A Year In Review

A Year In Review
My experience freshman year:

Reading:
When I find an entertaining book, I do enjoy reading because of the suspense in the books that you just don't get in movies. I usually read 3 to 4 days a week because of my work load. I usually use one day as a "catch up day". This is my biggest obstacle. My worst experience this year in reading was Color of Water because I really don't enjoy realistic fiction. I prefer scifi, action or fantasy. I last got lost in a book when I was reading House of Hades. I was trying to keep reading to find out what was about to happen in the book. I like to choose my books based off of my interests. I plan to read more.

Blogging:

I like to express my ideas in blogging. But my least favorite part about it is that it feels like homework and I really don't enjoy doing it. I don't enjoy having my thoughts in the public so I occasionally disable them for viewing until I have to present it. I think blogging  should be more social, you can learn a lot from others.

My School Year:
This experience really did change me. I have both changed as a person and student. I am now more calculating, and I try to predict outcomes more often. Something that impacted me better in school was programming because it sharpened my ability to solve problems under pressure.  My biggest challenge is preparing for finals at the end of the year because I have around 5 projects due and I have to prepare for 7 finals. I plan to resign from being Procrastination King next year.

A Rant On Standardized Testing

Alright, so I've been taking the parcc test or End of Year exam or whatever you want to call it, and I mostly hate it.
 I mainly hate the fact that we've taken the same test in march and now we have to do it again. IT SEEMS REDUNDANT. Why do we have to take it twice? Isn't once per year enough information the state collects? The next flaw with Parcc testing is the fact that it is on the computer. This allows for increased chance of cheating and slows down the entire school network is full of lag. My last complaint is the schedule. Since everyone NEEDS a COMPUTER to take the test, we need to create lab space. The schedules are just weird and screw up every ones progress in class. Think of other schools that might not have as many machines. How will they take the test? I would much rather take the ACT to graduate than this. 

In a word, a slice of perspective by Mary Schmich - Column Reflection

Today I will be Reflecting on In A Word. A Slie Of Perspective by Mary Schmich.

The column is trying to make the reader feel guilty and makes them feel embarrassed and regretful for not attempting to help the less fortunate.Mary Schmich wants people to realize how lucky they are and that life can be so much more worse than it already is. The author is using the article to inform the reader about how life could be worse, and while we are living here comfortably, someone is dying elsewhere. The column's diction and syntax remains at normal or sometimes elevated throughout the piece. This allows the author to communicate to a wider range of people. It also gives the reader a feeling like this is a natural conversation rather than writing. The author also references many natural disasters and points out how while people are starving, you ate chips. This really adds to the effect of forming regret. To summarize what the writing is trying to convey, life is extremely difficult and unlucky. Those of us who have 1st world life styles should consider themselves lucky and be grateful for what they have. 

Divergent Film and Book Differences

The following post contains major spoilers for Divergent by Veronica Roth. If you haven't read the book and watched the movie, please leave. 

Okay so I finally have read Divergent after so many other people have. I found the book to be okay. I saw the movie about a year ago and now read the book. I re watched the movie and came up with a list of differences bellow:

1.The Factions in the movie don't interact with each other. In the book there were times were characters from one faction would interact with people from other factions. But in the movie factions are almost like different countries. They almost ignore the presence of all other factions in the movie.

2.At the end of the book there are only 7 members left in Dauntless. But in the movie there are 30. This change really doesn't make too much of a difference.

3.At the end of the book, Four manages to disable the system by himself. However, In the movie, Tris has to force Jeanine to disable the system after being force to use a serum.

These were just 3 differences I found between the book and the movie. There are probably more and I encourage you to find them. 

Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451

Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451 - Mrs.Phelps

Montag beat the door shut after Mrs.Phelps stormed out of the house with Mrs. Bowls.
Mrs.Phelps felt as if her mirror of life was fractured. She now understood why the government had burned books. Mrs.Bowls reassured her "That wicked fireman wanted us to feel remorse. He is sick." Mrs.Phelps still whimpered. "I bet Mildred will take him to the doctor." Mrs.Bowls blurted out as they strolled. The irony was that Mrs.Phelps felt she needed one aswell. Mrs.Phelps just felt so empty. Like she woke up for the first time. She was had become aware of the agony in her life and others around her. Her thoughts were fogged up with too many emotions. Anger.Fear.Worry.Agony.The home she lived in wasn't home. It was purgatory.

The women arrived at a street to cross. Both the women bolted across, but their running was cut short. Mrs.Phelps looked up to see the glistening headlights barreling toward them. Mrs.Phelps stopped and heard Montag's voice echo through her head."Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,Nor certitude,nor peace,nor help for the pain." Mrs.Phelps realized that such a society was not endurable. There was too much pain. At this point she didn't care if she saw her husband. Mrs.Phelps didn't care if she could watch her next tv episode. Something was wrong in her. She could feel it. She knew that no psychiatrist could fix it. The loom of darkness washed over her perspective of life and would never dry out. Her brain short circuited again and her final explosion of emotions would have led to the formation of tears if time had permitted. Mrs.Phelps watched the apprehension on Mrs.Bowls face as the car whizzed past her and slammed into Mrs.Phelps. Her body jolted into the air on impact. It was a sudden change. The look on Mrs.Phelps mangled face as the light went out behind her eyes. Her anguish was replaced with death.

Fahrenheit 451 - Review

This is my final review on Fahrenheit 451.

First I will start off with what I liked:

I enjoyed the plot. I thought the theme with the Phoenix at the end was good. I really liked how everything was consistent with the environment. The vocab in the book was average. However, some of the sentences really had to be interpreted due to their deeper meaning. I also enjoyed the theme of technology and the role it plays in society throughout the book.

However, I disliked a few things. These are mostly pet peeves. I feel that the book itself needs to be re-written to fit into modern times. I hated how they just called it the green earpiece, or how the book had mechanical hounds. The government couldn't have anything better than a robotic dog to pursue criminals. I think a better book would be one that shows how this world came to be. I'd rather see how the government in the book would ban all information. I think that would be a far better book.

Inheritance - The Begining

Sorry, this is an old post from a while back that I've never published.

 I have read Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini. Inheritance is the last book in the Inheritance cycle. Inheritance continues where Eragon left of in Brazingr. Today's review talks about the writing style and story line structure rather than the actual plot. I enjoyed reading the book because of the descriptive 100 page long battle sequences that are full of suspense. I also enjoy a challenge in the reading because of the Elvin language that is present throughout the book and the rest of the series.I feel that it adds authenticity to the book. But, the book was too long. It is 900+ pages. I feel that the ending alone could have been trimmed down by 50 pages, since the reader has already lost interest after the series conflict is resolved. Oh right, I skipped over the conclusion. The battle between Eragon and King Galbatorix was good but it too was too long. I hope that somehow the author can continue this series or make a spin off series in the future. If you have not read Inheritance, Brazingr, Eldest or Eragon, I highly urge that you do right now.