Working Girl

A few posts back I talked about needing to get a job as a teen and how beneficial it is. Now I can bring some more credibility to my thoughts because I now have personal experience. I now have a job as a checker at Hy-Vee. Now I know what it’s really like to be working as a teenager. To be completely honest, it is a lot of work, but it is actually a lot of fun.

I started working at Hy-Vee on October 18^th as a courtesy. A courtesy is a person who helps bag all the customer’s groceries, help walk them to their car occasionally, get carts from the parking lot, and clean around the store. Courtesy kids are typically the starting point of the job chain so they get a lot of the grunt work. My manager gave me the image that courtesy kids are freshman, checkers are sophomores and juniors and customer service people are seniors. As you go through work at the store you potentially move up to better positions. That is, if you are doing well at your current job. I got promoted, after my first day of courtesy, to checker. I did very well at my job and my manager asked if I wanted to train to be a checker.

Being a checker has a lot more responsibility, but is also a lot more fun. We are basically the cashiers and we make sure to check all of your items quickly and efficiently, while also being friendly to the customer. It is more interesting to be a checker because we are able to talk more with the customers and have a fun conversation. When you are stuck bagging the groceries you aren’t really able to have a conversation with the customers. We also don’t have to do as much of the cleaning and grunt work that the baggers do. Although checking is more fun, it is also a lot harder. There are a lot of different codes for produce, different products and coupons that we have to punch in. We also have to be responsible with all money we are given and for any alcoholic/tobacco products we sell. Being a checker is a very big responsibility but there are a lot of perks.

Overall, having a job right now is very helpful. I earn a lot of money and I have met a lot of new people. Like I said before, it is a great idea to get a job as a teen, I totally recommend it. 

Small Schools vs. Big Schools

I go to Kennedy high school where I have 528 people in my junior class and over 2000 people in my entire school. My boyfriend goes to a small town school where he only has 48 people in his junior class. As you can see there is a huge difference between the two and I’d like to point out the negative and positive effects it can have on students.

First the positive effects of a big school. In a big school there are many more people so students are able to converse with very diverse people. Students can make many friends throughout the years. Big schools are also more known to push their students to do their best and try AP classes. There are many different opportunities for bigger schools like more sports, different clubs, exciting and enriching learning opportunities. Like at my school we have many opportunities to travel around the world. Students can go to Spain or Puerto Rico, go abroad to any country for a study abroad or go to England for 2 weeks which is what I am doing this summer. There are so many more opportunities for students in a larger school.

There are also many negative effects of a big school. In my school it is very crowded and walking through the halls is insane. People get pushed and squished and yelled at. There are also so many people that teachers cannot focus enough attention on each student so some may not get enough help. It all comes down to the fact that there may be way too many people in big schools. Students could go their entire high school career and still find new faces in the halls. We cannot focus enough on the students if there are so many of them.

I am not saying small schools are the best but there are many positives effects of them. In small schools there are far less people so it is not crowded. There is also a better student-teacher relationship so they get more attention with their grades. In small schools, everyone knows everyone so teachers and staff are able to understand students’ habits/learning needs. Teachers are able to take care of their students more when there are less of them.

Although small schools seem great there are a lot of downsides. The school does not offer enough opportunities for learning so many students could get bored and turn to other things like drugs and alcohol. Also, since everyone knows everyone, they all know exactly what happens to each other. There is no such thing as privacy in a small town. Gossip will spread faster than a wildfire.

So there are good sides and down sides to small schools and big schools. It all depends on how you grow up. If you are in a big school (like me) you tend to have a bias towards big schools. It is the same with small schools. All in all it is your decision on which you prefer.

Scream Acres

Scream Acres

If you are looking for a super fun, cheap, and really scary haunted house this year, I don’t recommend Scream Acres in Bloomsbury. It is a very nice place for looking for pumpkins and other fun fall things but their haunted house has lost its luster.

