Motivational Monday

Because a good song can make everything better!

Character Study (II & III)

Again I have them written in hard copy. Although I am starting to realize that I may actually have to start posting my part and POV for the story.

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

 

Hey I decided to make a hard copy of my individual/personal character study. I'm not too keen on sharing what I write creatively (ironic right) so mine will be a hard copy. If necessary I will post here but in the mean time if you really want to see it please see me at school!

 

-Thanks

 

Amara 

CANTERBURY TALES (I)

CANTERBURY TALES (I)

 

 

This post will simply include any observations or things that I feel should be addressed from the prologue of "CANTERBURY TALES" by Chaucer.

 

 

Observations and Notes:

The first part of the prologue focuses on the idea of the pilgrimage. Chaucer is basically setting up his stage and setting for the true interesting tales to begin. I really feel that Chaucer's outline for the tales is written out on lines 36-40 "Before my story takes a further pace, It seems a reasonable thing to say What their condition was, the full array Of each of them, as it appeared to me According to profession and degree..."

 

Like we discussed in class many of the characters represent both reality and satire. Chaucer notes that the Knight (and his son perhaps) is a very distinguished and honorable man, like we would expect but he also mentions  that the son especially is a lover and goes on the occasional "conquest".

 

Other characters both represent the reality and satire of medieval life. The nun and the friar, despite being people of God and are rich, vain, and proud. Another satire is the cook, who despite being a good cook has ulcers and is completely unsanitary. While the Miller, despite being a strong and potentially hard worker cheats people out of their money.



Netvibes

Ugh, I have very mixed feelings about Netvibes. Personally I prefer old-fashioned pen and paper planners for my homework and master calendar.  I started working with Netvibes last week, and I have to say that I am not a huge fan about how it works. For me and how I learn and schedule things I think it would work fine as a back up planner/dashboard but for the majority of my needs I use phone alerts and pen and paper calendars.

Motivational Monday/Tuesday

Well I missed yesterday's motivational Monday, so I decided to just fill you in with some very cool videos from Nike's YouTube channel.

I personally like the first one, but the second one is great as well. What's your favorite?

Vocabulary #6

Vocabulary #6

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
-It is almost scary how obsequious she is. I jokingly told her to clean the bathroom, and she did it.
beatitude: supreme blessedness.
-The sermon on the mount is partially famous for the list of beatitudes it gives.
bete noire:  a detested person
-Typically a bête noire has no friends.
bode: to be an omen of a particular outcome
-"The eyes of March" was a bode that Caesar chose to ignore.
dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
-The old library was incredibly dank, yet it had a sense of unexplainable warmth and wisdom.
ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
-World History, although difficult has a great ecumenical sense to it.
fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
-Enthusiasm is good, but she is fervid about the upcoming project.
fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
-Nothing is more fetid than the smell of a trashcan.
gargantuan: enormous
-Did you see the size of that elephant? It was gargantuan.
heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime
-Most musicians typically experience a heyday but then shortly after begin their decline.
incubus: a nightmare
-I had the worst incubus last night, I was being chased by clowns.
infrastructure: is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
-A strong infrastructure, is the backbone of a government.
inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
-People who inveigle others, typically have a hidden agenda.
kudos: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement 
-Many people seek the kudos of actors and musicians.
lagniappe: something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
-I was received a lagniappe from a close friend.
prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
-Today many people would consider the famous speeches by some of history's most famous people prolix.
protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person
-Like a true student, the protégé followed in his mentor's steps to success.
prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.
-I wonder where the prototype of the first modern computer resides.
sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
-Sycophants are often considered narcissists and occasionally sociopaths by their peers.
tautology: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
-Tautology, especially in the sense of memorization, isn't always a bad thing.
truckle: To be servile or submissive.
-A truckle person, is not a good friend to have as they will always try to let you have your way.
accolade: An award or privilege granted for special honor.
-The soldier was given an accolade for his heroism and bravery during battle.
acerbity: Sharp bitterness.
-Acerbity towards a family member always leads to arguments.
attrition: The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
Constant attrition finally caused the walls of the kingdom to collapse.
bromide:  An unoriginal idea or remark.
-There comes a point where saying the same thing over and over becomes bromide.

