Buying a Car

Part I:

The most significant reason for me picking this car is the fact that it is a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, my dream car. Fortunately, the car is fairly new and has a bunch of renovated accessories. If the add is accurate, I would consider this car a steal!

Part II:

Leasing and financing are still a little confusing to me. However, I do know that if you lease a car you never really own it; but you 'rent' it for a period of time while paying interest. If you finance, you pay a little biweekly or monthly until your car is paid off; there is no interest. In my situation, I would have to pay $4,989.38 interest to lease but I would not have to pay any interest rates if I financed the car. Considering these results, I prefer financing over leasing because I would save $4,989.38! Financing and leasing both make a lot more sense thanks to the newly posted instructions on the wiki page!

June 4th: Moving Out

I chose this apartment because it was cheaper than most of the others and it looked clean and well taken care-of. The description was also very detailed and specific; that was also a big seller. The apartment seems like a good started home for a student!

Amenities

• One bedroom
• Utilities included (assumption)
• On-site laundry room
• 502 Ninth Street, Uptown New Westminster
• Unfurnished (assumption)
• Walking distance to SkyTrain
• Size is not specified
• Month to month (assumption)
• Rent is $870 per month

Portfolio Assessment (Report Card 2)

The assignment with a number of steps that I had to complete in order to be successful would be the "Career Cruising" blog post. I had to look up my dream career (physicist) on quite a few different web sites to figure out what the criteria was for getting accepted into post-secondary for that topic. I chose this assignment because it is personalized to my goals. My detail is something that I would like noticed because I spent a lot of time looking up different universities and their requirements. If I were to change something about this assignment, I would change my career choice. At the time I truly believed that I wanted to become a physicist; but now I am not as confident with my future. I would have chosen a career that was more realistic and attainable. Overall, from the blog post, I learnt that I do not want to become a physicist and that it is extremely difficult to get accepted into a physics program.

My "Employability Skills" blog post is one of my best examples of improvement. I view it as a new-and-improved version of my "How You See Yourself" charts (link in Burn It.) I highlighted this assignment because I think it was a turning point for me in this class. Before this blog post, most of my posts and assignments were satisfactory, at best. But once I completed this blog entry, my work has improved considerably! Something noteworthy about "Employability Skills" is the amount of points I included and my detailed comparison between my chosen skills and the ones that the Employability Skills 2000+. If I were to go back and change something, I would adjust the layout; make it not as informal and point-form. In all, I learnt how to improve my assignments, make them more formal, and what skills I posse that I was unaware of.

A great example of perseverance would be my "Cover Letter" because I faced a writing-block while completing it. While writing my letter I was at a complete stop, I even tried looking at my peers's letters but I still could not think of anything to write. My letter started getting over-due so I did it at home where my dad was able to help me. Something that deserves to get noticed is that the letter is short but still includes all the necessary information. If I could change anything I would go back and check my grammar because I have a feeling that it could use some adjusting. To conclude, this cover letter taught me that asking for help is okay and that sometimes you need someone's opinion. 

An exceptional illustration of risk taking is the "Marijuana" page that Rebecca and I made. I would not consider it to be my best piece of work; but it is my most risky assignment. It fits into this category because we added videos and pictures, tinkered with different fonts and line-segments; most importantly, we did our page on a topic that neither of us were familiar with or really comfortable with. Something significant about this page would be our various videos and pictures, we made sure to add plenty of both so that our project was as interesting as possible. If I were to fix this page, I would clean up the line segments because they do not look very pleasing to the eye. Overall, I learnt a lot about marijuana: its dangers, its misconceptions, its portrayal in the media, and its effects on the body.

My favourite assignment would be my "Nutrition Blog [Post]" because it helped me realize what aspects of my diet I needed to improve. I chose this project because it is something that I am continually working on, even to this day; it is also something that I am passionate about. I really am serious about strengthening my health so that I can feel better and more confident! Something I would like noticed is my breakfast choices because I always have Greek yogurt with fruits, bran, and a little bit of honey and that is really healthy and energizing. If I were to fix the post, I would spend a little more time editing the pictures because they look really messy, in my opinion. I learnt a lot from this specific assignment; I learnt that I need to eat 5 small snacks instead of 3 large meals, I need to drink water instead of juice and pop, and that I need to eat more vegetables and fruits!

