Summary of first week of school

(Just FYI I have a lot of thoughts today, which I will be splitting up into three separate journal entries, possibly four if I want to say something else....more, maybe? Anyway, this is the first.)

So, first FULL week of school. I think that one extra Friday last week was incredibly stupid, and I didn't do ANYTHING work-wise that day. So yes, first week of school.

To be completely honest, it's kind of...stunk. I mean, it hasn't been all bad, of course, but I'm not happy at Rampart AT ALL. Plus, I feel like I've changed a lot as a person this summer, what with Girl Scout camp and then Terminus. I mean, I've realized that a lot of the people I considered my friends truly are people who just talked to me because I was there. Not everyone, of course, but it was an interesting discovery.

Also, I'm not a big fan of my classmates. Or the IB program in general. They claim that it's so much harder and so much more work and all, but as more and more people who can't deal with the workload enter the IB program, I feel that the level of work and the quality of the lessons, etc, has declined. Or maybe I just don't like the way that the IB program is run. Okay, so I try not to be egotistical and it is EXTREMELY rare that I compliment myself or try to put myself above anyone else. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't think I was at a much higher learning and thinking level than a lot of my peers. There are probably people who are smarter (especially in math), but I think I have a lot higher level in thinking and analyzing and all that. I'm not saying I'm a genius, because I'm certainly not. Believe me, I've gotten plenty of low grades, but I always work really hard to make up for those. I just truly believe that I'd be a lot happier at Fountain Valley or some other private school in which my peers would be closer to my level, some above and some below (at least I hope so). Plus, at FVS or someplace else, I think I'd be getting a much more diverse high school experience and be learning a lot more about real life. Overall, I do think I'd be much happier.

It's almost worse knowing that I did get into Fountain Valley last year and that I could be going there right now if we'd been able to scrounge up the money. It would almost be easier if I hadn't been accepted, because then I wouldn't be fantasizing about what I could be doing there right now if we'd gotten enough financial aid. It's just so HARD. =[

I'm also not a big fan of my classes. I'll summarize my feelings on them:
MYP Arts and Tech: Well, I actually like this class so far, the theatre part, and I guess it's a good class to be in.....I don't have anything against this class, definitely.
Pre-Calculus: Well, I hate math, as people who've known me for a while are fully aware. And as awesome as Mr. Perry is, there are some things he doesn't teach us because he thinks we can learn them out of the book. But we're using a Higher-Level math book for some stupid reason and it doesn't really TEACH. So I've been getting real frustrated when I do my homework.
French IV: GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! 34 freaking people are in that class!!!! It's way too big, way to chaotic, and the teacher speaks English half the time, which isn't going to help us with our speaking and understanding French. I don't think ANY class should have that many people in it, but especially not a language class where the students generally need a lot of specific help.
English: Actually, this is the one class that I'm really enjoying so far this year. I've only had three classes of it, but I really like the analyzing we've been doing of short stories and the new way I'm learning to write and all that. Plus, Mr. Treece is a really good teacher, I think.
Weights and Fitness: Well, I really like this class, too, but since it's a gym class, that doesn't factor into my liking of classes and the IB curriculum. I love the exercise we're doing, and Mr. West is awesome, but I don't think it counts in my factoring.
Chemistry: Mmm...well, mostly I just think Mr. McGregor is really...strange. And Chemistry is probably my least favorite of the different sciences. Plus, I've only had this class twice, so I don't have a full opinion on it yet.
US History: Erm....I mean, I love history, though I'd much rather study International history. Mrs. Gillette seems okay so far. In this class, it's mostly that I have a lot of classmates who have no clue what they're talking about in discussions. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just saying they should say what they KNOW and what they MEAN, instead of trying to sound all smart.

Basically, I'm not happy being a sophomore at Rampart High School. I know I really shouldn't be complaining because Rampart is a great school on a national scale, I just don't think it's for me. I'd like something a lot more personal. Still, at least I have the opportunity to go to a school, and a good school, unlike an awful lot of people around the world. I am thankful that I'm at a good school, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I was at Fountain Valley. *sigh*

Well, Cheers, I guess....