Reading. I have learned more from reading, from books and the Internet and what people write, than from any other single source.
A single experience that taught me the most? Probably moving for me, as well, and going to college. I wish you all could experience going to college, just for a little while. It's so much better than high school, I can't even describe it. SO much better.
Okay, first of all you don't live with your parents (Generally speaking; I know a lot of people stay at home in St. Helens while going to college, and I support that if it's necessary to afford it -- college is worth it), which means you are free. Really free. Free to walk out your door and go where you want without telling anyone, without clearing it with anyone, without thinking about when you need to be home. It can be a little scary and lonely, like all freedom, but it is the greatest thing in life.
Second: sheer numbers. Think of all of the interesting people, and especially the attractive people, at this high school (Maybe you don't think there are very many, but that's okay -- only proves my point.). Then recognize this: this high school has between 1000 and 1100 students. A good sized state college, like OSU or U of O, has a population of 20,000 students. All of whom, every single one, is smart enough, motivated enough, and hard-working enough to go to college. So if you think there are, say, 20 girls at the school that are pretty and smart and sweet, then the law of averages says that there will be 400 girls at the university like that. My experience was that there are more.
Third: the classes are far more interesting, because they are challenging, because they are well-taught, and because you get to pick them. You also spend far less time in class -- on the average, a college student spends 12 hours in class a week (and at least 24-30 hours doing homework -- don't think it's all puppies and rainbows) compared to the, what, 40 hours you all spend in school?
Oh yeah, and lest we forget: college has no rules. No dress code, no detention, no referrals, other than the usual laws and police presence. Professors have rules in their classrooms, and if you dorm it you get rules there, of course -- but otherwise, you are, once again, free. Which is the greatest thing in life.
There are three very influential things that have happened to me in my life to make me who I am.
1. my brother spent most of last year living with someone who grew marijuana in their greenhouse and supplied it to a 14 year old, a 17 year old and an 18 year old, among others, whom i knew very well before. Now that my brother is home, safe, and clean, there are court cases being held and the father of the 14 and 17 year old's is losing because the person supplying the drugs has paid the judge to side with her and let her keep her kids. She is my uncle's ex-wife, making the kids my cousins. This has shaped me because I know now that you can't trust people at first, you really have to know them. It took my parents and I at least 6 months to figure out that my brother was smoking pot and doing other illegal things like that.
2. Four years ago my mother had a minor stroke. She was hospitalized for a week. At the time all I could think about was "What if she doesn't make it?". I learned then that I can never know how long someone will be there for you and you should never take someone's life for granted.
3. My grandmother is in a nursing home and as Lois body dementia. Three years ago she was pretty healthy and living at home, eating a good diet, working at a good job. But stress can do crazy things to people. She worked too much. her husband (HE IS NOT MY GRANDFATHER! I will not accept that he is. He's my mom's step dad.)was a truck driver and she never knew when he'd be home. She started to decline quickly. her doctors couldn't decide on a diagnosis because nobody really looked hard enough to see what really was wrong. She quit her job, her husband stayed home with her and she couldn't remember anything. She could randomly recall things from the past at first but now you can't talk to her. She is in a nursing home, she can't talk, she can't eat solid food, she can't even go to the bathroom or walk on her own. It's terrible that she got this bad. Three weeks ago she was willingly eating solid food but now it's very hard to get her to even want to eat her liquefied food.
Sorry everyone who wanted a short answer. There was no way I could do this with a short answer....
nothing really (knock on wood) and I hope nothing bad will happen for a very long time.....my cousin died of cancer and that scared me a bit because she was a really nice lady and it makes me think of all the other nice people who die to soon and it makes me really sad.....
Hrm, I think that I'm going to have to say when my great grandma died, and then my great uncle all within, like, 3 months of each other. And my dad conducting one of the funerals. I finally realized that life is fragile, and sometimes it's better for it to be done. I learned that you can know someone your whole life, but at the same time, you can't ever really know them until it's too late. When my Grandma died, my life had just gotten out of the crappy stage, and I was finally understanding who I was, what I wanted to be, and having her die sort of flipped my world around. The worst part was seeing her slowly leave. My dads family is really disfunctional, and my dad got it into his head that we should visit her as much as possible, and I hated it, becuase that wasn't her. Ooftah, sorry for the long response if you're reading this still.
I have lots of things that have made me who i am and i feel like this is a repeated question so i am leaving it at that a lot of things make up who I am.
Probably being in things like band and soccer because they really taught me how to actually interact with people. Which is good because I've never been a people person.
I feel like I've answered this question a few times today already. But without a doubt my answer to this is going away for a month to summer school and living at Princeton campus without my parents.
Totally answered this at some other point in this desperate save my ass atempt I got going here =P but it still ramains m brother nad all hes evil ways!
What taught me the most was prbably the first time I got in big trouble, and my parents repremanded me. It just gives u a weird feeling that u dont like, and it makes u not want to get in trouble again.
Mine is moving across the country and back, because it showed me there is soooo much more out there than most people realize.
ReplyDeleteReading. I have learned more from reading, from books and the Internet and what people write, than from any other single source.
