The Conclusion

     Looking back through the numerous amounts of blogs posted throughout this school year I see how I have grown as a writer. The first blog ever was done in the library. It was at the beginning of the year when I still had the motivation of doing perfectly on every assignment. I had the thesaurus open on one tab and dictionary.com on another. The only tools I needed to find the perfect word choice. As I scroll up I remember all of the novels and plays we read as a class, Great Expectations, The Importance of Being Earnest, To Kill a Mockingbird. I see the entire process of learning how to write a whole essay, starting from a paragraph, to a group essay, and finally our own. One post specifically brings be back to the previous stresses of writing an essay, and it would be the group essay collaboration. We were trying to put together an essay with limited time and planning. As I look back I think that I was making it so much harder than it actually was.

      Between the essays and the paragraphs were the blogs analyzing novels. I enjoyed making these the most because they gave me an opportunity to relate different things to the plot. For example, making the post comparing a movie to Great Expectations was the blog that I worked hardest on because I enjoyed doing it. I find that if I enjoy something, it is more likely to have a better final product. Once I realized this I decided to treat blogs as a way to reflect back on things that we did in class that I liked doing or taking part in. The blog was a way to help me keep my ideas aligned and organized. I really did savor the moments when I clicked the “post” button and wallowed in my feelings of completion. As a tradition I read through each and every one of the blogs after I finished typing them up. I used this as a way to proofread and look over my mini-assignment.

               “Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.” Robert C. Gallagher.

      The quote above I think really describes how far I have come in my 9^th Grade English blog. I began thinking of it as a weekly assignment that had to be finished by Friday at 11:59. I’m ending today describing it as a way to gather all my ideas into a few short paragraphs. I truly believe that I have developed the most as a writer reading through many people’s blogs, some of which I have never met before, and getting ideas for my own. Scrolling through those people’s blogs exposed me to many different writing styles and formats, which further inspired me to incorporate some of their writing into my own. If one is reading my blog post today thinking that it sounds sort of like their own, chances are it probably is. I conclude this last blog post saying thank you. If it were not for these blog posts, I would not be where I am as a writer today. Being the overachiever I am, that’s 531 words, so…

Reflecting on a Memorable Assignment

     Throughout the school year of Honors English, I think there are many different memorable assignments, but one of the most memorable of all was an extra credit assignment for Animal Farm. Armed with a camera and a thin jacket, my friend and I ventured out to many different farms seeking animals to point the lens at. First was a Christmas tree farm with goats, birds, and horses. There was also a lone pig that was black, but it wasn't very corporative, so we decided to see if we could find another one elsewhere. The next farm was a private farm. This one had horses, dogs, and the cutest baby kittens in the whole wide world. We did most of the filming here, but it was also freezing.
     The final product was something that I was really satisfied with. A jumble of video clips that were paired with a song (our clever way of disguising giggles and screams in the background). It was the first real movie that we edited and it took a long time to figure out the tools and special features, but in the end everything worked out and as a reward we got extra credit, so it was worth it.

A Good Experience With Poetry

     Poetry has always been the part of English class that I looked forward to. This is because it is a way to express many feelings that could not have been otherwise. Also, grammar is not applicable, which is another thing that makes life easier. Third grade was when I had a teacher named Ms. Ayre, who loved poetry and tried to make us feel the same. At the time I was just a nerdy little kid (still am) that just wanted to read Junie B. Jones all day, so poetry did not sit well with me. She made us make an entire book full of it inspired by nature. Digging the book out today I read one of them titled "Moon":

Moon

The moon is cheese

that mice nibble away

day after day.

The cheese grows

after the mice have eaten

it all away. 

     At the time the only poetry I actually enjoyed was by Shel Silverstein not only because I liked looking at the words that were arranged in shapes like apples and houses, but also because it was a thick book of poetry and I wanted to seem knowledgeable carrying it around.

     Middle school was a different story. Instead of reading poetry shaped like apples, we started analyzing it. Poets such as E. E. Cummings and Elizabeth Coatsworth started filling the lesson plan. This allowed me to see what poets do to make their works so incredible and fun to read. One particular poem stuck to my memory. It is titled "Shelter" by R.S. Jones. I liked it because it told a story that was very touching in a way that writing a five paragraph essay couldn't. 