I went to Scream Acres last weekend with my boyfriend and his family. I’m not going to say it was absolutely horrible and to never go back but I will say, be prepared to spend a lot of money just to wait. The tickets were $20 a person for the 3 sections of the haunted house. They have “The Dread Shed” which is supposed to be a terrifying slaughter house. “Curtain Chaos” which basically brings out everyone’s childhood fear; clowns. Although my boyfriend’s father paid, I still felt they were outrageously priced and I felt bad he had to pay that much for me.

We then were told it would be a 2 hour wait for the line. It turned out to be over 4 hours before we got to the first house. It was a very cold night so many people were freezing. They did have concession stands where they sold food and, thankfully, hot chocolate. But you had to get out of line to go buy anything, so you could lose your spot or lose your friends as they moved forward in the line. They did have a creepy clown DJ playing some cool music and other people from the haunt walking in their costumes, scaring people. That was a plus but it didn’t really make up for the cold, the cramped lines, and the LONG wait. Many people became restless and decided to budge in front of people which added even more to the irritation of everyone.

Now about the actual haunted house itself. I will agree it would be scary if it was your first time going there. But I have gone for the past 3 years in a row and they do not change anything. They have the same scenarios, same people doing the same “scary” things. They do not change a single thing except maybe the placement of things. Here’s an example: two years ago I was terrified because they had a scary dude in a mask chase you out of the cornfield with a chainsaw. It was so scary because I had no idea what was going on. But this year and last year they did the same thing and it lost its scary, surprising element. I walked casually throughout the entire house and cornfield because nothing really surprised me.

This haunted house is not completely awful. If it is your first time to a haunted house, it is a great place to start. They do have scary attractions but you will only want to go once or you will experience the same things over and over. You will also want to go very early to get a good spot in line. It opens at 7 so you may want to go around 6 or 6 30. It can be worth it for the first time or if you haven't been there in a while but it is not a yearly place to go. Hopefully this was helpful to you guys. Have a happy Halloween! :)

S.M.A.R.T Lunch

At my school we have an hour long lunch where we can eat, get help from teachers, go to different clubs and even play some sports or weight lift. It is split into two 30 minute halves called tutorials. I know what you’re thinking, “a whole hour for lunch? That’s crazy!” It’s actually very helpful for us students. There are so many different things we can do to help our learning.

We are able to go to a class we are struggling in and talk with the teacher about missing work, getting help, or extra credit. I’ve had AP teachers who have a tutorial to go over different writing styles and skills we will need for the big exam we have at the end of the year. Many other teachers use them to go over material they weren’t able to cover in normal class time. My Spanish teacher even lets us come in to her room to make up any work we missed if we were gone.

Another thing we can do is go to different clubs and organizations. We have a whole hour to meet up in any club we like and organize things. There’s the One campaign, Supernatural club (yes, still a thing), Doctor Who club, Spanish club, French club and so many more. You’re able to do fun things you’re interested in without taking time out of your busy schedule.

Many kids like to go to the gym and try some intramural sports or just work out for a while. The gym is open for the whole lunch and you can just work out. Many people use the time to make up any time they missed during gym. They do that by running a pacer to make up the points they lost. It’s very helpful to get all your credit back.

The biggest reason S.M.A.R.T lunch is so helpful is it gives all of us students a small break in the middle of the day. Sometimes we have a seriously stressful day and it helps to just have a short time to relax or get some homework done.

So as you can tell, S.M.A.R.T lunch is a great improvement to my school and many other schools should try it. It not only helps students get their work done but also make up work they missed, have fun in clubs and just relax. Maybe you will try to recommend this to your school. Or, if you go to my school, maybe this gave you some good ideas on how to use your lunch.

Spooktacular!

As a teenager I am in that stage where I’m too old for trick or treating and it’s a little disappointing. Now, though, there are tons of fun things to do since I’m older. So if you’re a teen that has no clue what you could do on the scariest day of the year, here are some fun ideas.

    

      Go to a haunted house.

Yes this very cliché and done to death but it is still so fun to go get your pants scared off at a haunted house. Get a big group and find a local haunted house. They can be a ton of fun. Here are some haunted houses around Cedar Rapids if you’re from around here.

