Hello friends! I thought I should start a journal!
I am in year 12 this year doing Physics, Chemistry, English, Japanese, Methods. My favourite subjects are chem and physics. I did bio last year and loved how it!
Right now the only extracurricular activity I do is playing the clarinet, and I’m in the school concert band, clarinet choir and also playing in a quartet for two others doing VCE music performance. Last year I went to Japan with 6 others in the clarinet choir which was really awesome!
Actually, I forgot, I also am in the debating team. Speaking in front of people is like the worst thing and super scary, so I forced myself to join the debating team. I’m really not very good at public speaking (actually that’s a lie, I got a good score on the presenting argument sac I English last year, however, the only reason for that is because I was able to practice it a billion times before hand, and I was still nervous). I have done two debates so far, the first one went great! I was first affirmative speaker so I didn’t have to rebut or improvise or anything! The second debate was a ‘secret’ debate where we found out the topic an hour beforehand. (super weird topic: “We should stop giving gifts”) I hadn’t finished writing what I was going to say, but I thought, ‘ah it’ll be fine I know what I want to say I’ll improvise’ MISTAKE. I had run out of my script and then got stage fright and started stammering out random sentences that I’d already said and standing in silence attempting to form coherent thoughts in my mind. But I was proud of myself and I know the next time I do it it’ll be a fraction less scary and it was a great chance to improve my confidence. Ooh yes, I’m one of those people, the annoyingly optimistic people who attempt to be super positive most of the time.
Off topic, but sort of related, last year I really disliked English and my grades decreased along with my enjoyment, but this year I decided to do the ‘fake it till you make it’ thing where you pretend to love English, so whenever I wanted to complain I’d always say ‘I love English I’m so excited’, and now I actually really like it. (It could be just having a great teacher this year though). But also your brain can be easy to deceive so I try to say I’m excited about SACs and stuff and I think it makes me sort of excited, (but I could just be a nerd and like them anyway). Also, unpopular opinion, but I’m sort of excited for the GAT. . .
Is anyone still here? But multiple choice isn’t that bad
and is sort of fun. Also I feel like it sort of unites the cohort, because everyone in the state is all
suffering enjoying the same test all at once and there’s all the memes too! I have had a lot SACs these last two weeks, (everyone here probably has too), but I feel like
everyone most people in my year level are feeling sort of more bonded, (or maybe I’m overthinking it), but I have definitely spoken to more different people than I normally do as we have all shared a common
enemy (VCAA) purpose and goal. I just googled it and it says in times of disaster people become more friendly and the shared stress leads to cooperative behaviour. Cool!
Gap year
I am hoping to do a gap year in the Navy next year. I have done the initial stage of the application process (the YOU session), and next I need to do the assessment day which includes a medical examination, psychological interview, and a job interview. I am really excited for it and I hope I get in because I am still undecided on what I want to do in the future. Also I think it would help with personal growth and make me more independent and confident and build leadership skills. I originally wanted to do the helicopter pilot gap year, but I found out recently that I couldn’t, because I have a history of asthma, so my preferences are now maritime warfare officer, marine engineer and electronics engineer.
Goals to improve people skills
Right now people have described me ‘nice’ and ‘polite’ and I’d also say I am shy and more of a listener and passive person. I really want to improve my confidence and assertiveness because they are really important life skills. In the vast majority of jobs the academic side is probably only half of it (I think), the social/people skills are also super important. Like, you might be super suitable for a job but how will the employers know that if you can’t communicate that to them in an interview. So along with pushing myself to achieve the best study scores I can get, I also want to become the best person I can be in terms of people skills. I would describe myself as empathetic and also friendly, but also I think some of that friendliness that I really want to exude doesn’t come across because I feel too awkward trying to start a conversation and then I get nervous, I might seem standoffish or unfriendly. I really admire the people who are just able to make everyone around them feel comfortable and at ease and can start conversations with anyone. By the end of the year I really want to become more charismatic and better at interacting with people. I have read books like ‘The Charisma Myth’ and ‘Captivate’, I recommend them, they’re really interesting. Also, I give off an introverted vibe, but I actually really enjoy being around other people and would label myself as an extravert internally. Also, I am an overthinker. I really enjoy psychology (not the subject, just in general) and also like behavioural science stuff, its really cool to read about and like notice like the social interactions of humans haha. I think my personally would suit a job like a psychologist or something, that would be cool, but I don’t know if I would be able to deal with it mentally or emotionally. My dream job would be to be an inspirational speaker, that would be awesome! I am thinking probably I might do a bachelor of science though and so something sciency in the future. I was also considering engineering, but I sort of don’t know if I’d like to work as an engineer, as I am finding it hard to study for methods, I love physics though. If I do the ADF gap year and enjoy it, I might end up going to ADFA and doing engineering.
Subjects
Math Methods: I finished the 4 period SAC today, the first two components were fine but I didn’t do too well on the last two, they were hard. I have always been a more mathsy person than an English person, so I’m hoping to get a 40 in methods. I am in the accelarated maths class, which I’ve have for 4 years with the same teacher and I’ve been in my teachers ‘list of 40s’, but also earlier in the year I feel like I might have dropped off the list after getting a gasp 48% on a test, because honestly I think this year I really have been neglecting methods. I find it the hardest subject to study for.
English: I am really liking English this year and am trying hard, and I have a fabulous teacher. I was hoping to get over 30 at the start of the year but now I’m aiming for a 37.
Japanese: Yes, I am one of those annoying half japanese kids who get high marks without appearing to do much work (I am though). My dad is Japanese so I have grown up speaking it. Fun fact: he pretended he couldn’t speak English when I was little(and I believed him) so I always had to speak to him in Japanese. However I really needed to learn all the writing stuff, because I didn’t really know how to write, but I’ve caught up now. I’m aiming for a 40.
Physics: Probably my favourite subject. I really like it, and my teacher’s great and I have gotten (equal) top of the cohort for the last two SACs. Hopefully I can get a 40.
Chemistry: Hard but fun. We have tonnes of smart people in my cohort so its really competitive for SACs. For the first SAC I got the top mark, but for the second I didn’t do that well, and the 3rd I did on Tuesday and it was pretty hard. Aiming for 40, but that might be too high.
I also need to improve my fitness to pass the navy fitness test, which includes situps which are fine, a beep test which I should be okay with and pushups which I cannot yet do. But also, if I get in there will be a lot of fitness training , so I want to be as fit as possible. Right now I have started doing yoga from YouTube (‘Yoga with Adriene’-I recommend!) also I have tried to run around the block as well.
If you’ve seen my sewing thread, you probably know I like sewing! I want to improve to the point I can make all kinds of clothes.
I enjoy reading, although I feel guilty as I have barely read much this year, so I really want to read more books!
Thanks for reading my rambling! I hope it was somewhat enjoyable, it was actually really fun to just write whatever came to mind. Goodnight!!
From Sarah!
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