     Throughout my years of going to school, my experiences with poetry have developed so that I understand so much more. When I think of poetry today, I don't believe that it's just another English project, but something that I have the freedom to convey feelings with. Reading poetry is also something that I enjoy. Seeing what other poets do to make their writing stick out inspires me to do the same. My attempts at writing poems have also improved (or so I think) to the point of not writing about moon and mice. Instead, I will now write about sun and salamanders. 

     Just kidding.

R+J - Conflict

     Some authors use conflict as a tool to help move along the plot of the play. Shakespeare incorporates it so that the characters are developed off the conflict that is presented to them. A major conflict that is presented in Act three is the fact that Juliet is married to Romeo, but her parents have already arranged a marriage with Paris. Juliet shows her emotions about this situation when she tells her mom, "Now, by Saint Peters Church, and Peter too, He shall not make me his joyful bride!" (165) This illustrates how Juliet is stubborn and not afraid to show her emotions about the one she truly loves. Paris is a better match for Juliet when it comes to social stature. It allows her family to move up in society. Contrary, the Montague family has been a long time enemy of the Capulet's, so the marriage between Juliet and Romeo will have not been very beneficial to both their reputations. But in this play the main characters are not focused on social class, but true love.
     Personally, I have not come across a situation like this, but there are many different modern novels and movies about choosing love over your family's opinion, or anything else of the sort. I believe conflict such as this one is important to have in life to keep us going and not dwell on the past. Every person deals with conflict differently, some emotionally, some with a lighthearted attitude, but no matter how people deal with conflict, it is prevalent in everyone's lives and will be forever.

R+J - It's Everywhere!

     Although Shakespeare's time has long passed, his influence on modern culture has not. He has definitely left his mark in history by creating one of the most touching of plots. For example, many different Disney movies has portrayed a prince and a princess, brought together by destiny, just as the "two star-crossed lovers" have in Romeo and Juliet. Going back to my childhood I remember the plot of The Little Mermaid, where Ariel yearns to become a human with real legs so she can marry the prince in a nearby castle. Instead  of their parents being the barrier of their love, its their difference in species. In Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers judge each other immediately by their appearance. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel pops up from beneath the water one day and sees the prince, once their eyes met, they were in love. No second thoughts, no questions asked. The major difference between the two plots is the obvious ending. Disney ends with a "happily ever after", when Shakespeare ends with death.

R+J - Connecting With Romeo and Juliet

     While doing my day to day reading on Romeo and Juliet, I feel that the general concept of the plot is very similar to what people experience in the modern times. Juliet is under pressure to marry Paris, who her family has built a decent relationship with. Out of pure chance, Romeo comes into the equation and he seems to be the love of Juliet's life. Although Juliet knows she is expected to turn him down, she follows her heart. This could be translated into a present day incident to. For example, if people tend to expect a lot from you but once in a while you decide to be a rebel and go against their wishes to pursue your own hopes and desires.
     When I first opened this play I had no idea how I was going to decipher Shakespeare's writing style. After a few days, things became so much clearer and I was beginning to get the hang of reading this kind of literature. The sidebar next to the original text also was a major tool that I use. Reading aloud in class is also helpful because it allows me to go over what I had read earlier and get a deeper understanding. Overall despite some minor bumps I think that my reading process with this play is going smoothly and heading the right direction.

Great Expectations - Wrapping it Up

     Finding true happiness does not mean you have to be in a certain class, or "common" or "uncommon", but instead it means taking for granted when you have in life right now and cherishing that. By having Pip as the main character bounce from different emotions and social classes, Charles Dickens really has the opportunity to convey this message of life. When I think of the high class, I think of celebrities living in giant mansions and walking on the red carpet wearing clothes that cost a fortune. The lower class is more of Charlie's family from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, eating cabbage soup for dinner and a whole family bundled up telling stories and laughing. Of course, not all people fit into the descriptions above, but just a few examples of what I envision when given the topic. Through the news, many of us hear about stars passing away from drug overdoses and suicide. This gives us as viewers a clue about how they have lived and we often wonder why they decided to limit their lives in this way. People in the middle class, however, do not have to deal with critics from magazines or looking good on weekends because most know that there will still be family to support and comfort them. From reading the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I understand that the author is trying to say that it does not matter what class you come from, but instead that you are able to love and be loved in the community surrounding you.

