Scholarships

Scholarships are very important tools that we as students need to learn to take advantage of. First of all, college does help greatly with financial aid. College is a lot more expensive now than it used to be, and scholarships are a great way to earn some of that cost. The amount of money that families can afford to contribute to their student's college has declined. $5,000 is found to be the most that some families can contribute to their child's education outside of school, which is barely enough to cover textbooks for four years. The cost of apartments, food, books and supplies has also risen to very expensive prices. Many states have made large cuts in public funding, like higher education. This is one of the reasons that collages have increased tuition, which increases the amount of money that students now have to spend. The last reason, and maybe the most important reason, is that college debt is not something that students should go into. One quarter of the US population owes a total of $700 billion in student loan debt. Debt is a very bad thing to have, emotionally, physically and relationship wise. If people have student debt, then they are going to feel trapped to work off the debt at a job which is going to put stress on them both physically and emotionally. Also, if people are being forced to work than they cannot settle down and have a family which will effect their relationships. Scholarships will help to eliminate some of this debt.

Reflection Blog

1.)The things that I have left to do in order to complete high school are to;

• Complete my last year of High school. (I must obtain all of my required credits in order to move on to college.) {2015-2016}
• Take my ACT {Summer of 2015}
• Obtain recommendation letters for the colleges that I wish to attend {2016}
• Write a required essay with a provided prompt {2016}

2.) I am academically where I need to be. My GPA and class rank are satisfactory and will allow me to get in to a good college. I take all AP and Pre-AP classes, except for English and History which I take Dual Credit for.

3.) I feel as though these colleges are really the ones for me. I could change the last one, I would rather not go there, but I feel as if it's a good option right now. I suppose that I could modify my search if needed, and I probably will. I have put a fair amount of research into all of these colleges, as well as visited them all.

School Systems of America and Iceland

The United States has it's residents attend school for a longer amount of time than Iceland does. America's students attend grade school from the ages of 5 to 18. Iceland has their residents attend school from ages 6 to 16. America's students have a better knowledge of many things in general, but Iceland had many people who specialize in their field of work. They graduate early from their form of "high school" so that they can start schooling for exactly what they want to do. Iceland offers their students more time in order to become really good at a certain job. However, they have to know immediately what they want to do at the age of 16. America offers a wider range of job opportunities. For instance, they provide more time for students to decide on a career and they allow for career changes. There is an infinitely larger number of  universities in the U.S. than there are in Iceland, which provides more career opportunities for America's residents. I think that there are pros and cons to both school systems, and I think that  both systems are satisfyingly effective. 

Is College Worth It?

I do think that college is worth the time and money that many people spend in order to obtain a degree and knowledge. Many jobs in modern times will hire someone who has a college degree over someone who has more experience. You can acquire higher-level jobs, hence higher-paying jobs, when you have a college degree. The time and energy that you put into college will eventually be repaid through your job. College is a very vast place where people are constantly learning more about the world around them. You learn how to live on your own in college. For most people, learning how to balance classes and a job is a difficult experience that makes you stronger and you eventually reap the benefits. If you acquire a high paying job for your high paying degree, than all of the money that you put into your degree will be paid back to you. If you want to pursue a career in which it does not provide a lot of money, than it should be worth it to you to pay for the schooling in order to do what you love. It is becoming increasingly difficult in today's society to get a job without obtaining a college degree beforehand. There are schools that you can go to that offer the same education as well known schools that are for cheaper. There are ways to go through college without debt if that is a concern. College graduates generally have better interpersonal skills, have a longer lifespan, and have healthier children, physically and mentally. If a child is born into a family in which both of him/her parents are both college graduates, they have a better likelihood of also attending college and obtaining a degree. I do think that a college degree is worth it both economically and socially. People who have college degrees have proven their ability to achieve major milestones and experience success.

Spring Break

Over spring break, I mainly just enjoyed relaxing and enjoying my freedom, even though I had homework. I went to two different malls and my sister and I took care of our family friend's animals because they were out of town. They have two rabbits, a pony, chickens, a fish, and a dog. I went to grapevine to spend the night at a friends house and went to the movies. On the last days of spring break, I went to church, took the SAT and worked on homework.