Something of personal significance would definitely be my "Personal Collage." It is specific to my interests and reflects some of the most important aspects of my life: music, television, literature, and hobbies. I highlighted this collage because it was one of the most amusing assignments that I have completed in this course. I found it quite fun to create something about myself for myself! If I were to go back and make some changes, I would probably use some better pictures and add some new ones - since some of my preferences have changed. While putting together this collage I realized that the music I listen to, the books I read, and how much time I put into dance has really shaped who I am and will continue to help me evolve as life goes on.

The assignments that I would like to burn are the "How You See Yourself" charts because I have no idea what I was doing when I wrote them. The charts do not really apply to my personality at all; I do not understand half of the things that I wrote about. There is not a single thing about that assignment that I would like to get recognized; I rather the charts be completely avoided, in all honesty. If I were to ready this assignment I would start from scratch and reflect on each topic to make sure that I complete the charts honestly and accurately. From these charts, I learned that it is better to take your time on projects than to rush them, and to focus and reflect on the little details.

***Overall, this course has taught me a lot about careers, education, health, and finance. I am very pleased with the amount of information I have obtained from this course. I genuinely think that this class will continue to be useful; it is truly one of the only classes that I feel will be relevant to real life. Anyhow, I feel like I deserve a G for my work habits because I am consistent with handing in my work on time, unless I was away; I help others, for example I help Rebecca with tech problems; and I am a hard worker, I always complete my assignments to the best of my ability. Regarding my percentage, I think I deserve 93-95% for the same reasons that I deserve a G. As a final note, Planning 10 has been a great experience and has opened my mind to new possibilities and opportunities!

nutrition blog

Concerning my diet, I would like to improve my eating patterns. I want to start eating smaller meals 5 times a day, and eat smaller portions. I would also like to lose maybe 10-15 pounds. Overall, I would just like to feel more confident in my body. 

I do plan on achieving these goals because I think they will improve my confidence and health. I think I'm already on the right path to eating healthier: my breakfast is very nutritious! However, I could replace my white grains with whole grains and my juice with water.

I think that the only obstacle standing in my way is myself. I might get lazy and lose focus on remaining healthy. In all, I'm really commited to improving my health and getting stronger!

Nutrition Log

Saturday

morning:

Greek yogurt with frozen blueberries, vanilla, and bran.

Lunch:

Roast land, rice, potatoes, and pomegranate juice. I ate about 3/4 of this.

Dinner:

Kraft Dinner, steak, brocolli, and water. I ate 1/2 of the steak.

After-Dinner Snack:

Cookies-n-cream milk, strawberries with caramel sauce, and 1/3 bag of popcorn.

Sunday

breakfast:

Greek yogurt with strawberries, honey, and granola.

lunch:

Snap peas and 1/2 of the steak.

dinner:

2 pieces of pizza, 5 chicken wings, Tabasco sauce, and salad.

desert:

Brownies with vanilla ice cream.

Portfolio Assessment (Report Card 1)

At the beginning of the course, I only set two goals: to figure out what I want to be when I grow up and what college/university I want to go to. As a student, I want to focus on my studies so that I can get the career (engineer) I want and get into the university that I want (Stanford). Some of my best assignments in this class, so far, are my Dream Career Prezi and the University Dean Prezi that Rebecca and I worked on. They show that I put lots of effort and time into my work. They also show how much more I have gained by including lots of new information. However, I could probably improve on my grammar and punctuation skills because I tend to forget about them when I am writing blog posts and making Prezi presentations. My overall development can be seen by looking back at my old blogs posts and comparing them to my more recent ones. They show how much my understanding has improved. What best represents success in my portfolio would probably be my personal page, it covers my achievements with more personal depth than my blog does because it focuses more on my hobbies, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and my values.

1.   Self-Regulation: The work habit I would give myself for self-                    regulation would be ‘G’ because…

ü I always attend class unless I am sick or away for the day

ü I stay caught up with blog posts and assignments

ü I always come to class prepared and ready to work

ü I use my phone when it is appropriate and I do not let it distract me

ü I sit beside people that I work well with

ü I use my class time productively and complete assignments when they are due

ü I am able to differentiate my strengths from my weaknesses and use them to my advantage by choosing partners that excel with what I struggle with

ü I am willing to consider everyone’s point of view by looking at things in other’s perspectives

ü I am also willing to try new things like exploring different careers and post-secondary schools