Great Expectations - Thoughts on Reading

     Reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens allowed me to discover a new kind of literature. My book of choice would most likely be a realistic fiction by Jodi Picoult, not a classic that you would most likely read in English class. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the reading  and the plot. The character descriptions were my favorite part, they each had their own unique personalities and I missed them after the book came to an end (I think it would be pretty cool to meet Estella in person). The settings were also a work of art. Miss Havisham's house gave me the shivers and Wemmick's castle cottage is something that I wish I could see. Character development was also something that I admired from Dickens as a writer. He really got the reader to feel what he wanted them to feel. For example, at the beginning of the novel Pip was portrayed as a small, innocent child, and I was given the feeling of sorry for him. But as Pip grew older, so did his ego, and I felt a sense of regret for ever feeling the way I did. Although Sparknotes did aid me along with my reading I tried hard to read first, then when things got too confusing, I checked Sparknotes to clear it up. Many of the mysteries were revealed to me as I read the book, and talked to others who had already finished. Even though this was the case, I still had a few pleasant surprises that awaited me at the end of the book.

     Although the reading was fascinating at some points, I have to admit that there were those days where I would come home, sit on the couch sticky notes at hand committed to finished the chapters assigned, then of course midway through the reading my eyes would droop and I would promise myself to only close them for a few seconds. But no, I would then fall asleep, having dreams about Pip and Jaggers. I eventually did get through the entire book without procrastinating. The thought of having to finish 90 pages in one night just sounds appalling. Sparknotes has helped me understand what was going on at some parts, but it did not help me all that much when it comes to decoding the hidden themes and symbols the author was trying to incorporate. Sometimes I simply just didn't agree with it. Overall I did enjoy reading Great Expectations. It brought me out of my comfort zone when it comes to reading and maybe even consider reading some of Dicken's other works.

Great Expectations - Photo Post

     Great Expectations is a novel that is driven forward by the suspense of mystery. The mystery of what is going to happen next in the plot and other character's past histories. For example, in chapter 40, the reader finds that Magwitch, otherwise known as Pip's convict from his childhood, is the founder of his fortunes. This is unlike what Pip had expected and he becomes horribly depressed and disappointed that he was never meant to be with Estella. The tone that sets the motif of mystery is the weather that foreshadows the next few scenes of the story. The last sentence of part three states: "When I awoke without having parted in my sleep with the perception of my wretchedness, the clocks of the eastward churches were striking five, the candles were wasted out, the fire was dead, and the wind and rain intensified with the thick black darkness." (325) Overall this is a dreary dark, ominous setting that one might imagine from a horror movie. Because it is the concluding statement for the second part, it gives the reader an idea the part three is going to have more dark times ahead. This is not the first time that the author has given the description for a dark setting. In the beginning of the novel he describes the marshes as one too. The entire novel is based off this tone and the way the author describes it.

     With this in mind, for my picture to represent the entire novel thus far, I have chosen a simple black and white photo of a prominent black tree that seems to be dead but still standing upright. There are two reasons why I believe that this photo fits with this novel. First of all, The setting of the picture is very dark and you seem to have the feeling that suspense is around you. I feel like this is what Great Expectations is like, dark with an underlying motif or theme to it. Another reason why I chose this photo is because it has the tree as the focal point. It also casts a shadow into the water. To me Pip is similar to the tree. He is very egotistic and seems to feel like he is the the middle of everything and only his problems matter. The shadow that this tree casts into the river is like Estella. Pip cannot make her just disappear from his life ever since she was brought in by Miss Havisham. This tree seems to be portrayed as an old frail tree that has been through rough weather, just as Pip has, with the huge amount of debt he owes and guilt towards the family he left behind. The smaller, less prominent trees that stand around this one are similar to the people that are revolved around Pip's life. For example, Mr. Jaggers, Herbert, Magwitch, Biddy, and other characters that play a role in changing Pip's life.

     The photo above is, for me, a very accurate representation of the novel Great Expectations not only because of the overall tone of the picture that correlates with one of the motifs of the novel, but also because of the many similarities that the picture poses with the characters of the book.