Influential Leader

Cabraile Cooksey is the one of the most influential leaders that I have ever had. She continues to strive for the best, and her mindset is that she aspires higher, "because she can." Ever since I have known her she has taught me and pushed me to be the best that I could be, academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. She has surpassed everybody's expectations and continues to rise higher.
I think that he means what he says he means. Mr. Keating thinks that the things the human race lives for are beauty, romance and love, and that is why we write poetry, because poetry is about those things. He was trying to teach the boys that even though they were all studying to become doctors, layers, engineers, and businessmen those were not the only things to live for. I agree with him to a certain extent, that those are not the things that we live for but I do not think that we just live for beauty, romance, and love. I think that poetry is really cool and it can be clever. It is like telling a story but in a different, unique way.
I think that it is very important to look at things from another perspective so that you can get a better understanding of a situation. I believe that Mr. Keating's point is a very valid one. One time my twin sister got a bee sting and was crying and I had had a bee sting before and it hadn't hurt that badly to me, so I did not understand why she was crying. Instead of questioning her about her tears, instead I comforted her and helped her take out the bee sting, because I put myself in her shoes.
I do not know the "verse" that I will leave behind when I die, none of us know, but I hope that my verse has something to do with spreading the gospel of Christ and the good news that his name represents.

Influential Leader

I do not think that Neil was changed in any way because of Mr.Keating. He was depressed because of the choke hold that his father had on him, and I think that Neil would have killed himself otherwise. If anything, Mr.Keating prolonged his life by teaching him to live for what he truly wanted to do.
I think that Todd was the bravest of the Dead Poets boys because he overcame his fear of public speaking, and he was nice to Mr.Keating when nobody else was. He also stayed strong when Neil died. I think that Neil was the coward. Even though his father was pressuring him to do things that he did not want to do, he could have tried telling his father. I think that committing suicide is one of the most cowardly things that you could do.
I think that Neil somehow commandeered the poetry book, because Mr. Keating's passion was to teach the boys at school and I don't think that he would have done anything to jeopardize his career. I do not think that Mr. Keating gave the book to Neil. Neil showed traits of rebelliousness and I think that taking the poetry book from somewhere is something that he would do.

Carpe Diem

I consider Dead Poets Society's central theme to be Carpe Diem, or seize the day. The first lesson that Mr. Keating has with his students is about Carpe Diem. He wants them to make their lives extraordinary, to do something different and bold. Some of the students take this statement in a way that Mr. Keating did not intend for them to take it in. Charlie Dalton insulted the principal at their school and got in trouble, all in the name of Carpe Diem. However, there were benefits to Mr. Keating's lesson. Todd Anderson learned how to make a statement and stick up for himself and Knox Overstreet overcame his fear of talking to the girl that he loved. Carpe Diem is a running theme in this film that is referenced many times and thought of as both good and bad things. I think that the author and director of this story were trying to make a statement about doing something out of the norm, and being extraordinary. They were trying to tell their audience that it is okay to follow their dreams, and highly encouraged by them.

Follow up Character Questions

1. In the film "Dead Poets Society", Todd came in as a shy individual. His roommate Neil was a very outgoing character and he pushed Todd to come out of his shell. Mr. Keating also aided Neil in that task by forcing Todd to come out in class and share his opinion of things. In the beginning of the movie Todd would never have stood on his desk like he did at the end of the movie.
2. Neil's father is a static character. In the beginning of the movie he tries to control Neil and Neil's future. Through the movie Neil's father is mentioned and Neil hides certain things from him because he know that his dad will be upset at him. At the end of the movie Neil's father wants someone to blame for Neil's death, and is still stubborn and controlling.
3. Mr. Keating is a very colorful character. He is passionate about teaching and wants the students to be creative. I think that he was changed by his experience shown thought the movie, because the death of one of his beloved students changed him.
4. Todd Anderson was crippled by the fear of public speaking and doing things that were "out of the norm." His major traits are that he is shy but loyal, and he sees everything. I think that Todd does overcome his fear, because at the end of the movie he shows a great deal of maturing and outgoing improvement.
Neil Perry was an outgoing individual who wanted to make people happy, and personally took Todd Anderson under his wing. The fear that Affects Neil is that he is afraid of his father. Neil's dad was very controlling and Neil did not want to do any of the things that his dad was forcing him to do, school wise and career wise. He did not overcome his fear, instead he eliminated himself so that he would not have to deal with hid dad's demands.
Knox Overstreet was a levelheaded individual who turned out to be very daring. He was afraid of going after a girl that he loved because she was already taken. However, after hearing Mr. Keating's speech about Carpe Diem, he went after her. Knox did overcome his fear.
Charlie (Newanda) Dalton always seemed like a very obnoxious character. Through the movie he does dumb things to get kicked out of school, expose the "Dead Poets Society" and get in trouble. He blames all of his actions on Mr. Keating's Carpe Diem, but I think it was because he either wanted attention or he was insecure. I do not think that he overcame his problems, and in the end leaves the school.

