Today's Test

Today in class, we took the cultural geography and world religion test. It wasn't that hard like I thought it would be. It was pretty good and it only had a few questions that I didn't really know or study. The setup of the test wasn't bad either because it was all multiple choice and there was no essay. I think multiple choice tests are the easiest because all the answers are there for you and you don't have to worry about it. Essays aren't always hard, but I feel like you won't get the full points for the essay unless you know what your teacher will except to be in your essay and what they won't except. We took the test and it didn't take that long either, it was only like maybe about 30 questions. After everyone took the test, Mr. Schick graded the Scantron tests. It took like two seconds and that same class we had enough time to know our final grade. I was really nervous because I really needed a good grade. I finally found out my percentage grade and it was an 85% so it was fine with me and I was okay with it. I really wanted an A but I knew that I wasn't too sure I would get one so I didn't but the 85 was good with me because other people got lower than that. Some people got really bad grades which didn't make sense and I bet they thought the same way because it wasn't a bad test in any way. I don't really know but I was happy with the grade because it won't take my grade down at all and I was happy we found out our grade in class because I was already worried about it.

Review for test

Today in class, we reviewed what would be on the test for Wednesday. I feel like after we reviewed, it seems to be a little bit easier on knowing what we should expect on the test. Before, I was kind of worried because I really wasn't sure and I really need a solid A on this test so I can have an A in this class instead of a B. I am really trying for that because I really want it obviously and because I know I can do it, it's just not always easy. This test doesn't seem that it will be that hard, it is just I feel like I will worry until we get our grade back because I mean that's what everyone does. It's just typical to do that really. During class, I asked to go over the cultural geography powerpoint because that was the part of the test I was worried about. I feel better about that powerpoint because Mr. Schick just told us all the things that we would be tested on for each of the slides which was great so we really did know what to expect. The world religions powerpoint though I feel like I have got pretty well, but I am going to keep going over it tomorrow for memory and make sure I know what is really important and what isn't that important. I honestly think that it really won't be bad and I kind of knew we would have a test before exams because that is what seems to be happening in like each class because everyone wants to try and start new things when we get back from Christmas break in January. Anyway, I hope I do really good on this test and it really brings my grade up.

Friday's Class - 12/5/14

Yesterday in class, we talked more about the world religions that are major. The five major world religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. We didn't have to take many notes because the powerpoint was quite short and we need to know the information for Wednesday. Our test on Cultural Geography and the World Religions is on Wednesday and I am kind of nervous about it because I think the Slumdog Millionaire part will be pretty easy but the part about Cultural Geography I feel like there is so much information to take in and I wasn't there one day and I really hope I didn't miss much because we have the test so soon. I'm going to get the notes maybe or ask if Mr. Schick could put the Cultural Geography powerpoint up on the Human Geo blog so I could try and study from that. I hope this test is easy and I could get a really good grade and maybe my grade could go from a high B to an A because I know from the past test, my grade did go down which I didn't obviously want it to but it did and I'm hoping it will be fine.

12/4/14

Today in class we listened to the song Mr. Schick made from the song "I wanna be a billionaire." He made a cover of that song using Slumdog Millionaire references. It was pretty good because I bet it took a while to try and come with lyrics. Like there really is a lot to change depending on how much you want to refer to the movie. It was pretty cool how it all turned out and that would be cool to do myself one day. After that was over, we continued to take notes from a powerpoint. I obviously didn't have all the notes because I wasn't there the day before. I'm going to get the notes way before we have a test whenever that will be and get them from Katie. We wrote some notes down today not a lot because in the beginning of class we had a fire drill and that took up like 20 minutes of class which was good. Other than that, we just talked about some of the world's religions and how big they are and how some aren't so big. Like there are like 5 main types of religion in the world and they are the religions that have many people who believe in them. There are also religions that are parody ones such as one we talked about today but I can't remember the name. I was absolutely bizarre. We were just talking about some of the things that go with that parody religion and it seemed really crazy and weird. I don't think we really did anything else but class ended pretty quick so that was it.

Finishing Slumdog Millionaire

On Monday, we finally finished Slumdog Millionaire. I really loved the movie and I really want to watch it again. The whole plot I thought was great and how you were kind of kept guessing until the end to know what happens. The end I felt like really wasn't a twist because Jamal ended up being with Latika and I knew that would happen I mean it had to. They were so cute together and I feel like they fell in love the first time they saw each other. It was kind of confusing at the end because he didn't know the answer and like every question that was given, he did know so I really wasn't expecting that. Then I did realize that when Latika answered the phone when Jamal phoned a friend during the question, he was just so happy that she was safe and okay. So like even if he didn't get the question right and lost all the money, he was just happy he could be with Latika. I really loved that because it was so beautiful. He was just so happy and smiling but like the people who were watching the show didn't know why but he did and he just didn't care if he got the money or not after all that time and stuff that happened. It was so cute and I loved that idea that the writers put into the movie. Overall, the movie was so good and I want to keep watching it over and over again.

Slumdog Millionaire

Today in class, we continued to watch the movie Slumdog Millionaire. This whole movie has honestly been a roller coaster. I think it has been a great movie since the beginning. The story and plot is just incredible and I've always seen the previews for the movie in the past and I kind of just brushed it off and said that it wouldn't be worth watching. I was totally wrong like this movie is really good and I didn't think that I would like it this much and want to watch more. I can't wait to see the end and see what the final question is and see how Jamal gets the money. He has done such a good job so far answering every question right. He was even sabotaged a little bit by the guy who runs the show because he tried to trick him into telling him an answer. Jamal never let his guard down and didn't give in to the answer that the guy tried to give him. The guy tried to do this because he thought Jamal was a threat because he would be richer than him if he won all the money he is lined up to win. We are now at the part of the final question and that will determine if Jamal gets the money he has played for or if he will loose it all in an instant. Next week we will finish the movie and see what happens at the end and hopefully be very shocked.

Differences between Mumbai and Maryland

There are many differences between the city of Mumbai in India and the state of Maryland in the US. The culture is very different and so are the living conditions. One difference is the way people use a public restroom. In Mumbai, there are outhouses and a hole that leads to the sewers for the bathroom. In Maryland, the restrooms are more reserved and the bathrooms are decent most of the time. The police in Mumbai are rude and they don't have a good relationship with the kids or anyone else. They seem like a threat and in Maryland they are protective and keep people safe. The way that people make money is also a big difference. In Mumbai, in the movie, people make money by selling women and use them for prostitution. In Maryland there are no jobs where that is allowed. It is against the law. The way that people live is very different too. The houses in Mumbai are equivalent to like a small room in a normal house in Maryland. The houses in the slums are made like small shacks and there is only room to have a kitchen. It's crazy how some of those people live in these types of toxic and deadly conditions because of how poor the country is.

