Motivation :D

Hey Seniors!
I write for the juniors, but I decided I would make a blog to help you out through the last push of college applications :D

Playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPJPFnesV4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqgHosrqJ8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYws8biwOYc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUvPf_zuySA&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWDmau1Vbxs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJBHnInDrLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA90I6ZlBNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUYuIVbFg0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ

Motivational Quotes:

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up."-Anne Lamott

"Hope is a waking dream."-Aristotle

"Hope is necessary in every condition."-Samuel Johnson

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."-Theodore Roosevelt

"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."-Christopher Reeves

"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air."-John Quincy Adams

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity."-Louis Pasteur

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better."-Wendell Phillips

"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time."-Anna Freud

"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense."-Arnold Bennett

"Courage is fear that has said its prayers."-Dorothy Bernard

GOOD LUCK SENIORS!
<3 Celinda

PS, if you are still not convinced, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

Happy Holidays!

Twas the night before College deadlines
And all through Uni High
Not a student was stirring
Not even those who try
The essays were written with joy and care
In hopes that college decisions would soon be there
The students rested on their deserved winter break
While eating (Sorry PE!) lots of treats and cakes
And the other PCCs at home and I at my blog
Bring college help to clear the mental fog
When out by the mailbox, there arose such a clatter
I jumped off the couch to see what was the matter
Away to the window I ran with such speed
Folks on Cross Country should take heed ;]
The moonlight made the snow all bright
Like the school's awful fluorescent lights
When to my surprise, a car should appear
Pulling into my driveway to bring good cheer
With a young sassy woman, here to help
It must be Lisa, I said with a yelp
More speedy than Sally her smile it came
As she shouted colleges by their names
"Go Beloit, Go Wooster, Go Yale and Vandy
To Swarthmore, To MIT, To Knox and Bradley!
From coast to coast From the large to the small
Apply to them, apply to them, apply to them all!"
Like a Uni student coming across free food
Us PCCs were put in the right college mood
So to the computer all of us flew
With our college wisdom and dear Lisa too!
And, in a twinkling, we knew what to write
Blogs upon blogs to ease the junior's blight
Smiles and nods were spread all around
As Collegeboard was searched with a bound
It was full of college help, from beginning to end
Test prep, college search, and scores you can send
A flurry of websites and books that got our back
And candy brought by Lisa for our snack :D
Our mind--how it opened! Our hearts beat steady!
Our breaths, how they calmed, as we were ready!
Lisa with a smile, us with our grins
Our voices rose in quite a loud din
We made our Common App accounts right away
We thought of what our essays would say
Our teachers wrote fantastic recommendations
About how hard we worked on our educations
And Lisa produced our transcripts with care
Sending them to those colleges way out there
With the wink of her eye and the nod of her head
Made sure we knew we had nothing to dread
All school year we worked as PCCs
In order to help make the process a breeze
As the blog and the work came to a close
We all stretched our hands and from the couch we rose
Lisa sprang to her car and gave a wave
We sighed with relief, knowing we had been saved
But I heard her exclaim, as she drove out of sight
"Good luck with college, it will be all right."

Happy Holidays everyone!
-Your PCCs

C is for College (Part II)

It is December 29th. (HYPERVENTILATING)
College apps are due starting Friday going into the first week of school for most schools. So, Seniors? Hang on, it's almost done. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPJPFnesV4

Now for some fun with the help of Princeton Review!
We all know about the U.S. College Rankings. I have a beef with them, but more on that in a different blog. Princeton Review has some fun lists, and here are just a few!

Best Classroom Experience:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=773&RDN=1
This category is based off of student reviews on the professor's skills as well as the student contribution in class discussion!

LGBT-Friendly:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=707
How open minded are the students when it comes to homosexuality? For those especially in GSA, you might be interested in some of these :]

Big Frat/Sorority Schools:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=724
Frats and Sororities have gotten some bad reps, but remember they are insititutions interested in philanthrophy. Discuss with your parents about Frats/Sororities, and make sure you know how to stay safe at college, including college drinking.

Happiest Students:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=712
HUGE NOTE: Happiness is one of the hardest thing to measure. This list is decided upon student reviews. However, just because a school you like might not be on the list doesn't mean you WON'T be happy there. For example, one of my schools is known as the place where "fun goes to die". Yet I really think I would be happy there. So keep this list in perspective!

Most Popular Study Abroad programs:
http://www.princetonreview.com/Schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=675
Almost every college is going to have study abroad. These schools are just full of students itching to explore the world. If you are the jet-setting type, these might be for you :]

Best Campus Food:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=683
Face it, college food is going to get kinda boring after a while. No matter how hard a college tries, you will be glad to go out to a restaurant or eat your home cooking every once in a while. However, these colleges are famous for their best attempts!

Most Politically Active Students:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=732
If you follow politics closely or if you have imagined being on the campaign trail, look into these colleges!

Best College Radio Station:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=689
I'm thinking DJ Cindy D sounds like a good name. If you have a good radio voice, or like being in control of the music, tune into these colleges! (I think my commentary is going to go downhill on this list).

Best Athletic Facilities:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=785
Yo athletes! Tired of having to travel distances from school to practice? How about these places?

Students Who Study the Most:
http://www.princetonreview.com/schoollist.aspx?type=r&id=756
Do you like studying? Do you like learning? Do you freeze up at parties? Just kidding, but these schools are full of academically minded students, so if you enjoy people who are supportive of your love of the books, look into these!

There are many more lists out there, so if none strike your fancy, either leave a comment asking or hit the web :D

-Celinda <3

C is for College of course! :]

This might be one of my fave blogs to write. This is where we begin to delve into the daunting topic of COLLEGE. I will break this up into two blogs. The first blog will be full of categories that you should start thinking about. These categories will address what YOU want in a college. The second blog will be the fun part. I have for you lists of colleges under unusual topics, such as "Best Newspaper" and "Happiest Students". While these lists aren't necessarily make it or break it (aka, you shouldn't choose a college SOLELY on the best radio station), they are designed to help you think on what makes you HAPPY. This is key: if you wouldn't be happy at the college, why would you go? You are going to live there for FOUR years. I urge you to begin college searching with THAT in mind.

PART ONE: YOU
Colleges are decided on a number of factors. The ones I am going to address aren't the only ones, but they are some of the most important: location, size, majors, cost (yeah, I know, it sucks), campus life (including sports and activities), and admission criteria.

Location: Where do you want to live? El Collegeboard breaks up the nation into 6 regions (plus Puerto Rico and Outside the US). The regions are west, southwest, midwest, south, new england, and mid-atlantic. Though you should keep your mind open when it comes to where a college is, if you know you would NEVER live in a state such as, oh, Montana, cross it off your list. If you can't stand the midwest, keep your mind open, but look more into other regions.

