Something I'd like to do

I want to read every single book on the First floor of my Public library sometime. Maybe next year. It'd be great if I could get someone to sponsor me but who knows...

It has been playing around in my head for a few years now, I dont know why I didn't attempt it sooner but its something I want to do when I get the time.

Set Back in Testing Plans

I'd planned to take my first SPI test today, it seemed like a golden opportunity because I dont have Spanish on Friday and because my English class was canceled, which meant I only have one class today.

Well, since I have all this extra time my family decided to call on me for babysitting detail so I wont be getting on campus until this afternoon and by the time I'm done with class I have to go to the Spanish Tutor for help with my homework which is due first thing Monday morning. By the time I'm done with that I'll have to leave school pronto or be stranded because the buses dont run that late out to my house.


I'm going to take Test 1 on Monday, inshallah and still take Test 2 next Friday.

A disturbing pattern...

Okay, so I took the time this morning to look back over this blog and I noticed something terrible. I kind of new it already but I see my procrastination / time management is still as big of a problem for me now as it was back in May when I started this blog.

I have to work on that, seriously. I dont do poorly in school becuase its something I've been actively working on and am determined to tackle to the best of my ability. But my general time management is still horrific. I'm going to need to work on that, and I need to start ASAP!!!

Change in Elective Plans

I wrote a while ago, back in the Spring, about my AA electives. I said that I have my heart set on taking the following courses for my mandated 24hr courses.

French I & II ----- (8)
Spanish I & II ---- (8)
Judo I & II ------- (2)
Drawing I & II ----(6)
________________
= 24 credits.

Well, I forgot to mention it awhile ago, and I just realized that I'd never written about it. But there was a change in my elective plans. I've seen the classes for Spring and have practically picked my class schedule already, the only thing I'm not %100 sure about is which math classes I'll have to take. I'm studying seriously now to retake the two math portions of the placement test and I hope to test into college level math courses.

Anyway, my elective schedule for my A.A. degree is going to be something more along the lines of:

Spanish I, II & III -------- (12)
Intro. Game Program. --- (03)
Drawing I & II* ---------- (06)
Creative Improv. -------- (02)
U.S. Constitution -------- (01)
______________________
= 24 Credits

The reason I can't take French for an elective is because FRE1 is only offered in the Fall, and FRE2 in the Spring, I'm trying to be finished with my A.A. by the end of Summer so that wouldn't work out. I'd rather take French I and II while I work on either my second degree (an A.S. in Electronic Engineering) or on a couple of Work Skill Certifications.

I hope they offer a Spanish III during the Summer, otherwise I wont be able to take it. I cant take Judo because, being an evening class, it time is totally inconvient. I'd be stranded at school until the next morning!

As for Art, I hope they offer it during the Summer. I cant wing it this Spring because its an extra long class and it'd bump me out of my other classes. If I cant take Drawing then I'll try to take a different art class and Creative Writing. I'm going to have to triple/quadruple check to be sure there's no way I can push my other classes back a little to try and fit in Drawing I in the Spring...

Dietary update

Okay, so I haven't had any all to powerful cravings. The first two days were good. I woke up at 6 a.m. and of my own volition, (without external help such as parents or alarm clocks) which was great. A bit longer and I think I'll be back up at 5.

My skin broke out the first day, but I kind of expected it. Right now it looks like I have mild rosacea or something but this happens occassionally expecially if I make a drastic change in my diet so I dont mind too much. Already the skin is drying and peeling regularly so I'm expecting my normal facial appearance within a couple of weeks provided I keep it up.

I did a little experiment, just to make sure I wasn't being presumptuious about my sensitive system. I had two cups of ice cream the other day and sure enough, I woke up cold and in a stupor and it took me several minutes to realize that I was LATE!!!

So, yeah, sugar is reeking havoc on my system and health which is in turn reeking havoc on my academic life. So, if I change one for the better, then the second should follow suit, right. Right?!

Update on the Constitution Class

Okay update time. I know I had said I'll be taking a test every Monday until done with the course, but I changed my mind and I will be trying to test on Friday's.

I got in touch with one of my course-mates via email and he reported that after taking Test 1, which he felt totally ready for, he didn't do as well as he'd expected and that kind of freaked me out. Also, Monday and Tuesday are two of my more hectic weekdays being the start of a new week and all. I think that Fridays will be abetter testing day for me because the Week is all but over and all I've got to do is focus on that one thing instead of worrying or wondering about whats coming out of English, Game or Spanish next, ya know?

I also think that Friday is a better day because it gives me more days to study and since I dont like to study for long stints of time, I think 4-6 days of keeping a study session 20-40minutes in length will be better for me. And allows more flexibility with this course, but no matter what I need to finish this course by the end of OCT. I cant keep putting it off. I cant, I cant.