Movie

Today in class we started a movie that relates to our cultural geography chapter. We are watching Slumdog Millionaire. The movie shows a lot of culture and how people live in Mumbai and it showed their religion. There was a discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus were not happy that there were Muslims living anywhere near their area. They would come off this train by the slums where some of the Muslims with sticks and anything else they could use as a weapon. They beat the Muslims and set some of them on fire. There would be people going crazy walking around completely set on fire. It was a terrible scene to watch, it was very graphic and upsetting. They didn't stop and just adults, they took children and also beat them. They didn't care, they just judged them because of their religion and killed many people. It is crazy how some people live in some of those slums in India. They seem like some of the worst places to live. They aren't safe at all because they don't have a proper bathroom and they bathe, drink, and cook, with water from a river that is very dark and very contaminated. The expectancy rate for those people is very low even though people in India have many kids and their birth rate is high. It seems crazy and unbelievable. I am excited to watch more of the movie and find out what happens in the end.

11-19-14

Today in class we tried to finish our extra credit assignment. We had a sub and Mr. Schick gave us the assignment and opportunity to finish our extra credit or edit it if we needed to. I edited my extra credit blog because I did feel like I didn't have enough because we were supposed to talk about the anthem of the country we researched and I realized that I didn't really talk about the Canadian anthem at all. I put in a few sentences on my blog about how the anthem sounded to me and what the feel of it was. I felt like it was a fairly easy assignment and I hope I did it correctly so that I can receive extra points to my grade. I didn't do that bad on the last test but I didn't do too well either so I hope this can bring my grade up a little more. Today was a chill class and I needed it because today was also a very tiring and stressful day.

Cultural Geography - new chapter

Today in class, we started a new unit since we are now done with political geography and we are moving on. The new chapter is called cultural geography. Which I think we are going to learn about different religions and ethnic backgrounds. We might even take a look at all of our different heritages and ethnicities. I think that would be a cool thing to discover one class because we could learn a lot of different things about each of our families. We could also get to know each other as a class better. I know since I have a pretty interesting background that when you look at someone, you could've never guessed that they were from that part of the world or that their families came from that particular country. Even religions could be different also like maybe there are people in everyone's family with different religions. I understand that because my dad's family is a totally different religion and it isn't that close to Christianity. My mom is Catholic but my grandfather was Methodist so she had that sort of relation too. My dad's family is much different because he is Muslim and that is very different from being Catholic. Some people say that it really isn't much different, but I honestly don't think that because there are so many differences. I don't know it's just learning about culture, there are so many things you can find out about other people and maybe how their life is different from your life.

Extra Credit

Canada's Anthem :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Zn6ERmZXM 

I think the Canadian anthem sounds much different from all the other countries anthems. It sounds better in a way because it sounds upbeat and seems happy. I feel like some other countries have anthems where they sound like a military chant. I feel like those kinds of anthems are not unique in any way and they are demanding. The Canadian anthem sounds free and it represents Canada really well and the lyrics are well written and it has rhythm.


Spotify Playlist by: Sophia and Katie

American Dream by: MKTO
Freedom by: Akon
Free by: Zac Brown Band
National Anthem by: Lana Del Rey
Migration by: Jimmy Buffett
Made in the USA by: Demi Lovato

Test

Today we took the third human geo test this year. Most of it was multiple choice which I thought and I liked that idea and I think everyone else did too. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be because I didn't really know what to expect with how this whole test would've gone and how it would be. I really hope I didn't fail it because I did feel like some things I guessed on because I just didn't know the answer. Some of the questions you could think of as common sense. It was like the question had the answer in it. I think that may have helped me a little bit with like one or two questions. There was an essay that wasn't a hard question easier. It just seemed weird when I wrote down my answer to it because it didn't make that much sense as I wished it did, but it still answered the question and hopefully it will get full credit for it or at least most of the credit. I also have to say that it wasn't my favorite test to take at all because I have no idea close to knowing how I did. I think I did okay but not as well as I wished. I wished that I studied harder so I could've got like a 90, but I think that I got like an 80 or I'm hoping that I did and I didn't do worse because this is an important grade but I just know that I have to try harder and do better. I hope I find out my grade sooner or later because I will be worrying about it and I'm just not sure.

Test Tomorrow

Wednesday's test was postponed today to tomorrow. There was a powerpoint study guide that we could study from but some links didn't work so that's why it was cancelled. The problem was fixed and we discussed it in class so everything worked out. We got to study the slides today and have extra time to quiz ourselves and each other. I looked through the slides and tried to study to get a better understanding of what will be on the test. The last quiz we took this unit will also be on the test and we get a second chance on it. I didn't do well on the pop quiz we had like 2 weeks ago and that is what took my grade down so this test is important. Since a test is even more points than a pop quiz, I need to do well on this test to get my grade up and pass. I know that some of it will be multiple choice and that makes it easier to take and not spend so much time on the test. I am not a fast test taker, I've always been someone who likes to check everything before I turn it in and I spend time on an answer if I know it isn't right or I don't know it. I feel like this test isn't going to be that easy so I am hoping that I am wrong and I do very well.

Wednesday's Test

Today in class, we talked about the test we will have on Wednesday. This unit has been about like different countries of the world and its leaders and government. We have been studying 12 different countries this whole time trying to understand how each country works and the differences the other countries have compared to the United States. There are so many similarities and differences involving the type of governments of each country and many things about the leaders. Also things like the terms that each leader serves and how each leader runs the country. All these types of things are going to be on the test and I think that a good part of the test will be multiple choice which everyone prefers because it helps get a better grade and know the information easier. I really hope I do my absolute best on this test because I really need it. I have a B in this class and I actually have for a while know and I really want to get as many A's as possible. It is my goal to get way more than I did for the first quarter. This test is important in showing that grade because we only have tests when we like finish a unit or chapter. We only get graded on the blogs two points a day and the tests and quizzes are important in determining what we have at the end of the quarter. I really hope the test is easy and I do really well.