Size: Colleges come in a number of sizes to fit your needs. The smallest college in America is Alaska Bible College (38 students) and the largest college in America is Ohio State University at Columbus (52,568 students). Most of you will choose a college in between the two extremes. Collegeboard breaks it up into three categories: small (fewer than 2,000), medium (2,000-15,000), large (more than 15,000). We can break up the medium into medium-small (2,000-8,000) and medium-big (8,000-15,000). If Uni feels excessively claustrophobic, or you hate seeing the same people, or hate being super known, small might not be the best fit. Conversely, if you want your professors to know you well, if you are looking for a smaller, more family-like community, or you like people knowing you, big might not be for you. There are pros and cons to both, so start thinking which you prefer.

Majors: This is a big one. Now, I beg you to look at the list of majors for each college you look at. Your major MIGHT not be offered. If you aren't sure about which major you want, that's okay. Colleges offer undeclared options, though you will have to declare most often by the end of your Sophomore year. As you begin college research, you should ask friends, family, and search the internet for the schools with the best programs you are interested in. For example, did you know University of Michigan at Ann Arbor is famous for its Psychology program? For myself, I wasn't looking at UChicago until I talked to the Dean of History here at the U of I and she recommended it! Do your research!

Cost: This is my least favorite because in my perfect world, everyone would get to go to the college of their choice without money being a problem. At a public university the cost changes whether you are in-state or out-of-state. So, U of I is cheaper for us than it is for someone who lives in Ohio. Private universities don't depend on whether you live in-state or out-of-state; the cost is the same, and usually more money than a public university. DON'T cross them off your list though, many of these schools offer amazing financial aid. We will discuss finacial aid soon, but keep it in mind.

Campus Life: This is an umbrella term for such things as activities such as student organizations and school traditions, sports, sororities/fraternities or no, etc. This is the category with the most variables, yet the one that allows you match a college to your wants and wishes. If like playing soccer for example, but you know Division I isn't going to happen, look into the schools Division III/club/intramural sports. Want to write for the newspaper? Look into that. A madrigal? Some schools are FAMOUS for their a cappella groups :] Start thinking about your interests and look into the student life section of the colleges you look at.

Admission Criteria: Colleges look at a number of things in order to make admission decisions. At big schools, they tend to look at numbers because reading 30,000+ applications in detail kinda sounds terrifying. The "numbers" are your test scores and GPA. However, almost every college will want at least one essay, whether that is the personal essay or "Why (insert college name here)?", so start thinking of topics you might want to write. Other criteria include your transcript (you might have all A's, but if they are easy classes for you, that might not look so impressive, so AVOID classes that you would take solely as grade buffers), your personality/character qualities, recommendations, extracurriculars, level of interest, etc.

Anyway, the second blog is coming soon!
-Celinda :]

B is for Bachelor Degrees!

OKAY, finals/end of semester came fast and furious. Sorry about the long hiatus from blogging, but the College Blog wouldn't be a real excuse for not finishing my English paper for example :]

Anyway, really quick, I just want to introduce you to the Bachelor degree, because you are going to hear these different names a lot. Since I am planning on majoring in history, here is the history of just why it is called a "Bachelor" degree:

The Bachelor degree is also known as a Baccalaureate degree. The word Baccalaureate comes from baccalaria, which is Latin for "division of land". It literally meant that you were a laborer who works the land. As the society became more complex however, specialized jobs with specialized skills came into being, so the word began to reflect this change.
In the Medieval world, universities began popping up (though there were some in Ancient India), so the word began to mean a young squire or knight who had completed his studies of the trivium (rhetoric, grammar, and logic) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music). By the 1200s, the degree was referred to as a bacheler (which is the French spelling). In the 1600s, the word Baccalaureate emerged to mean "Student with first degree". In the 1700s, bacheler became bachelor. And here we are today, student with first degree, or undegrad.

The two most common kinds of Bachelor degrees are Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): this is given most often to those majoring in things like history, English, political science, etc. after successfully completing four years in a mostly liberal arts* education. However, some schools offer B.A.s in such things as business administration and even sciences if the courseload has had a very liberal arts emphasis on it.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.): this unfortunately named degree is given most often to those majoring in things like computer science, mathematics, engineering, etc.
These two degrees are given in three to fve years, based on your personal courseload and major.

If you have any further questions/comments toward the degree process, let me know!
As a good Uni student, here is a list of my sources. As a bad Uni student, I did use Wikipedia (FORGIVE ME MR. RAYBURN!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_degree#Canada_and_United_States
http://www.answers.com/topic/bachelor-s-degree
http://www.elearnportal.com/student-center/why-is-it-called-a-bachelors-degree

-Celinda :]
*Liberal arts will be addressed in a later blog

Writing Your Story

I want to first thank everyone for their kind words and thoughts this past few days. When I wrote my blog about rejection, my intentions were twofold: one, understand my complex and painful feelings of watching all that hard work slip away. Two, I wanted to inform everyone I had talked to about the results of the scholarship in one fell swoop, instead of having to face each person separately and explaining the outcome. I never anticipated the impact I would have on people, and it brings me to tears thinking that I had helped people understand their own feelings. So again, thank you, everyone.

So, let's continue talking applications, eh?
The one part of the application process that seems to freak so many people out is the essay section. Basically, they want to know about you as a person. Honestly though, explicating one's existence seems to be a monumental task. I will draw upon my own experience, but also that of fellow seniors, who gave me excellent pieces of advice.

First, the Common App has about six topics you can choose from. They might change for next year, but only slightly. These are pretty stock questions.
Topics
1)Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2)Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3)Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4)Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5)A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6)Topic of your choice.

I asked Seniors about their experience, and here are some of their tips!

Isaac Joy: Start early, so you won't be too stressed late into first semester. Also, relax while writing them! If you are too wound up, you won't write accurately and will end up sounding like a robot.

Amrutha Kumaran: I would say the personal essay is very different from any essay that students have written before. This essay is dedicated to illustrating who you are as a person- not how smart you are or how much you have achieved. All the answers for this question are in your own head. The only requirement for writing the personal essay is being interested in something in your life, anything from a funny story to a favorite activity. As long as you express yourself genuinely, the personal essay is not a challenge.

Lilli Pearson: Only rash souls like me write their essays the weekend before they are due. (Blogger Celinda note: this is definitely quotable and incredibly amusing :] )

Heather Lin: So basically, once you decide a topic, just write. Write every single thought and feeling you have about that topic. Random thoughts, insightful ideas, or just rants.

