Tag Archives: school

Pros and Cons of Being In An Immersion Program

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I know that being bilingual seems like something super easy to achieve and that it’s all sunshine and rainbows. But it’s not. It’s hard. Here are some of the pros and cons of being in a dual immersion program.

Pros:

  • You can speak in two languages, how cool is that?!? I mean, you can talk to all kinds of people and it’s VERY helpful being able to talk about sensitive topics without almost everyone knowing.  It doesn’t matter what language you talk in at your bilingual school, but it helps in public places.
  • You get experience from all different kinds of culture. Having this bicultural benefit helps students, like me, open our eyes to the world around us. The people in TWIS (Two-Way Spanish Immersion) with me are some of the most honest and open people I know.
  • There are communication pros. Like I said before, you can talk to all kinds of people, thus making YOU a well-rounded person. Given the fact that we are living in Southern California, there’s a very culturally diverse population. Being able to speak a common language, Spanish in my case, makes living here easier as I can communicate with almost everyone.
  • Imagine this: You are the boss at a Starbucks in San Juan Capistrano and there are two people applying for the same job. They both have the same educational background and you just can’t choose who to pick, they both have great resumes! And, what’s this, oh my, that person speaks an additional language? They will be so much more included to pick the bilingual applicant.

Cons:

  • Your grammar will never be right. No matter how good you might think you are in either language, your grammar will always be slightly off.
  • In middle and high school, you have no elective choice. The school automatically places you in your immersion class and in order to have an extra elective (that you actually want), you have to take a zero period.
  • At the start, you will be behind in English in elementary school. My school never even taught us English until third grade, so our grammar/vocabulary skills were behind.
  • You have to start early. Because dual immersion requires being able to fluently write/speak in both languages, you can not randomly accept new people into your program. To join, you HAVE to have come from an immersion school or a family that speaks the language at home.

Overall, I enjoy being in an immersion program and recommend it. It’s been a great experience and I have learned so much that it’s crazy. Definitely consider putting your kid in dual immersion or just hanging out with people from these programs, we are really cool.

Relaxing Hobbies to Help You Unwind During Finals

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Finals suck. The massive projects worth ⅓ of your grade, the crazy long essays that have to be a test, everyone wearing pajamas and giving up. Yup, finals: everyone’s favorite time. 

But, finals don’t have to suck this year. Here are some relaxing hobbies to help you calm down and enjoy life during this hard time.

  • Coloring! Get out your sketchbook and draw, or print some cute coloring pages online and color them in. This is a perfect hobby because NOTHING has to be perfect, you can make it as messy or as perfect as you want. Coloring is shown to help improve your focus and boost your creativity, so definitely consider coloring this May.

  • Baking! Who doesn’t love a delicious warm chocolate chip cookie, or an amazing decorated slice of cake? Take some time to bake sweet treats for yourself, your friends, and your families. Not only is this a great hobby because you can tune out to some music and just follow a recipe (which takes almost no brain power), but you also get to eat your incredible creations afterwards.

  • Gardening! Personally, I can’t really garden, but this is a proven hobby to help people destress. By going outside and connecting with nature, you’re letting your brain drift away. This helps your cognitive function, which then helps you with testing.

  • Literally anything you want. Any hobby of yours can help you keep your mind off of testing. Whether you’re playing video games or biking, just doing something you enjoy will help you feel better.

    Take care of yourself this testing season. Try your best to get around 8 hours of sleep. I know it’s hard with sports and clubs, but by doing this you will feel less exhausted and your brain WILL WORK BETTER. Don’t stay up all night studying, because you will eventually fall asleep and not retain anything. So, ENJOY YOURSELF and STOP STRESSING.

AP Environmental Science Class Review

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Let’s talk about AP Environmental Science (APES). The good news for anyone considering this course is that it’s among the most applicable APs in the real world. You’re learning about topics that genuinely affect your life, such as pollution, ecosystems, climate change, and how humans are destroying the planet (but also how we could fix it), rather than just memorizing facts for an exam.

The course itself combines problem-solving, policy, and science. Everything from biodiversity loss and energy use to food production and water resources will be covered. There are many debates concerning what is and is not sustainable, along with a small amount of biology and chemistry. It is definitely the easiest AP science course out there, though. You don’t really need much prior knowledge, and a lot of the course material that you do learn is totally applicable in real life, and most of the vocabulary words you learn you have heard of before in one instance or another.