chauvinist: A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
-Wow, his chauvinistic personality caused him to go bit overboard on the 4th of July.

chronic: On going.
-Amputee's often mention chronic pain in the removed limb, sometimes even years after it has been gone.
expound:  Present and explain systematically and in detail.
-She was able to expound the entire math class quickly.
factionalism: Relating or belonging to a faction.
-Factionalism is basically a modern day union.
immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
-Whitney's room is immaculate, not a dust bunny or dirt smudge in sight.
imprecation: A spoken curse.
-Imprecations, are great things to udder under you breathe as that jerk walks away.
palliate: To make less severe or unpleasant.
-To be completely honest, having me palliate my opinion of you is horrible.
protocol: The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions
-Protocol for a fire indicates that we should stop, drop and roll. Ironically these are also the rules for dodge ball.
resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
-Look at that resplendent building. It almost looks like some sort of cubist painting.
stigmatize: Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
-I didn't mean to stigmatize their performance in the play, but let's face it they were awful.
sub rosa: Happening or done in secret.
-The meeting is supposedly happing sub rosa.
vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
-Her vainglory and narcissistic personality make her impossible to be around.
vestige: A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
-The ruins are now simply a vestige of the kingdom's former power.
volition: The faculty or power of using one's will.
-It is amazing what can happen when volition occurs.

What a Character

This may come out a little cheesy, but I think that the fictional character that has made the biggest impression on me, is Gandalf from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Gandalf just had a huge impression on me when I started reading the "Lord of The Rings" by Tolkien. Aside from the general wisdom that Gandalf gives his companions and his ability to solve problems and unite people, Tolkien did an excellent job writing him. Tolkien utilized techniques such as allusion, and both direct and indirect characterization.

The Sketchbook Project

Art & Collaboration:

Dang, I really wish I had art skills. Isn't Art & Collaboration a beautiful thing?

If we could somehow set something up like this in our community, it would be a really cool collaborative working group!

Declaration of Learning Independence

Declaration of Learning Independence

 

 

Smart Goals:

1. From the months of September to May, apply for a minimum of three scholarships from different organizations to help pay for my education, and finish these three applications by the 25 of each month.

 

Collaborative Working Group:

I have been so busy since before school started, so I haven't given too much thought to a collaborative working group quite yet. In fact I really don't have too many ideas to build a Collaborative Working Group around. The only thoughts I have include a group dedicated to learning ASL or a group dedicated to scorekeeping and teaching basketball to youth in our area.

 

BIG QUESTION:

See here



Motivational Monday #2

"Monday!!!! Sky Kicks!!! Let me see your Monday faces ahhh!!!!" -Pegasus

Anyways I realized on Saturday that doing Motivational Saturday wasn't needed nearly as bad as Motivational Monday.

Apparently I just have some strange obsession with boxing...

Man, all I need is Muhammad Ali's confidence!

Vocabulary #5

Vocabulary #5

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
beatitude: supreme blessedness.
bete noire:  a detested person
bode: to be an omen of a particular outcome
dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
gargantuan: enormous
heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime
incubus: a nightmare
infrastructure: is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
kudos: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement 
lagniappe: something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person
prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from
sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
tautology: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
truckle: To be servile or submissive.

Note:
I haven't had the time yet to type up my sentences for practice on my blog, but I do have them written down on hardcopy.

Lit Analysis #1-"1984" George Orwell

Literature Analysis#1

"1984" George Orwell

 

Book Edition: Signet Classics Mass Market Paperback

 

"Who controls the past", ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

-1984 (Part  1, Chapter 3, Pg 34)

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Overall the purpose of George Orwell's 1949 politically fueled and negative utopian novel "1984" is to renounce the idea of totalitarian governments (primarily Soviet Russia, whose citizens under Stalin  faced terrible oppression and a powerful totalitarian styled government) who strip their subjects of all individuality and free will and strive to control every aspect of their being.

