Semester+Final+Essay



====In the past few months, I have experienced my first semester of my freshman year. Some of the days were great and other days just made me want to stab myself with a compass. This beginning high school experience was half of a success and half of a failure. It was a success, because I learned many new things about what high school is really like and what life will be without an education. This semester was also a failure, because I had a little range of friends at the beginning of the school year. As the semester went by, I made a larger variety of friends from Foothill, Buena, Ventura, and some other schools. I would say that being a freshman in high school is not that easy.==== ====School… Academics… Grades… What is high school education really about? Well there are many different meanings to “high school”. Many people think of high school as a place of torture. Some people think it’s a place to socialize, with no learning whatsoever. Other people think it’s a waste of time, money, energy and they would rather work minimum wage at McDonald’s. As for me, I think it’s a place where you learn. You may think, “Whaaaaaaat? Ceejae Alfonso thinks about learning in her own free time!?” Well, yeah of course. At school you learn how to socialize, to be successful, and to act mature like an adult. Also, you learn life lessons and gain personal experiences. I have learned some of these things in my seven classes; Geography, Health, Biology, Geometry, Education in the Digital Age (EDA), Spanish, and English.====

====Geography is one of my strong subjects. Also it is kind of my favorite subject, but not really. My teacher for Geography is, Mr.Prewitt. He’s really nice, funny and cool. I have him first period, so I’m usually sleepy and not paying attention to anyone. But Mr.Prewitt makes the class pretty fun. So fun, it’s impossible to fall asleep in that class. I have learned a lot in the past semester. I learned more about Africa and Africans, biomes, and immigration. After the first quarter, Geography transitioned into Health. In Health, I learned about the anatomy of the heart, the meaning of health, heart diseases and how you can prevent them. It may seem like a boring class, but it’s not when you have Mr.Prewitt.====

====In biology, you may think that I do crazy experiments with chemicals, dissect frogs and play with fire to blow up stuff. Well, quit thinking that, because I do not do crazy, highly dangerous experiments, dissect frogs, or play with fire. I take notes everyday about biochemistry, ecology, the characteristics of life and much more. For experiments, I put spinach in soapy water; I try to find carbohydrates in food; pretend that I’m a predator and find prey in the quad; look at plant cells; and turn cold water into warm water. I think the fun part about Biology is when we get to sing extra credit songs! They are very catchy and they can easily get stuck in your head.====

====Geometry is my weakest subject, but it is my most favorite class to be in. It’s my favorite class because Mr.Villa is super funny, random, and a great teacher. He also, gets very distracted and he likes to disrupt other classes. In Geometry, I have learned about circumference, triangles, proofs, constructions, rectangles, and Spanish. Mr.Villa has all these catchy songs to remember what to do when you get stuck. I have all these songs stuck in my head, but I don’t know what they are actually used for. Also, Mr.Villa likes to sing to walls, read us children’s books in different voices, and he likes to show us cow commercials from YouTube. I haven’t been doing that well in Geometry, because Geometry is difficult and frustrating at times. So I would say that this class is very fun, but the subject isn’t so fun.====

====EDA stands for Education in the Digital Age. If you have Mrs.Faulconer, you may hear the phrase, “Angel Potatoes” often, and that’s okay because it’s a compliment. How is it a compliment? Well, it’s a very simple explanation; angels are good and potatoes are good. If everything is good then it is a compliment. In EDA, I learned a lot of new things in the past few months. I learned how to use excel, hot to double space, how to upload things on the wiki, and how to use the wiki. EDA may seem boring and too much work for others, but I think it’s fun. I have never been more excited for college… Yay. The projects that we do in EDA are fun, but a lot of work so you have to use your frontal lobe. Mrs.Faulconer would say, “Use your frontal lobe angel potatoes!” I believe that she is a great teacher, because she is very nice and she will not let you stress about anything.====

====My class after EDA is Spanish and my teacher is Señora Leaf. Spanish is the best elective I have taken. I think it’s the best, because you learn a new language. In that new language, you can write stories, speak, and read. Also, you can play bingo and you have to change your name to something Spanish. My Spanish name is Cristina, which is nowhere near Ceejae, but that’s okay. In Spanish, I learned how to say names of animals, adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Whenever you learn a new word or vocabulary word there is a gesture you have to do! I think gestures are sometimes funny to do, because they sometimes don’t go with the word. Spanish is pretty easy if you pay attention, and it can be very difficult if you zone out all period.====

