First week of high school.

It’s week 1 and I’m so behind! Normally I don’t get behind on school except I’ve been sick all week. It’s so stressful, but I think I found a way to make it better.

For those unfamiliar, I try to keep my “weeks” no longer than a week, but ultimately the first week is not finished until I have 225 minutes in each subject. I’m tracking classroom hours to feel “on task.” 

Right now I have a LibreOffice Calc (that’s the poor man’s Excel which I am using until we get around to buying the real one) spreadsheet tracking my hours working on different subjects. So far, for this week, I’m like this.

1. English: 70 minutes to go.

2. Algebra 1: 225 minutes to go (darn).

3. Biology: 215 minutes to go (the video I watched only made up 10 minutes).

4. Social Studies: 153 minutes to go.

5. Health: 225 minutes to go.

6. Computer Applications: 225 minutes to go.

7. I actually don’t have a final elective yet. I’m thinking Spanish but undecided still.

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For English, Math, Science, and Social Studies I’m using the TASC preparation guide. For those unfamiliar, the TASC is basically the new GED exam. Since this is my first week of high school, I’m using the TASC guide to find out where I am in terms of mastering the “basic skills” you absolutely have to have to count as any sort of graduate anywhere. I’m only on the English section (the first one) but so far I think I’m doing well. Then again, English is my best subject so yeah.

For Social Studies I am using Grey School of Wizardry as a springboard and doing a lot of research into Ancient Egyptian history online. Hard to do because I hate hate hate hate mummies and don’t want to see all those gross pictures…which makes my research choices limited. I’m also researching the Paleolithic era somewhat. This year’s social studies will be World History with a dash of Geography (because Geography by itself sounds boring and how can I memorize places without knowing what’s going on there?). 

For Biology I have been watching some Saylor Academy videos and will be starting my textbook soon. 

For Algebra I mean to use Khan but haven’t done so yet.

For Health I have a whole syllabus written out for myself (except for the sex ed requirement, guh…it’s one of those things you have to say you did but seeing as how I have trauma and stuff it’s hard to find a version that isn’t just…ugh).

For Computer Applications I’m going to use Microsoft Office’s online videos once I actually get Microsoft Office on my new laptop (the thing was a bargain but it didn’t come with Word).

Not my usual post.

I was watching Pretty Little Liars tonight and well…it kind of upset me. For those who don’t watch it (probably all of my readers), a pretty teenager (Alison) went missing in season 1 and was found dead before the 2nd episode. Recently her friends found out that she was actually alive. The truth about what happened to her is complicated…a stalker or series of stalkers was/were sending her death threats and keeping her on the run. When everyone finds out she’s alive, Alison comes up with a lie and says that she was kidnapped.

You know, I almost wish that she was kidnapped. You don’t see cute, interesting, normal female characters on TV have things like that happen to them. Occasionally someone gets raped on TV but it tends to be therapy and then back to normal in a couple episodes. Kidnapping, though, being taken out of your home and kept somewhere and in particular having your family cover for it…that’s something different altogether. You dread it. You dread leaving your door unlocked or your BEDROOM door unlocked even, and you dread every sound you hear in the house. Every time your neighbor plays loud music or somebody’s talking outside you think “shit what if it’s them?” TV doesn’t deal with that. Characters are either raped once by total strangers or they’re abused by boyfriends they can easily break up with and get away from. There are almost never characters who are betrayed by their families and taken off places to be hurt. Familial betrayal that can’t be fixed with an “I’m sorry” really isn’t discussed AT ALL. I hate it.

I’d like Ali more if they would just have that be it. With all the blackmail and shit, why not?