The novel itself is divided into three parts each consisting of several smaller chapters which provide the bulk of the novel. Part One primarily concerns itself with the exposition and rising action of the novel and introduces the reader to the basic ideas behind the government of Oceania, Newspeak, the Ministries, the Thought Police and most importantly the mysterious, omnipresent and omniscient BIG BROTHER. In Part One we are introduced to the novel's protagonist Winston Smith, a 39-year-old lower party member who works with the Ministry of Truth altering newspaper articles to alter the past and control the present. We also learn that Winston, unlike many of his peers feels a lot of hatred for the Party and BIG BROTHER in particular and commits thought crime by writing in a journal of his dissent and his hopes of revolutionary change.

In Part Two of the novel we get deeper into Winston's past and personality, but the major part of part two consists with Winston's love affair with fellow ministry of truth worker Julia. Their love affair is incredibly dangerous for both of them as they are committing Thought Crime and at any moment may be found by the Thought Police.
 

By Part Three  Winston has found himself in a cell in the Ministry of Love after being discovered in his love affair with Julia by the Thought Police. It becomes known that O'Brian is actually a member of the Thought Police and not a member of the Brotherhood as Winston had hoped. Under O'Brian Winston is tortured in an attempt to correct and reeducate Winston's false beliefs. It soon becomes clear that the party has more control over its citizens than the reader previously thought. Through the Thought Police, BIG BROTHER, Newspeak, Two Minutes Hate, and the Brotherhood it becomes clear that the party actually seems to take over the conscience thought of the people and in and all powerful sense it becomes clear that nothing can be done to over throw the Party. "There is no way in which the party can be overthrown...But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother." (pg 262, 298)

 

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid clichés.

Like practically every other novel written there are several themes within "1984" by George Orwell, but the theme that stood out the most to me was the power of free will and thought and the dangers which occur when that free will and thought are taken away. This whole novel wrestles with that idea of free will and thought. And the fact that that does not exist in the fictional Government of Oceania makes sets the premise and brings home the dangers of a totalitarian government where all aspects of your daily life are controlled and set out for you.

 

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

 Despair. From the novel's first lines describing the platform of the party, "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength." (pg 4) and the phrase "Big Brother is Watching You!" (pg 2) really drive home the idea of the hopelessness and despair that Orwell feels toward totalitarian governments and the people trapped in them.

 

 4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.) 

 

Allusion: What I consider to be one of the biggest allusions and also a huge motif within the novel itself is the existence of the Thought Police. Like many totalitarian governments the Thought Police (first mentioned in detail on pg 3) functioned as a form of secret police used to monitor public activities for dissenters and weed out those the government would consider a threat. In the novel the Thought Police are a direct allusion to the Nazi Germany Gespato  and to the Soviet Russian MGB secret police force. "There was a sound of trampling boots below, inside the house and outside. The yard seemed to be full of men...It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking,with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police." (pg 222, 224) Like their historical counter parts, the Thought Police pull off raids instilling both fear and hatred within their society. Orwell's opinion of the thought police is easily seen through the eyes of the protagonist Winston Smith who like many of his peers is both terribly afraid of the Thought Police and in secret hates them and all that they stand for. "They'll shoot me I don't care down with big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck I don't care down with big brother-" (pg 22) Further more the Thought Police aren't just an allusion for the secret police of totalitarian governments, they are a tool in which Orwell utilizes to describe his hatred  for governments which completely control their citizens through fear which is a driving force and theme within the novel.

Antagonist: Probably the most obvious answer within the novel itself, the Antagonist is BIG BROTHER. He is practically the head of a cult of personality and controls every aspect of the lives of the citizens of Oceania, even though he may or may not exist. "“Does Big Brother exist?"
"Of course he exists. The Party exists. Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party."
"Does he exist in the same way as I exist?"
"You do not exist.”...
"Will Big Brother ever die"
"Of course not. How could he die?"

Connotation and Jargon: Newspeak, is actually a great example of connotation in Orwell's "1984". Newspeak is another attempt by the Party to control its citizens, this time by the way they speak. "You don't grasp the beauty of the destruction of words. Do you know that Newspeak is the only language whose vocabulary gets smaller every year?" (pg 52)

Indirect Characterization and Dramatic Monologue and Ad Hominem: Although the following quote I used to describe the allusion behind the Thought Police, it also works well in describing and showing the use of Indirect Characterization, Dramatic Monologue and Ad Hominem. "They'll shoot me I don't care down with big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck I don't care down with big brother-" (pg 22) Winston's diary contains the most indirect characterization of the entire novel. Without specifically saying what Winston looks like and who he is (which Orwell does in the first few pages of Part One) really brings home several aspects of his character. His writing is very rugged and helps capture the personal turmoil and inner struggle he has with Big Brother (Ad Hominem) and at the same time is also a great example of Dramatic Monologue as it is supposed to be for Winston's eyes only as it is his private and illegal diary.