My Group's Presentation

On Friday, my group had to present our powerpoint project we've been working on for the past week and a half. I was worried because our slides weren't that bad but like we just didn't seem ready. The information for our specific country was hard to find and I feel like we might not have answered the questions we needed to in the best possible way. There were just facts we had that didn't make sense and than you would go to the next slide and it just didn't seem to work. I was also upset about it because the day we presented, Katie was doing the play and wasn't in class. I thought maybe she would've been because I knew she wasn't going to be on Thursday but she wasn't on Friday either. It was just Christina and I who presented the powerpoint and I didn't feel that the presentation flowed together at all really. There were some questions being asked that I just didn't know how to answer. That was annoying because there were other groups who presented and they did a good job and I give them credit. Maybe overall we didn't do that bad, but I really wished we did better and got much more information than we had. Next time I know we will do much better and even better with our research.

Leaving Early

Today I wasn't in human geo class. I had to leave early in algebra because I had a dentist appointment. I left at like 12:00 and it is so boring and stupid. I went to the dentist to get the normal every 6 month check up. They just checked and cleaned and did a normal x-ray for the check up. It wasn't bad at least I got to get lunch afterwards so all is good. I know that in human geo today we probably continued the presentations and I think my group will go tomorrow. We seem like we might be ready but then I'm not so sure. I hope we will be fine and if we don't go tomorrow we will have to present on Monday. The other groups that have already presented did a good job I don't think they did anything wrong really, maybe they just needed a little more information on their slides. Other than that, the presentations so far have been done well. I hope that when we present. our presentation will get an A and we will do well.

Presentation Day 1

Today in class we started presenting our powerpoint that we have been working on this past week. The first group to go was Chris and McKenna and their country was Germany. Germany has a federal republic and the leader of Germany is Angela Merkel. Every five years a new president is elected and every four years a new chancellor is elected. A leader can be impeached in Germany. The second group that presented was Gabi, Skylar, and Suky and their country was France. France has a republic as the form of government even though the country has gone back and forth many times between different forms of the government. Francois Hollande is the leader of France and has been since 2012. He is serving a five year term and when that ends there will be a reelection. France could impeach a leader and it was decided that it was allowed in 2002. There was only one more group that went today and the group was Jonathan and James and they had the United States. The president of the US is Barack Obama. He can only serve 2 terms which is 8 years in total. Andrew Johnson was the only former president of the United States that has been impeached before. The United State's form of government is the federal republic. We elect a new president every 4 years even though presidents are allowed 2 terms if they get reelected. There are still many countries to go and in class we will just keep continuing to present until everyone has presented.

Finishing our powerpoint

On Thursday in class we finished our powerpoint project. We picked a theme and finished putting the information on our slides. I think we covered everything we could find and got all the information we could get. It wasn't that easy to find the facts we were looking for because we really needed to look and keep looking because when you searched for like how long the government had existed it was coming up with weird answers and you really had to find the one that was right. Some answers that came up didn't make sense and you had to go with the best one and figure it out yourself. I think we did a good job on our slides but I feel like we need just a little more information but the problem is that there really isn't anything else to say like fact wise. I feel like maybe the questions we needed to answer were too broad and needed to be a little more specific. I think that it will turn out pretty well and I want to see how other people did their powerpoint because we are going to start sharing ours on Monday.

Working on our project

Today we officially started to work on our project. Katie was in New York so I was working with Christina today just trying to get a start on a project and have some work done. We answered almost all of the questions that are required for the powerpoint but we need to do a lot more research. I feel like this assignment project thing is more important than like any other assignment we have had before in this class. I think we will be done pretty soon and I think that we have done a good job as a start. We will be finishing it in class tomorrow and then we have to present it. I also like the set up we did for the slides like I think that our powerpoint will be pretty informative. We just have to finish it tomorrow and go over all the questions again to make sure that we covered everything that we needed to put in the powerpoint.

Group Project

Today in class we were assigned a group project thing. Some groups have two or three people. My group is Katie, Christina and I. I like doing group work as long as everyone participates in the project because it's not fun trying to do it all by yourself. I am confident that I have a good group and our assignment will get a hundred percent as the grade. I don't think what we have to do is even hard at all really, especially when we have more than one person in our group working with us. We can all find good information to put in our google slides and it will turn out nicely. I think it will be better than working alone because people have different opinions and they can say what they think is the best way to show the information and what will get an A and what won't. The assignment is just getting information on your group's country. Each group had to pick a country they wanted to do good research on and find more about its government. We also need to find more about the leadership and maybe the type or if there even are any elections people take in other countries around the world. I feel like we might be able to get some of the information from the CIA fact book but maybe not that much because the stuff we need to find out and know are so specific. I am kind of excited to see how this will play out and to find out more information about the world's countries and how they are run.

World Leaders

Today in class, we heard more facts about the world leaders we've been studying. So far this week we have learned many facts about the people we have studied and it is very interesting. I have learned so much in just a few days and the crazy stories world leaders have to tell. Like yesterday when we were talking about Dilma Rouseff and her amazing determination and courage. She is so inspiring and probably gives amazing advice when she does meetings and gives speeches. I think that she is also running her country pretty well. Brazil seems like a great country and it's economy seems like it's going well and pretty stable. Dilma seems like she knows what she is doing. Today we also talked a little bit about the prime minister of the UK. David Cameron is his name and he is said to be a normal nice guy. We learned things he had admitted in the past which is kind of shocking. He admitted that he did cocaine and weed when he was younger. He didn't try to hide it either even though he wasn't proud of his choices when he was younger. It was good though that he didn't try to forget that he did it and just told everyone how stupid it was and people were probably happy that he was honest and didn't try and lie. Other leaders have done some of the same sort of things and they seemed to have admitted it also. Not every leader of this world does great things, but they are people do and some of them made the same mistakes people do.

Facts about world leaders

Today in class we talked more about some of the world's leaders and some facts about their life. The facts we needed to find were ones that really told the story about the leader as to how they became one. Such as Dilma Rouseff, who had a really horrible past when she was arrested for trying to become president. She was tortured for 22 days straight by electric shock and punching. There were so many terrible things she encountered in jail and what those people who tortured her did to her. She didn't deserve it at all no one could believe she was still alive in the aftermath. She is a pretty incredible person because of what she did to become president and the amount of determination she had to go further and actually make her president. Just thinking about it is pretty amazing that someone would want to achieve that after everything she went though. Dilma Rouseff is a pretty amazing leader and has an incredible story. Other leaders have great stories too, but I feel like this story is extra important and really powerful. The message that Dilma is trying to send is amazing, saying to never give up no matter what happens and what seems to come your way. She is a very admiring person to many people.