Great Expectations - Making Connections + Picture

  The 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada depicts a woman named Andrea who's career is revolved around journalism. She lives a simple, yet satisfying life with friends and loved ones, until the day she goes in for an interview with the magazine company named "Runway". She meets her unreasonable boss and another woman she is to work with. Although the job pays well and will benefit her immensely in the future, Andrea feels that she is soon dedicating all her time towards it. After time passes, she grows farther apart from her loved ones and even they start noticing that she seems distracted and unable to spend quality time with those who had loved her most. In the end, she ends up betraying her coworker to impress her boss, but realizes all the harm she has caused by taking this job, and quits.

     This movie was many correlations to the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, for example, many of the characters have the same characteristics and are in similar situations. Pip and Andrea are both the protagonists of their plots and grow farther and farther apart from their family and friends because of one dream. Pip's dream is to become a gentleman for Estella and Andrea's is to have a job that will benefit her in the future. Both become selfish and only think about their own dreams, not leaving room for anyone else. Some of the similar characters are listed below:

Pip - Andrea

Biddy - Coworker

Estella - Andrea's job

Pip's family - Andrea's friends

     The main idea and moral of both these plots was what the most important similarity is between the two. The theme that to pursue a dream, it may have to take much of your time and effort, but you do not have to make that dream swallow up your entire past.

Great Expectations - 2nd Stage

     One of the main motifs that were found in The Importance of Being Earnest was the concept of comparing and contrasting characters and settings. At the beginning of the second stage, Pip moves from his small town that he grew up in to the big, bustling city of London. His first impressions are of the prison, and Mr. Jagger's run down office. He immediately feels uncomfortable and out of place as he says, "This was horrible, and gave me a sickening idea of London..." (164). Overall he is deeply disappointed in what he had such high hopes for. He was expecting a city full of high class people and gentlemanly behavior, but that is not what he received.
     I believe that this change in setting shows the difference between the two settings and what the consequences are of "becoming a gentleman". This also shows the underlying theme of the upper class. The upper class people may not be what Pip expects. For example, Mr. Jaggers is well off when it comes of money, but his attitude is mean, stubborn, and sometimes ignorant. Comparing him to Herbert (not as well off, but has a laid back, carefree, and nice persona) shows that does not have the best overall personality, even though he is of the upper class. As Pip moves closer and closer to becoming a gentleman, he seems to be growing more and more selfish and egotistic. Only thinking of himself and not of the family he has left behind. He is also not feeling as guilty about things he does that he knows is wrong. Pip is trying to fit the mold of being a gentleman, even if it means leaving his old personality behind.

Analyzing the Quote

     I think that Pip is referring to his experience at the Satis house and how it has altered him to begin a new chapter of his life. When the narrator says "think of a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day", I think he is trying to add a question to the readers mind as to weather Pip's "chain" is made of thorns (something that resembles hurt) or flowers (something lovely), this could be the authors way of showing foreshadowing. This day has introduced many new characters into Pip's life, and Estella is a girl whom he is starting to fall in love with. He is starting to gather more and more expectations of what his life in the future is going to be like. He also wants Miss Haversham to give him a small fortune upon her death. Pip seems to have changed in that he is growing into a young man. He is still sensitive to what Estella teases him about, but not as much as the first few days. He has also grown farther apart from Joe. An example of this is when he confides in Biddy about his troubles instead of Joe on page 95. He seems to have grown out of his childhood.
     In my own life, I think that the transition from 6th to 7th grade really brought me out of childhood and into the real world. I began to open my eyes more and realize all the unfairness of the world. I also began thinking more into the future and not just a few days ahead. I started thinking about what it was like beyond middle school and high school. Now I can just hope that my "chain" is made of gold.

Great Expectations - ??? About Passage

     When reading Great Expectations, I read to the very end of what we were suppose to read for the week and did not understand why Mrs. Joe was sending Pip to go "play" at Mrs. Havisham's house. I know that she is apparently a very rich old lady, but knowing Mrs. Joe's greedy and selfish personality, how would she benefit from this arrangement? And what does Mrs. Joe mean when she said to go play? As a servant? An excerpt is taken from page 51 below:
     "I could see no stars from the chaise-cart. But they twinkled out one by one, without throwing any light on the questions why on earth I was going to play at Miss Havisham's, and what on earth I was expected to play at."

