TURKEY DAY!!

Thanksgiving this year was really great. I always look forward to waking up in the morning and smelling the cooking turkey and helping prepare all the side dishes and snacks for the day. I especially love to watch the Macy's parade. This year was the same as every other year, and that's just the way I like it. I don't live around any extended family, so like every Thanksgiving it was just me, my dad, my mom and my brother. Sometimes I wish it were different and that we could be with all of our family, but at the same time I know I am lucky to even have a family to spend Thanksgiving with. So I'd say that is what I am truly most grateful for. Anyway, I spend the day snacking, watching the parade, then usually a movie all the while searching through the Black Friday ads for deals. Then finally it's dinnertime and I am so excited. My dad's cooking is absolutely amazing and I always look forward to his turkey and my absolute favorite: STUFFING! We always have the classics: stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and rolls. No special twists to things, and that is just how I like it. My family's Thanksgiving meal has been the same since I was little, and it is something that I love to look forward to. It is the best comfort food ever. Thanksgiving is something that I will always love, and it is something that I'll always be thankful for.

INQ Final draft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS6MRYHPoSk

It still needs a lot of work. I'm not really too sure as far as how to tie in wanting to inspire creativity in kids and their lives, and how that relates to what separates me from everyone else. I think I may just do a general video biography sort of thing about myself, focusing on art and creativity and the goals I have for the future. I think all of the pieces of my life are what makes me different, not just one specific thing.

A time in my life that I had a leadership role was a couple of years ago when I was a teacher at Vacation Bible school for three year olds. i was visiting my cousins in North Carolina and I had the chance to join them in helping out with their church's bible school. It was one of the first times I had a real leadership position and I remember feeling very proud of myself for being able to lead and take charge. It felt really good to be able to help out, and to have a say in the program. i didn't know anybody from the church except for my cousins, and in a way i think that that played a big role in how comfortable I felt being in a leadership position. Usually I am less likely to want to lead a group because I have a fear of doing something wrong, or being judged. But being around all the people that I didn't know, I wasn't afraid like I would usually be. I wasn't afraid of messing up, or not doing what i was supposed to. I had a lot of confidence in myself and I learned to have faith in my ability to lead. Even though i was teaching little kids, it helped me make the first step in being comfortable  with leading and taking charge. Overall it was a good experience and I always remember how much fun and happy I was being able to com out of my shell and take charge.

Where's the time?!

There have been a lot of difficult situations this semester. I think in general this has been some of the most stressful months I have had to go through. I think a big cause to my stress and anxiety is having to balance school and work with each other. This is my first job that I have had, and I got it in the summertime, so this semester is my first experience of balancing school and work. I think it is especially hard learning to do that on top of adjusting to college life and just getting used to having so much freedom when it comes to my education. My biggest struggles have been with my work schedule conflicting with my studying time. I only work 20 hours a week, which may not seem like a lot to some people, but it has made me realize how terrible I am at balancing everything, even when I may not have a lot on my plate. It seems that every time I have a big test, I work every day following up to it. My last two Art History exams it seems I had to cram for because the 2 days before it i've had to work. It is really hard to put school first and to make sure all of my school work is complete when i have a unpredictable work schedule. So I think in general my most difficult times this semester is finding the right time to study and being able to be prepared for tests without cramming, or feeling unprepared.

"Believe in dreams
You love so much
Let the passion of your heart
Make them real
And tell
All the ones you love
Anything and everything you feel"

-Believe In Dreams by Flyleaf

This week I went to see the band Atreyu in concert at The Webster in Hartford. Concerts have always been a HUGE stress relief for me. I think seeing one of your favorite bands live and hearing their music live is one of the best feelings ever. A lot of people only relate stress relief with quietness, or rest and relaxation, but to me being in an environment that makes you truly comfortable is stress relief. I find comforting to be surrounded by so many strangers with loud music blasting and being able to listen to the lyrics and let out all your frustrations by singing your heart out. This band in particular makes me really happy to see because every time that they come to Connecticut, me and my boyfriend make sure we don't miss them. In a way it's become sort of a tradition. I know a lot of other people may not think that this is really stress relief, but I guess the point i'm trying to make is that really good stress relief is surrounding yourself with things that you love. Whether it is music, movies, books, family, friends, or a nice soft bed, i think that it is important to find what really makes you feel happy and at ease. As a college student it may be hard to not feel stressed out, especially around this time of the semester when the second half is kicking in. But i think that it is crucial to seize the moments where you know you can truly be happy and stress free. That is why I try to never miss a concert of one of my favorite bands. For me, it is one of those things that make me feel truly alive and happy with my life, and that is the best feeling ever.

F for Grade Inflation

The idea of grade inflation makes me mad and confused. I don't get how anybody truly benefits from grade inflation. It just doesn't make sense that average students are getting above average grades, and below average students are getting average grades. It seems completely unfair and goes against the ideals that I thought education as a whole was all about. When a student deserves a certain grade, but they receive a higher one than what they truly earned, alls that they are learning is to do average work. It seems backwards to me that schools are participating in this sort of thing, especially when what we are all being told over and over again is how the working world is looking for people who are creative and STAND OUT. A student who is getting higher grades than they deserve will go out into the working world expecting high praise for average work. With that mentality it seems that finding a good job will never become possible. As a student i know what it's like to have grading curves. And even though im happy when i do bad on an exam and my grade is curved, i know that its not truly the grade that I deserve. I don't understand how people can be happy knowing that people are giving them this sort of false hope when it comes to their intelligence. While I don't think schools should be making students feel less intelligent than they really are, I definitely do not agree with boosting their confidence by giving them false grades. Because when they get to the real world they will in no way be prepared for the sort of criticism that is thrown at them.