EnglishSemester1Final

Can you tell a lot about a person by looking at their handwriting?" -Mr. Geib I have now completed the first semester of my freshman year of high school. Looking back to the beginning of the school year, I realize how much I have grown and changed. I remember my first day of high school, for the feeling is forever etched into my mind. I was nervous, scared, and lost among a sea of students, who had goals and knew where they were headed in life. As time progressed, that all changed. I now have ambition, pulling me towards my future, and as I gained traction, I gained a sense of where I am now and where I aspire to be.

Near the beginning of the year, our English instructor assigned an assignment requiring us to explain our goals for our high school careers. Now, here we are, at the end of the first semester of our freshman year, and I couldn't pick a better time to asses our progression and hopefully, improvement. Let's begin, shall we?

Let's begin with academics. I am not overly pleased with my grades, despite the fact that I am doing reasonably well in school. I had set a goal at the beginning of the school year- that I would get straight A's. Unfortunately, I have 3 B's and 4 A's. I find this unacceptable, because I know I could do better, if I had put forth more effort. However, I am proud of myself for maintaining a GPA over 3.5 for a whole semester an achievement that I had previously been unable to accomplish. Now, let's see what's happening to me in each class individually.

Starting with biology, I am lingering between a B+ and an A-, with a B test average. I think I have an excellent teacher; however he doesn't go over important topics. Often times, it is the same topics that I get confused with later on. Nonetheless, I almost always turn in homework; however the quality of my work could use a bit of improvement. Overall, I am relatively pleased with my performance in this class; I just need to study more in preparation for tests.

Matt's in-class presentation! In Phys. Ed., I have put forth much effort, and the fruits of my labor are rewarded with an A. The conditions are rough and the workouts are brutal, however the idea of becoming healthier and stronger inspires me to do well. However, I do not meet state fitness requirements, as I am naturally "weak". But I will not give up hope and I’m almost certain that I can meet them by the end of the year.

Spanish, however, is a different story. I am bordering a C with a B-. My test average is unfortunately low, as well as my ability to pay attention in the class. Our instructor moves way too fast, while going over key concepts, and then later gets irritated when we don't stop her to ask for help, but unfortunately I can't because (as I said earlier) she goes too fast. However I practice and study almost every day for the class, each time with a glimpse of improvement, so I am fairly confident that I can improve, and hopefully excel.

In geography/health class, I am doing great. I have been at the top of my class the whole year, with an "A" average. But really, the lack of homework and quizzes and the surplus of hour long videos make this one of my favorite classes. The lessons and even the note taking are almost always interesting as well. My only hope is to maintain this. On to math, a more resented and "tricky" subject to me. I have kept a B in the class for the ladder of the school year. Unfortunately, I have a C test average, an aspect in which I hope to improve. I do turn in all my work and do relatively well on the Quia quizzes, which boost my grade up more than you may think. I have made it a personal goal to go over math at least an hour every day, a decision that will really impact my grade in this class.

Next is EDA. This is defiantly a class that sparks my greatest interest-technology. I have an A in the class, but this is mainly due to my love of the work assigned. There are always little tricks and tips to be learned, and the lengthy projects have kept me on my toes all year. The only downside of this is that I will not be able to enjoy this class next year. Now finally my most favorite class of all... English! Even though the work load is occasionally massive (for example typing this whole essay in a single night), it is in my opinion, a phenomenal and rewarding class, that will benefit me spread out through my life. Throughout the semester, I have done my best to stay ahead of the game whilst reading novels, and put forth immense effort into every single essay I write. Due to this, I am currently at an A- in the class. Ways of improvement lie in my writing and public speaking.

My family has been a necessary part of my freshman year from day one. From them, I have received love and support, which not only helped attribute to my academic success, but helped me remain sane from the crushing pressure that is being a teenager in today’s society. Because of this, I have done my best to improve the relationship between my siblings and I, by avoiding arguments and conflicts as much as possible, as well as connect and communicate with my parents more so than I have done so in the past, effectively relieving some of my stress as well as strain on my family.

Friendship has been a major part of my high school career thus far. Throughout the year, I have stayed on relatively good terms with almost everybody, and this has led to some amazing new friends. Jeffery, Joseph, and Nathan have all shown support and have been true friends to me. We often spend our break together at clubs, pastimes that we all enjoy. We also text each other constantly, enabling me to get away with writing the bare minimum in my agenda book, as I could be told my

assignments in a matter of minutes through the power of text messaging. I have also maintained my friendships with my old friends. Once and a while go "hang out" and do some random, redundant activity. I have also been able to keep in touch VIA Facebook tool that I am coming to enjoy more and more. I can of course text and "Skype them" as well. All things considered, I don't think I could have done as well as I have been doing without the help of my friends, and I couldn't even begin to fathom freshman year without them.

For the last couple of months =, I have managed to fly under the radar at school. Such an aspect of life is one that I'd prefer to keep. I’ve kept my grades up, to the point in which some of my peers acknowledge me. I have maintained and even improved to some extent the relationship between my family and me. I have done my best to live a healthier lifestyle. And finally, I had made some amazing friends that I hope, will last me a lifetime. In conclusion, I am very proud of myself for all of my achievements I have made so far, but there is always room for improvement, and I know that in the future, self-improvement will help me live up to my potential and to be the very best that I can be.