Olympian

As i'm sure you all know by now, I'm really into gymnastics. Because of that, I like to compete myself, but I also like to watch others compete. Like all those really good people on TV, and the college teams - they're fun to watch. Well, anway. This past weekend I go to go down to the University of Utah with a couple of my teammates to watch a gymnastics meet. If you didn't know, The U of U is one of the best college gymnastics teams in the nation. I think they're ranked number 2 in the nation right now. That's how amazing they are. Well, at the meet my teammates and I were all naming the tricks and skills that we could do and telling each other how much we wish they could be as perfect as they do them. I mean, they seriously make everything look so easy. It's crazy. Anyway, we were just having a fun time hanging out watching the sport we all love. The scores were kind of close, but the U of U won the meet. As most of us had predicted, because there ranked number 2. Makes sense huh? Well, at the end of the meet when the stadium was pretty close to being empty, instead of heading out to beat the traffic, we decided to head in and get autographs. Yeah, may seem like we're kind of obsessed, but hey, they were really good. I didn't have anything to be autographed so instead I just got a couple pictures. Well, Ashley Postell, probably the best gymnast on the U of U team, let me take a picture with her and this other amazing gymnast. It's now on my phone, and I think it's gonna be worth something someday. Haha. I really think it will because Ashley Postell as I said is amazing and is pretty much close to being perfect. Well, I asked her if she was ever going to be in the Olympics, in a compliment kind of way just to imply how well she did that night. But she took me seriously and told me that she was really thinking about it. She had planned on trying out earlier, but ended up getting hurt or something, so she couldn't make the cuts for the 2004 games. But from what she told us, I really think she's going to go for it again this year. And if you knew what I was talking about when I say she is amazing, I really mean it. I don't doubt that if she does try out that she won't make it. I'd bet you she would make the team. So anyway, how cool is that? I have a picture on my phone with a future Olympian. I'm thinking that picture is going to be worth something someday. Haha. I don't really know, but I do have a picture with her. And I think that's pretty cool.

Are you busy?

I was hanging out with my friend this past week, and while I was waiting for my ride to get there we were reading the newspaper. Sounds kinda funny, I know. But we weren't reading all of it, just this part about horoscopes. Well, I can't quite remember what my friends said, but we laughed about it cause it totally didn't make sense at all. Then we read mine. It said "Your trying to do too many things at once, slow down and balance your life." Then we really started laughing because that is the total truth with me. I do a lot. I go to school, I do gymnastics, I do church things, I take honors english, I'm trying to do honors society, and the list goes on. Oh, and I try to add a social life in there sometimes. It might not seem like a lot but it really is, well at least I think so. My day starts out at about 6:30-45 depending on the day. I get ready for school, getting all the stuff for the entire day into my little backpack. I leave for school at about 7:50. When school gets over at about 3:00, I go straight to gymnastics. I then work out for about 4 hours. When I'm done with gym I finally get to go home. By the time I actually get home it's about 8:00- just enough time to do finish up the day. (Unless it's tuesday nights, than I still have young womens to attend). I usually eat dinner right when I get home, then it's off to do my homework. I do get distracted though, there is a couple of TV shows that catch my attention sometimes. When I'm finished with my homework, it's normally between 10:00 and 10:30. By that time, I'm so tired that I jump in the shower and head right to bed. Depending on if I read or not. (Which I haven't been doing much latetly... :S). Then the cycle repeats itself, day after day after day. Except on sundays because I don't have gym that day, and saturdays I go earlier so there kind of on different schedules. But for the most part that's my main routine I do every week. People always ask me if I get sick of gym because I do it so much. I sometimes do, but not really because I don't know what I'd do without gym in my life. I've being doing it since I was about 4 so it's kind of been a lifelong thing for me. It would be really different if I wasn't doing it, I probably would get bored with myself. So with that kind of schedule I try my best to get things done, but I do mess up a lot. I try to get straight A's and be a good student and everything, but I really does take a lot of effort, especially just to find the time for it. I like to procrastinate a lot, putting things off thinking i'll do them later when I have time. Not a good habit to get into. That's part of the reason why this blog is late. But that's not the whole reason. I was really planning on doing it yesterday, but my internet freaked out on me just after I had finished my discussion boards questions. I know if I would of done it earlier that wouldn't of happened. But I told you, I'm a procrastinator. Ü. So anyway, I kind of have a busy life. And that's part of the reason why I don't get things done on time. If I'm really not into something, like a book for instance, it's hard for me to get myself through it. Hence, that's why a lot of the time I'm reading on the last day possible. I'm telling you, I have a real problem with procrastination. I really need to work on that. I think my main point of this blog was to warn you that you shouldn't get to caught up in life and try to do too many things at once. It leads to procrastination. Haha, just joking. My real advice is to get the important things done first. It always works out better that way. Ü

Block Schedule or Not?

The scheduling in our junior high’s today is not as beneficial as it is in our high schools. The block schedule our high school’s use allows students to learn more within a class period, gives students a variety between their teachers each day, and also helps lessen the amount of homework each night. With that said, in my opinion I think junior high schools should use block schedules like high schools do.