Also, all the labs that we do are really fun! Think water testing, soil experiments, and possibly even some field trips if your teacher is cool. This class has some awesome labs and projects if you enjoy experiential learning. There’s this one lab that we did for the mining unit in APES. We kind of simulated that, but with cookies. We mined the chocolate chips out of the cookies and had to deal with the “environmental destruction” left behind—aka, the cookie crumbs everywhere. It sounds funny, but it actually did a great job of showing how mining works, from extraction to land reclamation. And yeah, just like real mining, the more you take, the harder it gets to put everything back together. Spoiler: The cookie never looks the same again.

Is it challenging? To be honest, it depends. The science won’t seem too overwhelming if you’ve taken AP Bio or AP Chem, but there is a lot of memorization required (carbon cycles, laws, various forms of energy, etc.). The AP exam’s free-response questions (FRQs) can be challenging because they require you to provide a clear explanation of a concept, but they are completely doable with practice!

But I wouldn’t worry about passing the exam, though. If you really take your time and think through each step and if you care deeply about the subject and want to learn more, I think you’ll be just fine!

Tips for Incoming Freshmen

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It’s fall again, and the school year is starting back up again. If you are a freshman as I was last school year, here are some tips for the first year of high school.

1. Use a planner-One of the things that I would recommend doing in the freshman year of high school is using a planner. I found doing this helpful because it helps you to keep track of your homework and activities and tests and it is a great way to keep organized in general.

2. Another thing that I would recommend doing during freshman year is to join sports and clubs. Joining a sport is great for making new friends as well as keeping in shape, and it also looks great on college applications. I would also recommend joining clubs during freshman year, since it can help you to pursue the things you are interested in outside of school as well.

3. During freshman year I would personally suggest looking into some of the more challenging courses if you are interested in them. I would recommend taking math, science, and English courses, and look into AP classes if you are interested in them. I would also suggest looking into the electives that are related to the things that you are interested in.

4. Another skill that I found helpful for the freshman year of high school is making good study habits. For example, try not to only study the night before a test, but try to start studying a while before a test. I also found it helpful to make study guides to review which also makes it easier to study for finals. It can also be helpful to review your notes regularly to make sure you know all of the material.

5. Another thing that is great to do during freshman year is to get involved in the community and start doing community service. This is great for making new friends as you will meet many people as you serve in the community. Getting involved in the community early in high school also looks great on a college application and will help you to stand out as well.

6. Finally, don’t worry too much. High school can be challenging sometimes, but one of the things that can be helpful in in getting through your first year is not stressing out too much and still giving yourself time to relax and unwind. Be patient with yourself and don’t stress out too much about mistakes, and keep on doing the things you enjoy. Good luck and have a great first year!

Freshman Advice

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I know that high school may seem like this big daunting thing that is super scary and stressful. I can tell you from personal experience that while it can get stressful at times, it truly isn’t as bad as it seems. I have complied some tips that I have learned along the way that I wish freshman me had and I wanted to share them with you today.

  1. Time Management

I know this may seem cliche but I truthfully believe this is the one thing that will lead you to success. Time management doesn’t mean getting a planner out and planning out every single second of your day, it could just mean writing a reminder in your phone about when an assignment is due. I cannot stress the importance of using your phone as an academic tool. I personally like to use my phones calendar as a reminder system because I can set it to be a lock screen widget. I can say that the calendar has saved me stress more times then I can count.

2. Join Clubs!

Another cliche but it really is true. Clubs are the way to make yourself stand out in a crowd. I know thinking about college right now may seem scary but thinking about the little things you can start freshman year that your future self will thank you for is very important. I personally didn’t start joining clubs until my Junior year and that is when you should be going for leadership positions and trying to make your extra curriculars stronger. If your school provides it, I think CSF or California Scholarship Federation, is the best club to join your freshman year. It is a volunteering based club which means it teaches you how to time manage as well as make an impact on the community!