Today's Class

Today in class, we went over our recent blog where we had a 60 point assignment due. I had to change one thing because I put the wrong leader for the United Kingdom. I had Queen Elizabeth II which was wrong because she isn't like the political leader that deals with all the big problems. She is just the queen, but there is a prime minister who takes care of all the important and big work that has to be done. So that was changed from my blog but everything else was fine. I checked my grade for it in Powerschool and I got a 60/60 which made my human geo grade go from a 87 to an 89 which made me really happy because I'm close to an A again. I had a 90 in the beginning of the year but it was taken down a little bit because of the second human geo test. Where I got like an 83 or something like that. We have a new assignment due on Wednesday about facts we need to find for each of the leaders we looked up. We have to choose at least two new facts about them that we don't know and put them into our next blog. It doesn't seem hard at all or much work, just some researching we need to get done. It also helps us write our next blog and sometimes we don't know what to write because sometimes we just review things in class. It should be easy though and also interesting because we will learn new things about some of our world leaders.

Homework Assignment for countries

Mexico

Constitutional Republic

President Enrique Pena Nieto




China

Communist Party

President Xi Jinping




    India

Union Government

 President Pranab Mukherjee

Russia

Constitutional Republic

President Vladimir Putin

 

Germany

Federal Republic

President Joachim Gauck, Chancellor Angela Merkel

United Kingdom

Parliament

Prime Minister David Cameron







France

French Fifth Republic

 President Francois Hollande

Brazil

Federal Republic

President Dilma Rousseff

Syria

Semi-Presidential System

President Bashar al-Assad

 

Canada

Parliamentary Democracy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

 

Japan

Constitutional Monarchy

Emperor Akihito

Israel

Parliamentary Democracy

President Reuven Rivlin

Reviewing our second human geo test

Today in class we got our second human geo test back. I was worried about that test a little because when I turned it in I didn't think that I did my best. I knew like almost all of the information but I thought that I would get a bad grade and I didn't do well. I got the grade today and I saw that I got an 82% which wasn't as bad as I thought. It really could have been worse I think because I felt like I would've gotten way more wrong but that wasn't the case and I did okay. I wish I would've gotten a better grade but I am not that upset about it because I got a B and hey a B isn't even that bad. I just know that I will do better on the next test and try harder so maybe I can get a hundred. I was happy because the timed part of the test I got all correct and that part gave me some anxiety because we were timed and I thought I wouldn't have finished. Luckily, I was done in the nick of time and the answers weren't wrong so that was good. It showed that on timed tests or quizzes in the future, I can work pretty well with and not stress too much about them. That was the bright side of the test. I was unhappy about the push and pull forces because I thought I gave okay examples and I would've gotten them all right, but I only got 1 out of 4 right. That bothered me but in the end, it didn't mess me up as much. The next test I really want to get a grade in the 90's or a hundred.

Retreat

On Friday, I went to the last of the freshman retreats. When I heard about it, I really wasn't looking forward to it at all. I just wasn't into the whole idea of retreats since I have already been on like three or four. I just didn't enjoy them really. I honestly think I was very wrong. I actually liked it a lot because I met so many new people that go to John Carroll and becoming friends with them. They were all really nice and gave good advice. There were six juniors that went on the retreat with us as well and it was really nice to get to know each of them. They told us many things they experienced during their freshman year and how things will change. They all gave a lot of good advice and I think everyone of them resemble a good patriot. The stories they told us and how we should always be yourself was really inspiring and motivational. I thought it was amazing to experience that. The whole day wasn't bad at all and everyone seemed to feel even more comfortable than they were before which was great. The day was a success, in my opinion, and when I am a junior I would love to be one of the juniors that go on the retreat with the freshman.

TEST TOMORROW!

Tomorrow is our second human geo test of the year. I have to take it after school because I go to the retreat tomorrow. We reviewed what would be on the whole test today and I think for the most part that I am ready. I hope that the population pyramid part is a little easier than it sounds because it seems like I will get that wrong because we have to pick the right one. We only get to use the computer for one part on the test which has to do with the CIA fact book. I am happy that we are going to use that because it will help answer the questions and be easy to get the answers. That is if you know how to use the fact book which I know how to navigate around now. It seemed pretty much simple and easy from the start, so I should excel on that part of the test. I am still wary of the population pyramid part just because I want to not screw it up because you really have to think and look at the bars on the pyramid to determine the countries. I think that figuring out the african nations are going to be easy because you have to look at the lower bars and see if young people are out populating older people who may be like close to their 40s or 50s. The nation that might be harder to determine would be like maybe the US or Canada. I do know that we will get three pyramids that will look totally different according to the bars and if the pyramid is wide or not. If the pyramid is like wider at the bottom, the younger generation or population is growing rapidly and there is a reason that so many more people that are younger are being born. I am really hoping I will do pretty well on this test even better than I wish and get a good grade to make my human geo grade go up higher.

Review for test on Friday

Today in class, we reviewed what material would be on our 2nd human geo test. We had to go over terms that we needed to know in order to take the test. I pretty much knew almost what every term we had to define meant. I think that I will hopefully do well on the test and bring up my grade even more. I do have a 90 in this class which makes me happy but I want to get back to a hundred. I actually think this class is taught really well and it's easier to understand than other classes that I have. I overall enjoy taking this class because it is easy and kind of laid back. I am not saying that it won't get hard but like our only homework is to update our blog whenever we have class and to write about what we did that day. I like the idea of the homework almost all the time being that way because we don't need to ask many questions and we just automatically know what is expected and what is going on. I have to say that writing the blog can get boring and I usually don't write this much on a daily basis but it isn't as bad when you get used to it. Also, I do dread doing the blog almost everyday because I am so used to it but that's what happens when you are used to things that you wouldn't want to do or feel like doing. I also really like how we can use spotify for free and how we use it while we are trying to learn new things about the world. I am happy that we can use our computer on the test because than we can get answers easily and it won't take as much time to take the test just because some people are slower at taking tests and some people are much faster. I have to say I am kind of in the middle of that scale and I like to take my time to make extra sure that I have the right answers or the answers that I think are the best. I am taking this test after school on Friday which sucks because it is a Friday but it is better to do it because than I would have to take it like next Tuesday and I was thinking that the information wouldn't be as fresh in my mind so it is much easier. I hope I do very well on the second test even better than the first one and get an A.

