New Media - Final Pt.2

A. There are many things that I both liked and didn't like about this class. One thing that I liked, I believe is the typing tutor games. I've actually always considered myself an excellent typist, I've known how to use my home-row keys since I was fifth grade, so I find it kind of fun to play games that challenge my speed and agility. Something I don't like, however, is the routine on writing about certain medical careers every single day, it's fine at first, but it gets repetitive and redundant, it'd be nice to try something new. 

B. I'd say things you could do to improve the class would be:
    - Give us the option to either do the career you offered us to do, or choose our own to learn about.
    - Perhaps give each of us assignments and then a certain hour of designated free time every day would probably make the students enjoy the class a bit more.
    - Let us listen to music? (I mean, it won't hurt anyone)

C. I think that I've genuinely done my best in this class. I know, for a fact, that I write more in my reflections (and in anything, really) than the majority of the class. I really do put my heart into the things that I write, and I won't censor my opinion because the teacher might not like it. I try to be as honest as possible, even if my idea of choosing the right contradicts the teacher's idea of choosing the right. I enjoy this class, and because I find it easier than other classes, I consider it almost as a break between the stress of Honors English and AP Spanish.

D. I am not reading my Life Planning goals on a daily basis, but I do look at it every now and then, maybe to check off a goal, maybe to write in a new goal, or sometimes I just sit down and read the goals with a friend, who finds them amusing.

E. I don't know if I'm committed to being a CTR person, I don't know what kinds of choices I'll make in the future. What if I say that I'll never do something again, and then catch myself doing that? I'd rather not contradict myself in the future, and stay true to who I am.

F. I promise to always abide by my conception of what is right and wrong, not anybody else's. Even if God stood in front of me and claimed he was righteous, I would still pause to decide for myself whether or not he is righteous. I decide what I am going to believe in, I decide if I'm making the right choice, I decide. Not you, not my parents, not even whatever deity exists in the heavens. Ultimately, I will always abide by myself.

My IDP Presentation Experience - Final Pt. 1

    There was a lot going on in my mind when we were assigned the IDP project in the middle of my least favorite class with my least favorite teacher overlooking our progress.

    I was worried, because in my experience, there's always someone that does the most work, and that person that does the most work somehow always tends to be me. Without exception, I'm used to pulling more than my weight.

    Thankfully, that wasn't the case this time. I was assigned four people, two of which I rarely even talk to, and three which were good friends of mine. We exchanged contact information and decided that we'd all meet up at some point to work together on our IDP project as a team. Despite everyone's best attempts, only a week before the IDP presentations and we were horribly unprepared, and had never been able to decide on a day to meet up. To say the truth, I had done my two meager paragraphs for our essay and then called it a day. For whatever reason, there was always a complication for a team member on the days we tried to meet up on, and therefore we never got together to do things right.

    Then came the Monday before the presentation, December 8th. Our Powerpoint was still iffy at best, and we were going to have a dress rehearsal the next day. Needless to say, we all felt like we'd hit rock bottom as we sat there the following day, watching the other groups present brilliant powerpoints on their diseases. Knowing that we'd had three weeks to muster up a powerpoint and ours still looked like we did it in the course of an hour, there was no excuse for our lack of preparedness.

    Still, we presented that day, and things went surprisingly well. In higher spirits, we took the time to work on our powerpoint (having one person work on it, then email it to the next teammate so they could do their part, and so on) we were nearly perfectly ready for Thursday. I had anxiety over how the real presentation would go, being fully aware that people who have studied, who actually know what our topic is on to a much deeper extent, were the ones who would be judging us.

    The day of the official presentation, I had troubles getting to school, and had to rely on my best friend to give me a ride. No parents for moral support, just the notion of the fact that I'd probably be presenting in front of rude, stone-faced know-it-alls. I remember running down the hallway towards my classroom, with only two minutes left to memorize all I needed to say, absolutely, irrevocably terrified, completely oblivious to the fact that my cellphone was ringing with messages from my team members wondering if I was going to show.

    When I walked into the classroom, I immediately saw the two Asian women watching us intently and both Ms. Munoz and Mr.Parkhill sitting at a table. Stuttering, my group hesitantly began their presentation, the atmosphere was tense and stiff. Perhaps one of us would trip over a word, then laugh it off nervously and continue, but that was all to be heard.

    When it came my turn to present, I blanked out, babbling off about "medical insurance" and "financial aid", things which I knew for a fact if someone asked me to elaborate, I'd break down and say I know nothing about what I'm talking about. The presentation, however, went without a hitch, and the Asian women were surprisingly amiable. I received my paper today saying we got a "4", which is evidently a good thing.