With longer class periods in a day, a lot more could get done. With extra time, more of the required curriculum could be taught. A lot of the time teachers run out of time while teaching, simply just because there’s only so much of it we can use. Switching to a block schedule would help with this simple inconvenience. Knowing that this situation doesn’t happen all the time, the extra class time wouldn’t be wasted. The time could be used for additional one on one help with the teacher if needed. I know that sometimes I get home to do my homework only to find out that I’m still confused. With having extra time in class, students could get a head start on homework. This could not only save them time, but allow them to get the additional help they need to completely understand the subject before attempting the assignment on their own.

Having more time in a class period leaves less class periods able to take place during the day. Instead of having seven classes a day, the block schedule would only allow four. This requires students to take eight classes total each semester. This could benefit the students by giving them a variety in their education. First of all, having eight classes lets students have even more of a say of what classes they take during school. It gives the students an opportunity have another class of their own interest put into their daily schedule. Not only does it give students more variety, it also gives them a break every other day. We’ve all had that one teacher that’s never liked you, or that one that you dread going to because of his ridiculously long lectures, or even just one that you have never really like… just because. We all have them, and all know what it feels like to want a break from them. Having the block schedule can help with that. It would give students the pleasure of only seeing that teacher every other day, instead of everyday.

With having four classes a day, you only have four teachers a day. Therefore only four teachers that can give you homework that’s not due until you see them again. This would be not the next day, but the next. Students have very busy lives these days, and they seem to only be getting busier. Many students are overwhelmed by the amounts of homework each night. I personally am, trying to juggle sports, church, family, and school all at one time. It’s possible, but it’s hard. Having the block schedule would lessen the amount of homework each night, leaving more time for students and their lives. Knowing that homework can’t be taken completely out of the picture, having four classes a day would help benefit the students and their accomplishments in life by allowing time for other things as well.

All these things would help assist the students in their education, leading them to become successful. Having more time within a class period, giving variety within classes, and lessening the amount of homework are just a few of the many ways students could benefit from the possible change in the schedule. Therefore I think Junior High Schools should have a block schedule like the High School’s do.

Any suggestions? I know it needs some work, but besides all the obvious stuff is there anything you guys see that needs to be fixed? Think differently? Leave me a comment about your opinion.

Coincidences

Do you ever have those days where everything just seems to be happening right in a row, or at the same time, or you either have a really good or really bad day? Do you think of those as coincidences? Or do you really think that everything happens for a reason? Well, let me just tell you about my weekend and then we'll start talking about coiencidences (I don't think I'm spelling that right :S).

Well, first of all this all started on Thursday right after school. I had a gymnastics meet on friday in Boise, Idaho so I wouldn't be attending school on that day. So on thurdsay I had to go take a test that I would of been taking in math that day. Well, come to find out that the test had some problems on it that I was totally confused on and I needed my other study notes to help me out. I didn't have them with me so I just had to go from memory, let's just hope for the best. Ü. That part wasn't so bad, just something I forget... no biggie. Well, after taking the test I called my dad and found out that he was stuck in Ogden and wouldn't be able to pick me up for another 45 min. or so. I didn't know what to do with myself, what was I going to do at the school when no one's there for 45 minutes? Well, as I was walking down the hall to go to my locker, just cause I didn't know where else to go, I called my aunt and she said she could come get me. So that made me kind of happy. She shortened my wait to only about 10 minutes instead of 45. As soon as I hung up the phone with my aunt I had received a text message. It was from my teammate that would be competing with me the next day. I was kind of happy she texted me so that I would have something to do for a minute. Well, when I opened the text, I wasn't too happy anymore. It said "I just got in a car accident." That wasn't good at all. Her and her mom had just picked up my other teammate from their house and they were all on their way to Boise for the meet. Well, they hadn't gotten past the Farr West exit when someone ran right into the side of their rental car. It scared me really bad, I couldn't wait long for her texts, I was worried cause at that point I hadn't really known what had happened. It turned out that everyone was ok, just some bumps and bruises. My two teammates had it the worst though. One had a huge bump on her head, and the other had done something to her back. They were both in lots of pain and had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out. So when I got home, I told my parents and they were calling around to see what was going on and if they were still going and everything. During all this my coach that had left at about 12:30, called at about 5:30 telling us that we shouldn't go because the weather was so bad. He had been driving for 5 hours and had only made it to Pocatello. A lot of the roads were closed, and there really wasn't a way for us to get to Boise until they were opened again. Well, long story short (I only have 5 min. til this is due :s). I'll just tell you my chain of coincidences...
Forgot study notes. No ride. Car crash. Hospital. Bad weather. Teammates had no way to get there anymore. Crammed Car. Friends mom had to fly to see to Boise. Got stuck in Pocatello. Got Lost. Locked Keys in car. One of my teammates sisters got robbed at gunpoint. And on and on and on. And to top it all off, at our actual meet. Our first event, bars, every single one of us on the team fell. It didn't work out so well. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that do you think that coincidences just happen just cause, or do they happen for a reason? Just wondering...