Mona Lisa Smile Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the role(s) of women in the 1950's. As portrayed in the movie. How are they different from the view of Catherine Watson?

The roles of women in the 1950's as portrayed in the movie are very traditional. The women were expected to get married at a young age, provide for their family by concentrating on raising their children, cooking, cleaning, and providing anything that their husband needed. Betty's mother gave the impression that the women were supposed to turn their backs when their husbands were cheating on them. Katherine Watson did not get married at a young age, had an affair with more than one person in her lifetime, did not rely on a man to provide money for her but went out to provide for herself on her own. She also came up with a different approach on teaching her students in order to challenge them and make them think. These are ways in which Katherine Watson did not fit the common roles of women in the 1950's

6. The movie shows relationships of several characters. Were they acceptable in the society at that time? Why/why not?

The relationship between Katherine Watson and the French professor is not officially acceptable in their society. Women were not supposed to have sexual relationships with people who they were not married to. Also, the relationship between Katherine Watson and her students was not acceptable. She knew her students on a very personal level and at the end of the year, the college said that she could stay if she kept only a professional relationship with her colleagues and with her students.

Katherine Watson vs. Charles Dickens

Katherine Watson was a very independent person, which was abnormal in the time period and society that she lived in. While teaching at Wellesley, Katherine Watson did not teach using the same methods that so many teachers at that school used. Miss Watson taught her students to think outside of the box and to not conform to society. She taught her students things outside of the facts from the textbooks that they were not used to learning. In Charles Dickens novel "Hard Times", he writes that facts are all that students need to learn, and that facts are the only things that are going to help the children in the future. Katherine Watson's teaching style was far more personal and based on opinion than the character in Charles Dickens' novel is.

Mona Lisa Smile Review

The movie Mona Lisa Smile is a story about a woman named Katherine Watson, who through her experience at an all girls school changes her for life. The theme in this story, I think, is not to conform to the normality of what the world is doing. I liked the non happy endings in this story, because often times movies have too many happy endings and the bitter-sweet ones in this story make it believable. I did not like all of the affairs and crying, that made it sad.

Mona Lisa Smile Plot Line Prediction

Mona Lisa Smile is a film about an art history teacher who starts teaching at an all women's school. The student's only goals are to get married and the teacher teaches them to have different goals for themselves. While teaching her students to be more in life, she also finds herself and discovers her true love. That is what I think the movie, Mona Lisa Smile is about.

High School vs. College Exams

High school testing is relatively easier than college is when it comes to tests, quizzes and exams. High schools around the nation tend to test their students based upon the materials that they have already learned. For instance, in a certain math class if the students learn a certain type of problem than they will most likely be tested on that exact same problem but with different numbers. In college, the students will get a lecture from their professor. Next, although it depends on the class and the professor, the students will most likely be expected to learn the material by themselves and then be prepared to be tested on it. In college, the students are tested on material that they haven't specifically learned, but based off of information that they have learned. Also, in high school the students are tested more frequently and with less information, whereas in college the tests contain more information and are seldomly given. Tests in college are most definitely going to be more difficult, seeing as it is a higher level. The way to prepare for each level of exams is to study avidly and with much consideration, not procrastinate on assignments and have a positive attitude about what the learning material is.