Assignment #4: My Backpack

My backpack holds a sort of sentimental value to me. Recently, my brother left for USMC Bootcamp, before he left he gave me the backpack I'm currently using. Originally, it was meant to be a temporary backpack until I got a new one, but here it is four weeks into school, and I still have it. I'll probably get a new one soon.

Having been homeschooled for the first 10 years of my education, I am really close with all my brothers and sisters. But, I am especially close with my older brother. He and I were in many of the same level classes and so when we were homeschooled we basically spent the whole day together. Over the years, that built a strong relationship.

My brother got the backpack from an Emergency Response Team he was on. He had to leave the team because he left for the Marines. The night before he left, he gave it to me. It had some pretty cool stuff in it, most anything you might need in an emergency. It's emptied of that now, and is currently filled with school books.

It's a silly, nostalgic story of a backpack, but none the less, that's the story of my backpack.


 

Assignment #3: Feedback B

Written Feedback to Olivia

Jack

 I agree entirely with this post. I used to have a  messy room last year and i (ahem) did not do the best at studying and homework.

David

 

  the thing is that my room is a bit messy but its all school stuff. Any ways I think is nice to have a clean room. I like the overall look of your blog it clean and polished.

Bell

Shelby

 Olivia, I personally agree with you in many aspects. I love to walk into my room and see a nice well made bed; however, I don't like to clean my room to the teeth. Personally I like a clean neat bed with a little bit of clutter. I think a little bit of "stress" here and there is okay. I feel like it is a reminder that no one is perfect. All in all I agree with you a lot and I think that people need to balance themselves.

 

Liam

Samantha

I love your writing. Your get your point across very nicely. I agree that sometimes a clean room is necessary but a clean room lets you express yourself. I like to call it an organized mess because seeing as it’s your room and you made the mess, you know where everything is. It is just a mess to other people.
 

Ruth

I agree with the fact that a clean room keeps your life relaxed and (more) stress free compared to how a dirty room effects someone's life. I wish i was more of an organized person, but it seems to happen that every time I give my room a deep clean, I lose place of things rather than having everything displayed in front of my eyes. However, I do like the way your mind works to create an organization process that is able to make you feel relaxed. I wish I was that way.

Jordan

Great post Olivia. You communicated your opinion very well and your dialogue was fluid and smooth. I get a sense of purpose in your post. I can completely relate to your clean room / dirty room scenarios, although honestly I sometimes feel at home in both environments. 

Josh

 

I like how you mentioned that keeping a clean room shows that you have dignity for yourself, this is definitely true. Also, I enjoyed reading about how cleaning your room after though times (changing your room can also help) helps you to put the bad times behind you.

Kacie

 

You have some very good points why a bedroom should be kept clean. I have seen that people who don't keep a cleaner room are unorganized and in turn stressed. So I strongly agree that people should do their best to keep their rooms clean.

Jonathan

First of all, I completely agree with your point that cleanliness has a huge part in your feelings and emotions. Is it bad that I don't really have any criticism? Great job overall :)

John Sun

 I think it's good that you can keep your room clean. Usually I try to keep my room clean if I have time, but some time my room will gets little mass.

Allen

Bobbie 

 I definitely agree with you! When my room is messy, I don't want to even go in it! I feel so disorganized when it is messy. I love when my room is clean because I feel better about coming into my room and relaxing. There is no way I can relax with everything in my room thrown everywhere.

 ''

Assignment #2: Feedback A

Written Feedback from Olivia

Jack

One, you said that you believe in "...one thing that I believe in is guns and and the new gun laws restricting the use of some of the guns and ammo." So, you're saying that you believe in guns and that you believe in the new gun laws restricting guns? But, in the rest of your paragraph you're talking about how you find the new laws as an inconvenience and etc. Also, if you're going to not capitalize the first letter in a sentence, then carry that out through your whole post. It'd probably be "best" if you capitalized them all, but sometimes it looks cool. Sorry. Not trying to be picky, just offering feedback. Just be consistent in what you do and say. :)

David

A very nice post coming from the heart. I would have just added more about why you want to do all that.

Bell

Haha, Bell. Great post and some very valid points. Yet, it was very funny. Keep it up! :) 

Shelby

I agree with your a lot you had to say. It's so sad when people judge so quickly. But, you say that you're so against "stereotypes" and then go on to stereotype that 'it's the self-righteous and 'swagged-out' teens, that push people to the point where they truly believe they have no self worth." While that's not always the case. So, watch out for contradictions in your writing.

