when i was a freshman...

So for the second year in the row, I am in Link Crew at my high school which is a program where juniors/seniors help out freshman and help them get used to high school at freshman orientation. Last year I did it as junior and it kind of sucked. One reason was because on the first day of training, the two teachers who were in charge of it told us that Link Crew was no longer a "three day" thing, it was a YEAR LONG commitment. Usually we just do the summer orientation and training for two days and that is it, but last year was the first time they were going to try out a freshman mentoring program which would be once a week and we would meet with a group of freshman and a teacher. And of course none of us really signed up for that reason so we were all a bit annoyed. And I was very hesitant to sign up this year because I knew I would have to mentor freshmen throughout the whole year and last year's program was the first time and it was a horrible start. But I was "committed" because I am a psycho and wanted to put down "TWO YEARS OF FRESHMAN MENTORING!" on my college applications ( the things we do for college apps right? ).

So I wasted two days of my summer "training" for orientation and so TODAY was FRESHMAN ORIENTATION. So basically, two link crew leaders take 10-15 freshmen in a group and you sit in a class (no teachers) and you lead these group activities to break the ice, give tips on high school life, learn more about people you may or may not have known before, and just have "fun". I actually had an AWESOME partner this year and he helped me out a lot (and he was nice) and I had a GREAT GROUP of freshmen this year. They weren't the most talkative bunch but I had no obnoxious, "knuckleheads" and they were all pretty much respectful. So we did almost all the activities that were supposed to and pretty much just talked a lot about high school, what they expected out of high school, what they were nervous about, our experiences in high school and me and my partner (+ another junior who was in student gov't who helped out) just gave them MANY MANY tips about high school.

Being a senior, I realized so many things about high school and tips for the survival of high school and I hope they retained SOME of my advice because it is damn good advice. Last year, I thought the activities we had to do with the kids were pretty stupid like playing "count-off" where we count of 1-20 by random order of people but this year...I actually LIKED THE GAMES and thought they were pretty useful and most of my kids in my group ENJOYED the games. It was a great way for people to get to know people they wouldn't normally hang out with.

And seeing the incoming freshman, I realized the same qualities I had when I was their age--- shy, quiet, not the type to raise their hand and volunteer (at all). Pretty much typical quiet nerdy Asian girl, but in reality, that was not the real me. People in middle school knew me as loud, slightly obnoxious and very gossipy (yes very). But when I got to my high school, I knew almost no one and I just made quick friends who I really didn't like that much just to have people to hang with at lunch. But I realized by sophmore year, the way to have fun in school is DO STUFF and be OPEN and that is what I did and OH YES I AM GLAD I DID because I would not be where I am today if I had not. Now I have friends who I am very close with even though we have known each other for two years (little more, little less) and I am so many freaking clubs/extracurriculars that times flies by so fast. And now I am back to the type of person I really am--showy, always wants to be person to open their mouth and be opinionated and show off my smarts.

I have ONE WEEK until school starts. ohmyjeebus. And I still have summer homework to worry about that. I got my schedule today after freshman orientation and I am satisfied, pretty crazy schedule though. But I am just nervous and excited at the same time. Talking enthusiastically about how much I love my school reminds me how I am excited for the things to come, the events to happen, those memorable LAST THINGS and just doing as much as I can because I do not want to miss out. High school really is what you make it, and I am glad I can look back and say I have made high school into a great experience---not the super AWESOME life changing experience where I will pine for the good old high school days----but into the great growing experience. Four years seems so short and long at the same time. In my senior year I have just only realized the things I COULD HAVE DONE, the classes I COULD HAVE taken, the people I COULD have met. But this year, I am determined to make those could haves HAPPEN!!!!

my schedule for this year.
term one - pre cal, pol science honors, econ, intro treb choir
term two - pre cal, eng lit ap, TA, intro treb choir
term three - physics, ap gov, lab tec, cal ap
term four - physics, ap gov, lat tec, cal ap

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And to catch up what I have been doing, yes I have been watching the Olympics. Though I am not a big fan of swimming... I love watching badminton, basketball, SOOOOOOCCCCEEEEEERRRR, ROWWWWINGGG IS AWESOME, white water rafting, etc. I don't have particular favorite athletes I just watch whatever is on tv and I am just amazed about how ripped these athletes are (even badminton players!). I am just amazed by them. Oh and yes my parents are sooo estatic that South Korea is third in have most medals because that one guy who won swimming gold. Phelps has certainly made America proud.

