The State of my Education: Senior Year Thus Far (2nd Installment)

Apparently, sixteen days ago, I made a post similar to this one.  I'm here to share my thoughts about the end of my high school career in the past sixteen days.  I don't know if anyone is actually reading these 'State of My Education' posts, but that's okay.  I'm doing them for me.

Psychology continues to be my favorite class and surprisingly, Statistics has too (French is a staple, as is band).  I've kind of been playing with this idea to make what I'm learning in psychology into videos.  It's such as interesting subject and it wouldn't only help me, but it might also give other people a chance to figure out if this subject is something that they want to look into more.  I might have to do this with biology too, but they're not going to be as good, because I'll be studying the book by myself, basically.

I'm still trying to look for a group after school.  Tomorrow is an introduction with lights and sound for theater (I didn't end up getting a part in any of the plays that I tried out for this fall, but I ended up getting called back for both and had a lot of fun.  I received a very nice, unprovoked compliment from one of the student directors and now I'm extra motivated to try out for the musical and/or one-act plays in the spring-ish time.  If theater doesn't work out in the lights and sound areas (not that there's an audition process, it'll be more like, how available am I to do what they want me to do), I think I'll join the gay-straight alliance.

Band is going swimmingly.  I'm continuing to swim and not drown in the intricate and fast-paced music we've been given.  Earlier in the year, I was really worried because last year I relied on my stand-partner a lot.  I only really realized how much I was relying on her this year when I only had myself (and yes, other sections as well, but mostly me, being the only bass clarinet in the band) to figure out the music.  I feel as though I have conquered 7/8 and 8/8 time, which is a pretty huge feat for me.  I've gotten the counting down and now I don't really need to count as much and I can just play by feel.

English, while it will always remain my favorite, is kind of slipping for me.  It's not what we're reading and it's not the teacher.  It's the fact that I can never (hardly ever, excuse me) get a word in the discussion because there's one guy that jeopardizes the conversation, throwing quotes in every possible direction and reading into absolutely everything.  Not to mention what appears to be sucking up to the teacher.  I'll admit though, this guy has gotten a little better.  The teacher has noticed his over-participation and he's begun to make him cut back a little and allow everyone else to chime in every once in a while, which I greatly appreciated.  I'm starting to appreciate my teacher's teaching style more and more.  Discussion is always good and interesting.  I've learned that I need to learn how to think faster.  I mull things over in my head way too much.  I have yet to make a ground-breaking point in that class.  It's only a semester long, so I need to get a move on.  Taking notes seems to be the way to go.

Statistics is the one kind of math where I feel smart.  I don't know if it was because I had precalculus last year and algebra 2 the year before that, but everything just comes with a little to a moderate amount of work.  That's not to say that I don't ever make mistakes, but with some of the problems and concepts that people have stumbled over, I feel like I've managed to avoid most of those.

Biology... I'm sorry to say that I don't have very many good things to say about biology.  It's basically turning into an independent study for everyone.  Class time is wasted for one reason or another.  If we have a question, we're told to go and read the chapter.  Take notes.  Make a concept map.  It's a chore to find out what the homework is.  We could get to Friday and find out that we have three assignment due that day, two of which we were not aware of.  So we scramble to get them done.  My big issue is, I don't like being taught to take a test.  I want to learn what's going on in Biology and I want to be able to apply it to life in general, but so far I've only been learning how to take this one test in April or May that I'll never be able to take again.  I'm sad that it has to be this way, but I really don't have a choice.  I'd either have to switch into chemistry or physics (both of which I hated with a passion) or drop the Biology course, but that's really not an option at all, because I need to take an AP science class to graduate.  Boo...

I just had my first France trip meeting tonight!  I wrote my letter to my mystery host family (I can't wait to start corresponding with them and finally meet them!).  I filled out an interest inventory that will help me become matched with a family that fits who I am (or who I fit best with, since the company we're traveling through doesn't get to choose any family in Lorient, just those families that are willing opening up their home to let basically a complete stranger live in their house for five days.  It sounds a little scary when I say it here and when you're hosting someone from a different country for the first time ever, and it kind of is, but on a smaller scale.  You only know the people that are coming to live with you for a short time based on what they put down on paper.

Seriously, I'm not trying to scare anyone away from hosting a foreign exchange student-- it's really rewarding in many ways and it's something my family has never come to regret either of the times that we hosted.  Even if you find out that hosting isn't for you after your first time, you'll never regret that you tried.  That's the beauty of it.

Okay, I've already written a short novel, so I'll end this here and I'll start another 'State of my Education' post... soon.

Thanks for reading!

--Jude