pretty strange and some just ordinary things. I am one of those people that have quite a few, in reality I get annoyed a lot.

a.)   Now eating has got to be my 1# pet peeve, when I was brought up, my dad had strict rules on table manners, don’t eat or talk with your mouth open, don’t bite down on your fork and or spoon, don’t stab your plate, and don’t be messy. Now being raised with polite table manners is a good thing, but when you have to eat with others that don’t have such great table manners it’s really not that fun and fantastic. I am that person that if I eat with you and you bite down on your fork or crunch every bit of your food with your mouth open, I will gladly call you out on it. I know it’s kind of harsh but come on have some manners it’s loud and obnoxious.

b.)   Tapping, that constant sound of tap, tap, tap, ughhh. It has got to be the worst, especially when you are trying to do homework or maybe actually pay attention in class. The horrible thing is that you can tap pretty much anything, your hand, foot, pencil, nails, water bottle, leg, and etcetera. Honestly I can say I do it which makes me kind of a hypocrite, but when I do I try to be polite about it and do it when it’s okay.

c.)   We all have those days that something goes wrong and all you do is talk about it right? Right? Well then we have those people that just like to have something wrong ALL THE TIME. Complaining and complaining and yes more complaining. I mean yah I’m sorry but move on with your life everything will work out in the end it’s not something to freak out about and try and make everyone feel so sorry for you, just to tell the truth, yah maybe we care a little but not a ton, SORRY.

d.)   School hallways. People like to get to classes during passing time or their locker, we all have a place to be when the bell rings, so when you’re walking and you just feel like stopping it’s actually a pretty rude thing to do. Oh and yes when you do that people will push you out of the way, that’ just how things work at Kennedy bud.

Okay so now that I’m done venting… (Sorry about that). We all have a pet peeve some more than others. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on though. But seriously move on. (492)

puppy love

         

                A man’s best friend…. Sorry but it’s more like a women’s best friend in my world. My dog Phoenix (a chocolate lab) is for sure one of my best friends, sense she lives at my house, I tend to spend a lot of time with her. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her sleeping on my bed at night.        

My family adopted her when she was about 1 and I at the time was probably 8 or 9 at the time, she is now about 8 years old and yet she still acts like she is 2. That’s what I love about her though you give her a tennis ball and she just will not give up on it being thrown until you put it up, which sometimes can get super annoying.

All in all she is a great dog; my dad trained her so she knows how to sit and shake and all that fun stuff. She loves her walks and is entitled to them at least 3 times a week. She isn’t too fond of kids though because when she gets around them you can tell that she becomes super paranoid that something bad will happen so she stays extremely close to them, she isn’t very fond of other dogs either because she is our only dog and she gets jealous pretty easily.

When I go off to college it will be hard because whenever I leave I tell her goodbye and I always tell her hello when I’m home and when I’m gone for a long period of time she gets anxious as my mom would say but when I arrive back at home she goes back to playful ol Phoenix. We are very close because I have spent so much time with her half of my life and that’s why I love her so much.

Yes, she is very spoiled but we all know it could be 10 x worse, At least I don’t dress her up, that’s kind of a false statement because I would dress her up but she isn’t to happy when I do so, so I moved on from that stage. But I don’t take her everywhere I go I give us space.

Okay I know I sound crazy with this whole blog but she is a big part of my life, and no, I’m not a crazy dog lady if Phoenix wasn’t around 24/7 I think I would be alright, but she’s still my whittle pup in my heart.(421)

glitzz

          We all know that mom, that trys to fit in with her teenage daughter and wear the cool clothes and walk the walk. In some moms life’s they feel the need to put either their infant daughter and or son or teenage daughter and or son in beauty pageants and when I say beauty pageants I don’t mean put on a nice dress and answer questions about random things, I mean full out glitz. Now some of you have absolutely no idea what “glitz” is, glitz basically means the whole package you make your child look at least 10 years older with heavy makeup, dark skin, nails looking stunning, fake teeth that make your teeth look perfect and white, and huge hair. Some mothers go to the complete extreme having their daughters get spray tans, fake nails, and even dying their hair and don’t forget these children are young. It is complete craziness. I have no idea what these parents think when they do these things.         