Is America the greatest country in the world?

From our discussion from Friday's class, we pretty much made the conclusion that America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. There are many reasons why this is the way it is. I'm not trying to say that America is horrible and we suck. No way would I say that obviously because America is a very successful country in some ways and that I was born here. I just think as a nation alone, we need some adjustments. When I say adjustments, I mean that we should change things like how we run the government because I notice how the government doesn't like to tell us all the details of things that happen and they only like to show and tell the bad things that happen rather than anything good that happens in the world. I have always thought that was weird and fishy in a way. There are so many conspiracies that can explain that theory specifically. I have seen some before and read about them and sometimes I honestly agree and believe some things that are stated. The reasons they have some of the time just make so much logical sense because how do we know the real truths or the real lies? Who would be to judge what is right and wrong unless you have real evidence and proof. Those are some good questions to ask yourself when you are watching the news and reading things online or in the newspaper wondering if what they say is true. I also think they change some of the information because they might not want to freak people out too much or try and worry them too heavily. But sometimes they might want to worry us because they want to give us warnings. Honestly, in my opinion, I would want to know every little detail because I would want to be informed and know all about what happens so there could maybe be ways to prevent it from occurring again. I feel like what happens in this country has good and bad intentions at the same time if that could be possible.

Discussion about America as a country

Yesterday in class, we watched a video from The Newsroom and it was like one of the first episodes they made. During the video, they were having a discussion about America and why it is the greatest country in the world. The one guy spoke up and didn't agree that it was the greatest country in the world because of how far behind we are on some things. We had all these great things happen with our country that made it great but for the last 100 years it just hasn't been as great as it used to be. I agreed with every part of what he said of why America isn't the best country in the world. He brought up all these statistics that were true and made sense because we aren't number one in everything either. We are 7th in literacy rate which seems hard to believe because of how much we encourage and make education a required thing. We also aren't the number one country in speaking English, which is even weirder because we speak English pretty much more than everyone in any other country in the world. In China, they encourage people to learn English so much so they can get good jobs and be successful when they get older. That is one reason why we probably aren't the number one country in the world that speaks English. Those aren't the only two categories there are much more but I don't know all of them of course. I am thinking maybe one time we were the best country but so many negative things have happened through the years and especially how our government and taxes work. It just isn't where it should be anymore. We can make it better though as long as people are willing to make it happen.

Spotify

Today we all joined the popular music app spotify. We joined the app because we are trying to include music more with education. It also makes the class more interesting because I kind of like the class but sometimes we get into lectures and it can be tiring. The class isn't really bad it's a good class but sometimes like I said it isn't that fun. It is a class though and it's not supposed to be fun but it could be not dreading to go to class. I think that this music education thing that spotify is trying to do is an amazing idea and I am all for it. I am a VERY big music person and like music is my life so I really think it makes sense that they are trying to do this. It's kind of crazy how only 23 teachers in the US who agree and really want to take action and make this a thing. I can't believe it because there should be way more because it's a really good idea. How could you honestly think it was a bad idea? Everyone wants to be not bored in class because everyone always has to go to school and it takes up like 5 days a week which takes up most of the week. It could make everyone that goes to school more interested in what they do in class and it could tie in with the assignments that they do in class. I don't think it could ever really distract anyone. I obviously listen to music everyday and all the time when I do my homework and never have any problems. There are some people that do get distracted and don't try and pay attention to the work they have to get done. I don't think that could be much of a big deal because for the most part people love the idea of including music. I love the idea so much and I can't wait until we start using this and I also love how we got the codes to have it for free until december.

Industrialization

Today in class, we discussed more about the population pyramids. I feel like after we talked more about the whole idea, I better understand what it means and how to properly read a population pyramid and what information you can collect from them. We also talked about industrialization which means what some countries are going through. For example China may still be in the pre-industrialization stage because they make so much for the world and even more the US alone. Whenever you look at what you've bought, it seems like everything is almost always from China. They are a really good developing country and they make many successful products that can be popular all around the world. I was thinking about where my macbook was MADE today. Not designed or anything of that nature. I meant where the factories are in this world and the locations of where they actually make the computers. I looked at the bottom of my computer and it said that it was made in China or assembled. It was designed in Apple in California. Those are two totally different meanings when it comes to who or what country actually made it. China does seem to create many things in the world and that's probably why it could be one of the richest countries one day. Maybe not as close to the money we have and the opportunities we offer, but they get lots of money from not only the US for products but also other countries. China I think also is just better at doing that job anyway. I feel like we as a country don't really have the right tools or environment to have all these factories anymore these days. We are over with industrialization and now we are in the post stage of it. Back in the days, we did make a lot of things such as steel, where we had one of the best industries in the world. Now we kind of like to design things much more than to actually make them.

Population Pyramids

In class, we watched a video about populations of different countries and how they increase and decrease. It all depends on the reproductive system of each country and it will determine if the population is growing faster or slower. There were some questions we had to answer on our class blog and the first answer to number one would be A: over 10 million. The second answer would be that the pyramid shape becomes inverted when a country's population growth slows down. The third answer would be that the Population Pyramid video does NOT give information on the death rates. The last answer would be that North America would be one of the fast-growth pyramids. The whole idea of all this is that the population changes pretty much every second. The death rate changes and so does the birth rate. Babies can be born almost every second in the world and people can die any second in the world. It shows how fast the population changes and how it gets better or worse. The overall population in the world is over 7 billion and it keeps changing right this second. I am not really sure when it was 6 billion or when it wasn't over 7 billion, but I think it's been 7 billion for many years and it just keeps going up. The country that has the largest population in the world is China which isn't surprising because China is a huge country and it keeps developing every day. The second highest is India which also makes sense because it is a very large country and even though it's not any where as close as China to be developed, it's population is very big. The third country is the US which I always thought the US had way more people than 323 million, but apparently it is much smaller than China and India. The population pyramids show many things and it tells you why the population changes without even having any words. You can just tell by the numbers going up or down to know how it changes and why.

