Today was the second day back at school. It's the second term of this year, but the third term of Year 12. I didn't even realise that we were half way there until someone told me a couple of days ago! It's amazing, time really does fly. 

This term I want to accomplish a few things:

1. No ipod when you turn your bedside light off. This might sound a bit weird, but I always listen to my ipod when my lights out and I'm meant to be sleeping, and it keeps me up so late. So I want to stop this in order to get as much sleep as possible.

2. Biblestudies every week. Lately I've been giving it up, and I shouldn't be doing that, these people love me and in return I should be loving them to show my support to them during this tough year for everyone. 

3. No spending. I'm currently trying to save for a trip to the south island of New Zealand and an 11 day mission to Vanuatu. I'm not sure I'm going to have enough money, so I want to completely stop spending. I'm sure I can do this, it's mostly in the holidays that I spend my money and I don't think I'll be doing that next holidays because it's just before the trials. I think I'll be indoors studying most of the time. 

4. Be on time for all extension morning classes. I'm so lazy and I always seem to be at least 15 minutes late each time and it's rather embarrassing seeing as I live so close to the school. Must make sure I GET UP at exactly 7:00.

5. Stick to the History Extension Project timetable I've given myself. This will make your life a whole lot easier. 

6. Don't leave everything until the last minute! Granted some things are going to need every bit of time until it's due but not everything has to be like this. Make sure you have a couple of days for the big assessments just to read over it with a fresh pair of eyes and make changes. 

7. Participate more in class, with more questions. Don't be afraid - it's your HSC. Do you want to get to London with better job opportunities, pay and earlier (early 2013) or for it to be harder to find a job, less pay and later (early 2014 or 2015)? 

8. Be an Open Day guide for something they can put on your reference thing. It will look a lot better than nothing. Shows your proud of school and your education. 

Writing all that has made me realise I should do a bit more homework/study tonight, so I'm off now. Will write about the HSC Timetable later. xo

Drawing to a Close

It's the last day of holidays tomorrow and I just wanted to see how much I had accomplished on my list of things I wanted to do.

Incomplete

Finished

Started, but didn't finish
1. Finish Modern essay on Nazi's: I spent a few days working on this, but in the end I don't think I even finished researching properly. I'm hoping to start the logbook tomorrow. 

2. Found and written notes on the sources for Ancient Oral

3. Read 'Mysteries of Udolpho': I read the first few pages and gave up, so I'm not even putting this as green. 

4. Write some practice essays for EEXT

5. Finish researching Rasputin: I worked on it, but didn't finish researching. Hopefully continue to research tonight and tomorrow. 

6. Write a second draft on HEXT Project: Was focused on finishing the research, and not writing in sentences. 

7. Revise Balance of Payments

8. Do some of the "revision" questions in the Economics text books to revise the two chapters you've done

9. Write out the essays and practice short answer questions from the "Model Answer Series"

10. Come up with a new creative writing story for Belonging: I'm hoping to do this tomorrow, or at least in the first week of school. Even if it's just a plan.

11. Write another essay for Belonging

12. Do all of Pompeii and Herculaneum past papers

13. Re-do essay from the Half-Yearlies on Role of the Pharaoh

14. Practice essay on the Hyksos

15. Write Egyptian notes under syllabus headings

16. Re-do essay on Treaty of Versailles from Half-Yearlies

17. Re-do World War One section, using the markers notes

18. Write EEXT speech into an essay form

19. Draw up a table for the belonging essay plan: I'm hoping to do this in the first week back at school, when there isn't a lot of homework. I've written it on my to-do list. 

20. Re-do Inequalities and Types of Development essay from Half-Yearlies

21. Do the essay on globalisation from the Half-Yearlies

22. Be up to date on logbook

23. Watch Hamlet DVD

Pretty sad, actually. If all goes well I hope to have all of these completed in the first two weeks back at school, except for a few things, which were always going to be a bit stretched. 