2. Quality of Communication Skills:     I feel like I deserve 86-90% because…

ü I know what courses are required for my dream career as an engineer: Chemistry 11&12, Physics 11&12, Pre-Calculus 11&12, and the required courses needed to graduate

ü I am know what skills I currently have that will help me excel in engineering: good with numbers, enjoy building things, and creativity

ü I use Wikispaces and Blogger to my advantage; as well as, other programs like Prezi and Power-Point

ü I have met and, on some occasions, exceeding the given criteria for assignments and blog-posts

ü I do my best to write grammatically correct blog-post and presentations

ü I complete assignments to the best of my ability

3. Contributions to the Learning Environment: I feel like I deserve 87-90% because…

ü I edit my blog-posts and reply to comments

ü When I comment on other’s blog-posts I try to post productive and questions that make the blogger think more about what they are writing

ü I share my ideas when I think they are important

ü I do research when working on projects to make sure my facts are correct

ü I help my friends when they need technical help

ü I complete assignments on time

ü I bring a positive attitude to the class

4. Student Learning: I feel like I deserve 90-95% because… I have learnt a lot about what career I want to pursue / what university I want to attend.

To me, engaging in activities means that you ask helpful questions, state appropriate opinions, and include everyone in the activity. I think I was most engaged in the university dean project because it focused on what I wanted to do and what university I wanted to attend. I was really eager to learn about different universities and I did that by carefully listening to the presentations. From those presentations, I learned that I want to become an engineer and attend Stanford University in California.

         

     Overall, I think that I deserve around 93% because I have applied myself and I work really hard in Planning. I also feel like my I have done my best in all four categories: self-regulation, quality of communication skills, contributions to the learning environment, and student learning. I have also improved a lot since the beginning of the semester and I have figured out a lot more about my future; career and education wise. I look forward to learning more about life-skills, graduation requirements, and career opportunities.

My Employable Skills

Communication

•sociable

•respectful

Problem solving

•persistent

•smart

Team work

•good at talking with others

•good at listening to instructions

Personal responsibility

•responsible for my own actions

•aware of my strengths and weaknesses

Employability Skills 2000+ Results

Communicating

•I listen and ask questions to understand and appreciate the points of view of others

•I use relevant scientific, technological and mathematical knowledge and skills to explain or clarify ideas

Using Numbers

•I decide what needs to be measured or calculated

•I observe and record data using appropriate methods, tools and technology

Thinking & Problem Solving

•I seek different points of view and evaluate them based on facts

•I am creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions.

•I readily use science, technology and mathematics as ways to think, gain and share knowledge, solving problems and make decisions.

•I evaluate solutions to make recommendations or decisions

Working with Others

•I understand and work within the dynamics of a group

•I ensure that a team's purpose and objectives are clear

Participating in Projects & Tasks

•I plan, design or carry out a project or task from start to finish with well-defined objectives and outcomes

Demonstrating Positive Attitudes & Behaviors

•I recognize my own and other people's good efforts

Learning Continuously

•I plan for and achieve your learning goals

I think that my personal opinion and the test results are not radically different. I did not really talk about the same skills as the test did so it is difficult to compare the two. However, I can agree with my results. I should work on improving my group-working skills and my time-management/organization skills.

Based off of my employability skills, I would be the perfect person to hire for a job because I am smart, a good problem-solver, and I am good at asking important questions.

Interim: Self-Regulation

Personally, I believe that I am pretty good at self-regulation. I attend class, come prepared, do my work, notify my teacher if I will be missing any classes, and I always have my work completed on time. I am able to listen and accept other’s opinions and I express mine in a respectful manner. I communicate and work well with others. I work hard and complete my tasks to the best of my ability. However, I think that I can work on helping others more; when I complete an assignment I usually just keep to myself and play games while I wait for the next assignment. I can fix this and help others instead of wasting time. Overall, I think that I deserve a G because I have been working well in this course.

Career Cruising

What are your short and long term education and career goals?

My most important short term education goal would half to be to improve my overall percentage to ninety-two plus and to maintain my 4.0 grade point average. A long term education goal is to get accepted into university and get a doctoral degree in physics. My long term career goal would be to become a physics professor at a university and teach students with similar goals to mine.

What education is required for you to achieve your goals?

To become a physics professor, I need to get a doctoral degree. It will take at least ten years of university: four years to get a bachelor’s degree, two years to get a master’s degree, and four or more years to get a doctoral degree.