Kahlilah Cooke:
1) First just answer the question out loud speaking for a few minutes (like go on and on) and then write what you said down. After you do that, simply clean it up a bit. It keeps you sounding natural and not too formal or fake.
2) Have someone (like your parents or a friend) read it and let you know whether you need to make a statement more/less formal.
3) write your first draft during commercial breaks while you are watching TV or something. Then when you want to make a more stuctured version, you already have some loosely formed ideas out there and it doesn't feel as if you have to pull ideas from out of nowhere.
4) Sit down, grit your teeth, and get it over with during the summer. No matter how sucky it is to do it during your break, it will be ten times worse trying to fit it in during the school year.
5) it's usually only 500 words or less. people make it sound like you are writing a 5 page research paper when it's really only a few paragraphs. CHILL OUT....

Chris Mathy: Give yourself three hours to write for a total of one hour (procrastination is inevitable, so don't fight it). If you let the ideas flow naturally for a while, soon a full fledged essay will come gushing out.

These are just a few tips, and I will add more in the coming posts.

My own tips: If you get a spontaneous burst of creativity, WRITE IT DOWN. In the shower? Get out and write it. Half asleep? Wake up and write it. Think of a story or thought that is uniquely you. Be wary of game-winning goals and community service UNLESS you have a unique spin on it. Lisa also told me that you want to generally avoid topic of choice because it might suggest you can't come up with ANYTHING for the other topics.

Anyway, I will add more tips and my personal story of writing soon. Looking ahead, for the B's we are going to do an incredibly quick blog looking at Bachelors and the other degree programs (hey, give me a break, it's hard to think of a good one for every letter). On that same blog I am going to give my super duper pep talk to pull yourself through the end of semester/a detailed list of why burning the school down might not be the best plan (I hear it's rough in juvie...).

Check back soon!
-Celinda!
(PS, thanks seniors who responded to my email/fb chats/pleading status! :] )

Rejection

One of the hardest things humans have to suffer as social beings is rejection. If you have ever been excluded from a game on the playground or been told no by your crush, you know how it feels. Rejection makes you feel like you are not good enough, and you will never BE good enough. Rejection is nothing but a concept, yet it has the power to make you feel little and powerless. It makes you feel embarrassed for trying, makes you afraid to make yourself vunerable again. It knocks the motivation out of you like a big exhale. Rejection sounds like laughing, cold ironic laughing as you hang your head in shame.

I know because this evening, a scholarship rejected me. It felt like a rug had been taken from under my feet and I was falling without a parachute. All that promise, the promise of getting into my top school with enough money to make sure my parents wouldn't have to worry slipped out of my hands like a pool of water. I watched it slip away, wishing that it was just a dream, just a horrible dream. I reread the email three times exactly, to see if they meant it. They had thanked me for applying, reminding me that not all the finalists make it, to keep at it because I was a competitive student. All I could read was the smack: No.

I felt stupid. I felt like a failure. I felt embarrassed. I thought of the people I had to say I failed to. I thought of the brilliant girl who had gotten my spot. I tried to come up with the clear reason I had failed. I cried. I cried a lot. I felt like a stupid loser.

Remember the day you got into Uni? How when you opened the crisp, white envelope and read accepted, didn't you feel brilliant and powerful? I remember. A Tuesday afternoon. I opened it, read it, and danced right there on the driveway. I felt smart. I felt like a success. I felt proud. I called everyone I knew. I liked the way their gasps of joy sounded in my ear. They sounded like a victory march.

Tonight though, I thought of the sixth grade girl who didn't get accepted into Uni. The girl who would have had my spot. I don't know what she looks like. If she is tall, short, brave, cowardly, mean, nice, my likeness or opposite. All I can imagine was how she felt. How she felt stupid. How she felt like a failure. How she felt embarrassed. I bet she thought of the "brilliant" girl who got her spot. I bet she tried to come up with the clear reason she had failed. She might have even cried. She might have cried a lot. And she might have felt like a stupid loser.

Rejection's a funny thing though, because it holds so much power but it never lasts. Remember that game you had been excluded from or that crush who said no? You might remember, but you still don't feel the scathing burn. You might feel a twinge of sadness, or nostalgia, or even humor. But failure? No, you don't. You won't feel that. Because rejection can't define who you are. It can't because it doesn't have enough strength to define you. Just like sadness can't, or anger, or even happiness. You are you, and it's up to you to write your definition. Rejection's like drinking hot chocolate too soon. It burns, it hurts for a while, but in the morning the bad feeling is gone and all that is left is you once again.

You will be rejected in life, because life is imperfect. Rejections will happen just as much as joys, trials, and tribulations will happen. Next year, when you apply to college, remember that rejections will burn. They might make you cry. But you are smart. You are a success. You should be proud. Because rejections don't mean a thing in the grand scheme of things.

I hope you believe me. If you don't, I pray that you will find your answer to how to deal with life's obstacles. I also hope that you celebrate all your successes, because they matter so much more.

-Celinda :]

Breaking Down the Common App

You know, tomorrow and Friday sound a lot a like. Say it over and over: tomorrow...Friday...see? :]

Anyway, let's talk the different aspects of the application, the do's and dont's in a way.

You:
-There's not much I can say about this one. One common mistake people sometimes make in regards to their birthday is they say, for example 05/27/2010 instead of 05/27/1994. You are not less than one years old. Just saying
-Another tip is to keep your social security number handy and safe, or even memorize it. A lot of college things ask for it. While it's usually not required, it can sometimes make things like test reports and applications go faster since your social security number is an integral part of your identity.
-If you would be embarrassed to give your grandmother your email (ex. sexybabes203@yahoo.com), then DON'T use it for a college. Your school email is usually a good choice, or a normal sounding gmail (such as ckdavis27@gmail.com for example)

Demographics:
-The required parts of this category are asking about citizenship. If you are not a citizen, but rather a permanent resident, refugee, etc. there will be a later blog about special things you might have to do. They will also ask you about your primary language.
-The part that ISN'T required is asking about your race, marital status, religious preferences, etc. If you don't feel comfortable answering, you don't have to. This part is COMPLETELY optional, and will not be held against you in any way. It's actually against the law for you to be forced to answer, or for you to be discriminated based on how you answer.


Your Family:
-If your parents are divorced, make sure you get the correct address of the parent you spend less time with
-Ask your parents their college information to ensure you get it right. The same with employment. A lot of kids don't actually know what their parent's official title is, or the exact/proper name of their parent's employer.
-Inform parents to choose a respectable email (NOT sexymomma204@yahoo.com) as well as an email they don't mind getting the occasional college-related email sent to.

