Post-Fourth Rush

My mom always says that after the Fourth of July, time seems to rush towards the end of summer and school starts in a flash. I think this is true mostly because there is simply so much to do before school starts that we procrastinate until the last half. We forget that on the Fourth we still have nearly two months before the end of summer. As a college student, I've put off way too many pre-school preparations. There's just so much to do!

My favorite part of the approach of the school-year is buying school supplies. I just love fresh notebooks and pens. I've actually been spreading some of my purchases throughout the summer because I decided to really invest in some larger purchases this year. For instance in May I purchased a Franklin Covey planner and on the Fourth I bought my first MacBook Air. I decided that I really wanted to start fresh since I'm starting at a new school and be the Rachel I am in my head.

This year actually makes school supplies shopping difficult because the Staples that we always used to go to a few towns over is gone now. I thought about getting my school supplies online, but it just isn't right. Plus, it would be really difficult for me to match colors without being able to see them in person. And I could go to Walmart, but they just don't have the same selection.

I color-code each of my classes with a binder, notebook,  and pen in the same color. The pen is mostly used for keeping track of the class and it's assignments in my planner. I like to reuse supplies when I can, but every year it's inevitable that I have to get some new stuff like notebooks, pens, highlighters, and white-out tape.

 I really like the Staples-brand notebooks because the covers are plastic which helps protect my notes and is super durable when they're tossed around in my backpack. I also really like the Staples-brand white-out tape. It works really well and it's super easy to use. I prefer to write in pen so it's great to fix mistakes in my planner or my notes. I'm using two different kinds of binders, which kind of drives me crazy because they don't match, but sometimes it's not worth spending money to get new ones. My favorite of the two are Avery binders. They're rubberized on the edges so they don't get frayed and their really durable plastic. Add their re-usable tab dividers and it's the perfect pair!

How do you guys get ready for the beginning of the school year?

Have a super day!

New Look Scholarship

Hello blogoshere!

So in my preparations to go back to college, I've been working on scholarships. One in particular asked me to write a blog "expressing my opinion of the societal impact of laser tattoo removal." So here it is:

In today's society, tattoos are becoming a more prominent way of expressing our individuality. In some industries, it is even acceptable to have tattoos. However, I think I speak for the majority when I say that we all remember our moms telling us how unflattering those tattoos will look when our skin starts to wrinkle or how if the tattoo doesn't come out like we expected, it's there for life. Laser tattoo removal is greatly changing how society views these potential road blocks by providing a way to efficiently remove tattoos while staying within a reasonable budget. 

Formerly, tattoos were somewhat tabooed in society, especially for business professionals. Tattoos used to be associated to guys in gangs and dangerous criminals. Over the years society has evolved to allow tattoos more freely. This has reduced much of the stigma related to tattoos and many more people are willing to express their individuality through tattoos. I firmly believe that this evolution has has stemmed from the development of tattoo removal technologies, particularly laser removal technology. This technology actually allows the heat and sound waves produced by the laser to shatter the tattoo ink which helps reduce damage to the skin.

Fun Fact: Did you know LASER is an acronym for
Light
Amplification
Stimulated
Emission
Radiation??

To sum up, the technological advances in tattoo removal have opened the minds of society and allowed individuals to express themselves by means of tattoos. These changes will continue advancing as technology continues to grow and develop, providing society with the ability to remove tattoos as needed. As these changes occur, less and less stigma will be associated with tattoos and more people who want them feel like they can get them without being judged, making our society a more expressive place.

All of these great facts came from New Look Laser Tattoo Removal. For more information check out them out at www.NewLookHouston.com or check out their Tattoo Removal Guide!

Thanks for reading guys!!

Finding a Place

Hello readers (if you're out there)!

I have been painstakingly waiting to share some rather exciting news with you all: I have been accepted as a transfer student to The Ohio State University! This is quite a drastic change from what I'm used to. To illustrate my point, Urbana University, my former institution, had approximately 1,200 students while OSU (Go Bucks!) has approximately 55,000. Yep, that's a lot of people. So naturally while I was on campus this past Monday for Transfer Orientation (my third college orientation), I spent a lot of time learning about my options and beginning to find a place at my new home away from home.