-----christina.

rants about education, piles of homework, spring allergies, and politics...

Four weeks, it is a countdown to the APs and everyone around me is scrambling. Yeah pretty crazy. So my friend in AP chemistry read this article this weekend and we got onto a rant about the UC and private college system.

Yu has a 4.2 grade-point average and nine Advanced Placement courses on her résumé, along with a healthy lineup of activities including swimming. She applied to five colleges, four in the University of California system: Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis and her favorite, San Diego. Her fifth application went to a state college, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Three weeks ago, the rejections started coming. In the end, there were five.

I seriously am through with worrying about what I do to make my college app look good. I am just trying to accomplish goals for myself. And you know if stupid UC Berkeley or UC whatever does not take me, I won't die. I can still survive and go to damn community college if I have to because it is about my career, not about the college brand. The only thing that is disappointing is trying to convince my parents about that. But I am tired of this whole working off our asses for a stupid college and has no personal contact with you and only sees you through a piece of paper that you pore your four years into. Since when did going to college and get an education become such a competition. It is ridiculous. Augh. And makes me pissed off when people who get A's in regular classes have higher GPAs than me because I work my ass off to get a fucking B in AP Language and Composition, AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THAT B++!!! for once in my life.

Though I must rant about my ap english teacher assigning us a new writing project (seven different DRAFTS) and piling on the homework when I have a million other things to worry about. SATs in like two/three weeks. GAHHH. And AP Chemistry is like so-so. Bunches of quizzes and tests. And those stupid mandatory California STAR testing is coming up. What a waste of my life.

And spring allergies. I hate them. I hate living in Sacramento during spring season because everyone is sneezing all over the place and hacking up hairballs. And your throat and ears itch like crazy and everyone is all red-eyed like they are high but it is really because the wind has dried out their contacts. So through my first two periods, I am usually conked out by my allergy medicine that makes me drowsy as hell.

And so I have been very oblivious to politics for the last couple weeks. But so what is up with Tibet. Can the Chinese not let go of the Tibetans? I suppose not. I mean before Tibet was just a mountain barrier protector during the times of Chinese imperialism, but those days are over. But with mass industrialization, they are trying to build cities into Tibet and even have tourists in Tibetan region to watch the Tibetans like monkeys. It is really sad. I was reading an article on Global Voices about Chinese bloggers/neitzens slandering this overseas Chinese woman (actually from Hong Kong) and she sided with the Free Tibet side at Duke University in AMERICA. And here is the slander the bloggers replied about her (translated to English):

"Are her parents still in China? Are her parents still even Chinese? If they're still Chinese, tomorrow I'm going to go jump in a manure pit and drown myself."

"If this is for real
I'm going to put the words “race traitor” up on all her relatives' doors
Then her whole family will be called race traitors"

"Notify China Customs, that if they see her, get her right away, and if she still has family, find them, and beat their shameless children to death, so they don't hurt the Chinese people."

Pretty crazy right? A lot of people are probably not aware of this really big issue in China right now. It is pretty hectic. And the effect of it on the Beijing Olympics. The SF Olympic torch running was horrible. There were reports of SABOTAGE by terrorists and everything. They even put a freaking FREE TIBET BANNER ON SF BRIDGE. HOW CRAZY IS THAT. I am surprised that the Tibetan issue is getting more public attention than the Darfur-China. I suppose because of the Chinese nationalists are so quick to fight against the Free Tibetans.


I have such spring fever. Sick of school, sick of friends, sick of family, sick of everyone. Just want to curl in a little ball and sleep forever.

--christina.