Next Steps...

It has been established that I am one of the many people working on college blogs. As of today, I am collaborating with our "leader", Chelsey, to determine how to connect our blogs into the periscope. We have the set up in gear with ideas of the topics of the tabs above the page. Our next step is to write the welcome for the Home page, so visitors will get the whole gist of our idea. 


We also determined that this College Periscope is going beyond the high school curriculum. We plan to take this to the next level and be able to develop the blog into a legitimate place to get information from actual college students. This will be not exactly a moral support site or even Facebook. It will just be a place to find the facts out from incoming freshman going through the whole process.


At this point, I'm guessing this will look like a group effort kind of project because we're slowly but surely getting all the facts covered. We'll be able to present it, no doubt. The fact of the matter is that it's not going to be a presentation of the end of a project. This is just the beginning of the journey (cliche, much?) and we're just getting started on the ins and outs of this endeavor.

Blog in Progress.

At the moment, my college blog has been created and designed. From here on out, I need to kick it up a notch and add all the necessary info that will complete the idea of all the pages. There is a welcome post, but it's time to get in the groove and put up the real content people need. Since I plan to continue this blog past high school, more stuff will be frequently added. Two weeks will be enough time to get the majority of the basics down and to weigh in on the opinions of other soon-to-be Bruins. 


I will add as a side note that this project is something I'm very dedicated to and plan to commit full on to. I think it's so important for other prospective students to see all the college opportunities they have and not just focus on the obvious options. This blog will be a good, personal insight into what Belmont is all about and I'm so happy to be able to provide a legitimate source that can be hands on and worthwhile.

The Game Plan.

For the next few days that we have left in this course, I will be dedicating my time to a college FYI blog. Now what does this entail exactly? Well, I have it set up so that anyone has access to discover a bit more about the university in which I will be attending next year. It has different tabs/pages dedicated to specific subject areas about the college (i.e. academics, majors, living in Nashville, etc). I also have one tab that will be my journey of discovering the college, why I chose it and random opinions from other "baby Bruins". 


One of my goals for this blog is to add as much info as possible, so kids (and any other visitors for that matter) know a bit more about the small college from the eyes of an actual student. It gives another insight on what the school is really about that isn't influenced by anyone but myself. I plan to continue this here and there during my first year as a freshman in which I will blog occasionally to update the viewers on the usual events that occur while attending Belmont.


In order to get all the information I need, I'll refer to the other outlets that have facts about the college. I'll be using the official college site, along with other materials they have sent me through the process of my college application and acceptances. I have plenty of resources to cover the majority of topics, so I assume I'll have no real problems with informing the public on what I know about the university.


Like previously stated, I plan to start as we speak and continue throughout my first year at college. Although I understand I may get busy with my real classes and busy schedule, I want to try to make this blog a priority so I don't completely abandon the idea and leave people hanging. I believe (or would like to believe) that someone may benefit from this resource, so I'd like to make it a valid place to go for info.


By the time I have finished all the ins and outs of this project, I plan to present it just like any other website. I would explain how the layout of the site is and how to use it for the full extent. Even when I continue it into my freshman year, if any visitor were to have a question about the info on the blog, I would be happy to respond and answer anything. 


I'm hoping this blog not only benefits incoming seniors of high school, but the general public as well. It's always great to have more sources for colleges and have all the doors open for those kinds of opportunities.

Charity Matters.

Hey y'all! Normally, I wouldn't post something like this to a curriculum blog. But because this is an important cause to me, it's worth it.


So, a few months ago, I went to visit my best friend in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was more to reunite and visit colleges, but in the end, it was way more than that. One night, we volunteered to help serve a homecooked meal for a group of homeless women through an organization called PACEM. Long story short: it was one of the most humbling and greatest volunteering services I've ever been a part of.


Right now, they are in the running to receive a grant from Statefarm Insurance for $25,000. This is where you come in. I would greatly appreciate anyone to take a couple minutes out of their busy schedules to vote for PACEM (in the state of Virginia). If PACEM stays in the top 40 organizations, they will receive the money, which will do SO much for the homeless community in Charlottesville. Here is the site in which you can cast your votes:


http://www.facebook.com/statefarm/app_376288832400015

So, if you could please just check it out and cast a vote or two, I would be forever thankful and grateful. PACEM is an amazing organization and I know they would appreciate everything you could do to help!