    I'm proud, but of my team, not of myself. I don't think the stuttering girl in a black dress and blazer that the judges saw last Thursday really deserved a "4", but I'm not about to ask for an individual grade. Now that would be horrible.

    

"When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad."

- Abraham Lincoln

Reflection:

I know this not from directly doing something considered "bad" but because when I go do exercise, I feel satisfied afterward that I did something that benefits me emotionally and physically, since it's also a distraction. When I decide to be lazy and not work out, I feel bad and self-conscious after, because I know I'm going against my own personal morales, and instead of advancing and improving physically, now I'm deteriorating both mentally and physically.

Student Success Statement

" Take responsibility for your own body, mind, and spirit, for your own physical, mental, and spiritual well-being."

- Mr. Haymore

Reflection:

The one who is responsible for your well-being is (ultimately) you, and no one else. With that said, live your life, without becoming a drug addict, an alcoholic, a murderer, because the person you become is created by the things you do today, right now.

Student Success Statement

"We need the courage to start and continue what we should do, and the courage to stop what we shouldn't do."

- Richard L. Evans

Reflection:

The difficulty of accomplishing this task depends on the situation. I know, for me, that I overeat when I'm left alone at the house, and therefore do my best to avoid food when I'm alone. That, in itself, is very difficult for me. Then there are other times, when I don't want to work out, but I do so because I know I'll benefit in the long run. Having not only the courage, but the motivation to do the right thing is key to living a good life. And for me, doing the right thing is not overeating and not being lazy, to me, a healthy life is a good life.

The Sting of the Scorpion

Reflection:

Whether it can be regarded as a simply mishap, or as a life lesson, using "The Sting of the Scorpion" as reference to choosing the right, is taking a small event and blowing it completely out of proportion. Can one expect, that at that tender age of that young boy, that he can differentiate good and bad? What he did, I don't consider even remotely bad, just stupidity in general, but don't we all suffer from ignorance and insipidity at a young age?

This was a more or less decent example (without all the faults listed above) of doing what you know is common sense or being dumb. He chose to be dumb and faced the consequences, there's nothing wrong with that. Just like in real life, if you make dumb choices be prepared to face the repercussions of your actions. Taking full responsibility for your mistakes is (what I think, at least) the moral of the story here.

Student Success Statement

"Always do right."

- Mark Twain

Reflection:

I don't have anything against this quote, and wholeheartedly agree with it. However, I know doing the right thing won't always be easy, and will only come to me when I'm looking for self-satisfaction. Nevertheless, I can see myself using this as a motto when in temptation.

When You Tell One Lie It Leads to Another

Paul Hatch
When you tell a lie, it leads to another

So you tell two lies to cover each other

Then you tell three lies and, Oh Brother, 

You're in trouble up to your ears!

So you tell four lies to try to protect you

Then you tell five lies so folks won't suspect you

Then you tell six lies and you'll collect

A life filled with worries and fears

'Cause you can't remember how many lies you've told

And half the things you say aren't true

And sometimes you'll slip up, you'll trip of and then

Whatever will become of you?

So you lie and lie without even trying

And each lie you tell will keep multiplying

'Till the whole wide world will know you're lying

Then you'll be

Suspected

Detected

Rejected

Neglected

Disliked

And you should!

When you lie, you're closing the door

On everything good

Student Success Statement

"When you tell one lie, it leads to another."

- Paul Hatch

Reflection:

This is very true. I've lied very recently, and now I need to lie again to cover up for that lie. It's a bit of a problem, and it destroys the trust between two individuals. Not only that, when you lie, you lose credibility and people are less likely to believe you later on, even if you say the truth. Yes, a lie leads to another, and another, and yet another, until you believe your own lies and your own life becomes a huge lie. 

Student Success Statement

" 1. Can people trust me to do what's right?

2. Am I committed to doing my very best?

3. Do I treat people the way I want to be treated?

If the answer to these questions is yes. there is no way you can fail."

- Lou Holtz

Reflection:

This is a quote I definitely agree with, although I'm not entirely sure I would live by it. The thing with people trusting me to do what's right, is that I'm human. Even though I'll always do my best to be honest, I know some time along the road I'll make mistakes, and I think that's okay. I don't think there's anything wrong with failure, as long as you have the motivation to get back up.

I'm committed to doing my very best, but I also think it's okay if at one point you feel like giving up. I'll always put as much effort as I can, but there's nothing wrong with feeling beat down.