Of course, having a decided major has been extremely helpful in finding a place for myself in the academic world. I'm a Psychology major with an intention of going to law school. However, I did get to spend some time with other psych people such as myself. One of the girls I was talking to said her dad told her to major in something she could make money in and minor in something you love. Wise words I suppose, but as I was talking with her I realized that psychology is my one academic love. I can rant on and on about how sleep patterns can affect a persons behavior and productivity or how cool neurotransmitters or conditional learning are, I've done experiments on my younger sister with operant conditioning, and I fully intend to conduct an undergraduate research project. And THEN, as I talked with her more I realized that I WAS doing what she was doing after all. Law is my "major" and psychology is my "minor." Psychology is my passion but law is my money-maker. Not to say I don't love law because I do. Especially anything to do with the Constitution. I also love the idea of being a lawyer. And, admittedly, I like to argue. I would probably rock a debate team.

My problem, I suppose, lies in the numerous activities available to me on campus. Over 1,000 student organizations to be a part of and I'm totally ready to load my plate with all of the goodies like it was my favorite Chinese buffet. However, I know if I do that I will be completely overloaded, especially since Garrett is going to college in the same area. Debate team, mock trial, student government, the student newspaper, religious clubs, book clubs, service clubs, psychology clubs, and Quidditch all sound like fun options, but how do I choose. I suppose I'll find out!

Anyway, Ohio State is so big, I guess my anxiety lets me think I couldn't possibly find my niche, but I think that's why I will be able to find (what my sister calls) my nerd posse. There will be such a diverse group of people that there is no doubt I will find some people who don't mind all of my big words or my quoting Shakespeare at 9 in the morning. Maybe even a couple people who will quote Shakespeare right back!

Back to the Blogosphere!

Alert! I'm returning to the blogosphere!

After nearly three months of no posts, I am back! I have decided in the past couple weeks to become very serious about blog writing. I got a new planner and while searching Pinterest for ideas on how to set it up I was inspired by other bloggers to plan posts and write down ideas as they come to me. So here I am!

I realize that being "too busy" is just an excuse. I find time for everything else, why can't I find some time to write. Though online school does eat up a billion hours. Suggestion: do not take a full course load of online classes. Three maximum is probably a safe number. Also, if you don't like busy work or feel uncomfortable just reading the text, I recommend finding the time to just take traditional classes. It's easier to understand that you're not getting a concept during a lecture. Despite my diligence in getting work done on time and to the best of my ability, I still received my lowest GPA ever. My 4.0 at Urbana saved it a little and pulled it up to a 3.6, but it's still discouraging when trying to get the grades to attend an Ivy League Law School.

Anyway, I digress. So, this weekend Garrett graduates from high school. We're excited to be going to school in the same city and being able to enjoy the college experience together. Even more than celebrating his being done with high school (which we are cheering enthusiastically about), we are celebrating a beginning. We'll be moving forward together since we're both changing directions, (he's starting Graphic Design classes in September and I am restarting my college experience at The Ohio State University). I'm so proud of him (also insanely jealous because he's going to graduate college before me - not including graduate school).

Speaking of graduations, did you know it's extremely difficult to find gifts for male graduates? Yeah. Especially handmade ones. Garrett asked for things to decorate his room, so you'd think drawings right? Well despite my craftiness, I'm not that great at drawing. My sister got all of the talent. I'm great at scrapbooking and making artsy shadow boxes and handmade cards (Garrett was extremely impressed that I can make my own envelopes). I don't want to post what I am making him since I'm fairly sure Garrett reads this...but I will post pictures after Graduation is over. It's not the greatest, I am a little low on funds since I splurged a little bit on a Franklin Covey planner and recently had to pay my housing deposit for OSU, which isn't cheap. (Not to mention I bought him VIP concert tickets for his birthday so he already got splurged on this year!)

I know that like two people read my blog, but if you happened across this post a topic you'd like me to write about in the comments section!

Thanks, everybody!! Have a super day!

Common Sense about Common Core

Today, I would like to share some common sense about Common Core. Below, copy and pasted from corestandards.org, is the Mission Statement of Common Core:

"The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy."