Your School(Education and Academics):
-Don't guess your GPA. If you aren't sure, Ellen can actually give you your GPA any time during the year. It would be embarrassing to say you have a 3.5 and you actually have a .5, just saying.
-Uni doesn't rank! So don't try to guess this either. They won't look at you badly for not ranking, or choosing "My school doesn't rank". Colleges know Uni High, and they don't compare students from different schools necessarily. They compare each student to their own school in order to make a judgment about that student's skill.
-Like before, double check on the contact information for Uni, just to be careful and accurate
-IMPORTANT: your counselor is NOT Rachel Green or Karl Radnitzer. Your counselor is Lisa Micele for ALL college-related things. When it says counselor, it's always going to be Lisa.
-Our GPA is unweighted
-As you get scores, put in your best one for each subject. For example, if you took the ACT test in February and received a 28 on math, then in April received a 32, PUT IN THE 32! Most colleges will see both the Feb and April tests, but some colleges superscore your best from different days. Even if they don't, they will see that 28-->32 as positive, and they WON'T hold it against you
-Put in your 12th grade, or Senior schedule WHEN YOU GET IT
-If you have honors, put them in. If you don't, you can still get in to great colleges. Don't feel pressured necessarily.

Activities:
"Please list your principal extracurricular, volunteer, and work activities in their order of importance to you."- Common App

-Write down, on paper, the activities you are in that you are actually involved in. Let's say you go to Kung Fu Club once. Didn't like it. Why would you put it on your list of activities? You have nothing to say about it. Don't put it down if you aren't actually involved. Colleges care more about invested time or a long involvement in a few activities instead of 400 activities.
-Organize them in order of importance. Let's say you play piano, play soccer, and sing in madrigals. If you are super passionate about madrigals, PUT THAT FIRST. Order of importance to YOU, not the college.
-Start collecting how much time you spend a week and year doing your various activities. It's okay to estimate.


This is just the first part. I didn't want to overwhelm you! Check back soon, I will have an entire blog about dealing with the essay.

-Celinda Davis :]

A is for Applications :]

Welcome to my A-Z list of college! Today (and tomorrow, since this is such a big topic) we are delving into the world of Applications. Today, I plan on introducing what to expect on an application and the glorious Common App

What kinds of things are applications asking about?
All kinds of applications (colleges, finanical, etc.) will ask about:
-You (your name, birthdate, email, number, social security number)
-Your family (Mom and Dad's name, contact informtation, schooling, employment, your siblings schooling)
-School Information (your GPA, your school's contact information, your class rank [REMEMBER: Uni doesn't rank], your 12th grade plans)
-Extracurricular/Community Service/Paid Work (Sports, fine arts, school clubs, waitressing, Savoy 16)
-A mini-essay about your favorite extracurricular
-A Personal Statement (who the heck are you anyway?)

Throughout the coming week, I will discuss each of the above mentioned aspects in more detail, as well as the do's and don'ts

Futher, I want to introduce to you today the holy grail of applications (at least, the found holy grail)

THE COMMON APPLICATION
https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx

This beauty has over 400 partner colleges. If you have colleges on this list, you answer all the basic questions about yourself, your family, your school, etc., then have it sent to ALL your colleges that are on Common App (even cooler, you can send it to only some colleges, and not all colleges, if you aren't ready to send it to all!)
There is a space for each college's supplements, which you send separate from your main application, as well as a place to invite teachers to each school (that's right, Ms. Suslick could write to Cornell College, but Mr. Buck could write to Beloit College. It's pretty groovy like that).
However, not all colleges are on the Common App. To see which are, follow this link:
https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Members.aspx

Anyway, tomorrow we will delve deeper into the application!
-Celinda <3

Asleep at the wheel...

OMG
I haven't written in a month??
Just letting you know that life got incredibly busy for a while, finishing some college applications, college visits, school. I plan to be back in action starting tomorrow.
I am really excited, cause for the next month or so, I am doing an A-Z list of all things college! Tomorrow look forward to A: Applications!

Plus, Illinois Wesleyan stories, Why (insert college here): how nutso those essays are, how to begin building the list (including unusual lists like, "colleges with the happiest students"), and of course, the testing plan.

Sorry about my hiatus there!

Loves,
Celinda :]

The Tale of Two Interviews

Today I was having a meeting with Lisa about essays and the like, when she asked me how my recent college visit went. I told her I loved the college, and listed all the things I did. She then asked me how my interview went. As I began to explain it, she urged me to talk about my own college interview experience and give you pointers for when it is your turn.

University of Chicago:
The day of the interview was nothing short of nuts. See, the interview dude (Sam on the birth certificate) actually had four interviews scheduled that day. I began my day with people telling me we needed to be strategic, planning it so each interview was unique.
...
Let me tell you something. I am a five foot tall, biracial girl. I like the color green, working with kids, giraffes, moose track ice cream, reading, Taylor Swift, tap dance, and I plan to major in History. Tell me, who else fits ALL that? No one? Exactly. We are all unique. No one needs to PLAN how to be unique. You just are unique. Let that lead you.

So, I'm sitting across from him. He is asking me normal questions, such as what school subject am I interested in, when he drops the bomb:
Why do people climb mountains?

People climb mountains? OH RIGHT! Wait, what?

Welcome to the wonderful world of zany questions. These are the questions you can't be prepared for. In fact, he probably won't ask that question next year. He might not even ask it next week. When posed with a question like this, don't just blurt out an answer such as:
They like to...for fun?
Thank god I didn't, but I almost did. What you should do is let them know that it is a very good question and you are going to think for a minute. Then think about an answer for a few moments. You aren't wasting their time, they like when students are thoughtful.

Overall I answered thoughtfully, with the exception of two questions:
1) What obstacles have you had to overcome?
2) What book have you read recently in English that you liked? Why?

For both of them, I didn't give myself the time to think. For 1, I just blabbed out something that is an obstacle, but it isn't all that present in my day to day life. For 2, I blabbed out the first book I could think of, which was Native Son (African American Lit). While I enjoyed the book, I would have preferred to talk about A Lesson Before Dying, which I read last semester.

I walked nervous and jittery out of my first interview, wishing I could reverse time and fix those two questions. Now, I can't tell if it was good or bad, I am not Sam (I am??? :D). I can tell you though that when I went to my second interview, I felt a little more prepared.

Knox College:
This time my interview was part of my whole day at Knox. There were no other Uni kids around to plan an attack on the admissions counselor. Also, I had met the admissions counselor before at a BROWN BAGGER (HINT HINT), so we were already on familiar terms. This interview was better not because the college was better, or because the admissions counselor was better, but because I was better. I was better at interviews.

I walked in, sat down, smiled, and answered her prelim questions:
What is your GPA? What is your ACT composite?

Then I settled down and listened and answered. One question she asked me that before would have slipped me up was:
What three adjectives would your friends use to describe you?
But I had that one. I answered it. Then, she asked me a question that did slip me up:
What kinds of activities do you want to do outside of the classroom if you came to Knox?