Foreshadow: "The thing he was a bout to do was open a diary. This was not illegal (nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws), but if detected it was reasonably determined that it would be punishable by death, or at least by twenty-five years in a forced labor camp" (pg 3). Ironically one of the first act we see Winston commits isn't actually illegal since laws are abolished, but it is "illegal" in the sense that he is committing thought crime, and it is his act of rebellion against the party through his affair with Julia and his purchasing of the diary itself from who he originally suspects is a poor prole shopkeeper. I think that Orwell's sole purpose in adding little foreshadows in "1984" aren't just for hinting at what comes next, but are also tools for showing how backwards and twisted totalitarianism really is through the idea of breaking a law, even though nothing is truly illegal.

Anaphora: In terms of most types literature, anaphora plays an interesting role. Perhaps in most novels it doesn't have a significant role, which is why we primarily see it in poems and although I can only remember anaphora being used once  in "1984" by George Orwell it actually plays an important role. "At this moment the entire group of people broke into a deep, slow, rhythmical chant, 'B-B!...B-B...B-B...' (pg16) The quote here shows how strong the Party's grip on its people was at the beginning of the novel with its subjects practically worshiping Big Brother during the daily Two Minutes Hate. It is an incredibly and scary scene within the early part of the novel as readers still only have a small grip on what is going on, but is also scarily familiar with examples of this showing up in everyday life. And when I first read this I instantly thought of North Korea and their reverence for their leaders, especially Kim Il-Song. It is very scary and I think it was a point that Orwell is trying to drive home early on in the novel.

Extended Metaphor: "Who controls the past", ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." (pg 34) Another huge metaphor in "1984" is the idea of truth. In the totalitarian government controlled by the Party, truth outside what the party says is considered not truth. For us living in the modern world this idea seems strange and alien, but for Winston this idea is the norm. His whole job is to recreate the truth and make everything that the Party says the truth even though it is all one big lie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



ALL OF THE ABOVE

ALL OF THE ABOVE:
1978 AP Exam Multiple Choice Problems

1.C
2.D A
3.D C
4.E
5.D
6.C D
7.E
8.B
9.E
10.E C
11.D
12.E B
13B
14.C
15.E A
16.B
17.C
18.A E
19.E A
20.B
21.D E
22.C E
23.A
24.A
25.B C
26.D E
27.B D
28.D C
29.A
30.B
31.D
32. C B
33-46 Missing
47.B
48.D A
49.C
50.C D
51.C
52.A B
53.E
54.B
55.C A
56.A B
57.D C
58.D
59.D E
60.D B
61.A

Ok, looking back I definitely think I did better than my expectations especially considering the conditions  I attempted this test under and my typical score for AP Multiple Choice in English. But overall considering I was attempting to time myself and didn't pace well at all and took only 30 mins, my strategy for the next multiple choice I take is to practice pacing and more careful consideration of each question to help maximize my score and eliminate any silly mistakes.

Vocabulary #4

Vocabulary #4

accolade:An award or privilege granted for special honor.
-The girl was given an accolade for her heroic actions last month.
acerbity: Sharp bitterness.
-Her acerbity toward others made her difficult to work with in group situations.
attrition: The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
-The attrition of the government was caused by the dissent of the common people.
bromide:  An unoriginal idea or remark.
-The phrases she used in her speech were not only cliché but they were also incredibly bromide.