5 Year Plan

So this morning I was thinking about my plan to move to London after finishing University. So I did a bit more research, and there are a few things I am worried about:
1. The whole "there are already too many Australian's living in London, we don't want you here" thing. I don't want to live in an area known for Australians. So to try and combat this, I want to live in the East of London. In somewhere like Hackney or Camden.
2. Also, I'm worried that I'm not going to get there soon enough. I still have four years of uni before I can go. I think I'll have to go on a holiday there with a boy/friend half way during the course (2 years) because I will not be able to wait that long. I've already waited long enough. Perhaps an exchange?

My Five Year Life Plan (2009 - 2014)

1. Finish HSC in 2009
2. Get job at Franklins or a shoe shop part time in 2009 Christmas holidays
3. Get into University in early 2010, and start that year
4. Travel to New Zealand in early 2010 with Jess
5. In 2014 or 2013 (depending on your course) you should be preparing to leave Sydney for London.

19th April 2009

Haha, today was such a good, busy day!
This morning I was woken up by Jess knocking at the door, picking me up to go to the library. So I quickly got dressed and jumped in the car. Lucky I had sort of prepared the night before, so I had most things packed.
We met Ellie at Gordon library and we went and got coffee for her before going to study modern and preparing for the essay question. It's such a weird question! So we discussed that, among other things like the Easter Show and how Ellie was mad at Liz for bailing on her so often. I didn't get a lot done because I was to busy listening to my ipod and talking. I did write out notes from this book, but it was just basic stuff that would have been in any book. Went to Gloria Jeans for morning tea and had hot chocolate and a chocolate muffin, which was delicious. While we were eating there I discovered my new life goal: To have Russell Brand reply to my comments to him on twitter. I really hope to accomplish this soon. I have completed all my other life goals which were: be a blue person at State of Origin and meet Jarryd. Then we went back to the library to do some more work. Ellie left at 1 o'clock and Claudia came to meet us there ten minutes later, and we walked to the station together (with Jess' jacked on, and the hood on too). Caught the train to Lidcome, while doing some Mighty Boosh drawings for Jess and listening to ipods. Also took plenty of photos as no one else was in our carriage. I took the weirdest looking photo, which we all could not stop laughing at. It was not a particularly attractive photo of me.
We arrived at Olympic Park and quickly had to buy our tickets (which were $10 because it was family day) because we were late. Some guy chatted one of us (we weren't sure who he was talking to) up while buying the tickets. We had good seats, near the goal posts. The Bulldogs scored while we were still walking in, and then again when we just sitting down. Then Jarryd scored and I went absolutely psycho. So I was happy for the rest of the game, even though we lost 18 - 48 (BADLY).

There was this guy who sitting near us, and he was supporting Parra, but he was going nuts - like screaming and pulling at his hair and stuff - when something went wrong. Everyone was turning around and laughing at him, but it was a bit scary. I thought he could actually kill himself if we lost (which we did - but he wasn't there for the last 5 minutes).
Then we caught the train home, and we listened to "Ego" by Beyonce the whole way back. Jess and I were trying to convince Claudia that the song wasn't just about some guys 'ego' but something else, and she wouldn't believe it.