CIA World Factbook

Yesterday in class, we were exploring more of the CIA fact book. The fact book is really nice because  you can learn a lot about different countries you want to know about or maybe you never even heard of. In class, some people showed us some facts they thought were interesting and cool about the statistics of some other countries. Some I thought were interesting were that the number 1 religion in Bangladesh is Muslim. Also that the country Chad has a very low literacy percentage. The other categories were like the life expectancies and the ethnic groups and languages etc. I also like how there are some pictures for every country just to get an idea of what there is in those countries and how it looks. Also, when you go on each like fact page of every country, it shows the flag and where it is located in the world. There are so many things you can learn about anything you pretty much want to know. 96.8% of people in Albania can read and write which I think is interesting because I wasn't sure they really cared as much about education maybe because they don't really speak any English. Most of the people in Barbados are black, about 92% to be more specific, and only like 2% are white. The literacy percentage in Barbados is like 99% which is really good and that means the country is developing more and may even be close to being fully developed. The expected number of years people are in school there are about 15, which makes sense and you could tell that education is more important so maybe people who live there could get more job opportunities in the US like to run a business. The economy in Barbados seems stable, but it's still trying to develop and get better in every way possible. There are tons of facts I could list but that would be too much to write. The CIA fact book just shows how much information the CIA can get from every country there is from the biggest country in the world to the smallest.

Fertility Rates and other notes

Today in class we talked about the fertility rates of the world and different countries. Fertility rate means the average number of children born per woman. For a population to remain the same, the total fertility rate must be 2.1. If it's more than 2.1, than the population increases. If it's less than 2.1, than the population decreases. The worldwide TFR is 2.47 which is much higher and that means the population keeps on growing and increasing. The US is 2.06 which is a little bigger but not by much. Nigeria's TFR is probably the highest in the world. It is 5.38. The rate is so high there because women have more children in Nigeria so they will have more kids to have in their family and some will live longer. Children in Nigeria die more often because of malaria and other diseases that kill people at a much younger age. They are more than devastated when any of their children die, but they have more so they can be sure that they will have some kids to look after and love. It sounds crazy and horrible but Nigeria is still a developing country and things like this happen because of the starvation rate and other issues that occur in Nigeria. There are many reasons why people migrate and move to live somewhere that is better for themselves and their lifestyles. There are push and pull forces that occur in places and countries that entice people to migrate where they choose to. Some reasons could be wars, job opportunities or having unemployment. Also, religious or racial issues could create problems and make people migrate because they feel victimized. In the world, there are many rates and categories that are measured in different ways and they will change dramatically in anyway.

Reviewing Our Test

Today in class, we got our tests back and went over the whole test. We reviewed the test so we had all the right answers because some of the questions could be on our mid-term. I got an 86% on the test but I thought I would have done better. My problem was the essays because I worded them weird and wasn't as clear as I should have been on what I was talking about. I also thought that my details weren't as great as I wished they were. Overall it wasn't that bad for the first test ever. I did really like how the test was set up and how I knew pretty much everything because we would always talk about what was important and what would be on the test. I hope the future tests will be the same. Even though the essays were what tripped me up, I will learn an easier way for me to write them that will make much more sense. I do think that the next test will be harder though because we will have many terms we will need to remember the definitions for. I also did think there should be only 3 essays because there are so many details that we need to include that it might be easier if we didn't have as many essays. It also might take a while to just complete one because we want to write it well and have good complete sentences. I actually like Human Geo as a class I think it's pretty simple and we don't have to do as much work as some other classes. I have an A in this class which is good but the test did take me down to a 90 which isn't bad but I want to try and bring it back to the 100 I had in the beginning. I hope to be successful in this class and learn a lot.

World Statistics

Yesterday in class, we learned about some of the world's statistics. Some of the ones I learned I was really surprised about. Like the fact that the U.S. is number 18 in the most obese country. I'm not trying to say anything bad, but it just seems the U.S. would be a much smaller number in ranking. I say this because our diet is not as good as it should be. We eat a lot of red meat and fried food. That's one reason why I thought it would go up. Also, how the younger generation isn't as active as it used to be. Like in the old days, kids rode their bikes to school and anywhere they really wanted or needed. That's another reason that it didn't make as much sense as I thought. Maybe it did go up because the date that was updated was in like 2008. There are so many interesting world statistics. One I thought was different was that Vatican City was the smallest country in the world. I didn't even know it was considered a county. Also, how Monaco is a very successful county because of its wealth and the diet people have that live there and visit there. I really want to visit it there one day. There was another county named Chad that seemed to be ranked pretty poorly in some categories. Like where the diet wasn't good, and how people starve which is absolutely terrible. I'm hoping that it can rank in better places and that the country can get better in every way and be more developed. The life expectancies were interesting too. The ranking number for the U.S. is 94 out of every other country in the world. Our birth rate is much higher because people just aren't having many babies they used to. The country with the lowest death rate is Quatar. I'm not so sure where Quatar is in the world, but I'm thinking it may be located in the or near the Middle East. All these statistics show drastically how much the world changes each and every day.

Population

Today we started our second unit which is about population and migration. We learned more about the population of the world today rather than migration. I know we are going to start discussing that later. There are many things we talked about that kinda made me worry. We talked about the life expectancy of many countries. Life expectancy means the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year. The US is number 50. The women life expectancy is around 82 and the men are around 70. I didn't expect the US to be in the top ten or anywhere near number 1. I think that because of how people in the US take care of themselves. Our diet isn't where it should be and that is very true for young people. I feel like other counties have it more figured out than we do. I am not saying we aren't developed, it's just we need help in some areas. Such as diet, how we take care of our bodies and much more. There are so many people in the world and the number keeps increasing very quickly. There are over 7 billion people in the world and everyday that number keeps going up. The number also increases by over 73 million a year. 90% of this population growth takes place in the developing countries of Africa, South and East Asia and Latin America. Some countries are fully developed and some are still trying to develop. For the most part, the US is developed. Other places like Africa, aren't as developed as they should be. This could be because of the cause of many things. It could simply be because they have technology but it is not as advanced, or maybe they don't have technology at all. It could also be because some countries in Africa are poor and don't have the vital resources for the people who live there. Many other countries all around the world are the same. These statistics show just how much the world changes all the time.