chauvinist: A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
-Yes, it is a great thing to love your country, but the chauvinistic man went a little too far in the attempt to show his patriotism.
chronic: On going.
-From experience I can honestly say that chronic pain is often worse than the initial pain of the injury.
expound:  Present and explain systematically and in detail.
factionalism: Relating or belonging to a faction.
-Before unions were created craftsmen displayed factionalism, to help preserve their trade.
immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
-My room is anything but immaculate.
imprecation: A spoken curse.
-She whispered an imprecation under her breath, after the Prius cut her off on the freeway.
ineluctable: Unable to be resisted or avoided.
-He is so charismatic he is practically ineluctable.
mercurial: Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
-She is incredibly mercurial due to her bipolar disorder.
palliate: To make less severe or unpleasant.
-Contrary to popular belief, water does not palliate the unpleasant sensations of peppers instead it makes it much worse.
protocol: The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic
occasions.
-The protocol for a fire is stop, drop, and roll. This strategy also works well in dodge ball.
resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
-The artist did an excellent job of making the work resplendent.
stigmatize: Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
-His speech shouldn't have been stigmatized so harshly as he actually had several great points.
sub rosa: Happening or done in secret.
-The coalition's meeting is currently happening sub rosa.
vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
-Her vainglory in her achievements, is bested only by her ignorance.
vestige: A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
-The kingdom is just a vestige of its former glory.
volition: The faculty or power of using one's will.
-Volition, is a skill now lacking in young people of today's society.

Beowulf Essay

Beowulf Essay

Modern Heroes

 

An Epic, is a long narrative poem which celebrates and teaches the values of a particular culture or group of people. Some of the most famous epics come from Greece in poems such as the "Iliad" or the "Odyssey". But not all epics came from Greece, "Beowulf" from what is now England and parts of Western Europe, is one such example. And while epics themselves are the tools from which readers and historians pull cultural values from, the hero of the story is what really drives home the meaning and emphasis of times of which they were created. In modern times, epics have changed yet the general purpose to highlight the ideals and values of a society still exist. "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, although published in 1954-1955 displays many of the same values of modern culture through its heroes such as Frodo and Aragorn. And like Beowulf, Frodo and Aragorn symbolize the individuality of their cultures, but at the same time all they embody major principles that were valuable in Beowulf's time and that are still valuable in our time such as courage, honor, and bravery.

 

The story of Beowulf revolves around Beowulf's courage and his feats of strength. His and his sense of confidence, almost to a fault, reflected the need for strength and courage around the tumultuous time in which "Beowulf" was written, but aren't things that are reflected in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". In fact, while Beowulf performs his acts of strength and courage for wealth and honor, Aragorn and Frodo undertake the quest for the One Ring as an act of duty to the greater good and self-sacrifice. Something important in a post WWII Great Britain, but not praised or necessary in 13th Norse Controlled England. And it is these differences in characterization which change the pace and the shape the overvalues seen in each character for their respective epics and stories. But more so than just characterization shaping the values, when looking at epics historical content must also be taken into account to see what values each hero is representing of their culture.

 

 Furthermore, many similarities exist between the heroes of the Lord of the Rings and Beowulf and the symbols they represented of their culture and times in which they were created. Ideals like courage, honor, and duty were all symbolized in their respective epics and important in the cultures of 13th century England and post WWII England. Just as Beowulf was willing to risk his life to save Hrothgar's people from Grendel, Aragorn and Frodo were just as courageous and honorable in their willingness to take the One Ring to Mordor. And it isn't just their commitment to duty or the honor and courage that they displayed, it's also their perseverance and ability to fight through any situation which were ideals needed within the time period they were written. While Beowulf struggles while fighting Grendel's Mother, he continues to fight and struggle despite almost getting killed several times, while Frodo and Aragorn despite traveling in separate directions they both continue on and fight through hordes of orcs and eventually finish the quest which they took upon themselves. These feats of perseverance from the heroes symbolize the need of each culture for its people to continue staying strong and persevering through difficult situations.

Heroes and the stories that they come from are often products of culture and symbolize the values and ideals of they came from. And that idea rings true with the 12th century epic "Beowulf" and the 1954-1955 "Lord of the Rings". And though they come from the same area but different eras they both symbolize the need for strength, perseverance, honor and courage within their individual societies.

 

  





Motivational Saturday #1

I quite enjoy Saturdays, but I often find that I lack the motivation to truly get anything of value done. And since it is soon to be college crunch time, I better find that motivation and keep hold of it. So stems the idea of Motivational Saturday #1. And what better way to start it off than with some kick-but all American Rocky Balboa.

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!"

Will Study for Food! (Part 1)

Will Study for Food!

