Motivation....

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
St. Clement of Alexandra


This one quote is what always keeps me going during school. Summer school was crazy, and extremely busy. However, I do not regret it! I learned a lot, and met a lot of great people. I am now a semester ahead of a lot of my friends. Some might think it might be boring and depressing, but I'm excited to be where I am at. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am out of classes at my current community college at the end of this semester, therefore, I will be transferring to a larger university. The great thing is that I will still be close to home....which is so important because being away from my family would be really difficult for me. I am continuing to seek a Health/Science degree. However, I am changing it from dietetics to Health Education & Promotion. I am very excited for this semester and next semester!!


...and of course...he makes coming home quite entertaining!!

  Yep, he's pretty spoiled! But who couldn't love this troubled monster?!

Professors...

I completed my spring semester. Not much, I really want to report, as I had a tough semester. I had some good professors, but I also had some unenthusiastic professors as well. One professor, in particular, made me realize why the education system needs some changes.


I had a biology instructor, who I had heard was the best biology teacher on campus, for both lecture and lab. I should have dropped after the first week. He was very belligerent toward the class and would not allow any questions during class. Who does not allow students to ask questions? I took the class with a friend and we ended up getting a C, which is crazy knowing that we are both straight A students! I spent more time on that class that I did for any of my other classes and I got a C! I have two more biology classes to take for my degree and I am worried/concerned for how my next professor will treat the class if he was supposedly the best instructor. The reason why I believe the education system needs changed is because when I went and spoke to the Student Services concerning the belligerence of the professor, I was told there was nothing that I could do, nor the school could do because he was on tenure. I find it hard to accept that some teachers cannot be fired because they are on tenure and bring down a student's self-confidence. Last time I check, that is not a teacher! Teachers are supposed to bring up a student’s self-confidence and allow them to ask questions, if they have any.

It took me several weeks to move on from spring semester. I am now halfway through my summer classes. I love all my instructors and feel as if they really enjoy their job. My English class was a little crazy, as the first professor was really strict and hard to please and then as of last week, she became too ill to continue the semester. I was concerned about the teacher who would finish out the summer session, but I have loved her enthusiasm toward English, which has made me pay more attention to the quality of work I am turning in to her.
I am taking my last yoga class. I have loved learning yoga and will probably do it for the rest of my life! I am taking a humanities course and have enjoyed the course. Although the professor is hard of hearing, he is great! I am trying to be more upbeat about my computer literacy class, but I find it boring. I will be attending an NA meeting on Wednesday for my Health & Wellness class. A part of me is dreading it, but another part of me is curious as to what they do and how they help the people who need the meetings.

Two Poems For April

All month I have been reading and responding to poem's my English professor has been handing out in class. This one I was able to understand the first time through and enjoyed responding to the questions. The author of this poem is Shawn Henley.

Lonely Child

Lonely child in the night.
Under heaven's golden lights.
I heard you cry near a stream.
Where maidens sing and sleep and dream.
Lonely child have no fear, the lord will dry your heart-
sick tears.
The night is young, a blue jay flies and whispers softly
please don't cry.
The lord above is free to roam he will help you from his
throne.
The lord loves you true and dear.
He only laughs he never swears.
Lonely child please don't run, beneath the sky, moon or sun.
You parents love you yes they do.
The clouds have dimmed, but no one knew.
Lonely child a lion prowls.
This lion is special he'd dare not bite.
He only hunts game in the wild never children o' lonely child.
Lonely child go back home, cross the deserts
where buffalo roamed.
The lord will lead you safe and clear.
So don't you cry nor shed a tear.
You parents miss your loving touch.
Your loving hugs and summer blush.
They miss the way you'd smile and grin.
You think they wouldn't you're only ten?
Lonely child in the night.
Your parents searched day and night.
For a child in the wild.
Their only son you lonely child.
Lonely child don't you cry.
And don't you dare tell a lie, on the lion in the wild.
He'd never hurt you lonely child.
Your parents love you very much.
So let them feel your loving touch.
Lonely child in the night.
A little dove flew, in fright.
I know you love your parents so.
So run and tell them let them know.
Let them know how you feel.
Let them know your love is real.
Lonely child run or fly.
Soar the heavens and the skies.
Soar the rivers and the streams.
Your smile will make the moonlight, beam.
Lonely child in the night, an angel, there's no need for fright.