3. Try Sports Out

Now, I’m not saying go all into sports and make that the only thing on your mind, but if you generally are not an athletic person, joining a no cut sport may help boost your athleticism and make more friends. I decided to give a no cut sport a try my Sophomore year and I can say that some of my best friends came out of that sport. Remember, if you don’t like it you don’t have to stay! No one is forcing you to do that sport, you are always free to say I don’t like this and quit. Nothing is wrong with quitting if it doesn’t make you happy to be there, happiness is always the main priority.

These were some simple tips and tricks I have complied to help out the future class of freshman before going into high school. The main tip I have is to have fun! Not everything is as serious as it seems, everyone is learning and everyone will make mistakes. You got this 🙂

The Pomodoro Technique: A Time Management Method

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With lots of assignments and tests piling up, I as a student have been very stressed out recently. Stressing all the time hasn’t helped my productivity or time management; I think I’ve spent more time worrying about schoolwork than actually completing it. Thus, I’ve been trying new study methods, and one has really worked for me.

The Pomodoro Technique is a study method for time management that breaks long study hours into 25-minute periods of focused work followed by 5-minute breaks. Here are the steps in a more detailed form:

Step 1: Identify the assignments you need to work on.

Step 2: Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on an assignment without getting sidetracked.

Step 3: When the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break.

Step 4: Work for 3 more work intervals, or pomodoros.

Step 5: Take a 30-minute break and begin the study sequence again.

This study technique worked really well for me! I was able to complete many assignments I had been procrastinating on and not get distracted by my phone or other distractions the entire time. Something that helped me was making a to-do list and highlighting the tasks of the highest priority. With my phone as the timer, I found that I was much less distracted by it, because each time I opened my phone, I saw the timer and was reminded to keep working. Using a timer works very well for me, as it motivates me to concentrate and get as much work done as possible before the timer sounds. Also, I think a 5-minute break is a great time frame to get up, stretch, and get a quick snack before getting back to work without getting distracted.

All in all, the Pomodoro Technique was a very helpful and successful study technique in my experience. It allowed me to stay motivated and productive while working for multiple hours and completing many assignments without getting sidetracked. Hopefully, it works for you too! If you’ve been feeling stressed or have trouble managing your time efficiently, give it a try!

Lam T.

Time Management

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As finals slowly approach, I have often found myself stressed with school and sports. Balancing school, sports, and extracurriculars has proven to be a struggle in my life and many others. Learning how to manage time has proven to be a beneficial skill in life, but it is challenging to learn. 

Here are two ways you can master time management:

  1. Creating a To-Do List
  • There’s a reason why creating a To-Do list is so popular: using a To-Do list can help you keep track of homework, upcoming projects/tests, and chores around the house. To-Do list lets you plan your study time and mark what you complete. Using a list helps you monitor your assignments. A bonus is that checking off a task is a motivator to finish homework.
  • If you prefer to keep track of your To-Do list online, there are many websites (and apps) to do so. I enjoy Pomofocus; this website has a To-Do list and a Pomodoro timer. This leads me to my second point–use a timing system!
  • Benefits: Checking off tasks creates a sense of accomplishment, limits stress, and lessens procrastination.
  1. Utilizing Timing Techniques
  • A timing system allows for the allotted time of working and breaks. The Pomodoro Strategy arranges 25 minutes of work time and 5-15 minutes of rest time. This enables users to have time for work and breaks. Studies have shown that people with gaps between study sessions are more productive than those without. 
  • The Pomodoro Technique has helped me set realistic goals when studying by creating small steps that gradually build up to my main objective.
  • Benefits: Increases accountability, reduces distractions, and improves productivity.
  • An extra note: Looking ahead in the next week or two is essential when planning your study time. This can help you stay on top of upcoming tests and projects.

Final Notes!

Since I have used these strategies in school, I have never missed an assignment and had time to study for exams. Though these two tips seem like small factors in the large scheme of things, setting a To-Do list and timing techniques significantly improve time management.

Organizing your time is essential to being a successful student, employee, and athlete. Using these methods will help you maximize your productivity in a small amount of time.

Thank you for reading!!

– Gwendy M.

Cons of the new bell schedules

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In many school districts in California, a new policy has been put into place: school must start before 8:30 AM. Although schools are still permitted to have classes before this time, the time spent in these classes do not count towards the 70000 hours of school each school must have in a year. This change has been especially prevalent in the SVUSD. Schools like Laguna Hills and Trabuco Hills are getting out even as late as 3:45 PM. Although on the surface, starting school later seems like a good idea, it turns out that it isn’t.