What institutions or facilities provide the education and training? Which institution is the most appropriate for your interests, lifestyle and preferences?

To become a physicist you must attend a university that provides classes that are needed to get your doctorate. I am still unsure of which universities I should attend; but, I am considering Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Brock University, or Carleton University.

What courses will you take during grade 11 and 12 that will prepare you for your education and training?

To become a physicist it’s best to take as many Sciences and Mathematic courses as possible. In grade eleven, I plan on taking Physics 11, Chemistry 11, and Pre-Calculus 11. In grade twelve, I plan on taking Physics 12, Chemistry 12, Biology 12, and Pre-Calculus 12.

What co-curricular, volunteer or community experience will help you achieve your goals?

Joining a Science Club is great because you can learn more about what you are getting yourself into. Unfortunately, I am not able to join any clubs because of dance.

What do you have to do to achieve your goals? (ex. save money, work experience)

I do not have many things in my favor, at this point in time, that could really set me back or increase the odds. However, my parents have saved up money for my education, so I do have enough money to pay my tuition. I do not have any work experience.

What are the potential challenges you may face in achievement of your goals?

I think that overcoming failure will be the greatest challenge; however, I am very persistent and I think that this will help me keep going and achieving my goals!

What will you do to meet these challenges?

When I meet these challenges, I will probably be frustrated at first but I know that I will overcome them.

What is your timeline (ex. how many years) for achieving your goals?

I do not have a timeline; but, I am hoping to go to university and begin my post-secondary education immediately.

How will you monitor your success as you work to achieve your goals over the next _ years?

Usually, I monitor my progress by looking back at my previous work and comparing it to my current work to see how much I have improved and if I am making some of the same mistakes or not.

Personality Quizzes

Holland’s Personality Test          top traits:                            tie with artistic and entrepreneurial

                                                                lowest trait:                        realistic

The VARK Questionnaire             top learning style:            visual

                                                                lowest learning stole:     read/write

Career Test                                         top career type:                               directive

                                                                Lowest career types:      objective

Job Environments Quiz                 ideal job environment:  enterprising       

                                                                Worst job environment:               realistic and conventional

Do you think the tests were accurate? Why or why not?

I think that, over all, the quiz results were very off. The only quiz that gave a correct analogy to my personality was the VARK Questionnaire because I do tend to remember things better by looking at graphics and highlighting important details. The quiz that gave the most inaccurate results was the Holland’s Personality Test. Never have I thought of myself as ‘entrepreneurial’. If anything, I am the exact opposite. I could not care less about making money at the moment. The artistic part is kind of off as well. I am not good at painting, drawing, or any form of art besides, maybe, dance.

What surprised you?

                The only thing that really surprised me was how wrong the results were about me, in all honesty.

What insights into yourself were accurate?

                The only accurate result was from the VARK Questionnaire saying that I am a visual learner.

Do your results steer or direct you in a certain career path or field?

                No, not at all! The tests were too inaccurate to even consider changing my career path.

Were there any reoccurring themes between the four quizzes?

                Yes, most of my results revolve around the enterprise industry which really surprised me. I have always thought of myself as having more of a social or investigative career.

My Golden Future

Once I leave high school I want to go straight to university. Currently, I am looking at U.B.C. and S.F.U. as my options; but, only because I do not really know what schools are out there and what they offer and I do not have any specific location in mind, I am fine going to school anywhere. Ever since I can remember, I have excelled at math, it has always been my favorite class. When I started high school science, I was exposed to physics which I quickly grew to enjoy as much as pre-calculus (my favorite form of math). This past fall, I attended a course, A Slice of Pi, at S.F.U. which opened my eyes to different kinds of sciences. That is when I realized that I want to become a physics professor. 

The reason that I want to become a physics professor rather than a teacher is because of my life motto, why go for the bronze when you can win the gold? I am a perfectionist and a hard worker, and I think that these traits will help me reach my goal and exceed in life. Another reason that I want to become a professor is, I want to teach those who share the same passion as me, not some students that are forced to take a course. I want to inspire people like me. My final reason is, I want to make a change in the world. I want to leave a mark on the planet. I want to contribute to science and inspire more females to contemplate a career in the sciences.

Math has always been my passion and I am confident that it will remain my inspiration. I look forward to establishing a career for myself and working hard to accomplish my goals.