ReplyDeleteA single experience that taught me the most? Probably moving for me, as well, and going to college. I wish you all could experience going to college, just for a little while. It's so much better than high school, I can't even describe it. SO much better.
in what ways is it better?? :p
ReplyDeleteOkay, first of all you don't live with your parents (Generally speaking; I know a lot of people stay at home in St. Helens while going to college, and I support that if it's necessary to afford it -- college is worth it), which means you are free. Really free. Free to walk out your door and go where you want without telling anyone, without clearing it with anyone, without thinking about when you need to be home. It can be a little scary and lonely, like all freedom, but it is the greatest thing in life.
ReplyDeleteSecond: sheer numbers. Think of all of the interesting people, and especially the attractive people, at this high school (Maybe you don't think there are very many, but that's okay -- only proves my point.). Then recognize this: this high school has between 1000 and 1100 students. A good sized state college, like OSU or U of O, has a population of 20,000 students. All of whom, every single one, is smart enough, motivated enough, and hard-working enough to go to college. So if you think there are, say, 20 girls at the school that are pretty and smart and sweet, then the law of averages says that there will be 400 girls at the university like that. My experience was that there are more.
Third: the classes are far more interesting, because they are challenging, because they are well-taught, and because you get to pick them. You also spend far less time in class -- on the average, a college student spends 12 hours in class a week (and at least 24-30 hours doing homework -- don't think it's all puppies and rainbows) compared to the, what, 40 hours you all spend in school?
Oh yeah, and lest we forget: college has no rules. No dress code, no detention, no referrals, other than the usual laws and police presence. Professors have rules in their classrooms, and if you dorm it you get rules there, of course -- but otherwise, you are, once again, free. Which is the greatest thing in life.
That's why college is better.
There are three very influential things that have happened to me in my life to make me who I am.
ReplyDelete1. my brother spent most of last year living with someone who grew marijuana in their greenhouse and supplied it to a 14 year old, a 17 year old and an 18 year old, among others, whom i knew very well before. Now that my brother is home, safe, and clean, there are court cases being held and the father of the 14 and 17 year old's is losing because the person supplying the drugs has paid the judge to side with her and let her keep her kids. She is my uncle's ex-wife, making the kids my cousins. This has shaped me because I know now that you can't trust people at first, you really have to know them. It took my parents and I at least 6 months to figure out that my brother was smoking pot and doing other illegal things like that.
2. Four years ago my mother had a minor stroke. She was hospitalized for a week. At the time all I could think about was "What if she doesn't make it?". I learned then that I can never know how long someone will be there for you and you should never take someone's life for granted.
3. My grandmother is in a nursing home and as Lois body dementia. Three years ago she was pretty healthy and living at home, eating a good diet, working at a good job. But stress can do crazy things to people. She worked too much. her husband (HE IS NOT MY GRANDFATHER! I will not accept that he is. He's my mom's step dad.)was a truck driver and she never knew when he'd be home. She started to decline quickly. her doctors couldn't decide on a diagnosis because nobody really looked hard enough to see what really was wrong. She quit her job, her husband stayed home with her and she couldn't remember anything. She could randomly recall things from the past at first but now you can't talk to her. She is in a nursing home, she can't talk, she can't eat solid food, she can't even go to the bathroom or walk on her own. It's terrible that she got this bad. Three weeks ago she was willingly eating solid food but now it's very hard to get her to even want to eat her liquefied food.
Sorry everyone who wanted a short answer. There was no way I could do this with a short answer....
I haven't really had any life-changing experiences. Again, smooth life.
ReplyDeletenothing really (knock on wood) and I hope nothing bad will happen for a very long time.....my cousin died of cancer and that scared me a bit because she was a really nice lady and it makes me think of all the other nice people who die to soon and it makes me really sad.....
ReplyDeleteWhen my uncle died, it showed me how close a family can get together.
ReplyDeleteI don't think i've had my experience yet
ReplyDeleteHrm, I think that I'm going to have to say when my great grandma died, and then my great uncle all within, like, 3 months of each other. And my dad conducting one of the funerals. I finally realized that life is fragile, and sometimes it's better for it to be done. I learned that you can know someone your whole life, but at the same time, you can't ever really know them until it's too late. When my Grandma died, my life had just gotten out of the crappy stage, and I was finally understanding who I was, what I wanted to be, and having her die sort of flipped my world around. The worst part was seeing her slowly leave. My dads family is really disfunctional, and my dad got it into his head that we should visit her as much as possible, and I hated it, becuase that wasn't her. Ooftah, sorry for the long response if you're reading this still.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of things that have made me who i am and i feel like this is a repeated question so i am leaving it at that a lot of things make up who I am.
ReplyDeleteI answered this awhile ago.
ReplyDeleteProbably being in things like band and soccer because they really taught me how to actually interact with people. Which is good because I've never been a people person.
ReplyDeleteim going on #4 here, my parents
ReplyDeleteI feel like I've answered this question a few times today already. But without a doubt my answer to this is going away for a month to summer school and living at Princeton campus without my parents.
ReplyDeleteTotally answered this at some other point in this desperate save my ass atempt I got going here =P but it still ramains m brother nad all hes evil ways!
ReplyDeletemy life is not significant terefore i dont have one
ReplyDeleteWhat taught me the most was prbably the first time I got in big trouble, and my parents repremanded me. It just gives u a weird feeling that u dont like, and it makes u not want to get in trouble again.
ReplyDelete