The last question is the one that gets me, "Do I treat people the way I want to be treated?" I believe I do, but if all I get in return is unappreciation and resentment, then I'd rather revert that quote to, "Do I treat people the way they treat me?" I think that if someone is bagging on you, the least you owe to yourself is to stand up to that one person and defend yourself. I'm not the type of person who would just sit down and let someone trample on my pride. I believe that these words are good motivators, but not in all instances, and I know sometimes my answers to these questions will be yes, and sometimes my answers will be no.

Diagnostic Radiologist

Duties and Responsibilities:
Diagnostic radiologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations, such as x rays, on patients.

Salary:

The average salary is $55,910 per year or $26.88 per hour.

Education:

The entry level educational requirement for a diagnostic radiologist is an associate's degree.

Reflection:

I'm not particularly interested in this job simply because what needs to be done throughout the career itself seems pretty boring. I don't think I would want to waste large parts of my day diminishing my eye sight as I interminably examine x-rays and such, looking for problems. The pay itself is only half of what I want to be able to make, since I aspire to be rich someday, I don't think this job is cut out for me.

Student Success Statement

"Kindness is the essence of greatness."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

Reflection:

Kindness is something I've always viewed as being overly nice, or a pushover, but recently I've discovered a new meaning. Kindness is something incredibly admirable, it is to treat those beneath you with the same respect as those above you. It truly is a great display of character when someone seen as superior to you treats you kindly, and without disrespect. I don't know if I'm that kind of person, but I know I'd like to be.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that many people these days regard as a day off from work, a chance to overeat, and a day of preparation for holiday shopping at the wee hours of morning on the following day. It is, however, a very important day in which we all take upon ourselves the time to remember all the things that we take for granted. Thanksgiving is a day in which we show appreciation for all of our blessings, it is a day when we give thanks.

There are many things for which I am thankful for (or should be thankful for, at least), and although the minimum is 12, there is much more, an infinite amount that I am thankful for, other than what I may write today.
I am thankful for:

1. Having woken up this morning, in a bed under a roof, snuggled in my blankets, something which would be considered living in the lap of luxury in other undeveloped countries.

2. The sole reason of the fact that I am alive. I was born prematurely, and had some physical deficiencies that I carry with me today, but I am still here, and small, but strong.

3. Food. If there's anything I look forward to, is eating my favorite foods. Even when my day is going horribly, mealtime is always something I'm excited about. There are people who don't get the chance to eat as often as I do, which is why I don't take food for granted.

4. Books. I have a strong connection to books, and they've led me to the point in which I like writing my own stories as well (during my free time, of course). If I didn't have books, I wouldn't have such a high understanding of grammar and vocabulary, and I wouldn't have anywhere else to divulge myself in the absence of electronics.

5. Anime. I've always loved Japanese cartoons, they've led me from my childhood to now in my pre-adulthood. They never fail to make me feel nostalgic.

6. My ability to draw. I haven't always been a great artist, but I know that I love that feeling of my ego shooting up when I finish an intricately detailed drawing. It's a unique sensation, and it also helps me illustrate my written stories, so it ties into both anime and books (since I draw using the Japanese style).

7. Video games. Believe it or not, I wasn't always a so-called "nube" as I'm regarded to these days. I've played video games since the very first consoles were released, and they remind me of warm rainy days in the comfort of my grandmother's sofas in Mexico.

8. The ability to travel. I know there are many people out there that will never see past the borders of their home country, but I am fortunate enough that I'll never have to worry about that. I'm so happy that I have the opportunity to see different places, and traveling around the world is something I aspire to do in the future.

9. Technology. There are so many things that I wouldn't be able to do without all of the tech that has been invented. I honestly have no idea what I would do without my phone (as superficial as it may seem, it is something very important to me), a computer to do my assignments on, or even search engines for when I can't find what I'm looking for in the library.

10. Sports. I used to be overweight when I was younger, incredibly overweight. Even though, as a child, I wasn't self-conscious about my weight, as I grew older, I became more bent on my exercise habits. Sports really helped me get out there, lose weight, feel stronger and be stronger than most girls. Sports let me have fun, but it's also cool to know that if there's ever a zombie apocalypse, I can outrun the zombies.

11. My friends. There was a point in time in which I felt very alone, very depressed because I didn't feel like I belonged. Making friends was always really hard for me, but perhaps destiny led me towards new people just earlier this year, and it's helped my self-esteem, and I feel happier in general knowing that there's someone out there depending on my as much as I depend on them.

12. My family. I'm happy that I live in a part of the world where I am not separated from my family, where I can live a long life raised by my parents and living alongside my brother and sister and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. There is no greater blessing than that.