Test

I thought the first Human Geo test wasn't bad at all. It wasn't really long and didn't take that much time, the essays probably took the longest. I didn't think that the essays were hard, I was kind of expecting them and the questions were not too complex it was like everything we learned and talked about. There didn't seem to be any surprises which is really good for a first test in the class because later on, we will be prepared and familiar with how it will be set up. I also liked how there was a lot to write for the little essays. It was an easy question to answer and there were a lot of details to put into the writing. You didn't have to like guess because you forgot or didn't know what to write. I think and hope I did really well because this will be like my first real grade for Human Geo. I liked the length of the test too because usually test are much longer than quizzes and this was a test so it was fair with how long it was. I was happy there weren't really any true or false because I always seem to mess them up and put the wrong answer. There was only one but I think I got it correct because it was kind of a common sense question. I really want to get them back tomorrow and see my grade because I want to see how I did. Overall, the test wasn't bad at all and I think I knew all the answers and got them right except one. The one was like a percentage question and you had to like really know and remember it if you wanted to get it right. I think that is the only one I got wrong. Another thing I thought was nice is that we could use our blog for answers. I think my blog helped me a lot because some things I had to check and make sure they were right such as definitions. I hope in the future we will be able to use our blog because it really helps. I hope my grade was really good on this test because I felt like I did well and felt confident about it.

Review in class today

Today we reviewed everything for our first Human Geo test on Wednesday. The test is on pretty much everything we talked about since the first day of class. It seems pretty easy once your pretty familiar with what we learned. A message to Garcia, ancient Greece, Socrates, and Globalization are all included. I think this unit was pretty easy to understand even though I haven't really learned any of it before. In middle school, I learned about like how the US came to be and all the successful people that were involved in building our country. I think learning about ancient Greece and Socrates was interesting because it was new and kinda crazy to believe. When we learn about the greek gods and how people were in ancient Greece, it's kind of hard to believe. I don't mean that in any bad way, I am just saying that it's hard for us to really take in how it used to be. I thought the story on Socrates was interesting because he stood up for what he believed in. He was willing to die for it and it was admiring to hear how passionate he was about it. He thought that what he did was right and he had no defense. He felt like he didn't need to prove to people things that they couldn't understand. It was cool to hear about it because you always think that is so inspiring. It is inspiring because it shows how people defend themselves and some people are too scared to even try. Most people just brush things off when something bad happens and they don't draw attention. They should stand up for themselves and their rights. The story of Socrates and his death illustrated that. After all, "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Globalization

Globalization is the connection of different parts of the world. It is what connects all the countries and the continents. They aren't connected physically, but socially and connected through business. I think that globalization is a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that people all around the world can be more connected and can relate more. Even though the world and people will never be perfect, people can relate and accept everyone the way they are in some ways. The bad thing is that people who are in different parts in the world could lose some of their culture. They could do things differently and eat certain things that could be from other places but forget about their food in their culture. Everyone and every place has their own originality. It is what makes them unique and they need that. In some ways, globalization could ruin that. People might be so hooked on something new from lets say the US and love the idea, but they forget about their own things they created and not care anymore. I know that seems kind of extreme because why would anyone actually do that, but it could occur in some ways. For example, in China, there are many McDonald's that are going into business and are affecting the youth. Young people might not eat with their families or even want to eat Chinese food. They probably like how it is faster and more convenient and you can eat it whenever. Especially, people who are in college or even high school because they need to keep track of time. Their breaks are limited and they need to get food faster. Fast food restaurants from the US most likely, can make things easier when it comes to their meals. Businesses are not the only thing that are globalized. Globalization is also the expansion of international, cultural, economic, and political activities. Globalization changes almost everything, the way people live and the way people think. Globalization makes things more modern and updated.

Being Absent Today

I was absent today because I was really sick. I think there is a bad cold going around and of course I got it. I did absolutely nothing and when it got later, I had to do more homework. There are pros of being sick, but then there cons. A pro would be not going to school that day. The cons are worse though because you have to make up work and homework from like two days. It's not fun at all. Having this type of cold makes it even worse though because you feel like you can't breathe. You feel really dizzy and tired all the time. You don't even want to eat, your appetite is like limited because you just don't care about food. That is weird because all you want to do is eat right everyday. Not when you are sick, all I've been eating is soup and I can't even taste anything. Also, I've lost my voice and I couldn't even talk today. I was thinking about coming to school because this is my second day over the course of only three weeks. I don't really know why I have been getting really sick lately. I never really get sick like I can't remember the last time I had a cold this bad. It has probably been like two years. It is very rare for me to get sick at all. I know some people who get sick a lot and miss a lot of school. I am not one of those people which is good, because it's really annoying. There is just so much work you have to make up. I don't think it is anyone's cup of tea. I think it is just weird how the time I have to be sick twice, is when I just started high school and I am still trying to get used to everything. I am trying really hard the rest of today to get better and be ready for school tomorrow. At   least it is Friday and almost the weekend. I think it will be much easier to be more prepared. I have to be ready for tomorrow and wake up on the right side of the bed.

DID YOU KNOW VIDEO

Today in class we watched a video called Did You Know. The video was talking about the future and some predictions that people think will happen with technology and pretty much things in life. One fact was that China will become the number one English speaking country. I thought that was really interesting and kinda crazy. I thought it was crazy because I always thought that the US was the number one English speaking country. The percentage already is high, but since China motivates everyone to always continue to learn English, it all makes sense. Also, their will be many more job opportunities than people from China who only speak Chinese. Another fact is that schools are preparing students for jobs that don't even exist yet. I thought that was weird because I thought why would they do that? Since so much can change in only a year, it's necessary. The technology is already so advanced, it will be even more advanced in the future. Another thing I thought was interesting was that if Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest behind China and India. I know that Facebook is kind of outdated to my generation and Twitter and Instagram are very popular and used way more. Reading that statement is crazy because imagine if Twitter or Instagram was a country, there would be billions of people in that country. It's extreme to think about how powerful social media is and what it could do in the future. Technology is going to change the world very soon, but I think that it already is.

Today's class - Debate

Today in class we had a debate on our seating arrangements. At first, we were assigned seats and some people didn't like the idea too much. Personally, I didn't care because it really is only a seat for one class. Other people had different opinions on the whole predicament. Some people agreed with me and didn't care as much. Some people really hated their seats and pretty much demanded to be allowed to move. We kinda handled the problem like the Greeks did whenever they were in the agora and had different opinions. A few people came up the the podium and gave a speech of their reasons and opinions to the seating arrangements. One person came up and said that we should be able to change seats because we would be more comfortable and have people to talk to more rather than people we didn't know. In my opinion, I like meeting new people and getting to know them. It's nice to because you might share the same interests. Sometimes people don't feel that it's as easy because they don't know what to talk about with people they barely know. They feel there isn't an icebreaker they can think of. I do understand that because I have been in the same position before. Change is going to happen though, and it's great. After we had some speeches given, the whole class took a vote. Half the class voted to change seats, the other half simply didn't care or they liked their seat. In the end, we did all change seats and everybody seemed happy.