Okay thats all.

Math Resources!!!

Okay doke people, If I'm going to get into college level math, and actually do well once I'm there then I simply cant afford to take anymore lackluster attempts at refreshing myself in the subject. Its not that I dont want to learn and master math, I do. Despite still suffering from the reminents of the chronic mathophobia I've had since the 3rd grade, I just find textbooks terribly boring. I have a hard time keeping all those fancy math terms straight and so no matter how many times I read and reread the material and do the problems I never feel confident and I usually scrape pass on passing scores, etc.

Another HUGE problem is that I lack the discipline needed to stick to a serious math-regiment for more than a week or two. However, I did manage to get a couple of math resources.

I own an old text book that I love for multiple reasons but the name of this book is:
Basic Arithmetic Skills WorkBook. Its REALLY old, but so thorough! The name is actually pretty deceptive because in this one book you go from basic number concepts and addition to algebra! There is a section on wordproblems, personal finance, etc! Its a really great book with clear and understandable examples. I actually love this book, I've never worked all the way through it, its so old I'm always hesitant to use it too much before I can obtain a secondary copy plus, remember what I said about my never sticking to a math regiment?

I got a book from the school library called The Ultimate Math Refresher. I think this is going to be good but I haven't checked into it very thoroughly...actually, hardly at all, as of yet, but I chose it based on its layout and breezy explanations. If you were competent in math once upon a time, then I think this book will do you a world of good.

My newest discover is KhanAcademy, which is neither an obscure or outdated book but a website and I'm still exploring it but so far I have HIGH hopes. I'm thinking of using it as my primary source for math instruction from Arithmetic to Introductory Calculus, but we'll see...

Another Goal - Dietary in nature

I'm going to give up sweets until New Years, I had originally said for 90 days but I dont think 92 days will be too much more difficult and I'm a stickler for such things.

Anyway, the reasoning behind this is because I have a very sensitive system and everything I eat takes effect on me in some way or another. I was lethargic and overslept everyday for these past two weeks these because I was eating a ton of sweet junk everyday and it was primarily the only thing I was eating. Now I have a rash all over my face and arms as my system tries to filter out the sugar.

Anyway by sweetjunk I mean things donuts, cake, cookies, ice cream, pastries, little debbies, candy bars, hardcandy, etc. I still plan to eat fast food fish sandwichs when I get them, eat Edy's Strawberry fruitbars, chew gum (sugarfree) and drink juice and the occassional soda. I dont drink soda that often as I prefer water then juice and mostly I do a pretty good job in my efforts to drink close to a gallon of water a day. I'm going to eventually put tighter restrictions on my common diet but I have to start somewhere and my biggest problem when it comes to junkfood is snackcakes and cookies. I also have a bad habit of not drinking water during a time of partying when Juice is so readily available. Committing myself to cut out these things is the best first step I can take at this moment because I need to get started now and actually give my self a chance to gain some momentum on this goal.

Some of the benefits I expect to gain from this is: better sleep, better skin, more energy, weightlose, able to feel alert in the morning, lighter, concious of my eating, (I tend to eat with out even thinking about it) more restful-sleep (I've been sleeping REALLY hard lately), better concentration, save money and personal satisfaction. I'll be aiming  to keep it up until Dec 31, but I'll post about this goal in 15 day increments if I can remember.

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Stipulations I hope to add:

No food after 7:30pm

No SODA

No fast food (i.e. B.K. Bigfish, Rally's Deep Sea Double or Fish Sandwich, McDonalds FishSandwich, or Subway Tuna.)

No Meat

2 meals a day

Low Carb

Fasting Alternate days

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I honestly feel that since I've been habitaully eating so much junk food lately ESPECIALLY since Eid Al Fitr, that my toughest opponent is simply remembering that I'm not supposed to eat these things. Once I get that down, I feel pretty good about my chances of succeeding.

I'm doing this for personal reasons and because I know my diet plays a HUGE role in deciding how my productivity is going to play out. I've experienced it before.

SPI Update

Okay so right after I signed up for that SPI class life took a turn for the busiest and I had a major productivity slump in school and life in general that lasted for about two weeks. However I'm pretty much over it (Well, I still need to do something about those missing quizzes and assignments in Game Programmming, but other than that, I'm pretty over it) and since this is still just the first half of the semester I'm not too worried. However, things are going to get a bit intense with mid-term coming up so I want to brace myself for impact.

I never got around to starting my Foundations of the U.S. Constitution work. I'm going to start today and my goal is to take a test a week until the 18th, (a Monday) when I am scheduled to take my third and final test.

I want to take a test every Monday for the first three mondays of this month. My goal is to get an "A" on every test.