Group Essay Collaboration

     For my body paragraph, I have changed many grammical errors, and the topic sentence so that it fits with the thesis better. I have also made my commentary stronger so that it will support the thesis. Here it is after I have made my changes:

     Unlike Algernon, Jack starts off as someone who likes marriage, but he is a very dishonest person. Near the beginning of the play, Jack expresses his love to Gwendolen while talking to Algeron. He shows that he is a romantic when he states, “If I marry a charming girl like Gwendolen, and she is the only girl I ever saw in my life that I would marry, I certainly won’t want to know Bunbury” (16). Jack is caught in a trap of dishonesty that Algernon has created for him. Jack wants to change so he can show his true self to his wife. Later in the play Jack seems to have altered his opinions about not being a bunburyist. Gwendolen admits to Jack that she has always dreamed of marrying a man named Ernest and Jack replies, “Do you really mean to say that you couldn’t love me if my name wasn’t Ernest?” (21). This gives Jack second thoughts about admitting to his fiancé his true identity. If Gwendolen will not love Jack if his name was not Ernest, that would mean that being dishonest is the only way to allow for marriage between the couple. By the end of the novel Jack has come to a conclusion about himself and dishonesty. As a result, by the end of the play Jack realizes a very important fact as he says, “I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest” (90). Jack has now realized that the fictional character Ernest has led him to be able to be married to Gwendolen, whereas at the beginning of the play he felt that Gwendolen would like him just the way he was. The characteristic of being earnest would also have saved Jack a lot of trouble with Gwendolen. By the end of the novel, Jack has changed into a different person because of marriage by learning about what it takes to be an honest person.

     I was wondering whether my concrete details were to far apart from eachother (ex: page 16, page 90) and if I should change that. Also, I am not sure whether I am putting periods in the right places when it comes to quotes from the play. I think that my concluding sentence could also be stronger. Any suggestions?

Dishonesty in The Importance of Being Earnest

     Dishonesty makes up a lot of the humor in the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde. Particularly the misunderstandings of who should be married to whom. Gwendolen and Cecily both think that they are going to be married to Earnest, but in reality Earnest is an entirely made up figure from a result of what Algernon calls bunburying. Epigrams are also a type of humor that is put into the play. For example, "Cecily: It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time. The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a momentary separation from anyone whom one has just been introduced is almost unbearable" (pg. 52). This is usually not true for most people because you would have gotten to know someone better if you were to spend a longer amount of time with them and therefore hate to see them go. Someone you have just met though, you would most likely not care as much. Satire of social institutions also contain dishonesty. Engagement between Gwendolen and Jack or Algernon and Cecily was not at all honest because of the confusion that the woman both thought that they would be married to a man named Earnest, when they were not. Education was made fun of when Cecily says: "Dr. Chasuble is a most learned man. He has never written a single book, so you can imagine how much he knows." (pg. 56). Jack and Algernon are both very dishonest when they pretend to be Earnest  and decide to marry Gwendolen and Cecily with that lie. Therefore they were both not being very earnest by pretending to be Earnest. The pursuit of pleasure is Algernon and Jack trying to have pleasure by being dishonest. For example, Jack goes to town and pretends to be Earnest as a form of pleasure, and gets engaged to Gwendolen while he is at it. Algernon enjoys bunburying in the country and gets engaged to Cecily. These are both forms of pleasure that the two men take with dishonesty.
     I think that Wilde is trying to say that even though being dishonest is a action to be looked down upon, there can also be conclutions that end up better with the factor of dishonesty. At the end of this play three couples end up engaged and Jack finds out a lot more about his family because they were being dishonest. I also think that Wilde was trying to be lighthearted about this subject. Shown with him writing a comedy. The characters in this play also do not seem to have taken the excessive bunburying too seriously and it all ends up that everyone lives "happily ever after".

Animal Farm Project Evaluation

    1.   Giselle
    2.   Slideshow
    3.   I thought that Giselle's project really summarized the novel in a symbolic and clear way. Foreshadowing was also portrayed when clues were given out to the reader that a leadership like the one on Animal Farm is hard to avoid because there always has to be one person that eventually comes out on top.

    1.   Adora
    2.   Poem
    3.   Adora's poem was in Boxer's point of view, and after I read it I thought that it was interesting because the other projects were all focusing on Napoleon, but to see it from an ordinary farm animal and not the "leader" was a nice change. At the same time, it still showed symbolism in that Boxer was the spokesperson for all the animals on the farm.