Extra Info from notes on Socrates and ancient Greece

Yesterday, we learned more about Socrates and ancient Greece. Some of the terms we had to define, we have more details on. Arete has more meaning than just great excellence. It means moral virtue and being a good person. Also, being noble and the best you can be. It was important to the people of ancient Greece because they always wanted you to live up to your potential. They wanted there people to be good and genuine. Polis meant more than just a city. It was the perfect and ideal place to live. Everyone in ancient Greece wanted things to be as perfect as they could, including their manners and even where they lived. In 508 BC, Clesthenes granted full rights to all the free men of Athens. Women were not allowed to vote, therefore they were not granted rights. During this time period, the birth of democracy began. People of ancient Greece also revolted against their leaders. In ancient Greece, there was a philosopher named Socrates. He was also one of the founders of Western philosophy. One of his students was Plato, who wrote a lot about Socrates life. A famous quote of Socrates was "The unexamined life is not worth living." I think this means that you have to do many things in life, because you need to live or it's not worth it. Socrates is saying that you have to do something with your life and yourself. The death of Socrates was pretty admiring. During his trial, he didn't defend himself as much. He just said that anything he taught or ever said to a group of people, he stood by. He believed in and was passionate about what he did. People told him that they would take him away from Athens and he wouldn't have to go to prison. He refused because he was willing to die for what he believed in. He was sentenced to die by poison hemlock and that was the end. 

Define Terms Assignment

• Agora- a central spot in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning would be "gathering place" or "assembly." It was very important to most people in ancient Greece. The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city. Agora was like the meeting place where some people would gather for military purposes or situations involving the council.
• Arete- means excellence of any kind it also means "moral virtue." In early Greece, this notion of excellence was pretty important to the citizens of ancient Greece. 
• Polis- means city in Greek. It also means citizenship and body of citizens. An example of one popular city-state would be Classical Athens. Acropolis of Athens was a noted polis of ancient Greece.
• The year 508 BC- this year was part of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. During the Roman empire it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Poplicola and Tricipitinus. There were many wars taking place in 508 BC. It was the overthrow of Roman monarchy and the beginning of the Republican period.
• Socrates- was a Greek philosopher and he was one of the founders of Western philosophy. Facts about his life would be known from the writings of his students, Plato and Xenophon. He was born in 470 BCE, and died in 399 BC.
• The death of Socrates- is a oil on canvas painting by a French painter named Jacques-Louis David. Socrates was sentenced to die by drinking poison hemlock. They sentenced him because he was introducing strange gods and by destroying the youth of Athens.
• The Socratic Method- is also known as the method of elenchus. It was also a negative method of hypothesis elimination. It was a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with different point of views based on asking and answering questions to start critical thinking and illuminate ideas.
• Word for idiot- a private person, someone who was not involved in politics. They weren't usually made public. They were also called intellectually disabled people.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

http://www.biography.com/people/socrates-9488126

Elbert Hubbard

Today in class, we talked about Elbert Hubbard who wrote A Message to Garcia. He was always confused by why people were never trustworthy. They just never did what he wanted them to. A message to Garcia is about President Mckinley and he needs a message delivered to Garcia. During that time, the Spanish-American war was going on. Garcia was in Cuba, and the President needed someone who was reliable to send the message. There was this guy named Rowan who was always willing to send anything and he made it seem like it would always get there. President Mckinley gave it to Rowan to give the message to Garcia who was in still in Cuba. It took Rowan a while to get the message to Cuba, but he did just in time. Elbert Hubbard wrote A Message to Garcia in 1899 and was copied countless times. Hubbard also wrote many other pieces, but I think the most famous was A Message to Garcia. The whole story itself is pretty interesting. It kind of relates to some things that happen in real life, even today. The story is like a life lesson, that teaches that people won't always take your trust as something to take seriously, they might just play around and not take it seriously.

how to be successful in my first year at JC

There are many ways you can become successful. The ways you choose have to work for you. For example, some people are visual learners and some are not. You have to think of ways that will work specifically for you. One way to be successful is to pay attention. You have to remember and take notes of every expectation. It will help you with studying and it is a necessity. Another way to be successful is to have different studying techniques. Taking notes is a good way but they have to be organized. Some people might not really like to take notes and be better at reading whatever section they are being tested on. A third way could be to get involved because it could help with social situations. Being social is important because it will help you in your later life when being social is going to be a key element. A fourth way is to start thinking about college. It may seem really early, but it never is. Before you know it, senior year will come around and you will be looking at colleges to apply for. One last way is to not procrastinate. Being on top of the game in high school is very important because good grades are the ticket to success. I think these are the ways to be successful for the first year of high school.

What we did in class today

Today was an easy day. We were just working on fixing our blogs and getting them set up. Mine took a while last night to complete, but I noticed that it was successful. I was really relieved because I didn't know it would work. I am thinking that I will get used to doing the blogs and maybe even enjoy it because I can write what I think. Other than that we kind of had a free day and could use our computer more than usual. I hope we use the computer more so I can get used to using my computer because it is still new to me. I know we are taking notes in a notebook, but hopefully we can use the computer for other assignments. I am excited to see how human geo is this year because i have never had a class like it before. I hope it is one of my favorite classes.

My first day at John Carroll

My first day at John Carroll wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone was really nice and they were there to help. It's hard being a freshman because it is all new and very different from middle school. I was expecting that to be true, but it will take a while to get used to everything. I sometimes think I won't adapt to everything, but I know I will. Everyone needs change, even though it can be really difficult. Your life always continues to change and it is just something you have to except. I know I will miss the people I have gone to school with over the last three years, but I am already meeting a lot of new people. There are so many people at John Carroll. I really love the diversity and how there are many people from all over. Also how there are exchange student programs and how you can visit Spain and other people's families. John Carroll just has so much to offer, and I started seeing it just on the first day. I am excited for JC and this first year to come.