Another good one she handed out was submitted online by the name of Danielle.

Black Sheep

A foreigner in the flock
A lamb that doesn't belong
Set apart by something
That isn't quite there

Outcasted, rejected
Unwanted, unloved
Everyone needs a sense of belonging
In order to truly be whole

Despair not
For black sheep are unique
Set apart by something different
Something possessed by no other

Black sheep die as scapegoats
Without the knowledge of their secret
All black sheep form a flock
They need only to find their place in the herd

Semester One...Done!

On December 17, 2010 I had my last final of my first semester at college. I had to wait until the 22nd until I learned what my final grades would be. I think I did okay:

COMM-101: A

ENGL-015 A

HIST-101: A

MATH-015: A

STUS-101: A

I am pretty sure I am taking after my mom pretty well! I am happy with my first semester of college and have had a month of celebration, but now it's time to plug away toward my next semester. I am, again, taking a full load of classes and taking two harder classes this semester. I will return to school on the 18th of January. Next semester's classes:

ALLH- Medical Terminology 

BIOL- Concepts of Biology

BIOL- Concepts of Biology Lab

ENGL

MATH

PHYA-Yoga

Holidays

This holiday season was a very difficult one for myself and my family. This was our very first Christmas without our grandpa, who we always had dinner and dessert and spent the majority of the day with him and our grandma. It was also the very first time I had been in the house since his death. We all made it through the day okay and had a good dinner prepared by my grandma.

The day after Christmas we lost our oldest dog, Snitch a black lab, who was a very loving and calm dog. This was the first time we had an animal die at home. It was a difficult day for everybody and it certainly was not fun to have to go to work, especially when working in customer service and having to put on a happy face. Our Siberian Husky, Demon is starting to get back to his normal attitude, as he was with Snitch all the time. He has since decided that he is an inside dog and that he must sleep inside the house. Not too big of a deal, right? Well, he likes to howl at 2:30 in the morning, which makes for a very long day after being up with him all night. My hope is that he will start to sleep all through the night before I go back to school on the 18th.

College Life

I have decided that high school is much easier! I have found out that college is MUCH different. I find that all of the major assignments due in each course are due on the same week. I have two mid-term exams that I need to prepare for and the very much dreaded task of speeches will start very soon. UGH! I think I now know why people procrastinate! Everything is put aside when I have a grinning dog that wants kisses when I walk in the door (Demon, of course!) :). I think the main reason why he gives me that big smile is because he knows he has done something wrong (for example, he has tried to eat the cats through the sliding glass door and is continually taking branches of the tree....and no they don't need a hair cut, Demon!). Oh and those "conversations" he has with me! He has become very vocal and tells me all about his mornings, although I think he leaves out the bad stuff on purpose!

Holding On

The past two weeks have been testing me, both through school and personally. I think I am getting a hang of college and starting to know what each professor wants from me, although sometimes I'm not so sure. I am doing well in all of my classes, which is a plus :). Last week I had my first math exam and received a 95% (only missing one question). This week I had a history exam and my studies class had the first exam. I was more concerned about memorizing all of the vocabulary words for history, however, I think I did really well. I also had to compare and contrast Mesopotamia and Egypt. I already have 10 extra bonus points I will get on my exam for 1. attending class every week and receiving a "code word" and 2. working in class with my group and analyzing Aristotle. For my studies class our exam was based on defining skills, Internal Locus of Control, External Locus of Control, critical thinking, problem solving, rote memorization, motivation, goals, long-term goals, and short-term goals.

I am glad school has been keeping me busy after the death of my grandfather. He died on 9/11/10, which is already a weird day remembering what you were doing on 9/11/01. We knew it was coming after his diagnosis of kidney failure and many hospital stays, but death isn't easy. The funeral was difficult and seeing the flag given to my uncle made it all the more real. It was weird to have our aunt and her family as well as my uncle and his family around without my grandpa and without it being a holiday and people are out on the streets acting like it's just a normal day when inside of you it is anything but ordinary. It's difficult to me because just last year my great-grandmother died. My grandpa was only 77 years old. It makes you wonder why some people are blessed with a long life and some are not.

 My next English paper I will be writing is about a favorite photograph and I have decided to write one of me with my grandpa. I know this will be a good thing for me because it will help me to remember all of the memorable things that I and my family did with him.