====My last class is English. But my friend Jordan liked to call it “Englism”. I stopped calling it Englism, because Jordan left to Mesa, Arizona. In English, we do all sorts of crazy things, such as throwing random parties, reading for an entire period, writing essays, watching movies, doing horrible redneck and southern accents. The books that we have already read are 1984, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Of Mice and Men, and we a currently reading To Kill A Mocking Bird. English is one of my favorite classes, because it is the last class of the day and we read very interesting books. I think 1984 was the most interesting book, out of all the books we read. English is very fun because Mr.Geib is a great teacher, who likes overrule every suggestion I make. If I wasn’t in Mr.Geib’s English class, I would be bored out of mind and so would the entire period seven English class.====

====“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.” –Elbert Hubbard. That’s true all my friends know me for who I am and they love just the same. I believe a friend should always be there for you through thick and thin, no matter what. I will always be there for my friends, like they have been for me. My friends me the world to me and without them I would be the quietest student ever. I may not have a thousand friends on Facebook or in real life, but at least I know who my real friends are. I’m glad they’re a part of my strange life.====

====One of my best friends is Allison Pagliano. I’ve known her since 8th grade at Anacapa Middle School. We became best friends one day, because we were just hungry and our other friends didn’t want to get food with us. We found each other and went to go get food with each other and after that we became best friends. Then we both applied for Foothill, we both got accepted, and we’re still best friends. We may have only known each other for less than a year, but she’s basically like my sister. Allison is always there for me when I need her and I’ll be there for her. She’s very helpful for social reasons, because she’s great with people and making friends. If Allison wasn’t my friend, then I wouldn’t have an iPhone buddy, food buddy, FIRE buddy, laughing buddy, study buddy and English buddy. Food brought us together and Steve Jobs brought us even closer, because we both have white iPhones. We’re going to be best friends forever.====

====Another one of my best friends is Nicolle Martin. I have known Nicolle since the 4th grade at Elmhurst Elementary. We met because we were both in the school talent show, but we didn’t perform together. After elementary school, we both went to Anacapa Middle School together. We weren’t really close until 8th grade and now that we go to the same high school, we’re closer than ever. I love Nicolle Martin with all my heart. She’s the greatest friends anyone could ever have. She’s always there for me when I’m crying or acting suicidal. We’ve both had our ups and downs as friends, but no matter how mad we are at each other we will always still be friends. Last year, we almost let one stupid boy in Texas come across our friendship, but we didn’t because I am very thankful Nicolle is in my life, because without her I would probably be dead from suicide. She’s also like my mother, because she likes to nag me about doing my work when I’m distracted. That’s okay though, because she keeps me in check and she prevents me from failing any of my classes. Nicolle is also like a free therapist, because she’s really good at dealing with problems, without her I’d be so problematic all the time.====

====Ariane Fritz is the craziest best friend I have. I met her in the 6th grade at Anacapa Middle School and we’ve been friends ever since. Ariane and I have had our disagreements, but we always resolve them and become friends again. She and I have some crazy memories together, like going camping in Santa Barbara, going to the fair and fancy field trips. Ariane is really good at comforting people. She may not know what to say at the right time, but she’s a very good listener and she’ll give you advice if you really need it. I’m glad she’s in my life.====

====Sammi and I have been friends since 8th grade at Anacapa Middle School. We became really close in 8th grade because we both got in big trouble together. We both got into trouble last year, because we were TA’s for a strict teacher and she heard a rumor accusing Sammi and I that we were changing peoples’ grades. Which was not true at all, but after all that Sammi and I stayed close friends. She’s a great friend and she always has my back when things like that happen.==== ====Yahaira Rocha. Yes her first name is hard to pronounce, but she is one of my close friends. I have known her since 4th grade at Elmhurst Elementary school. When I first met her, Yahaira used to be mean to me, but she says, “I used to accidentally be mean to Ceejae in elementary school.” I don’t understand how you can accidentally be mean to someone. Even though Yahaira and I would sometimes argue in elementary school, we became better friends in middle school. Now we go to the same high school and she’s a close friend of mine. Yahaira makes everyone laugh, so if you’re sad Yahaira will happily make you laugh.====

====He’s not really my best friend, but he’s a friend. I’ve known Scott Hamlet since 6th grade at Anacapa Middle School. He’s really funny, tall, and he is secretly a nerd. Scott has been in at least one of my classes since 6th grade. Last year in Algebra he sat behind me. This year in English, he sits behind me! Scott is usually nice and he can be jokingly mean sometimes.====

====Courtney Armstrong has been my best friend at Anacapa since 6th grade. She doesn’t go to Foothill, but we’re still best friends. At first, she hated Foothill with a passion, but after she shadowed me she applied for Foothill. Courtney and I are two crazy people, that is why we are best friends! Courtney and I never have fights, because we really don’t have anything to fight about. If we did, it would be like stupid things, such as why we didn’t text each other or make plans to go to the mall. Last year in 8th grade Courtney and I had some great memories. Like at the end of the year, we got to go to Magic Mountain. We chose to go on Roaring Rapids first and when the ride was finished, we were soaking wet and freezing cold; that was the worst idea Courtney ever had.====

