Just do it (tomorrow)

Deadlines at the end of the day, stacks of homework, coupled with projects and your teacher hounding you to finish! What did you do to deserve these torments? It's driving you nuts!

Well, you saw it coming. The reason your schoolwork is such a wreck is because you did them at the last minute. You probably told yourself that you've got plenty of time, quoting Nike's slogan,

"Just do it.......Tomorrow."

It seems procrastinating is a quick escape, much like drugs, to our problems. Yet, after we procrastinate, we find ourselves  with even more problems. Though they seem like an solution, they really aren't.

Clear out all distractions

from www.smh.com.au 

Even before you get started you are aced with a lot of distractions, preventing you from doing work. 

What you do is, log-out of Facebook, turn off your PC, focus. Remove all distractions. Plug off the TV, turn down the stereo, and stop playing the Xbox. 

Go to a place that is quite, cool with proper lighting to make you comfortable.

Because being uncomfortable leads to finding distractions. Distractions often ends up as procrastination. And, procrastination results to no work done at all. And no work done, in a few more days, equals even more work! 

So clear out all distractions to get started. 

Get motivated

from pavementrunner.com 

Probably the hardest part of doing schoolwork, or any work for that matter, is starting it.  You have to admit, mountains of paperwork to go through can be quite discouraging.

You need motivation, something to give you that 'jump start.' 

Instead of rambling over how much work there is to do, you should just do it, now. 

Utilizing the "need-want" strategy

A strategy I use to get a job done is the 'need-want' strategy. Creating a reson to do something to serve as a motivation. 

"I need to finish this report early, because I want to watch a movie later with my friends." 

"I need to do my homework tonight, because I  want  to have nothing to do for the rest of the weekend." 

"I need  to ace this test because I want  to get exempted from the subject's project." 

The reward system can definitely spur you to finish the job. Just be careful in getting to psyched for the reward, to the point that you're in such a rush to get things done, that you end up, sacrificing the quality of your work. 

Using the 'positive' strategy

Another motivational strategy is the positive strategy. You need to think of something, an idea, a person, anything, that makes the effort in doing work worth it. 

The next time you do a book report, think about your nice teacher how great he/she lectures and how interested you are about her subject. That can get you pumped up, Think of her commending on your excellent work. 

Or, when you're reviewing for a big exam, why not bet with a good friend, the person who gets a higher score gets treated to lunch. Just the thought of you winning and rubbing it in ought to inspire you. 

Peerwork: Just do it, together 

Doing homework with your friends is the oldest trick in the book and probably the most effective. 

from tealgeezus.deviantart.com 

Having someone to do homework with definitely takes out the boredom. And who knows,  you might actually enjoy it! 

Peerwork also makes the team, efficient. Try cross-examining your work and you'll be surprised  to see how helpful you can be in cleaning up errors, in a report or an assignment. 

Peerwork also opens doors to discussions, in the end, you will end up learning even more than you bargained for. 

Also, if you think you might suck at math but you happen to have a friend who is good at it, why not invite him over to tutor you?  Who knows, you might be good at something that he is not. 

So you can just set up a study date, and go from there. 

Just do it, NOW 

there you have it, these are my study techniques to avoid procrastination. hope you learned a thing or two. 

We are more than just classmates, we are FAMILY

We are more than just classmates,

we are FAMILY

Group One of IV-Rizal getting ready
to perform a dance number

High school for me would have been dull without my classmates from IV-1 Rizal. We've had some good times, and we've been through the worst. Now that I'm about to graduate, I'll miss these FORTY-SIX familiar faces.

Por-wan (FOUR-ONE) Rizal, is a rowdy crowd. They are all so noisy.  I hear peole talking about showbiz stars on one side of the room, and I see people copying today's homework on the other. And this happens, everyday for the last nine months. 

FOUR-ONE RIZAL, Running for a cause
for the Red Cross! 

I can't help but laugh and smile. And laugh some more. With jokes that simply come out of the blue. I can't help but sing along to every corny love song they sing. I can't help but dance along every beat of Gangnam style.