Liam

Great, straight forward post. I'd just challenge you to ask yourself the question "Can a 15 year old believe in God?" And I mean a  true life saving belief. But, I do agree that there are some topics that many teenagers haven't experienced, so they can't make a solid backed up believe. I'd also like to know when you think someone is old enough to actually form their own beliefs and really believe them.  So, interesting point of view. 

Samantha

General guidelines for arguing or stating anything you believe, is that you need to list and explain reasons why you believe what you believe. The only reason you list for the fact that you believe that "you cannot be bisexual" is that you don't understand it. But, I'm sure that you have more reasons that support you in making such an assertive statement than I just don't understand. Oh, and very cute picture at the end.

Ruth

Interesting post, Ruth! I liked what you had to say. I just really think that GIF's to the side are really too big and a bit distracting.

Jordan

Hm.. interesting standpoint, and nicely written. But, why do you believe in Unicorns? I may have read this wrong, but from what I understood you were more just stating the fact that they have existed, do exist and will continue to exist. But, I want to know why you believe in them, and not just that you do. :)

Josh

Oh my goodness! I loved this so much. You had great subject material, and also, your blog's appearance is not busy, which is something as a reader, I really appreciate.

Kacie

I really like your post. A lot of schools do have weak art programs. It's sad that when a school faces a smaller budget, it's often time that the art programs get cut, as if they were the expendable course. I would advise you to work on a stronger ending to your paragraph. Your last sentence left me wanting to discuss rebellion among teenagers. Oh, and change the font color. But, overall, I loved it! Great stuff!

Jonathan

"Pursuing your passion." I like that line. I think a lot of people let go of what they love due to finding a job that pays more or whatever. It's sad. Or when people's ideas are shut down. It's like the people who said humans would never be able to fly. Look now, people are flying in planes or those cliff jumping suit guys who glide around.

John Sun

I never gave that much thought about headphones before this. Your blog looks amazing. Crazy cool stuff. Just maybe work on the colors of your fonts, it's just super busy. Using different colors is great, but when it makes it hard read,  it can take away some of the attention to what you're actually saying.

 

Allen

 

 

It's great that your so dedicated about something. Just remember, there's a difference between passion and addiction. Not saying you are addicted, but gaming is something that is addicting. There are connections beyond the internet, like interpersonal connections that you actually might miss out on if you spend so much time on the computer. But, again you could probably say that about anything. Also, you say that your game teaches you how to talk to people. I'm just wondering how that really happens. I see them as two completely different things.

 

Bobbie 

Bobbie! I'm so happy you wrote about this. Maybe you could talk more about the negative effects of not having a mentor. That might be a nice addition to your post. :)

Assignment #1: This I Believe

This I Believe

I believe clean bedrooms are essential for a better life.

Clean bedrooms help to alleviate stress in your life. They give you a peaceful sanctuary to reflect on and solve the demanding and stressful circumstances that currently may be in your life. A lot of stress does not go away due to you not having (or giving yourself) the time to address the source of the stress.

Clean does not mean OCD clean. Developing or having an obsessive compulsive disorder about cleaning will have the reverse effect on you. For people with OCD clean is never even clean enough.

 But, for someone without such a disorder, a clean room provides you with a place where you can shut the door and with it cut off the all the emotional stress and tension that is outside of it. Though your bedroom should not and cannot serve as a permanent solution to the circumstances that do stand outside of your door, it does provide you with a place to calm down— especially if you have to make a big decision.

Here below you can see a perfect example of a chaotic messy room. But, then look at the next picture over, it's quiet and untroubled.

Before* and After

A clean room also is the best place to study. A messy room provides you with a chaotic mind. But, using that same logic, a clean room provides you with a clear mind-- which is a perfect studying condition. I, personally, have also found that with having a clean room I sleep better, and I wake up happier. 

Keeping a clean room also shows amiable character. Taking the pride in yourself to keep your room clean shows a pleasant level of self-respect. Such characteristics are the makings of great men and women, and it all starts with a clean room.

In your life you may hit low points, I know I have. Whatever your matter may be, it may be difficult for you at that time in your life to keep a clean room. Things pile up. They do. And sometimes in life there's just no way you can keep it in order.  But, what better way to put those low points that you have just come over in your life in the past, than to clean your room? A tiresome task, yes, but after the work is done, there is this giant weight that just gets lifted off of you, and perhaps you didn't even notice it was there before, but after it's gone you notice. After cleaning, I always feel like I can just clean anything and/or everything!

I firmly believe that you should keep your room clean. It can help lower stress in your life, it gives you better studying and sleeping habits, it shows a likable character, and cleaning it is a great way to put the past behind you. A clean room can lead you to a better life.

Soli deo gloria.

--Olivia




[ *dramatized ]