          No offence to these moms at all, but some of them are crazy. They take these pageants to a whole other level. Making them top notch events and putting every second of their lives into these things let alone the amount it cost to enter and all the dresses and accessories. With some of the mothers you see, you can tell the child wants nothing to do with it, but they make them do it, almost like living their dreams through their child, sometimes they scream and yell at the child to make them which I think is pretty sad.

          I must admit when I watch this show I laugh at least once, either because the moms or so crazy or the fact that the children look 10 years older. The before and after pictures are crazy, they look like a completely different person. 

          A few good things I have noticed about the show is that the child learns to be very friendly and super outgoing. With the child only being between 1-16 it really helps them with their confidence level and capability of speaking in front of large groups. Also they memorize routines and that helps them in the future as well.

          The show has its ups and downs, in the pageant world it’s a crazy place to be and you compete to get to the top. I love the show and I always do the signature pose for people with my lips all puckered and my hand on my chin bobbing my head up and down and I have to say its pretty hilariarious! (433)

crappy lunch oh sorry i mean healthy lunch

Everyone knows that school lunch is usually the worst lunch. Even though you have those few people that think very highly about school lunch. Like me I personally don’t hate school lunch but I am still far from loving it. Now I come to school every day and by lunch I am pretty hungry, everyone is.           

 With being a junior I can now leave during lunch, so I can go get fast food or Hy-Vee or maybe even go home, bad food like that. Well now with the 2012 school lunch changes, lunch sucks. I mean a few years ago they took away pop, and candy. I know a lot of people were not happy about that, but I understood that yah it’s really not that healthy for you and you really should only have it in moderation. But now school lunch is what people see on cartoons, the gross sloppy food, that no one enjoys eating.

We are going so healthy this year that our noodles are whole grain, basically everything they put in our mouth is whole grain. We have to take a vegetable this year also or we will be charged more? That doesn’t make sense to me. Oh and let me tell yah NO desserts either, only every other Friday!?

Why exactly are they making these changes, because the children of America are becoming extremely fat, and yes that is true but not all of us are overweight? Why make all of us change our eating habits for the few that should? Okay okay I know I am blabbering on as the young teenager that I am but it just makes me mad.

            Now, for lunch I go out almost every day so I can actually enjoy my food. This also costs money that I really should not have to spend on food. Some people may say to just suck it up and move on and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I guess if I have to suck it up I will. Healthy food is not all bad some is actually really good, and at the same time good for you. Now that I have finished this blog I feel extremely fat for complaining about the food choice at school, sorry, oh gosh. (380)

ahhhh ZOMBIESS

             This past weekend I started watching season 2 of The Walking Dead, now I don’t know exactly why I am so fascinated by the whole idea of zombies coming alive and the whole population wiping out, but I am. The overview of the whole series is basically the whole word comes down with a zombie apocalypse and if you are bitten by a zombie you then become one. In the story of the series there are a group of people fighting to survive theses flesh eating zombies. I can honestly say I am addicted!       

The bad thing is that I’m addicted to any movie or book or even TV show about things even among zombies, like vampires, and mainly the world coming to an end. I have no idea why it is so interesting to me, but in reality think about it? What if something terrible came among us people? What would you do? How would you do it? What would you feel?  I feel like if you were a survivor among it you would most likely try to survive, or maybe not, maybe you wouldn’t want to be any part of it and “opt” out. There are just so many “what if’s” or “maybes”. I know I’m not the only one addicted to these series and movies.              

Movies, movies, and more movies. The movies are the things that make me think, have you ever seen “2012”, “War of the Worlds”, or “The Knowing”. In all of these movies the world almost or does come to an end. Now that makes me almost scared that something could happen to the world, but then again isn’t it all just a bunch of crap? 2012 has been brought up numerous times in my life and the closer and closer I get to it I tell myself it isn’t true but what if it is?   