Wait...there is a world outside of the classroom? Don't I do homework with that time?
It was then that I realized I wanted to do things outside of the classroom, but I was too preoccupied with the school academically. You LIVE at college; go out and do stuff. I answered I wanted to try radio and return to dancing (I am currently injured).

My favorite part of the interview was getting off topic. We talked about cheesecake. It made me hungry. More though, it brought the human back into applying for college. You juniors are not robots, you are human. Celebrate that, talk about that, wind up off topic.

So, tips for a FUN and GREAT interview:
1) Dress appropriately. You wouldn't hire a person with his pants on the flo. Don't dress like one.
2) Take a moment to think about the curveball questions. Thinking about it will make your answer concise and thoughtful.
3) Laugh and smile. You are not in front of a firing squad.
4) Know that each college interview is different.
5) Don't memorize speeches, but do know the basic information pertaining to you (your GPA, your scores, your name...)
6) Don't worry about other people ESPECIALLY OTHER UNI KIDS
7) Know the basic information about the college (like, if your major is even there)
8) Come with questions of your own! They show interest and curiosity.
9) Turn off your phone, be professional.
10) Remember that you are human, they are human, and that this is a conversation, not an interrogation :]

Ciao,
Celinda

National Merit Scholarship debunked

Hey Juniors (and Sophomores)!

GOOD LUCK AT PSAT TOMORROW!

You have probably started seeing information about our class related to National Merit and the like. I wanted to share with you 10 facts about it that you might find useful.

1) There are three separate scholarship programs under the umbrella corporation of National Merit: National Merit, National Achievement, and National Hispanic Recognition.

2) For juniors, when you take the test, there is a minimum score to qualify as a SEMIFINALIST* for each program. That minimum score is different for all three programs.

3) The National Achievement Program is for black students. If you are at least a quarter black, you can state that you are black in the correct check box tomorrow on test day.

4) The National Hispanic Recognition Program is for Hispanic students (duh??). If you are at least a quarter Hispanic, you can state that you are Hispanic in the correct check box tomorrow on test day.

5) National Achievement/National Merit may end up giving you money. National Hispanic just recognizes achievement,without money.

6) The test score doesn't mean automatic scholarship money. In fact, it just makes you a semifinalist. Semifinalists, who find out said status fall of their senior year, can then apply to be a finalist. Then, of those finalists, only around half go on to get actual scholarship money (about $2500).

7) You must have taken the SAT or plan on taking it early in the fall of your senior year in order to qualify as a finalist. Further, you must get around the score that was expected based on your PSAT score [just add a zero: 205=2050) (Lisa says you can be up to about 250 points off that target PSAT estimate)

8) Every year, there are 16,000 Merit semifinalists, 1,600 National Achievement semifinalists, ~5,000 National Hispanic recognized students.

9) There are also 34,000 Commended Students, who just get recognition.

10) DON'T STRESS ABOUT THIS. Not all Uni kids get it. Big Deal. You all won't get into the same colleges. There are a billion other scholarships, some with more money, some with less. Just relax :]

GOOD LUCK!!
-Your PCCs

The Art of Caring

So...I apologize. I haven't written a blog in twelve days. And here is why:

I stopped caring about everything for a while. I didn't care about ANY of my classes (I apologize Mr. Mitchell through Merf, inclusive). I didn't care about being a PCC, hence no blog. I didn't care about the SSAT Tutoring Program, about my own private tutoring, about college apps, about getting into college, about almost ANYTHING. It was a really painful, almost scary experience not to care about things because if you get to a certain point, maybe you won't come back to caring. Maybe I was just going to give up all together. The only reason I didn't stop caring is because I clung onto how much I care about my friends and family. I tried to imagine what it would be like if they just disappeared, and it was incredibly painful.

So, when you are beginning in this process, find a friend, a significant other, a family member, chocolate, or a passion. Something you care a whole lot about. And hold on, especially when the college process gets rough.

Much love and CARE,
Celinda

SLEEP???

So...four hours of sleep...you know, sleep is kinda important. Also, eating. Eating is important. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

Just a quick reminder, if you are interested in working with a PCC, you need to sign the form by October 1! You don't have to (aka, it's optional) but I personally am excited to work with you. I have to admit, my PCC last year wasn't that helpful, so I have had to bumble through this process by myself. Which sucks. A lot. I want you guys to have a more helpful PCC. That's why I signed up.

If anyone has questions pertaining to the Junior meeting, why the sky is blue, college visits, what is love, or anything, feel free to ask (warning: I will probably fail at answering non-college related questions)

Here is how you can contact us:
Facebook (except Ash)
Email (ckdavis2, rmaturi2, huddson2, sgogula2, ssenior2, kmetcal2)
Face to face (WHAT???)

Celebrate it all!

I just wrote a draft of an essay! WHOOOOOOO CELEBRATE!

Lisa made an important point during the Senior meeting, and I wanted to extend it to you Juniors. Celebrate all the little things that are part of this process. Below, I wrote a few things you guys should celebrate every time you accomplish it.

1. Sign up on ACT.com and Collegeboard.com
2. Register for your first test
3. Begin to answer the question who am I?
4. Raise your hand in class; you're building a relationship with that teacher
5. Getting your first A on ANYTHING second semester
6. Peeked into a Brown Bagger
7. Checked out a college website
8. Found out where College of Wooster/Knox College/Emory University/Reed College is located
9. Stepped foot into the CRC
10. Build an organization system for college mail

Anyway, check back soon. Get ready, the process is beginning :]
(PS, I'd bring chocolate and a friend, it's a wild ride)

-Celinda <3

Where are the Juniors?

One upon a time there were four teens, their beloved dog, and a short obnoxious puppy that hung out with them during specials. They enjoyed solving mysteries that somehow were magically sprung upon them.
Well, meet your PCCs. They somehow magically match up to the six characters up there. And we have a mystery too: where are all the Juniors??

In the last two weeks, over TEN colleges have visited Uni High one way or another. There have been TWO college panels, a college fair at Parkland, several that have visited Uni at lunch time. Yet, I have rarely seen Juniors there. Let me tell you two things:

1. College Season is NOW for admission counselors. True, some visit in the spring, but most visit in the fall. Now is the time to visit schools at lunch. Now is the time to start building interests.

2. Many Seniors have their lists already (aka, they don't need the Brown Baggers/college panels). This is YOUR time to look!

On Thursday, I went to a college panel. I went because two of the colleges there are on my list. I saw a few juniors, but compared to the number of kids in the junior class, it wasn't much.

I am challenging you, YES YOU juniors, to start going to events. Lisa makes these things happen for you, to help you. You have to help her a little though. It's ONE lunch, every two weeks or so. Not much, when you think about it.

PS. See you tomorrow at the Junior Meeting :]

-Celinda "Scrappy" Davis

Imagine if you will a typical Monday lunchtime. You are just waking up and realizing that you have a whole week of school ahead of you. Face it, it sucks. Then, to put salt in the wounds, you're expected to care about the Brown Baggers and attend.