POR-WAN RIZAL, like children,
playing tag, and other games

Even in the most minuscule, ridiculous and simply stupid topics Por-Wan Rizal always has a good time. Even in the most harrowing and saddening of events, Por-Wan Rizal finds a way to smile. 

But then there are moments that Rizal simply quiets down. Silent. Not speaking a word. Dull moments. Then out of the blue, somebody farts or says something stupid, and we all crack up. We find ourselves gasping for air because we are laughing so hard! 

Por-Wan Rizal, is a family. United we stand and united we fall. Through good and bad. Through thick and thin, IV-I Rizal sticks as one! 

Por-Wan Rizal shines as they perform a medley at the
Christmas Cantata Celebration

There are times we are faced with conflicts, problems and trials. Sure we have our misunderstanding, but Rizal gets it done. We try to make amends, we try to forgive, we try to empathize.

And we've been through a lot, that I can tell you. But Rizal's unity binds us together. True to the words of Charice's song Pyramid: 

"Earthquakes can't shake us  Cyclones can't break us

Hurricanes can't

 make us fall apart"

Rizal stands as one. One for all. All for one! 

Por-Wan Rizal, helps each other out. Everything is a collaborative effort. Each person tries to do his part. We are a diverse group. We have singers, dancers, artists and writers. Being the cream-of-the-crop section, we enter a lot of contests both local and city-wide. And we often do win. With this group of talented people we all do our share to make Rizal, section 1, SHINE! 

Florentino Torres High School bags FIRST PLACE at a competition on Theatrical Arts.
Por wan Rizal made a big portion of the chorale, performing the Broadway hit CATS THE MUSICAL

IV-I getting ready to go to the contest

And because of our efforts, our combined and collaborative efforts, we win together, we celebrate together. And if we lose? We lean on each other! 

There is more to Rizal than just a section. We are a family. Definitely more than just students, no. We are deeper. We treat each other  like brothers and sisters, not as mere friends. 

The beautiful ladies of Por-Wan Rizal
all in their togas
 to get their graduation pics.

I'll miss Rizal, Por-Wan Rizal. I'll miss the smiles, the laughs, and the tears. But most of all, I'll miss the memories I've made with them. 

So yes, after we receive our diplomas, after we hug, after we wish ourselves the best. We will be all going our seperate ways.

But we will NEVER EVER forget each other. 

Because we are more than just classmates,                                              

we are family,

we are POR-WAN RIZAL

How to enjoy High School

How to enjoy high school

 Welcome to high school. Welcome to one of the most important chapters in our lives.

People tell us that high school is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. 

New friends, first BF/GF, newly-found independence and that feeling of starting anew, a new life, a new beginning.

And some tell us that it is the most miserable part of their lives.  No friends, left out, bullied and a feeling of pure desperation to graduate and forget about high school as soon as possible.

I am about to graduate high school and it has  been one heck of a ride. And there were five things I l earned to a very happy and memorable high school life.

BE YOURSELF

People are unique. We all have something that is all our won. Whether we are singers, dancers, nerds, jocks or even cheerleaders, we are who we are.

embrace yourself. accept who you are.

We must not be PRETENTIOUS, and it would do no good if we pretend to be someone we are not. Actually, it will be doing more harm than good. 

Wouldn’t it be bad if people knew that we were lying, lying about our so-called relationships, lying about how we diet, lying about all the chics we banged. Lying about how rich our parents are. Lies, lies, lies.

In the end people would be avoiding us. That’s  a bad thing right?

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE, don’t BE AFRAID

We must all be content with who we are. If you’re a nerd? Then be the best one, join contests, win for the school. If you’re a bookworm? Be the best one. Write for the campus paper, write a blog and show people your abilities.

To be honest, I am a nerd. I was bullied when I was a Freshie and Sophie, I was shunned away because I was articulate in English. But that didn’t stop me. It never did. I strived hard. I worked hard.

me and my partner hosting the Juniors' and Seniors' Prom

Luckily, I won a lot of contests; I became a frequent Emcee of events.

