NaNoWriMo Sacrifices

Just to clarify, I won’t be forgoing all of the below. That would be ridiculous. Rather I plan to cut back on the time I spend watching TV for instance. And checking my email less often. You get the drift.

1. TV watching
2. Socializing
3. Shopping
4. Sleeping
5. Email checking
6. Studying
7. Eating
8. Blogging
9. Reading
10. Homework doing

I can’t think of any more sacrifices pertaining to me in particular. If I do, I’ll add to this list. Perhaps I’ll do an updated version at the end of November.

The Priority Problem

Is it bad that my priorities are out of whack?

For one, dancing and blogging are more important to me than school and homework.

I know. I know. I know.

I’ve had people tell me school should come first.

Blah, blah, blah.

But as much as I try to change my ways, I can’t help it.

I dance, check my email, and blog before I open my bag, take out my binders, and start doing whatever my teachers assigned.

This doesn’t mean I’m failing or not doing well. Actually it’s quite the opposite.

Maybe that’s why I refuse to re-evaluate my priorities.

Preparing For NaNoWriMo

This is how I’m preparing for National Novel Writing Month:

• Not completing homework.
• Not studying for tests.
• Not using the brain.

I Am Hiring

I am hiring someone (no qualification or experience necessary) to read the rest of Oryx and Crake (about 200 pages) and write up an analysis (3 to 4 pages long).

We can discuss the compensation.

Thank you very much.

All jokes aside, I think I’m going to fail this assignment.

Feeling Incomplete

I feel incomplete when I don’t read.

And I’m not just talking about novels and stories but also newspaper articles, blog posts, etc.

So I have no problems with teachers telling the class to read. I don’t consider reading to be homework.

Why Am I Failing English Class?

First of all, I’m not failing English class. I don’t think I ever have. I do, however, know some people who have indeed failed, meaning they didn’t achieve at least a 50 percent as their final mark. How tragic.

So why did they fail? Or maybe why are they failing?

Never fear, I’m here. I’m going to answer that (even though I really should be completing my English homework).

• You hate analyzing. And I mean you absolutely hate it. Take me, for instance. I don’t see the point in analyzing a piece of work. Why can’t I just analyze my own work? Hehe, just kidding.
• You don’t ever receive constructive feedback from your peers. I only have two reasons for this. You’re an advanced writer (read: published) and your classmates are not. Or nobody wants to help you get better or see you improve out of pure spite and jealousy. From past experience, it’s usually the former. Sometimes the latter. Once in a blue moon, both simultaneously occur.
• You get stuck in groups where you do all the work. You write it, you edit it, you present it. But then these group-mates get credit for your hard labor. Someone please just rip out my heart right now. Don’t worry about returning it either.

That’s all I have for today.

If you would love to see more reasons, I can make that happen. Blogging beats doing English homework any day.

Am I right or am I right?

Evaluating My Life Priorities

I thought it would be interesting to evaluate my life priorities at this point in time. I am in grade eleven, I am sixteen, and I am contemplating my plans for post-secondary. Also, the school year is almost over. YAY!

Anyhow, the timing is just right for this post.

Sleep

I need more sleep. I crave good sleep. I want better sleep. So yes it’s definitely a huge priority.

Schoolwork

On the bright side, I don’t care too much about school. Unfortunately, I still care. But let’s face it, who puts schoolwork before anything else? Not this girl.

Writing 

This is more of a priority than schoolwork, that’s for sure. Would I sacrifice sleep for writing? You should know my answer to the previous question.

Dance

I’m not sure if I could survive a day without dancing. If anything terrible happened to me, you know it’s because I am dance deprived.

Music

Listening to music has gotten me through a lot. And it’s easy to make time for music unlike time-consuming matters like homework.

Now you know why my average is only a 93. You also know why I don’t reply to comments at night. And for future reference you’ll know that if I disappeared off the face of this Earth, it’s because I went too long without dancing.

Why Students Should Start (And Run) A Blog

Although being a blogger and a student is a lot of hard work, the benefits of running a blog while you are a student far outweigh the disadvantages.

• A blog provides a much-needed break from homework. If you think blogging will add to your already stressful life, think again. The blogging police won’t chase after you for not posting every day nor will they chastise you if you make a grammar mistake. In fact, now that I think about it, there is no blogging police! No parents hovering over your shoulder, no teachers watching your every move, no authority figure telling you what to do. So have fun with your blog. Customize until you are content and then write to your heart’s satisfaction.
• Blogging hones your writing skills. While I can’t say blogging is synonymous with writing, I will say my writing skills have come a long way thanks to my blog. Now don’t get the wrong idea. Your blog doesn’t have to be specifically about writing in order for your writing abilities to grow considerably. Your blog can be about anything. From gardening to golf, the possibilities are endless. As long as you focus on a topic/theme you care about, you will enjoy writing posts about said subject for years to come. Besides, many future employers are hoping potential employees can write effectively. Starting and running a blog will help you do just that.
• Your blog provides a chance for you to connect with like-minded people. In the off chance that you don’t have much in common with anyone at school, your blogging community may be your saviour. I know for a fact that bloggers are friendly people and if the idea of diving into a new pool of people scare you, rest assured someone will be there to save you from drowning. I’ve met incredibly talented and kind individuals online who share the same interests and passions as I do. If you find that blogging isn’t for you, you can stop any time. But if you don’t start a blog, you will never know what you’re missing out on. In any case, the relationships you build via blogging can be useful in the future. Someone in your blogging circle may be your new best friend or possibly your future boss. Build relationships before you need them. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

I could go on for days about this topic since one, I am a student and  and two, I am a blogger. I truly believe the student-blogging combination is perfect. There are so many reasons why students should start a blog and few reasons not to. I’ve been balancing both quite well for several months and I hope that I will have convinced some students to start a blog of their own. And if you already have a blog, kudos to you. Keep doing what you are doing.

Convinced yet? 

If not, check back tomorrow for the next installment of Why Students Should Start (And Run) A Blog.