Okay, soak that in for just a second. You're probably asking, "Well, what's wrong with that?" I'll tell
you.

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/02/114854-heart-wrenching-viral-photo-of-frustrated-little-girl-shows-what-common-core-does-to-children/

This picture has bee circulating on Facebook recently and if you haven't read the story behind it, I encourage you to follow the above link and read about why Common Core has this little girl so upset. There are also a plethora of news stories, blog posts, and others talking about woes created by the Common Core System. If you're looking for the story of someone personally touched by Common Core, please follow the above link because that isn't what my post is about.

Yes, both of my younger sisters as well as my boyfriend and his three younger siblings have been personally affected by Common Core Standards. I am among the last of the untouched. And while I have seen my second grade sister's standardized homework and heard my junior sister and senior boyfriend complain about pretests and post-tests and standardized exams, I have remained unscathed by the system. But as a college student and someone who has seen a little bit of the real world, I have plenty to say about it.

So, let's back up for one second. I have dealt my fair share of standards from OATs, OGTs, ACTs and
a whole lineup of state teaching standards. They are a pain. A pain for me, a pain for teachers, and a pain for colleges to decipher varying state standards. I am an intelligent person, so this is not coming from someone who doesn't test well and feels played by the system or someone whose genius doesn't lie in traditional meanings of the word, but someone who scored a 30 on the ACT and received above average scores on all of my standardized tests. Despite all of that, I believe that standardization stifles intelligence. Some of the greatest minds to ever walk the planet never finished school. Great, out-of-the-box ideas come from deviant thought processes that are stifled by comparing everyone to each other and bringing them down to the same thought level. It's wrong to force students to think inside a box.

Common Core also fails to prepare anyone for the real world. In real life there are no "ten sticks" to help us with our math and thinking like a robot is not what the real world needs. The world needs fresh, new ideas and people who think differently than anyone else to solve problems and help the world grow. As a college student, what would really help kids prepare is great teachers being allowed to just teach. Teach them good writing and communication skills, how to take notes, how to handle college loans. Teach them good professional skills and about the Constitution and how our government works. Teach them how to read a syllabus and hold them accountable for their homework and other responsibilities. Don't teach them how to think the exact same way as that other kid trying to get into Yale. Who does that help? No one.

If you need any more persuasion against Common Core, check out these videos. The first is a student from Tennessee and the second is a mother from Arkansas. 

I could say more, but I don't think I need to. These videos and the story above are more than enough. If you graduated from the Class of 2013, feel fortunate to be untouched by Common Core, but we need to protect our siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews, and all of the kids that will be working with or for us in the years to come. We have to fight Common Core. All of us Americans. Together. United we stand. Only we can make our politicians, who answer to us, repeal Common Core. Remember that without us, the politicians are powerless because we legitimize their power. Let's take the power back and fight Common Core!

Super Bowl Bust

Well, as many of you know, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. For football fans across the nation, this is the holiest day on the calendar. Parties stocked with soda, pizza, wings, salsa, and other foodstuffs strategically places around the TV so no one misses the action, not just of the game, but of the famous Super Bowl commercials as well. If you went to the bathroom and missed the Doritos Time Machine commercial, well, sorry about your luck.

Though my mom loves football and my boyfriend is an ex football player, I hate the sport. I think it's needlessly dangerous with more and more NFL players and former players coming out with reports of brain damage from concussions. I also find it impossible to understand the game. Garrett, my boyfriend, teases that I need Dr. Sheldon Cooper, main character of the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, to explain the game to me. In my own defense, before he quit football this past year, I understood all of the downs and many of the flags and calls. I know what a two-point conversion is - sort of - and I certainly know touchdowns are worth 7 points. Much of my previous knowledge of the sport has been lost due to the fact that I no longer need to have interest in it since Garrett no longer plays. That being said, I have only been watching the Super Bowl since 2011 because the guy I was "dating" at the time is a huge fan of the Packers. So I watched. And when Garrett and I started dating later that year and watched our first Super Bowl together, we made it a tradition. So now, I am a religious watcher of the Super Bowl - possibly against my better judgment.