I could go on and on about this stuff for days, but I will end on this note. What if? (332)

Yahh this whole about me thing?

         

In my life of living I have found that there are many nicknames for the name Samantha, some good and some not so much. I mean you have the basics like Sam, Sammy and Samuel, but then you have the book theme ones like Sam I Am, and then you have the farfetched ones like Sammalammajamma, Sambolina, Samison. If you haven’t already figured out my name is Samantha(:

I’m a little "cray cray" as some people might say. I’m usually the girl in the classroom that won’t shut up; talking has never been a hard task for me.

“HAHAHAHAHAH” yah that’s just me laughing, I LOVE to laugh and be funny. Jokes are the best… okay here’s one “Knock Knock” my voice , “Who’s there” in your voice, “Knock Knock” my voice, “Who’s there?” in your voice, and the last time “Oops I did it again” in my voice singing like Brittany Spears. Makes me laugh every time. Don’t glare at the computer; trust me I know you think it’s funny.               

Alrighty then next topic. Shopping, shopping has always been something I love, and yes I’m a little addicted. It’s just one of those things I can do to relax and get away from reality, I love everything about it. 

Let’s get a little personal now, I love hanging out with friends and family. I have two siblings that I am very close with and I have no idea what I would do without them. Let’s not forget about my dog though, I love my dog and she loves me and we always just have such a great time together(:          

          All in all I would say I’m your average highschooler, I mean I try to always get my work done, I hangout with my friends, I have a job, and I am new at driving. Oh wait sorry I forgot I only have my permit. Awkwarddddd. I don’t really know what it is about driving but it’s just not something I’m not all that interested in and I am a okay with that.

Hey, nice to meet you my name is Sam and no I do not like green eggs in ham.(362)

fridays are fierce days

FRIDAYS! The best day of the whole entire week, at least my favorite day of the week. I wake up to my alarm upset a first because I’m waking up so bright and early but soon happy because I realize It’s almost the weekend. The highlight of my day is that later that night I have a football game to attend with my friends.

          Now I and my friends take football games pretty seriously. We kind of go all out. I remember in 8^th grade we would just put on a Kennedy shirt and be ready, but not anymore. Every grade after that year we progressed to going more and more out. Each week when we are given a theme we take it to the extreme. Now that I’m a junior we make it a pretty big deal considering we sit towards the front and next year we sit in the front!  

          Glitter and paint is what it’s all about. Either we put big handprints on our faces or even just lines to show we are ready, usually we go with a cougar paw to represent. Now Glitter is the fun part though, we don’t just use a tiny bit of glitter but we progress to tons, we put in on our face, in our hair, EVERYWHERE. Trust me though it’s bad, very bad.           

          Now let me talk about handprints, they are by far my favorite, I have so many people come up to me and go “you have a hand print on your face” and I kind of look at them obliviously like are you serious I honestly had no idea, but hey thanks for letting me know. Also you get the death stares and glare with people looking at you like you’re an idiot for doing it, but I laugh at them because I like my handprint(:

          When we arrive at the games we try our hardest to get a spot, considering we have had to sit in the back freshman year, we deserve to be close to the front. I feel it’s time to address a BIG problem of former Kennedy students that don’t exactly follow the rules. Everyone knows that freshman are in the back, sophomores in front of them, Juniors, and then seniors in the very front. The new 2012 freshman are a little over populated this year and they kind of made their own section, but the darn sophomores don’t understand the whole “MOVE BACK” thing. I understand your considered “cool” if you’re closer to the front but I have waited for my spot sense freshman year and know I don’t get it because someone can’t wait their turn! I’m sorry I know I’m going a little out of control it just makes me very angry.   

          Anyways we kind of made them move back even if you’re going to swear at me I really don’t care. Next year you can have that spot but not this year, this year it’s mine.          

          When the final buzzer is sounded it is then time to return home, because yah now its FRIDAY, FRIDAY, gotta get down on FRIIIIDAAYYYY.(521)