Then I found myself being respected, I found myself appreciated. And guess what? I’m still a nerd. Who knew being a nerd could turn out to be a good thing.  And a bonus? I have girls all over me. =) Charm and intelligence. Looks aren’t all that matters you know. XD

People often bully others simply people for being who they are. Is it a bad thing to be black? Is it a bad thing to be smart? Is it bad to be ME?

People bully others because they are insecure, they are envious, and they see you as threats. They know you are better. They know this. They know that blacks are better than sports, they know that nerds will graduate and get jobs, they know this.

Stand up  for yourself, don’t be afraid to be who you are. People will accept you. People will like you. That I am sure.

FRIENDS

Undoubtedly, if we are not afraid to be who we are, then people will like us for that. And who are those people who accept us as whoa we are?

friends

me with my bestfriends

High school is more than just cramming for assignments, more than just sleeping in class, and definitely more than just getting detention.

High school is doing all of those things not by yourself but with FRIENDS. 

Through good moments and through bad ones too!

Friends make high school life more enjoyable. They make each boring moment more exciting. They make us look forward going to school as we wake up each morning.

ROMANCE

If we have friends, then we have girlfriends, and boyfriends. If we don’t, we have crushes

me holding hands with someone

With a lot of teens and their regain hormones, you cant help but stare at the many handsome and beautiful faces in school. We even paste pictures of them inside our lockers to get a little inspiration for the day ahead each morning. ;-)

Personally, my girlfriend is my inspiration. She is beautiful and smart too. I learn a lot from her. Our relationship is not based on making up in the backseat of a car, nor is it based on escapades on the beaches. Our relationship is based on helping each other get through high school. Sure we get intimate sometimes, we hold hands, but we don’t lose sight of what really is important.

something someone made for me 

Romance can also ruin high school. And it more often than not does.  We have heard so much about teen pregnancies, so many bright and hopeful futures crushed, ending in a teen marriage.

High school romances can break or make your life. That said, we need to be responsible not to get carried away. Use romance as an inspiration, not a path to your own destruction.

ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL, ENJOY LEARNING, JOIN YOUTH ORGs

Teens nowadays are lazy. Me too! =) Academics can be so boring. Admit it, its true. World History, wouldn’t you rather sleep than to know what happened to the Neanderthals? And don’t get me started about trigonometry. Sine blah blah blah of cosine bah bah, arc tangent to angle blah blah.

I know its hard. But rather than cursing you taking trigo, or history. Why not find a reason to enjoy them. Maybe you can find interest in your subject teacher or maybe go for a study date with your classmates for a test. You are not just learning but also you are enjoying, and socializing.

I am a Zero Waste Youth Advocate.
A member of the Mother Earth Foundation

And high school isn’t always about a 7am-3pm job. Organizations are places we can socialize and learn. Enviromental organizations foucs on clean-up drives, green projects, and youth advocacies. Clubs like book blub, debate club and science club all have a special interest. We learn, we grown and we do something wholesome.

School organizations are great places to do something wholesome and worthwhile, They are also places we can meet new people.

Sometimes the school has an annual field trip. Things like these are great times to bond with close classmates and make new memories, memories that will be synonymous with high school.

SUMMMING IT UP

To enjoy high school:

1.       Be yourself- accept yourself and embrace it.

2.       Be the best you can be- no matter who we are, we must be content. Maximize your talents and people will appreciate you for it.

3.       Friends- these bunch of guys will make each boring day of high school a laugh trip. Through good and bad, thick and thin, they will be there.

4.       Romance- they are our inspiration. Use them wisely.

5.       Enjoy learning- join youth orgs to meet new people and do something wholesome.

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Almost There

Almost there

THE JOURNEY

High School, we started off as a bunch of teens simply awed by a new chapter in our life. Met new friends, exposed to a new environment, stayed up late, did a lot of homework, went to prom, went to your first date, loved somebody, hated somebody, broke you heart. This is high school.