I am now going to tell you to go to them.

You might think I am crazy or sadistic. But truly, one of the things I regret most about junior year was missing out on the Brown Baggers. For example, at least THREE of the colleges on my list came to visit at lunchtime. I wasted time researching colleges because I didn't first go to Brown Baggers. Below, I debunk common myths of them.

1. I'm not going to go to that college, why waste my time?
First off, very few of you know which colleges you AREN'T going to in the Fall of junior year. Even more importantly however, every college has ten colleges that are a lot like it, they just might be in a different part of the country, have different financial options, etc. The point of the Brown Baggers is partially to look into a certain college, but it is also a chance to find out what you even want from a college. For example, you go to the Brown Bagger for Bradley University (a perfectly wonderful institution!), but you don't like it. Well, WHY didn't you like it? What would you want differently? These questions will be very useful to you when you're actually building a college list.

2.Brown Baggers are just for seniors
If you had a preconceived notion, or you have had a senior tell you this is true, let me just squelch that idea now. If a Senior is applying EA/ED, they need a college list RIGHT NOW. If they are applying Regular, they need a college list by NOVEMBER. Brown Baggers last ALL year. So, it is true that seniors are at Brown Baggers, because they are finalizing their lists and double-checking the ones they have. However, these are for juniors as well. These counselors want juniors to come; their whole spiel is to people just beginning their lists. So, being a junior is not an excuse.

3. There is no other students in the room! How embarrassing!
There is a general philosophy around Uni that dances aren't fun, so people don't go. However, if no one goes, OF COURSE IT WON'T BE FUN. If every student walks by the room saying that no one is there and they don't go in, NO ONE WILL GO IN. And, it is more embarrassing to tell Lisa next spring that you are interested in let's say, oh, Illinois Wesleyan, and there was Brown Bagger that you didn't even look into. When you see an admissions counselor in a classroom and you are interested, go in! In fact, if no else comes, think about ALL the questions you get to ask, and all the personalized information you'll get!

4. How come it's places like Knox, Michigan Tech, Reed? I want Stanford/Princeton/Yale/UPenn!
Thousands of students want to go to these schools. They are big name, prestigious universities for a reason. Now think, even though Uni is an elite public high school, it's in Urbana. If you were a big name institution, wouldn't it make more sense to go to a metropolitan area like CHICAGO or ST. LOUIS, where people all around can drive and meet in the big city? That's the reason why we don't get these schools. It would be a waste of their time to come. However, we are fortunate because we get plenty of schools all around that are VERY cool and have TONS of scholarships. Another thing: some of the happiest and most successful college grads came from small, lesser known schools that matched who they were, not the other way around.

Anyway, sorry this blog is so long. Speaking of great things to attend that you wouldn't think about, tonight the director of admissions from University of Illinois is coming to DCL, room 1320, from 7-8. I highly recommend it because U of I is NOT a back up school, especially in such subjects as Engineering. Also, it is a great institution, and not a failure to leave CU kind of school.

-Celinda :D

*Banging head on wall*

Hey!
I was supposed to blog yesterday night...but the English homework, and the eating, and the tired all got in the way...

Ahem. Anyways. I am working on applications right now. Especially for this scholarship program. Which has a due date of September 30. Which is soon. OMG. I literally am going into panic attack mode. My advice? Start your research early. Build a list of scholarships that you might be interesting to you. My thoughts are, you don't know what college you want to go to, but you can find scholarships because there is a lot of logistical things you know about yourself. Like, I am biracial, and have been for the past 16 years. Or, I'm a girl. Or, my dad didn't go to college (semi first generation to go to college anyone?). Do you understand what I mean? The reason you should do this early is because, unlike college, scholarship deadlines don't follow a general pattern. Colleges (most anyways) follow a deadline pattern.

To begin your research:
-Go to Fastweb.com
-Check out references in the library
-Talk to Lisa
-Ask seniors

NOTE OF CAUTION: If a scholarship site is asking for money to sign up, it's a scam. Also, be careful of sites/letters that say you have been nominated. Uni doesn't nominate students to random scholarship programs like other schools do.

Keep tabs on your scholarship research; this will be very helpful when you're a senior already scrambling to finish college apps :]

-Celinda :]

I'm going to college on Mars, majoring in the art of sleeping :P

Right now you juniors might feel some pressure being put on you. Your parents and Uni is telling you that college is right around the corner, and you MUST have it all figured out. In fact, the two most common questions you might be asked are:
1) Where are you going to college?
2) What are you going to major in?

I think those questions are dumb. The first one is dumb because I don't even know where I am going, and I'm a senior. That is a May 1, senior year decision. The answer to number 1: I don't know. The second question is dumb because it varies from college to college, and sometimes people aren't sure what they want to major in. It changes so much for people. In fact, people change it IN college too. So answer to number 2: I'm not sure.


There are some questions you can answer though, that are very important for the college process. Here, I list only 5 of the many.

1) What was your favorite vacation?
2) Which is better, morning or night?
3) If you were stuck on a deserted island and you could only bring three things with you, what would you bring?
4) What's your song?
5) Will the Bears (football team) have a good season this year? Why?

;] Celinda

College Visits. Omg. Omg.

Omg. I have two schools that I need to visit and I haven't scheduled visits for. This is crazy. I have two months before my first application is due. And of course, that is to a school I haven't scheduled a visit for. AGHHHH!!!

Just a word of advice: schedule early.

Also, before you go on said visit, do your homework (no, not your calc). Research the college, and know all the simple easy things such as "When it was founded?" "What are majors are there?""How big is the school?" "Are the chicks?" "Are there dudes?"

Anyway, keep up the school, junior grades matter. A lot. Besides, building good study habits first semester will help with second semester grades. Because they matter more.

Not much else, posting on Thursday :]

Tired?

I kind of feel like I could sleep for the next seven years. I am really tired. And in my tiredness, I am panicking. Is that how you spell it? I can't even spell anymore!!

All summer, I have been Pollyanna, giving you advice and stuff. The other day though, Lisa reminded me that I can vent and panic and be excited and joyous all at once on this blog too. Because this process is insane. There, I said it. It's like Cruella de Ville eating pot brownies injected with steroids. Who in their right mind would create such a convoluted system?? There are like five different tests (PSAT, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, SAT Subject tests...LMAO, PMS, LOL, WTF). Then, there is the Common App. OH JOY! Life got simple! Oh wait, not all colleges are signed up to it. &*&%&#%@*(^*&# it.

Then, forget college. There are SCHOLARSHIPS. College is like buying a house. Really, it's just like that, because it costs the same freaking amount as a house. But that's like ten other things to apply to. What if you don't get them? Do you get the house? I mean college? I want the house/college!!!