            Have a big Halloween themed party.

You can decorate your house, buy or make some fun Halloween snacks, and invite all of your friends. You can even make it a costume party. There are tons of fun games and recipes you can try to make your party the best of the year. Here are a few links to find some ideas.

http://www.punchbowl.com/p/halloween-party-games-for-teens

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/spooky-halloween-recipes-for-kids.html

      Have a scary movie marathon.

If you don’t feel like doing something huge for Halloween, try just watching some scary movies. Grab some popcorn, invite some friends or that special someone over and get scared by a good movie. It’s always fun to relax with friends and watch a thriller.

      Take a younger sibling or friend out trick or treating.

If you think you’re going to miss the trick or treating too much you can always take a younger sibling/ friend out. The kid gets their candy and you get to have fun with them. It’s never a bad idea to just spend some time with your sibling/ friend. You could even invite some of your friends and their siblings. It could be a fun night.

      Go on a hayride or to a carnival.

It can be tons of fun to go on a traditional hayride on Halloween. Going to big Halloween carnivals can be also be really fun. You can play games, win prizes, eat funny food, and possibly ride some rides. Make your Halloween night really exciting and fun.

So hopefully some of these ideas sound interesting or fun to you. Whatever you do I hope you all have a fun and spooky Halloween. :)

Survivng Freshamn Year

As a junior in high school I would just like to give some advice to the freshman out there. I know the whole “high school” thing can be pretty scary at first especially since you are now at the bottom of the totem pole. It’s really not that bad though, once you figure things out. I’d like to give you some advice based on my experiences.

You were just the top dogs of middle school as 8^th graders but now your back to the bottom as little freshman. There are tons of upperclassmen that seem huge and scary but trust me, we aren’t that bad. We may seem mean or bossy sometimes but were just trying to teach you how the school works. So if we yell at you about not cheering at a football game or being in the way in the hallways, don’t take it to heart. We are just trying to teach you how to act and we just aren’t used to people who don’t get it. It may not be the best way to get you guys to understand but we have all been through it and it won’t last forever.

I am not saying that all upperclassmen hate freshman. There are so many nice juniors and seniors at my school who become friends with freshman. We really do want to get along with you guys. We are just frustrated that you don’t know what we know. I made friends with a lot of upperclassmen as a freshman through sports and some classes. Trust me, we aren’t scary at all. We are just older so we seem like it.

That brings me to my next point. Go out for things in your school. Try a club, audition for the school play, or try out for a sport. Do something to get involved with your new school. Like I said, you make a ton of new friends and you get to try something you might really love. Just try something you are interested in or might be interested in. You never know what might happen.

In high school you really just need to find a place where you fit. Whether it’s in the play, on the soccer team, or even in the supernatural club (yes it’s a thing) you just have to be happy wherever you are. High school isn’t that bad, you will survive.

Time Management

In my last post I talked about the evils of procrastination. Putting your work off until the very last second. If you are as guilty of it as I am, here are some helpful tips on breaking it and managing your time better. All of these tips will really help you become more organized and a better student, worker and person.

First; buy a planner. Planners may sound dorky or old fashioned but they are actually very helpful. You can write everything you need to do in it than be able to organize all appointments, work hours, homework and special events. No more moments of “Oh no! I completely forgot about……”. The actual act of writing something down automatically helps you remember the task. It may seem as though it’s too much work or a waste of money but it will help you so much in becoming organized.

Second; begin whatever work you have earlier than the actual due date. I know it sounds easier to just put it all off till the night before but that’s just stressful. It is so much better to do your work a little bit at a time so you get it all done without stressing yourself out completely. It may be a lot of work but you are going to have to do it at some point.

Third; make sure you are leaving enough time to relax and have fun. All work and no play is never fun. You need to have time with your family and friends and just time to do whatever you want. It is bad for your development if all you think about is work and stress. That can cause multiple problems throughout your life.

All you have to do is follow these few tips and your procrastination problem will be gone. Maybe you feel like they won’t help. You just need to do whatever works for you. Either way I hope this post helped you with your time management in some way.