High school taught me to be independent. I didn't rely on my parents as that much anymore. I learned to stand on my own two feet. I learned how to budget not only my money due to the many projects that we have but also to budget time.

High School presents a lot of new things to us. This is the time when we make friends, friends that will accompany us through one of the most important parts of our lives. High school is a bore if it is all work and no play. It is not all about gaining you knowledge about the world but also gaining new knowledge about yourself.

High school is a spiritual journey. A journey of self discovery. People change a lot during these times. And friends do play a part in this. We learn to interact, to talk to people to socialize.

my classmates, my family

Challenges don’t come one at time but more often than not all at the same time. We are tested to our limits. Assignments due tomorrow, impossible projects on the same day, a dance presentation the day after that, and so on, so many things to do so little time, welcome to high school.

Time passes by quickly

Sometimes we wish it would just end. That the barrage of things to do would stop. That we should just get our diploma and say good bye to high school. And now, now that we are seniors, now that we are just months away from graduation, we stop. We actually don’t want it to end. How ironic that we used to say “I WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE NOW!”, now we are actually saying that we don’t want to. We actually want to stay.

my Computer gaming buddies @ JS Prom

We feel the end coming. We all feel the days are numbered, that the moments are just only a few. That we will at the end of the day, say good bye to each other, that we all have to go to different colleges, that there we might never see each other again for a long time.

I’ll sure miss these days, days that I would stay up late doing my projects, days that my friends and I would hang out after school and play computer games. We laughed, we cry. We share moments that we wish would never end.

I’ll miss my teachers who have molded me not as a better student but actually a better person. I’ll miss the morning rush, walking as fast as I can praying that I won’t be late for my first class. I’ll miss the days that we are together through both the good and the bad times.

I can’t possibly imagine how 4 years of high school pass by so quickly. Wow. I can hardly believe that all of these will soon be coming to a close. Now, I lay here on my bed reminiscing, remembering the highlights of my high school life.

Now the road that we are all walking together seems to end, and we all see new paths. New paths that will, sadly, separate us.

Savoring each moment left

I think that the limited time left actually is a good thing. That knowing the fact that we are going to graduate actually encourages us to enjoy each moment that create every day, no matter how small, no matter how irrelevant it may seem.

a very special friend of mine since 1st year high school

We laugh a little harder. We cry a little longer. And we smile a little brighter.

As the end goes ever near, we talk about our plans, our dreams, and our aspirations. Where will you go to college? What would be you job after that? Will I get married?

It is so cool that we won’t be remembering when we all went to a fancy vacation, when we went to a fancy restaurant, and when we all went to the spa. No, we won’t be remembering these things, the things we will be remembering are: the jokes we shared while we are eating lunch, the time that we all got humiliated by our teacher for not being able to solve a math equation, the moments we just sat down and talked, but most importantly the thing we will remember the most, are just merely simple moments. Moments that we would just hang out and chill, listen to the music, and just dance like crazy.

an outing to a resort

 

                                    

                                                                                             It’s not the end of a book, but rather a beginning of a new chapter
 

Now that I think about it. It’s not really an end. As the saying goes:

“We don’t say goodbye, we say till next time”

with a couple of friends with our teacher 

We are nearing the finish line. We are definitely almost there. High school was one heck of a journey. But I know better things are yet to come, I just know it.

Sure we might hug, share a few tears, shake hands, say our best wishes, but we will never forget each other.

I know that somehow we will all find our way back together.

Now, I am just that more exited for graduation. It’s not that I don’t want to see them again but I know that we must all part ways for a while, maybe meet new friends, make new experiences, and study some more.

I love high school. I love every second of it. I love the people that go with it too. But most importantly, the moments that are not REMEMBERED but rather NEVER FORGOTTEN.

And maybe years from now, we might be doing these things again. Making and sharing new memories.

So yeah, we are almost there but that doesn’t mean we will never meet again.

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