The most obvious effect of this is that school ends later. For those who are involved in extracurriculars after school, it makes scheduling after school extremely tight, and some after school activities may even be cut into. These scheduling conflicts can be extremely inconvenient and can interfere with people’s lives outside of school. On top of that, it will encourage students to push their routine later. This will case students to go to bed later and do activities later at night, and therefore wake up later in the morning.

Another effect of this is that classes, especially for the schools that have block schedules, are way longer. Because the state of California requires a certain number of hours that schools need to have in session per year, not counting classes that start before 8:30 means that schools need to have classes that last longer and go later. As a result, students can become more tired and less focused. However, it is worth noting that these longer classes can have benefits, especially in an AP environment, as it simulates the AP testing atmosphere more.

In the end though, pushing school back to 8:30 was a poor change for the students. I write this from the perspective of a student, which is worth noting because I don’t know what it is like from the teacher’s perspective. It is what it is though. Sad face.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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I recently finished The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and fell in love. This book brought me out of a reading slump. The story follows Olive who is a Ph.D student. She is trying to convince her best friend that she is over a previous fling. Olive convinces this friend (Ahn) that she is on a date, when in reality she is just working in the lab. When Ahn shows up unexpectedly, Olive kisses the first person she can find in the dark. It happens to be a known professor on campus: Adam.

From there the story takes off and follows Olive and Adam as they begin a fake relationship in order to convince Ahn that Olive is moved on, and Adam’s bosses that he is not a flight risk in order to get funding for his next project. While on this journey, the two begin to bond and grow closer and closer together.

Of course, the journey is not without bumps, as with every romance story, but Hazelwood keeps the readers hooked with a mix of fluff and real world problems as Olive navigates the science world. She is able to explain science to readers simply so that they feel as though they are a Ph.D student with Olive while also focusing on her growing love with Adam.

I would give this book a 5/5. Any book that can take an avid reader out of a slump deserves such a high rating. This book does have a reading age of 14 or above with some content that might not be as acceptable for younger readers. The book is good for anyone who loves a romance, fake dating trope, or even just science. I highly recommend this book!

-Danielle B.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Applying to Colleges

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As I head into my senior year, the college application season is no longer a far off thought. Though you are somewhat prepared for it when you start high school, I have found the actual thing is very different from what you imagine. Though you see your friends and family apply and discuss whether or not they got in, having to do it for your own future takes on a whole new perspective. I have personally found the experience exciting, yet somewhat overwhelming. Though I am getting to select my own future and the place that I want to spend the next part of my life, I am also having to worry about grades, getting in, and moving away from family. 

A lot of people when looking into colleges, never truly talk about how much their senior year was affected by applying for colleges. Some people I’ve spoken to have said that senior year was super easy, but as I start this fall, I don’t quite feel that way. Not only am I taking my most challenging classes yet, I am also trying to balance hanging out with all my friends before we go our separate ways as well as applying to multiple colleges and get in. 

Now the application and search process has been quite fun so far. I have been able to look at schools in places I can see myself living past college as well as ones that are good for what I am looking into. I have also been able to see how what I am going into as a career can help others besides myself. This is the part where you can explore different passions outside of a major, with the wide array of classes so many schools offer. And every school is different, not every school is the one for you and that is okay. What I found I struggled with was that I didn’t like some of the schools offered to me and felt like I was letting someone down. Everyone is different and so is your search, so not fitting into one school or another is okay.

I think that college searching can be fun because you are able to look into the more superficial things such as dorm life and things to do when you aren’t in classes. College also allows you a sense of freedom you often don’t get while still in high school, in the fact that you are mostly depending on yourself to wake up, eat, get to class, and so on. The search is a way for you to see how you will be when you are off on your own and starting your own job and life away from home. 

Now while I have talked about being overwhelmed with this endeavor, I also urge you high schoolers, seniors especially, to not get too caught up in the stress of it all. Enjoy the time with your friends and family before you all go and do your own things. We will never be in a time quite like we are now, which is something a lot of my older friends who are now in college agree with. Though college application season is now, so is senior year and we should bask in that. 

-Danielle B.