(Part 1)

 

 

All Rights for the Video go to CBS

 

 

 

Jokingly, of course, my family and I used to say that I would have to auction off one of my kidney's just to attend college for one year. But now that its time for me to start applying for college, I'm starting to think that might be true. But in all seriousness, its time to get to business so here is what my research about college, funding, and scholarships has brought up so far.

Lets say that theoretically I am planning on attending a University of California (which are significantly more expensive than CSUs). For our example lets just say that I am attending UC San Diego (a school I have interest in). For the 2013-2014 academic year UC San Diego cost around $30,525 for living on campus (chart here). Based primarily on the FASFA breakdown, and on what my sister herself received from FASFA, I will only be getting at the most around $5,000 although most likely much less. My parents may decide to pay for my room and board, about $9,000-$11,000, which leaves me paying around $20,000 a year for my education (again the totals will fluctuate for a CSU, or for living off campus). That $20,000 a year deficit is taking into account the absolute best possible situation (without FASFA aid) and no other parent contribution besides room and board. Most likely I will attempt to get both a summer job and one after my first semester at school, as well as attend Junior College during the summer to do as much General Ed as I can possibly do, to keep my costs as low as possible.

My explanation for the cost and challenges of college is very rough and I still need to work out several of the kinks before actually making some big decisions in the coming months. I hope to be able to continue to add extra parts and update how my college planning experience is going.

Until next time,

Amara

P.S. Does anyone have any good ideas on making a prom dress out of duct tape?

Vocabulary #3

apostate: abandonment of one's faith, political party, or cause
effusive: unrestrained in emotional expression
impasse: a road/passage, or situation having no exit or end
euphoria: a feeling of great happiness or well being
lugubrious: mournful or sad to a ridiculous degree
bravado: a show of courage, or defiant swaggering conduct
consensus: a general agreement
dichotomy: a diversion or contrast between two things
constrict: make narrower, restrict
gothic: language or type of style
punctilio: a fine point of conduct or a high or inducting standard of detail/performance
metamorphosis: a change of the form or nature of a thing
raconteur: a person who tells an anecdote in a skillful or amusing way
sine qua non: an essential, condition, absolutely necessary
quixotic: unrealistic and impractical: in an idealistic or overly romantic way
vendetta: bitter quarrel for somebody
non sequitur: a conclusion that does not logically follow the previous argument
mystique: a fascinating aura of mystery
quagmire: a soft boggy area of land that gives way under foot, a situation that is difficult to leave or get out of
parlous: full of danger or uncertainty

Sentences:
1. The man was an apostate, he not only renounced his former ideas he also avoided all contact with his former life.
2.She is an incredibly effusive person. She cries at every moment she can, whether necessary or not.
3. After deliberating for a third straight day, Congress was able to end their impasse and pass the bill.
4. There is always a great feeling of euphoria when we are able to complete and accomplish our goals.
5. Yes, the death of her gold fish was sad, but Gracie was being incredibly lugubrious about it.
6. He always seems to display a great amount of bravado, that is until the real challenges show up.
7. After two hours the couple finally reached a consensus.
8. The dichotomy between the two groups was simply a result of different ways of thinking.
9. After breaking curfew for the third night in a row, her parents decided to constrict her allowance and freedoms.
10. Mary Shelly's scary story "Frankenstein" is an excellent example of a gothic tale.
11. Arriving on time to a meeting or interview is a simple, but incredibly punctilio.
12. Butterflies go through an incredible metamorphosis as they grow from caterpillars to butterflies.
13. Story tellers such as those who first adapted "Beowulf", were not only preservers of oral history, they were raconteurs who were able to bring culture and history into their stories.
14. Food is one of the sine qua non items, necessary for survival.
15. Her quixotic approach to baking was not only comical, but also dangerous as she had no idea how long to bake the cake for.
16. She had a long and tough history with vendettas against members of her horrible family.
17. Saying that pizza comes from trees in Singapore, was one of his various non sequitur based arguments.
18. The girl was incredibly secretive and let off an aura of mystique.
19. I found myself in an interesting quagmire after mentioning I didn't like working with children, in front of a kindergarten teacher.
20. Life is full of parlous situations, all we can do is keep moving forward and hope for the best.