Thanks again!

The Practice Continues...

With the surprise reminder of how important AP literary terms are ("pop quizzes" are SO not my thing), I am taking a step away from the AP resources and moving full force in preparation for the lit terms test on Friday. It may not seem like this will contribute to the long run goal of the AP test, but in all actuality, it will help me in greater lengths. 


Knowing the meanings of words such as metaphor or paradox at the snap of my fingers will allow my multiple choice question pace to increase. I'll be able to recognize the different terms in certain passages easily and it will let me finish the reading and answering quicker than ever before. Even the simplest of words (hello simile and plot!) will contribute to this plan in the biggest ways possible.


So even though I may be just studying literary devices/terms, these words will go a long way on the AP exam. And it does kill two birds with one stone, I may add!

Making Progress...

Today, I looked at the practice test with answers. This resource is perfect for me because I'm the kind of learner who understand when I can see the answer before the question. I'm better at back tracking than just flat out answering questions. After going through all the prompts and questions, I realize now that I need to work on pacing myself. Like anyone, I get tired of reading given prompts over and over again. In order to keep my endurance up for the whole test, I have to just keep a moderate pace so that I can finish the test with time and not wear out in the end.


I also need to study the literary terms that I don't know. Although most of them have become second nature, some are still a bit foggy in my mind. I need  to clarify some of them so if asked a question specifically relating to the terms, I can answer without hesitation. With the practice we're doing every day, I feel confident that my score will reflect the progress I'm making in my study time.

A Reflection on Unstructured Learning.

From the moment that I decided somewhere deep inside myself that I wanted to try my hand at being a costumed adventurer, to the moment I first stepped out into the night with a mask on my face and the wind on my bare legs, took about three months.  Three months of self-doubt and self-ridicule.  Three months figuring out how the hell I was going to make myself a costume.

The costume was difficult, because I couldn't start designing it until I'd thought of a name.  This stumped me for a couple of weeks, because everyname I came up with sounded stupid, and what I really wanted was something with the same sense of drama and excitement as "Hooded Justice."

Eventually, a suitable handle was provided inadvertently by one of the other cops that I worked with down at the station house.  He'd invited me out for a beer after work two or three times only to be turned down because I wanted to spend as much of my evenings working out in the Police Gymnasiums as possible, after which I'd usually go to bed around nine o'clock and sleep through until five the next morning, when I'd get up and put in a couple of hours workout before donning my badge and uniform in readiness for my day job.  After having his offer of beer and relaxation turned down yet again by reason of me wanting to be in bed early, he finally gave up asking and took to calling me "Nite Owl" out of sarcasm until he finally found somebody else to drink with.

"Nite Owl."  I liked it.  Now all I had to come up with was the costume.


The text from The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons provides so many different outlooks on how to accomplish the impossible and unimaginable. When the author(s) talked about how "three months of self-doubt and self-ridicule" turned into something so worthwhile, it makes the hardest of obstacles and the worst of trying times seem manageable. The theme being put across in this text is that even when the going gets rough, just stay strong and try and try again. Sometimes, the hardest assignments can kill you but as we all know, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and makes you a fighter.


The author(s) seem to encounter: creative blocks, doubt, loss of self-esteem, low confidence levels. That whole journey makes us strive to work harder every day to accomplish what seems to be the most frustrating or grueling tasks we could ever imagine. After all, we're only human and we have to fight off what we're feeling sometimes to reach the top of the mountain we need to get to. No matter if the seas get rough and something as simple as a name can drag you down, once completed, you realize it's completely worth all the stress, worry and work that was put into it.


Another small theme is the idea that the slightest moments can be the biggest inspirations in the end. Whether it be a personal nickname or something you see on the street, inspiration is all around. We have to be open to anything in times of need for it and we have to look for inspiration with eyes wide open at all times. Inspiration is always necessary in the life of a creator---which we all are creators somehow and someway. The theme of being on the hunt for inspiration does not only apply to "Nite Owl" but also in our every day lives to keep it fresh and original every day.