Semester 1
Blog #1
This summer, like most people, I spent a lot of time at home. I got a pottery wheel for my 17th birthday, so I was in my backyard creating pottery for friends and family most days. I took Economics and Political Science at Santa Monica College, however, so I couldn't spend ALL day doing ceramics. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to get out of Santa Monica. I went up north to Shasta Lake with my girlfriend and her family for eight days. We lived on a houseboat on the lake. We went wakeboarding, waterskiing, and tubing. We also went on a day trip to Burney Falls, a nearby waterfall. Sadly, a significant portion of my summer was corrupted by college applications. A lot of the free time I had was spent writing essays and researching schools.
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I'm looking forward to being one of this year's engineering class presidents. I know I'm in for a lot of work, but I imagine that it will be highly rewarding. I'm also excited to take my journey with the Capstone project, and be able to make a difference in something I am really passionate about.
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This year I'm excited to send in my college applications and see where I get in. That's about it.
Blog #2
So far in our project, our group members have worked very well together. We are all vocal about what we think and what we want. We are able to respectfully debate and find a compromise when things are disagreed on. In the beginning we were a little bit lost and didn't have a clear direction that we wanted to go in. However, after a few days of discussion, we have solidified our problem statement.
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Because our problem statement affects a wide range of people and is still slightly broad, I predict that we will have some issues finding a specific solution. I know that some people in our group wanted a technical solution while others in our group want more of a social interaction solution, and both seem kind of difficult to orchestrate and achieve.
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I have a final list of colleges that I have researched and am planning to apply to. I've completed the general Common Application Essay and one of four UC Personal Insight Questions. I am currently in the process of beginning the supplement essays for each specific colleges I'm applying to. Since I'm applying Early Action to all of my schools except the UC's and George Washington University, I only have one month to complete at least one supplement essay for each of the other six schools I'm applying to. I'm pretty nervous that I won't have enough time to make the Early Action deadline. I wish someone told me that I need to start working on essays earlier than I think I need to and also it's ok to completely change an essay like a million times, it's not going to be perfect on your first or second or fifth or maybe even tenth draft.
Blog #3
A few weeks ago, my girlfriend's dog threw up on me (she is NOT a small dog). When I told my friend about it, she replied by saying "If I were a dog I'd barf on you". This pretty much sums up what my current state is. Between college applications, family conflict, being behind in school, quarantine, and chronic insomnia, my life feels like it has been barfed on by a dog and then made fun of by a friend.
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I think my life at any given point in time is what state I am in. Whatever experiences I'm having or feelings I'm feeling are the things that compose my life, and therefore, my state. I'm experiencing pressure, stress, and basically all the things I listed earlier. I think the experience of being barfed on by a dog communicates the unpleasantness of the experiences I'm having. My friend's reply also communicates how the Universe thinks it's funny to sit back and crack a few jokes whilst I'm going through it. Additionally, I think the slight frown on my face and the slight grin on my friend's face speaks to the state of my life and the Universe, respectively.
Blog #4
Before I started writing my college essays, I thought that one month was plenty of time to write a single essay. Turns out I was very VERY wrong. I wish knew that one month in terms of writing college essays is actually like five seconds. My advice is however much time you think it will take you to write one essay, double it if you want it to be good and not rushed. I also wish that I asked more questions before it was too late. I ended up missing a few deadlines because I was too scared and lazy to ask about what I needed to do and by when.
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I'm really excited to have more independence and control over my education in college. I get to choose from a much bigger selection what classes I want to take. I'm also excited for professors to treat me like an adult and not like a child, giving me the autonomy to decide how I want to approach my education.
*my applications on their way to college admissions departments*
Semester 2
Blog #1
Products that are made for profit are made not because we need them, but because people will want them. In our society, people like to consume whether it is necessary or not. Profit products fall under the category of 'not'. Products that are made to benefit others are generally necessities. People who create products that benefit others usually do so because those individuals don't have the ability to go without them. An example of for-profit products are accessories; jewelry, designer purses, designer belts, etc. An example of products for the benefit of others are period products; pads, tampons, menstrual cups, etc.
Blog #2
The biggest challenge is definitely communication. Not being able to see each other in person really slows us down and stifles our progress since it's harder to clearly communicate with one another about what needs to be done and how. However, I'm proud that despite that, we've come a long way in our project and have a solid prototype that will soon be finished.
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Something that's super important is to not bite off more than you can chew. My groups initial plan was a little too grand for our capabilities in online school, and we had to cut out a lot of our ideas. Being realistic is important if you want to be able to actually produce something that works. If you spread yourself too thin, it will all fall apart.
Blog #3
Next year I will be attending UC Berkeley and majoring in Integrative Biology. I am in the Freshman Fall Program, which means I will have smaller class sizes my first semester there. Second semester, after I've settled in a bit, I hope to start looking for research opportunities through the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP). Since basically half of Samohi is going to UC Berkeley next year, I'm sure I'll feel right at home as I will be surrounded by people I already know.
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If I'm being honest, I'm most proud that I made it all four years through PLTW without quitting. First and second year were fine, but third year nearly gave me a run for my money. I'm not used to not understanding things, so when I was faced with a bunch of stuff I didn't understand, I kinda wanted to quit so I could still pretend like I was still the smartest person in the world. But I am definitely glad I stayed because even though this year was a trainwreck, I understood everything and got to play out my delusions for a little while longer.
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Thank you for making this class worthwhile, Ms. Snyder :)