BACK TO SCHOOL: 12th Grade / Senior Year

Schedule:

• First semester: Civics and Economics (A/A), Honors World History (A/A), AP English Literature (A/A), Orchestra (A/A), AP Chinese (A/A), PSYCH101 at a community college (A)
• Second semester: Aerobics (A/A), AP World History (A/A), British Literature (A/A), Orchestra (A/A), AP Chinese (A/A)
• Honors World History was linked with AP World History
• British Literature was linked with AP English Literature
• PSYCH101 = Introduction to Psychology
• Total APs: 3 + 1 college class

Test Scores:

• AP English Literature = 5
• AP Chinese = 5
• AP World History = 3 (I stopped studying for this class after applying to Berkeley. :( Don't get senioritis like me!)

Tips to doing well academically:

1. Even though this is your senior year, THIS IS NOT A TIME TO SLACK. Until you receive a "congratulations, you've been accepted to..." email, you cannot give in to senioritis. Even after that, don't let your grades drop below a B or those years of hard work might end up down the drain.
2. This is where being close to your counselors and teachers comes in handy: ask them for letters of recommendation! If you're not sure about your college apps, ask your counselor! Ask your English teachers to take a look at your college essays.
3. There will be deadlines for EVERYTHING. Make a list, write them on a calendar, tattoo them to your forehead, anything so you don't forget. Stay ahead of the game; problems always occur on deadline days.
4. Keep an organized file of your: high school transcipts, test scores, letters of rec, essays, college apps, other requested info, etc.
5. Print out the application (even if it's electronic) so you can practice filling in everything. This was really helpful for me because it helped prevent errors and allowed me to figure out what I needed before I sat down to fill out my apps.
6. Have your parents prepare their income tax statements ASAP. You need this for financial aid.
7. Make sure your apps were received.
8. Look for scholarships!!!
9. After you receive all of your acceptance letters (congrats!), decide on the college you will be attending. Visit colleges if you have to.
10. Send in your tuition deposit and letter of intent to register. You're also supposed to let other colleges that have accepted you that you've chosen another college... but I don't think you have to (I didn't heh).
11. Request for a final copy of your transcript be sent to your college.
12. CONGRATS YOU FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL! :)

Tips to doing well socially:

• Don't ditch school, even after you've been accepted to colleges. This is both academically and socially damaging! Unless all of your friends are ditching too... but then you shouldn't be with these people! xD
• Help younger students! Remember when you befriended upperclassmen and they helped you out? Time to return the favor.
• Make an effort to look good because you'll feel good too! :) Seniors tend to get lazy and come to class looking like they just got out of bed.
• If you do get a boyfriend this year, talk to him about the future. Will you break it off when you go off to college? Will you try a long-distance relationship? Most people break up, but there are also those who try to stay together.
• Hang out with your friends and family, and treasure your time with them! Time is ticking away!

Do you have any tips for high school seniors? :) Let us know!

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

The Accent Tag!

Hey everyone! I haven't made a blog post about this video yet, but I did the Accent Tag last week! I TAG ALL OF YOU!! :) You can watch the video here:

The Words:
Aunt, Roof, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Naturally, Aluminium, Envelope

The Questions:
1. What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2. What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3. What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
4. What do you call gym shoes?
5. What do you say to address a group of people?
6. What do you call the kind of spider (or spider-like creature) that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7. What do you call your grandparents?
8. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10. What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Try this tag out and leave it as a video response!

Thanks for watching!

X♥ Lisa

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!

BACK TO SCHOOL: 11th Grade / Junior Year

Schedule:

• First semester: AP English Language (A/A), AP Art History (A/A), AP Physics C: Mechanics (C/B), Honors American Literature (A/A), Chinese 4 (A/A) (no orchestra!!)
• Second semester: AP Physics B (B/B), AP US History (A/A), AP Calculus BC (A/A), Orchestra (A/A), Chinese 4 (A/A)
• Honors American Literature was linked with AP US History
• Total APs: 6

Test Scores:

• SAT = 2200 (only took this once) (Math: 700, Reading: 760, Writing: 740)
• PSAT = 221 (I think? I was a national merit finalist.)
• SAT II Math (took this three times lol and never studied OTL STUDY FOR SAT IIs!!) = 650, 690, 650
• SAT II Chinese = 790
• SAT II Literature = 760
• AP English Language = 5
• AP Art History = 4
• AP Physics C: Mechanics = 3
• AP Physics B = 3
• AP US History = 4
• AP Calculus BC = 5

Tips to doing well academically:

1. Work hard to maintain a high grade point average. Don't rely on a weighted GPA--try to get A's in AP classes too!
2. Try to take two or more AP classes (or self-study). TAKE YOUR AP TESTS!
3. In terms of AP classes, quality over quantity. As you can see by my sucky physics grades/scores, I take two too many AP physics classes lol.
4. Make sure you're taking at least one English and one math class (and science/other if you need it). Take harder classes in the subjects you're interested in (I love English and I hate science, so I was definitely done with science after this year but I took all the AP humanities classes I could).
5. Plan to take the SAT this year. Study the summer before junior year with prepbooks or a prep class. This will also help you do well on the PSAT (which you should also take). If you don't do well on the SAT, study harder and retake it! I recommend taking it up to 3 times *if needed.
6. Visit colleges that you believe you will be applying to next year. Keep information about the universities that interest you, and research, research, research!
7. Let your counselor and parents know how you're doing!
8. Make friends with teachers (especially in the classes you like/do well in). This shouldn't be forced; don't be a suck-up. They're great people to talk to about academic problems and questions, as well as personal problems. Many of them are very caring about their students!
9. Assume higher leadership roles in the clubs/organizations you're in. Continue volunteering.
10. If you're not going to study over the summer before senior year, try and find something useful to do. Intern, get a job to make money for college, volunteer, visit colleges, anything PRODUCTIVE!
11. Begin looking at college apps in the summer before senior year.

Tips to doing well socially:

• People usually start partying around this year. DON'T. DO NOT.
• Maintain your friendships and continue making more in your new classes!
• Feel free to experiment a bit more with makeup.
• Continue developing your style. :)
• Junior year is way too stressful of a year for you to maintain friendships, schoolwork, extracurriculars AND a boyfriend. I wouldn't recommend having one this year. I've seen girls fail classes and lose friends because they'd rather spend time hanging out with their boyfriends. Don't let that be you!

REMEMBER: Junior year grades/scores are very important!

BUT MOST OF ALL: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON! This is a really stressful year for many people (myself especially. I gained at least 10-15 pounds around AP testing time, even while working out every single day!), so make sure you only take on what you know you can handle. At the same time, challenge yourself in subjects you love! I hated junior year so much (worst year of high school!!!!) but, reflecting back on it now, I'm glad I challenged myself like that.

Do you have any tips for high school juniors? :) Let us know!

xo Lucy

Be sure to check out our joint twitter (http://www.twitter.com/neonrouge37) and YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/neonrouge37)!