Midterms and Midyear Rededication

This is the Senior year of my high school life. I’ve been through 11.5 years of public schooling. I have taken numerous standardized tests (living in Massachusetts), as well as tests that are “so important”. But what always confuses me, is the importance of midterms and finals. They are heavily emphasized in high school as something to commit heavily to. Without a doubt, this should be done, but with a closer look at the transformation of my grades depending on how well I did on midterms was perturbing.
Midterms/Finals are worth 20% of the semester grade, and each quarter is worth 40% of the grade. But when one considers how a grade is made up, if you have three big tests a quarter, those tests are worth 13.33% of the semester grade. When one compares how much this is worth in time spent to the midterm studying compared to test studying, they are disparate.
But since I did not do amazing first semester, I hope to do better this semester. But at the same time, I want to relax and enjoy the last semester of high school. Since I got into college, I’ve been relatively relaxed but still committed.
What midterms are best for is a small break. Its a rededication in the middle of the year. A chance to revise what has been happening so far, and fix things that may have gone wrong to this point.

Keep it up, you’re almost there seniors!

Lifestyle changes: Senior Year

Everyone goes through lifestyle changes throughout their life.
Everyone changes, its part of human nature.

An article I wrote for the Orbit last year before the Seniors graduated


What is change?
How important is change?
(Think about these questions as you read this)


Change is a momentous word. Although some regard it as frivolous and common place, it is hardly so. Nor is it a word that can be thrown around to get elected to a political office. (Of course when running for a public office, you’re going to preach change.) No one except an incumbent approaches the podium and says, “I’m here to do nothing, and carry on business as usual.” Change is far more significant than many realize, and it needs to be paid its dues in respect.

Every year, week, day, and second; something changes. The world is constantly revolving in change, (even though that is an oxymoron). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines change as, “to make different in some particular”. This definition is extremely vague. My definition for change, in life is; an altering of circumstances by an event. In this way, it implies that not only has something changed, but there was a reason for this change. In spite of the fact that this definition too is vague; it can be readily applied to our everyday lives.

Humans adapt to change every second, whether this has good connotations or not, it is up for you the reader to decide. Change keeps life interesting, even if one lived in an Utopia, change would still be necessary. For the seniors, an enormous change is occurring, leaving the home and environment they have known for years and venturing off into the world to go to college. This involves confronting numerous life choices, some of which began back in the beginning of their senior year with the decisions where to apply to college. No matter where the path leads you in life, you are confronted with change.

-Orbit, May 2010

My life has changed serendipitously in the past few weeks. Three things have made this possible.
The first of which is I got into Franklin and Marshall College, Early Decision (woot)
Second off, I got sick for two weeks (probably a sinus infection). Being sick for two weeks made me change my policy on drinking tea. I've started consuming at least one cup a day, frequently blueberry with a teaspoon of honey. This is a nice replacement for drinking overt amounts of apple juice and orange juice.
Finally, I've started to write this blog, as well as start a Twitter. I had been considering on starting and writing both of these for a long time. But now I can express all of those ideas that bounce around in my head all day.