But sometimes, I feel so in control of things. Yes, I am filling things out! Yes, I got a recommendation in progress! Yes, I have college visits! NO, I don't have all my college visits! No, I haven't signed up for scholarships!

Okay, deep breath.

Why am I publishing this rant? Because, I want you to know that I am so far from happy go lucky in this process. One reason is that I feel unprepared for it. That's what I want to help you with. The other reason is that I am terrified, and I don't want you to think that I am Pollyanna, who knows everything. I don't. Did Pollyanna know everything? I actually don't know who she is. Doesn't she sound so darn happy though? Why is she happy? HOW CAN SHE BE HAPPY??? COLLEGE GAHHHH!

I'm going to go sleep now. AGHHHHHHHHH....

Google right now is like using a typewriter that might explode any minute

So...I haven't posted in like a week because Google is losing its mind. In fact, this post might not even work. I will try though. If it doesn't, then I will talk to Lisa. If it doesn't work though, you won't know that I will talk to her...ho hum.

Anyway, it's a week into school and I am really tired. In fact, tonight will be the first night I haven't accidentally fallen asleep for two hours before my bed time. Good news though, is that I am almost done with the Common App. You will learn more about the Common App next spring, but I will say this: it is easier than I thought it was going to be :]

What I wanted to talk about in this blog post is what a PCC is and how it can help you.

A PCC is a senior picked through an application process. When we were chosen and agreed to be one, we also promised A LOT of time to that role. That means that we have to be devoted to this role; our time would be wasted if we didn't. A PCC can help you in many, many ways.

They can help you...
...Understand the testing system...
...Navigate the various college websites...
...Show you colleges that ARE great, not just because of the name...
...Discuss with you academic and extracurricular passions...
...Choose the best classes for senior year FOR YOU...
...Show our own college processes, and all the ups and downs that go with it...
...Answer questions, and if we can't help you find someone that can!

I know half of you might not even want to think about this, but preparing now will make life much easier when you have two months and OMG deadlines and OMG essays and OMG tests (*panic*).

As always, let us (Me, Ashley, Katy, Stef, Revathi, and Sheela) know if you have any questions!

-Celinda :]

I Wish...

Hey Juniors!
This is a two part blog about what us PCCs wish we would have done our junior year. Today it is me, as well as Stef and Ashley. Tomorrow it's Revathi, Katy, and Sheela. Check it out before you start this crazy year :]

Celinda

• I wish I understood each test better (ACT/SAT) before I took them
• Did research about colleges I didn't know about
• Organized college letters/emails better
• Checked FastWeb.com more frequently
• Gone to Brown Baggers for colleges, even if I didn't think I would apply there
  

Stef

• Started my college list on Collegeboard.com earlier in the year. Gives you more time to research.
• Signed up for fastweb.com earlier
• Started testing earlier ( I started spring of Junior year)

(A lot of my stuff Junior year kind of stemmed from that. It was just a lot of feeling out of control and not knowing what to do. I think those are three things that, if you do early in your Junior year, you'll probably be a little better prepared by the end of the year.)

Ashley

• Started looking at colleges earlier
  
• Studied more for ACT/SAT
• Started testing earlier (i.e. January/February)
  
• Worried more about my own planning process rather than how it matched up to what others are doing and realizing I would want unique things
  
• Talked to Lisa more before summer
• Used the CRC
• Relaxed more, college stuff in spring of junior year isn't that bad, it just seemed that way.
• Signed onto Zinch and Fastweb earlier
• Gone to more lunchtime Brown Baggers

Get your books, PE clothes, locker decorations, and sanity together, cause it's almost time!
-Celinda :P

The Big Three :o

Hey juniors!
Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile! I have a bunch of blogs coming fast and furious, so bear with me.
My topic today are the Big Three. Nope, not cars. The big three math classes: Stats, Calc, and Advanced Topics. To help me out (since I only took Stats), I asked Stefanie Senior (Adv. Topics)and Revathi Maturi (Calc) to give me their input!

Stef and Advanced Topics
Class in General:
-Pretty cool, most of the material makes sense
-Mostly a Junior orientated class, a good half of your class will be taking this
-(been described as a repeat or extension of Algebra II)

Homework:
-Homework is assigned every night, unless it's the day before the test
-He grades randomly one or two of the problems
-You can revise problems you get wrong.

Tests:
-The test is broken down by learning goals, and there are a few problems per learning goal. He grades by the learning goal (aka, if you got all the problems right for learning goal two, then you going to you have mastered learning goal two)
-Often, the math problems are the same as the homework, just a few numbers/words changed

Stef's tips:
-Do the homework!!! Because the test often has reconfigured math homework problems on it, and doing the problems help you learn it, the best thing to do is do your homework.
-If you aren't understanding the material, go see the teacher (this will be a tip for all three!)

Revathi and Calc
Class in General:
-Calc is more difficult than all the other math classes before (difficult does NOT equal impossible)
-The grading scale is wighted, so a B in the class will be an A in your GPA :]

Homework:
-Between 50-70 problems a WEEK
-Randomly chosen problems to grade
-Homework is only worth around 10% of your grade (aka, tests tend to mean more)
-Lowest homework scores are dropped at the end of the semester.

Tests:
-There are around 3-5 tests each quarter
-No revisions! But, the lowest score is dropped.
-For the semester, the lowest score is dropped, then the second lowest will be replaced with the final (if you got a higher grade on the final).

Revathi's Tips:
-Study and work hard (no duh :])
-Go talk to the teacher if you're confused
-Refer to the textbook often, since the teacher uses that as a cornerstone of their teaching

Celinda and Stats
Class in General:
-Mostly a senior orientated class
-Mixture of lectures, activities, and projects
-Can be hard to follow the materials IN class (at least I thought)

Homework:
-Around 6-10 problems a week, usually collected on Tuesday
-Can be difficult or not, based on the material
-Graded on a 0-10 point scale (with ten being perfect), ALL the problems are graded

Tests:
-Each problem is scored 0-5, then with some voodoo algorithm, it will spit out a grade betweeen 0-50
-You can revise problems that you get wrong, (4 can be revised to a 4.5, and anything lower can be revised up to a 4)
-You can study for the tests by doing the homework and practicing!

Celinda's Tips:
-Go see your teacher if you're not getting it!! (Does this sound familiar?) Math wasn't my best topic, but I went to the math house a ton, and I raised my grade. Think: you have to really love math AND helping if you're going to be a MATH TEACHER.
-Do test revisions! I was almost always able to raise my grade a letter by taking the time to do revisions.

