First+Semester+Final+Exam

When people think of high school, they usually think "best four years of your life", right? Well, as the days ticked by and the end of Summer 2011 slowly faded away, I began to dread going to Foothill Technology High School. I had heard how hard it was, how much homework there was, and how everyone was a total nerd. With a lot of my close friends going to Ventura High and Buena, I was not looking forward to going to Foothill. As I approached the campus on my first day of high school, I was expecting the worst. As time went on, I began to realize Foothill might not be as bad as I thought it was going to be. Although the work is hard and I have some homework, I began to embrace my inner nerd and started to realize just how lucky I was to be attending such an amazing school. Being here at Foothill has completely changed my life for the better. Coming here from middle school was a huge transition, and it was hard at first, but now that I'm used to it, I'm so excited to see what will come in the next four years.

First off, I'll talk about my academics. You're probably thinking, "ugh..great, now she's going to bore us talking about all of her school work." Well, I'll try to make this as un-boring and quick as possible.

First period I have Biology with Mrs. Anderson, which is pretty hard and gets boring at times, but it's fun when we do experiments, labs, and things like that. I think I'm the only one in the entire universe who likes taking notes, and we do that all the time in Biology, so I love that. Although it's not my strong subject, I'm having a pretty fun time in that class.

Next I have Education in the Digital Age with Mrs. Faulconer, and I absolutely love her. She has such a great personality, and I'm proud to be one of her angel potatoes! EDA is pretty easy for the most part, but it's second period so I'm still half asleep most of the time. I think computers and technology are pretty interesting, and I enjoy learning how to do things on the computer other than going on Facebook.

In third period I have Ms.Rocca for Algebra. Although I'm not the best at math, I'm doing pretty well. Ms.Rocca is an excellent teacher, and I'm so happy I'm understanding math this year, because I haven't been able to say that for a long time.

After that, I have Geography/Health with Mrs.Ferris, which is definitely one of my favorite classes. I especially love Health, I find the subject so interesting, and love learning about everything related to it, even if the videos make me cry sometimes! Another reason why I love that class is because Mrs.Ferris is so laid back, calm, and has a great personality, so you can always feel comfortable in her classroom.

For fifth period I have Spanish with Senora Leaf, and that is definitely not one of my strong subjects. I learned how to speak Spanish pretty fluently when I was in pre-school through first grade, but since then I've forgotten everything and had to start from scratch at the beginning of this year. So far, Spanish is my worst subject and grade. I try really hard, but it's really difficult for me to concentrate, and Senora Leaf goes way too fast for me. I get nervous so I don't tell her I don't understand, and I really need to start. I'm hoping I can get my grade up to an A by the end of the year!

Next I have P.E. with Mrs.Stevens, and I go to the YMCA. Well, that class is interesting. In the beginning of the year I was really excited to go to the Y and work out, but after I started going every week I got a little sick of it. So now, I enjoy hiding from Mrs.Stevens and running away from my T.A. Hayden when he catches me and Adriana sitting on the couches. Anyways, don't judge me for saying this because I probably sound like a lazy bum, but I'm really not that lazy I promise. On the bright side, Mrs.Stevens has really alerted me on how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle, so I'm trying to make the right decisions.

Finally, I have seventh period English with Mr.Geib, obviously...and I'm happy to say that this is my favorite class.(And no Mr.Geib, I'm not just being a kiss ass). English is my all time favorite subject, and it always has been. In the beginning of the year, I was originally in Honors English, but got so nervous and stressed, so I switched out. That may not have been the best choice, but I'm so glad I got put into my ninth grade English seventh period class. This class is always a crazy, relaxing, great way to end the day, and I love that. English is my strongest subject, and I really enjoy writing and reading. I used to be such a book worm it's crazy, my mom would actually get mad at me because I'd be reading and not paying attention to what she was saying, or reading when I should have been going to sleep. Even now, I love to sit down and read a good book, and Barnes & Noble is my second home. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

With my academics over with, I'll move on to my social life. Going to Foothill, I was sad to leave my friends from middle school that were mostly going to Ventura, except for my best friend thank goodness, but I was still scared I would't make any new friends at Foothill. Now that I look back, I was crazy to think that. I have made a lot of new friends, and I'm so happy I did.

Along with my new friends at Foothill, I have two best friends that I am so grateful for. They are Adriana Michelle Doyle and Alexandria Nicole Van Natta, and they're like family to me, and I know that no matter what, they will always be there for me.

I'll start with Adriana. We met when we were little babies, and were reunited again when she came to my elementary school in fourth grade, and have been together ever since. She has been my best friend for five years no matter what, and I know she'll continue to be for many more years. We have the best memories, and I really don't know what I would do without her.

Now I'll talk about Ally. We've been best friends for a little over two years, and I love her to death. We do the craziest things together and I have memories with her that I will never forget. Even though we fight sometimes, it always blows over within a couple of hours and it's like nothing even happened. Even though she goes to Ventura High, I see her pretty much every day. She gets me through so much and we can talk to eachother about anything and everything.

"Our family is a circle of strength and love…with every birth and every union the circle grows…every joy shared adds more love…every crisis faced together makes the circle grow stronger." This quote pretty much explains my family. No matter what happens, we're always there for each other. When my parents approached me to talk about applying to Foothill, I wanted nothing to do with it. But after talking about how much of an amazing opportunity it would be for me, I couldn't refuse. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My family is so supportive, and always wants the best for each other. Whatever problem I'm having or if I need help on something, I can always go to anyone in my family for support or advice. Now I'm not saying we don't have problems, because what family doesn't? In the end though, we always work it out. Through my first semester of high school at Foothill, we have all been through a lot, but we came out strong in the end. Everyone in my family is a role model for me. If it's my cousins, parents, grandparents, etc., I have such amazing people to look up to, and I'm so thankful for that.

So there you have it, my first semester of freshman year. There has been lots of ups and downs, but it has actually gone a lot better than I had expected. It has also really flown by, and I'm so excited for the years to come. I've learned to accept that life isn't perfect, but I'm striving to the closest thing to it. Every day, I am getting closer and closer to finding the person I want to become, and I am trying my hardest to enjoy my high school career. I've been trying to have a positive outlook on everything, and that has really helped me. I know high school will be a challenge, but I'm ready for it. Foothill Technology High School, bring it on.