My family had our first "Super Bowl party" yesterday. Party used loosely as it was me, my mom, my two sisters, Garrett (whose practically family he's at my house so much), and my sister's friend, Mitchell. We did have food like it was a party though. Ha! My littlest sister made Broncos decorations and told everyone at least twice, "We're rooting for the Broncos because Peyton Manning is in the NFL and played for the Colts. He's....defense.....and a quarterback." Well....she almost got it right. We did root for the Broncos because we like Peyton Manning.

Now, I can stand watching football when the game is good, which is why I agree to watch the Super Bowl. You expect the game to be great when the best offense plays the best defense, but no. This was probably the worst game I have ever seen and my high school's team was 0 and 10 my freshman year. From the first snap, everyone knew the Broncos were going down.

At least the commercials were good, though I will say that I was disturbed by the Go Daddy commercial at the end of the Super Bowl. Just as I was about to cry from the adorable, heart melting Budweiser commercial with the puppy, I see half-naked, bulky, unattractive man. Eww. But many of the commercials had us all snorting with laughter, one of the best being that glorious Doritos Time Machine commercial. The Turbo Tax commercial was also a hilariously genius stroke of marketing brilliance. We also enjoyed the Pistachios commercials, particularly the second one, the McDonalds commercial, and the pre-game Super Bowl commercial. Great commercials this year. Much better than last year. I would also like to give an honorable mention to the Coke commercial. Beautiful show of what America is about with America the Beautiful in different languages. I loved it.

Finally, I would like to say Bruno Mars rocks. He was fantastic. The show, the camera angles, the tribute to the troops, AND he played my jam, Runaway Baby! Fantastic halftime show after years of what I think were disappointments.

I hope you all had your own fun Super Bowl parties with good food that would put all of your New Years Resolutions to shame. I hope spending time with your friends and families made up for the terrible game. I hope you laughed until you cried until you laughed at some of those commercials. And I dearly hope you didn't go to the bathroom during the Doritos Time Machine commercial.

Thanks for reading! Happy Monday!

Food Service Blues

Remember how in my introduction I said I was raising money for Ohio State? Well, I finally found a job! I work at a local fast food joint in the next town over. I started Monday and I work every week day during the lunch rush. Despite what you might have deduced from the title, I love my job: it's consistent, fast-paced, challenging, and the team is great. So what exactly do I mean about "food service blues?"

Before I began my job in fast food, I was merely a consumer. Do I eat fast food often? Not really, I prefer home-cooked options. I'm not really into preservatives, genetically modified, or prepackaged foods. However, I have often complained about the type of service I have received, minutely messed up orders, or little irritations. More frequently, I have heard lots of other people complain, particularly about the franchise at which I now work.

On my first day, I made the mistake of thinking it was going to be easy. But I mean, come on, how hard can serving fast food really be? The truth is, the back of a fast food restaurant is a crazy place. There is so much going on that you never really thought about. There are people cooking the food, bagging it for the window, taking care of the guests inside, people cutting vegetables or doing dishes. There are people cleaning, putting sandwiches together, and the people ringing up drive-thru orders and taking money. Sometimes there's a whole other person making drinks.

My particular position is in the second of two windows taking the drive-thru orders. I am also responsible for making drinks for the drive-thru and keeping my area clean. (The whole restaurant is kept extremely clean!) I will be completely candid and say that it is an overwhelming job at times. I'm really grateful for my fellow crew members because they are really helpful. Everybody has each others' back. I think the hardest part is catching everything people say. Some people talk extremely fast and sometimes you simply can't hear them over rumbling engines, radios, noise from the kitchen, or the occasional static. I understand the irritation of being asked to repeat your order, but I promise we do it only to make sure you get everything you wanted the way you want it in the quickest time possible. Our guests are the most important thing to us and we do everything in our power to have great customer service.

I love my job. Not only because I feel challenged and like I can always improve, but because I feel enlightened to the skill it takes to serve fast food. I used to dread the idea of working in fast food because I thought it was a skill-less job and that people that work there are incompetent. I realize now how horribly wrong I've been and I would like to apologize to every fast food worker for stereotyping them. Thank you for serving me regardless of snarky comments, irritation, judgement, and impatience.

And to anyone who might be reading this, thank you. Thanks for taking this post into consideration, and for reading my blog. You rock!