Heads up though! ALL the math teachers might play Musical Chairs on us, and the teachers (and their styles) might all teach different classes. So use this blog as a guiding force. Below I showed who taught what class this year, so that when you take Calc and see a totally different teacher than on the blog, you can view how they taught Advanced Topics and be prepared!
If you have any questions about any of the classes, email/comment/message/paper airplane your question :]

Advanced Topics- Mr. Bild
Calculus- Mr. Buck and Ms. Boca (Revathi had Ms. Boca)
Stats- Mr. Russell

-Celinda <3

E=MC^2?? Force? Quantum box?????

Oh Physics. I don't miss you.
However, I am going to share all about the class with you Juniors! First, I will make a list about what you should expect from the class. Second, I will give some advice (that I should have followed)...

What to Expect:
1) The grading system is intensely curved. This is good news and bad news. If you aren't a big science person, or quickly discover that you aren't good at physics, you can work the best you can and get a B. If you are a genius at Physics, then you can get an A. However, it is kind of hard to get an A in his class. It is also kind of hard to get a C.
2) There are quizzes ALL the time. Like, at the very least one every two weeks. Usually, it's once a week.
3) You get worksheets. Around 40 a semester (maybe even a quarter, memory is kind of fading). After he explains the material in class, you have the worksheets to practice. He does not grade or view your worksheets however.
4) Getting a 12 and above consistently on a quiz guarantees you at least a B. So, you get a 17 on one quiz, but you don't study so hard for the next one and get a 13? No problem at all :]
5) Ray is an interesting character. I find him humorous. So, at least the class can be semi interesting.

Advice:
Worksheets--Now me, I almost never did them because I had more pressing matters (Stats with Mr. Russell). Sometimes, I would lose them before the end of the school day. That meant I often was unprepared for the quizzes. I suggest you file all your physics worksheets in a folder, paper clipping worksheets that are part of the same unit. When the unit is over, file them somewhere safe. There are midterms and finals (aka, four cumulative tests), and you will want the worksheets to help you study. Also, try to do at least a few of the problems every time you get a new worksheet. You go over it a lot in class, but even doing a little can help you understand the material better.

Quizzes--Memorize formulas*. A bulk of being able to do a quiz is knowing the formulas. You all probably have had Mr. Butler, so you understand rote memorization. After you have the formulas down, go over as many problems on the worksheets as you can. Know how to do the easy ones, even review them before the test, because sometimes, you forget one easy step and BAM, three easy points gone.

Group studying--For some classes, studying together doesn't help at all. What I found out though, is studying in pairs or in a group can really help with physics because it on a formula by formula, problem by problem basis. This might not work for all of you, but it helped me, so it's an idea.

*Some people I know didn't memorize the formula, but actually derived it. Which is insanely terrifying. But you might find this route easier...

Anyway, if you have any more questions about physics, go ahead and comment! Or email me (which I actually haven't given you!) at ckdavis2@uni.illinois.edu :]
More to come soon!

Getting Ready For Junior Year: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

So two nights ago, I couldn't sleep at all. It was one of those weird nights where you're really tired, but there is a bunch going through your head, so you get kind of deeeeeeep. Good news though, I wrote the first draft of a college essay! Fortunately, you guys don't need to worry about that for a year.

For now, let's explore Junior year! I think I'm going to break this up a bit, so first let's look at PE. In a few days, we'll look at Physics, Calc vs. Advanced Topics vs. Stats, the phenomenon that is Mr. Sutton, and anything else I can think of.

Junior/Senior PE
-For the last three years, PE has stayed pretty much the same. The first thing is that you're with your class (unless you have scheduling conflicts), so you know what your speed is compared to others, as well as knowing how different people would work in a team. The second this is that you know how the days work: switching from running to sports, and back again. However, that's going to change.

First off, now you're going to be in PE with us Seniors (hold the applause)! The new challenge is refiguring your place in PE. Let that sink in because...

Now there is more than one period for PE?? Yeah, there is like three or four now. So, some will run mornings, others in the afternoon. But that's nothing compared to...

No more sports (kinda)??? Yes, instead of sports, now you can go to weights. Now me, I enjoy weights more than sports, because I hate competing. There are also more than one weight workout. If you are not really an athlete, I recommend the general workout. However, knowing you Juniors, that's kind of like telling the Saints that if they are not superbowl champions, they should play peewee football... :]. Anyways, no worries: we still play sports from time to time :D. There is one more change...

Junior/Senior health class? Yep, we're bringing back health class straight from Freshman year. There are some differences though. For one, it's only once a month. Another, it's way more discussion based. Thirdly, it's targeted for our age group 16-18, instead of 13-15.

Anyways, I'll post soon! :]

"Dear Celinda, your academic achievements..."

Hey!

I'm posting, I'm posting! It wasn't an empty promise. I've only done that like TWICE.

Just yesterday, I went through a large portion of the college letters I have been receiving for the past year and a half. 92% went into the disappear-out-of-my-life pile. The other 8% are from colleges that I have on my college list. While I am really glad to clear all that mess out of my room, the big issue was that stacks and stacks of college letters went ignored for so long, because, let's face it, it's annoying as heck after the first 20. To save yourself from the mass cleaning later on, as well as not missing out on useful information, I urge you to build a system now.

There should be three categories for the summer/fall:
-Colleges that you really, really like, and can see yourself going to
-Colleges that are new to you, and you need more information
-Colleges that you don't want to go to

The third category might surprise you, but it exists because the colleges in all three categories are subject to move about. For example, I had University of Chicago in category three. I hated the idea of that college. But then, I did research, I learned more about it, and I even went on a college visit. Now, it's in category one. Until your spring of Junior year, DON'T throw a letter away. Just get three big boxes, mark the category, and put your letters there. Trust me, it makes life much easier. Another word of advice? Make category two's box the biggest, since there are over 3000 colleges in America!!

If you aren't sure about my system, that's fine. This is just an idea. However, you do need a system, so talk to your peers and the other PCCs to see how they are doing it. Think of this as a starting off point on getting a handle on college letters, so you are college smart come spring/your senior year.

*Next Week's Blog Post: Getting Ready For Junior Year: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

-Celinda Davis :]

Welcome!

Hey rising juniors,

This is Celinda Davis, aka one of your PCCs! This blog will be your source for junior year/college/standardized testing information!

A couple of things for you to know:
-I will allow comments, because people might have valuable questions or comments that can help the entire class. However, if there are rude or innappropiate comments, I will be forced to close the comments.
-During the summer, I will post every 1-2 weeks; during the school year I will post at least once a week, maybe a little more.
-If you have a question that's a little personal, you can email me or the other PCCs, or Lisa.
-This blog isn't going to decide your criteria for college, or your own final college decision. This will be a "self-help blog", but you're going to have to do some soul searching on your own.

That's pretty much it for now, check in soon for my first topic, which is yet to be determined!

~Celinda Davis