====Sarah Baughn is like the little sister I’ve always wanted. We became friends at Anacapa in the 7th grade. She’s always here for me and I’m there for her. I am very thankful I have her in my life, because she can make me laugh or smile when I’ve been crying for hours and hours. Whenever she has a problem, she just tells me everything and I give her advice. That’s why she tells me, I should become a therapist. I think I would be the most horrible therapist ever; I’d rather be a surgeon. Sarah is very caring, helpful, and she’s a great friend.====

====Therese Auza is a very close friend to me because she’s that crazy friend that everyone has. I’ve known her since 6th grade at Anacapa and we’ve been friends and neighbors since then. She’s a great friend because, no matter what mood you’re in she can always make you laugh with her craziness. Also, if I didn’t have her in my life it would be boring, because she is very entertaining. We also, do a lot of homework together even though she goes to Ventura and I’m at Foothill. She and I do a lot of homework together because she makes me feel like a nerd and because we usually hang out a lot. I’m glad she’s in my life, if she wasn’t I wouldn’t feel like a nerd and I would be bored.====

====“Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.” –Stitch. This is my favorite quote about family because it’s true. Your own family is the best thing you can ever have. They may not be the best or perfect family, but I’m still thankful that I have them in my life, no matter how much I fight with them. My family maybe we weird to other people, but it doesn’t matter because no one was born into a perfect family, I still love them for who they are.====

====Jorge Alfonso is the greatest father I could ever have. There are days where I wish that he would just go back into the Navy. Then there are days where I cry about losing my dad because he has a smoking habit. Thankfully, he recently quit smoking. I may tell my dad I hate him a lot, but he knows I don’t mean it. I don’t tell my dad that I love him so much or how much I appreciate him, but I really do love my dad. I’d do anything for him, because he raised me, provided for me, and put a roof over my head. My dad is kind of weird because he has karaoke night almost every night. Also, he’s very into history and military kinds of stuff. He can also cook all these really good Filipino foods and other kinds of foods from different places, because he’s been all over the world when he was in the Navy. I love my dad and I’m not scared to say that when I was growing up, I was a daddy’s girl and I'm glad we quit arguing.====

====My mother is Carmen Alfonso. My mother and I may yell at each other a lot and argue, but I’m still happy she’s my mother. I finally understand that the reason why my mother is so uptight is because she’s just protecting me. I’m her first child so I completely understand why she won’t let me go to Oxnard by myself or walk home at night. Even though I tell her I hate her, I appreciate her. She gets me all these expensive things and I’m now realizing that she worked hard to get this, she knows I’m thankful but I don’t say it. My mother can be kind of funny and weird sometimes. There was this one time where my mother told me, “Hey Ceejae! Can you put ‘Teach Me How To Dougie’ as my ringtone?” I was laughing for such a long time, that she eventually got mad at me, but I still put it as her ringtone. Also, my mother and I stopped arguing and yelling at each other, but there are times where I would like to argue.====

====Georgette, is my ten year old sister. She can be the most annoying person ever, but I still love her. My parents told me that when I was younger and my sister was born I told them to take her back to the hospital. I’m glad they didn’t, because I’m here when she cries and she’s there when I cry. She may not be the perfect person, but she’s still the greatest sister ever and we’re getting along more.====

====John Patrick Villasanta, he’s the best little brother, from another mother, anyone could ask for. He’s crazy, loud, and sometimes annoying. He’s probably the only boy that won’t break my heart. If he wasn’t my brother then I wouldn’t have fun on the weekends, because I usually spend my time hanging out with him. He’s only nine years old, but he’s great at comforting you when you’re sad. Patrick will instantly know you’re sad and he’d get the dogs to come and lick my face to make me happier. He’s the best brother I could ever ask for.====

====My aunt Emelda (Mel) is like my second mom. She’s always been there for me since I was four. I can always tell her my problems and she’ll listen and give me advice. Sometimes she gives me random pieces of advice like a fortune cookie. Also, whenever I get too stressed out or when I feel like running away, I go to her house in Oxnard and spend the week. Then she eventually, gives me back to my parents. I’m glad she is in my life because without her, I don’t know where I’d get my advice or have a place to run too.====

====My first semester of freshman year didn’t really go as how I planned it would be. It was a little better than I planned. I made new friends. I learned life lessons and more about college. My family and I didn’t hate each other so much. I think it was a great first semester, because there wasn’t much drama at school. I just hope next semester is even better.====