Midterms and... Popcorn?

If there's anything I've learned in the past few weeks, it's that midterms=stress.  It's the dreaded time of year where teachers start pulling out all the stops and give you every possible assignment imaginable.  The symptoms of midtermitis are as follows:

1. Excessive yawning.
2. Sleeping in class.
3. More procrastination than usual.
4. Sweatpants and hoodies galore!
5. Chronic headache.
6. Cravings for exotic sounding desserts... or anything pictured on my friend's blog (which you can check out here)

Pic from weheartit.com
However true this might be, let me share with you a new perspective that I found fascinating.  Popcorn.

So, what is it that makes a tiny kernel transform into amazing, delectable popcorn?  Answer: pressure. There is a tiny bead of water inside each of the kernels that evaporates with heat and pressure and eventually bursts.  The result is popcorn!

Let's apply this little science lesson to midterms.  Imagine that you are a popcorn kernel.  You are currently small, flavorless and inedible.  But, after your teachers turn up the heat on the imaginary microwave of schoolwork, you burst and become something awesome!  Not to mention the enormous wave of relief and sense of accomplishment that accompanies having finished that daunting mountain of work.

So for all of you out there who are currently hacking your way through English essays and Biology homework, here are some of my suggestions to help alleviate your pain.

1. Dress nicely. Take a little more time than usual to get dressed in the morning.  There's no point in coming to school in sweatpants and a sweatshirt everyday.  When you look good, you feel good.  Another plus is that you aren't so likely to fall asleep during your geometry teacher's millionth droning lecture on triangles!
2. Get your daily eight hours of sleep.  You will feel more energized and your brain will too!  You'll end up doing much better on the actual tests.
3. DO. NOT. PROCRASTINATE.  I cannot stress this enough!  It will save you so much energy and sleep.  A little each day is the way to go, or else you risk becoming extremely overwhelmed.
4. Take breaks.  Listen to music, write in a journal, or watch an episode of your favorite TV show.  Do whatever it is that allows you to relax for a bit.  It'll work wonders!

Good luck everyone!

Communication. An Essential Part to Life.

Communication is one of the most important factors taken into consideration while evaluating someone, whether it be as a friend or potential employee.  Leaders always have a good form of communication called practical intelligence.  It is defined as the ability to know what to say, who to say it to, how to say it, and when to say it.  In Chapter 7 of Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell decribes to us just how important communication really is.

He states that plane crashes are caused by a single technical error followed by six human errors.  It is these errors in communication that could ultimately decide whether the plane lands safely or crashes.

Studies show that cultural legacy also has much to do with plane crashes.  Many times the relationship between the captain and the first officer were harsh due to cultural legacy.  The captain would only fly the plane, leaving the first officer to do everything else.  However, if the first officer suggested anything that the captain does not like or agree with, the captain would often physically harm the officer.  As a result, the officers learned to accept their position underneath the captain.  They developed a way of getting their point across called "mitigated speech".  In essence, mitigated speech is a way of "dancing around the subject" or sugarcoating what it is you have to say.  This way, they could get their point across, however, it would take longer and not be urgent at all.

This mitigated speech proved to be one of the worst forms of communication according to Gladwell.  The devastating crash of Avianca 052 only cements this theory.  The first officer (in charge of communicating to the ATC) used mitigated speech and did not give off any sense of urgency.  This ended up being the downfall of the aircraft.  Seventy-eight people lost their lives that day, all because of one person's failure to communicate.

The most important lesson we can learn from this chapter is to not use mitigated speech in emergecies.  There is a time to be diplomatic, but when your plane is about to go down, you set that aside and tell the ATC exactly what is going on!  You have to use a sense of urgency or else people may not take you seriously, and innocent lives could potentially be lost.

Window to the Past...

I would definitely call myself a devout Harry Potter fan.  You say werewolf, I say Lupin. (Jacob? Please...)  This is an absolutely gorgeous song from the Prisoner of Askaban soundtrack.  I know for a fact that I'll be one of the most nostalgic people after the series ends, and this song will be on replay for a very long time... It's called Window to the Past.

Culture of Honor? PART DEUX!!!

Continuing my rant about my cultural legacy... Much of it is also based off of my parents.  Everyone in the family says that I am a carbon copy of my father (to which I always reply, "In girl form of course!"), and I have to admit that there is definitely a lot that is similar between the two of us.

 He started out in a poor family in the southern part of India.  He never really cared much for school and would always get in trouble for his quick temper.  Eventually he came to America and enrolled in a college in Ohio.  To help pay his rent, he started out working at a neighboring college... as a dishwasher, but using his people skills, quickly advanced in the kitchen "ranks".  Somewhere along the line he realized that the careless attitude he had back home was not going to get him anywhere, so he reformed himself and later became the valedictorian of his college class. He is now extremely successful as the Director of Imaging Services at a hospital.

I admit, our family is better than well off.  This considered, I did not start out poor, but my personality is very much the same.  When in a good mood, we are happy and fun to be around.  However, do not cross us when we are angry over something!  Also, whenever I set my mind to something, I always get it done.  And done well.  Just like my father using sheet determination to rise from the bottom to top of his class.

So that's pretty much why I act the way I do.  So later guys :)

Culture of Honor?

Currently in GT we are reading a book called "Outliers" by Malcom Gladwell.  In Chaper 6 he introduces something called a "culture of honor".  Cultural legacies are basically what defines how we act.  It states that we react to certain ideas or confrontations much like our ancestors would.   Two people named Dov Cohen and Richard Nesbett observed the behavior of students from the University of Michagan to see if there were any specific patterns.  Surely enough, students of English, Irish, or Scottish descent acted towards the chosen insult most violently, and students from the same area of the world tended to act similarly.

I find my cultural legacy hard to describe.  I am an Indian girl who was born here in the U.S. However I feel like even though I was born here, I am still very connected to Indian culture.  I am a Hindu, and I believe that religion is a large part of my life.  Our family goes to the temple once a month and even though I don't follow the faith as devoutly and completely as some do (my Grandmother), I still strive to live my life based on the teachings of Hinduism.  However... Sometimes it is hard.  One of the core beliefs of Hinduism is Karma (what goes around comes around).  I try not to be bad... but I'm a teenager.  Honestly, everyone gets in a little trouble sometimes!

My current favorite... "Welcome" by Christina Aguilera.

Testing....

Just trying things out. Playing with colors, fonts and such...

The One and Only...

Navya!!!!  Welcome my friends, to the Greatest Show on Earth! I'll take you on a journey through time and space and immerse you into my world of thoughts (odd though they might be). I'm currently enrolled in a class called Gifted and Talented and that's pretty much what this is about.  It's one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken because we have so much input concerning what we learn.  You'll be hearing from me a lot so don't mind my crazy antics ;) Later.