It's too big, it's too wide, it's too strong, it won't fit

Anyway, then we got off at Gordon, and went to Maccas to get some dinner for Claudia, and I was going to eat as well because Katherine's dinner was after this and I didn't want to pay for a massive dinner but then I didn't end up eating because I was Michael with this other girl (that I knew, but can't remember her name) there, and suddenly didn't feel like eating.
Then Jess and Claudia left and I went across the road to "Ribs and Rumps" and met Tess and Georgia there. Tess was trying to organise this whole thing about this person who was staying with her because he was drunk and didn't know where to go. Anyway, she ended up not staying for the dinner because she was worried about him.
I sat next to Alyce and Isy, with Katherine opposite me and Lucy and Emma, Hannah Cheeseman and Hannah BA near me on my left and Georgia, Fletcher and Adriana near me on my right. The night was so funny! We had this really cute waiter, and Isy and Hannah Cheeseman kept flirting with him. He was really sweet. Then there were all these other funny incidents involving him, like when Isy was talking about boobs and he walked past, and how she asked him around three times for a new tomato sauce and he was like "wow, you guys must really like sauce". And then the whole "General Maths/Pants/ No Pants/ No Maths" thing with Katherine. And Adriana's "dream" about how Zac Efron is obsessed with her.
Then we all left and stood around in the car park for a while, and we were talking and then everyone left but Emma, me, Isy, Fletch and Adriana and the waiter came over and talked to us. Fletch and Adri were busy phoning people, so Emma and I just sort of ignored him so Isy could talk to him, because she really liked him. But she blew her chances, sort of being really distant, and she was so angry with herself when he left. He told us that it was the last night Ribs and Rumps was open because the rent was too high.
Then we were discussing how Isy should leave a message for him on his car, when walked past and Isy flew into a panic, but he didn't see the note. Then we noticed that the skinny waiter, who he had been hanging around with, hadn't left, so Isy made me run over and put the note on his windscreen wipers. And we quickly drove off.
If he replies, I swear to god it will be the funniest thing that has ever happened - ever.

These Holidays

There are just too many things I want to accomplish these holidays. I've tried to promise myself that I would everyone of them done, but I think there might be too many to do. I hope by writing them down it will motivate me and I will at least get the top priority ones done. I also plan to spend a lot of my time in Gordon, Chatswood or St Ives library to be forced into working on school work for the day. I plan to:

AIM: To focus on your weak areas, complete lots of practice papers and practice writing analytically.

5. Finish researching Rasputin
6. Write a second draft on HEXT Project
22. Be up to date on logbook
1. Finish Modern essay on Nazi's
2. Found and written notes on the sources for Ancient Oral (one royal and one non-royal)
14. Practice essay on the Hyksos (the one from the Half-Yearly Exams)
13. Re-do essay from the Half-Yearly's on Role of Pharaoh
12. Do all of Pompeii and Herculaneum past papers
15. Write Egyptian notes under syllabus headings
16. Re-do essay from from the Half-Yearly's on the impact of the Treaty of Versailles (using markers notes)
17. Re-do World War One section, using the markers notes.
11. Write another essay for Belonging
10. Come up with a new creative writing story for Belonging
0. (THIS might be done during the term) Write an essay comparing Pride and Prejudice to Letters to Alice
3. Read Mysteries of Udolpho
4. Write some practice essays for EEXT (using the journal suggestions - especially the Byronic Hero one as it is relevant for your related texts - and the practice writing suggestions you got given).
18. Write EEXT speech into an essay form
19. Draw up a table for the belonging essay planning
7. Revise Balance of Payments
20. Re-do essay on the inequalities and types of development from the Half Yearly's
21. Do the essay on globalisation from the Half-Yearly's
9. Write out the essays and practice short answer questions from the "Model Answer Series" Books
8. Do some of the "revision" questions in the Economics text books to revise the two chapters you've done
23. Watch Hamlet DVD

Fun things to accomplish during the holidays/ last week of term:
- Oliver, the Musical and dinner before hand.
- Shopping (City, Chatswood, Hornsby, Parramatta)
- Trinny and Susannah
- Waratahs/ Chiefs
- Bulldogs/ Eels
- Catch up with Maddy (she can drive), have a night at my house watching DVD's (Shooter, Some of Russell Brand - the special one, maybe?)
- Catch up with Katherine for movies or Max Brenner

MOVIES:
So far I haven't seen a lot of movie I really want to see except:
- 17 again (Chandler from Friends AND Zac Efron in the same movie!)
- Knowing (the trailer gives me the creeps every time I see it. I really hope it isn't an alien movie though)
- The Reader and Changeling (if they're still out)

DVD's:
- Pineapple Express
- The Women
- Watch Northanger Abbey for school
- Taken
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- St Trinian's

BOOKS:
- For school: Mysteries of Udolpho
- My Booky Wook
- A book about Akhenaten or some other Pharaoh
- When in Rome
- Sense and Sensibility