    1.   Thomessa
    2.   Scribd
    3.   Thomessa did her online project as a representation of how the Animal Farm has changed before and after the ruling of Napoleon. By showing how the rules changed, I think it was a very effective way of doing this symbolically, and this also represented the theme of the story.
   
    1.   Angela
    2.   Diagram
    3.   Angela's diagram is very organized in a way that you can tell which animals are in the lower class and which are considered the higher class. This is symbolism in the way that you can represent this information in the form of a triangle, it is also pretty ironic that she put the human people around the edges because it is comparing the novel to the present tense political situation.

    1.   Talia
    2.   Diagram
    3.   I thought that this diagram was very informational and conveyed the literary elements present in the book very well. I especially like the fine line separating Napoleon from the other animals. That really symbolized the controlling state in which Napoleon was in.

    1.   Hailey
    2.   Poem
    3.   This poem had a very distinct parallel with the novel, so you could clearly tell that it was based off it. It was very nicely written and in the animal's point of view, which I thought was interesting to see what they thought of the rebellion.

    1.   Kayla and Kelsey
    2.   Comic Strip
    3.   I enjoyed looking at this comic strip, it correctly portrayed how Napolean took control of the farm by using just one senario: Napolean tells them that the windmill was his idea in the first place, and gives the orders for it to be made while he stands by, then it gets knocked down and the animals (excluding him) have to start all over again. By using this scenario, it symbolizes how Napoleon takes control of the farm.

    1.   Emily
    2.   Diagrams
    3.   Unlike some of the other diagrams I have seen, Emily's was two of them being compared together. I thought that this was a very effective way of showing the parallels to the Russian Revolution and also showing symbolism of who had more power then who.

    1.   Kylie
    2.   Photoshop
    3.   This project was very creative! I loved how the rules were written and the added parts were in a different font, and symbolism was correctly portrayed when "Napolean" was on the side of the picture with a crown on him that symbolised power and control like a king.

    1.   Sidney
    2.   Poem
    3.   I thought that this poem was well written and you could clearly tell that it is a parallel from the novel Animal Farm. I especilly enjoyed reading the last stanza and thought that it summarized the last chapter perfectly.

     I put a lot of effort into my project, and I hope that it shows in the final product. Comparing my project with those of my classmates, I think that effort-wise I put in a little more then some people. But when it comes to showing symbolism and parallels to the Russian Revolution, a movie trailer was probably not the best medium in expressing these things, though my partner and I tried very hard to do so.

EC: New Year's Resolution

     Let's just say that keeping New Year's resolutions is not one of my strong suits. I start with enough motivation that I think will last me the entire year, but no, it dwindles to nothing after a month or two. I say that I'll start running in the mornings tomorrow, then tomorrow becomes the next day, and the next day, until before I know it, its been an entire year and the cycle starts over again. This year... well, I'll try to keep my motivation high, but no guarantees there. I have a few resolutions that I would like to achieve this year (if possible...) and they are as follows:

• Organize My Time More Efficiently: This is something that I have been struggling with for the past few years since homework started to come piling in. I will make myself a schedule and a to do list but not follow it at all. If I were to complete this resolution, I would hope the outcome to be going to sleep earlier and a noticeable decrease in my stress level.

• Get In Shape/Start Jogging: Alright, so I have made this resolution a few times in the past, but this time I hope that it will actually take place and I will have the self control to get off that computer and jog around the neighborhood once in a week. The weather might be a barrier, but I guess I use that as an excuse too often.

• Swim More: Joining the swim team this year was great, I meet so many more people, and exercised too. I love the competitive feel of meets and the school spirit. Therefore, this year, I plan to go to the YMCA at least three times a week to swim and hopefully decrease my times. Right now I can swim 50 yards freestyle in 32.62 seconds, so this year, I want to make it under 30 seconds. This would also further help my goal of joining JV by Junior year.

 

1. Plan For The Future: In the time being, I have no idea what I would like to have as a career. Not a single clue. I do have a few more years, but I think it would help make myself more motivated if I had a clear goal to what I would like to be when I grow up.

     So those are my resolutions, whether I follow them or not, well, I guess we'll have to find out.