Summer English: INTRO TIME

Hey everyone! :) Just a brief introduction about myself and how to use this blog.

My name is YoungJee and I am super excited to have been given this opportunity to try to help and give back.I know that I will not be the best "teacher/tutor," but I will try my hardest! The youth group leader/preacher and I met and formed a syllabus/course guideline! We (my cousins and I) will be basically making each groups' curriculum, so if you want us to focus on something, please just tell us! :) Reading this may take a long time, but I am typing in English because:
1) I can't really write and read Korean .. takes forever!
2) I want you guys to practice reading! :)

With that being said, please do not feel shy or ashamed about anything! Remember that my writing and reading Korean skills ARE worse than anyone's English skills here! You guys can read Korean rapidly and write it without thinking, but it takes me forever to do so --- and I have to really try. So, just think that our language "talents" got switched.

With that being said, please try to actively engage yourselves in the English conversations we will have and ask ANY questions!!

You guys have three people who want to teach English, so please utilize us!

***Please write a sentence or two in the comments section about what you want us to focus on! Make sure to type your name at the end of the post! :)

THANKS!

Summer English TOIEIC/TOEFL/SAT CLASS

**TOIEIC/TOEFL/SAT CLASS VOCAB LIST:
July 11th class

abhor-
acquiesce-
bellicose-
beverage-
coherent-
census-
denounce-
distract-
enigma-
fatigue-


MEMORIZE THESE WORDS FOR FRIDAY! :)
There will be a little quiz!
I just gave the words here... find the definitions online in English or Korean!

FIGHTING! :)

Homework: Write a sentence using the word, find two similar words (syn.) and two opposite words (antonym).

English: Placement Test in Case Anyone Needs it!

English Placement Test:

Name: Grade:

**This “test” is designed to take a glimpse at your English. Please do not stress over this as I have no idea who is taking this test.  Try your best! Sorry if this is too easy or too difficult.
**If you need more room to write, please use the back! 


1. Tell me, in 2-3 sentences, about your life dreams and goals.







2. What is your favorite book and why? (Any book!)







3. Do you like living in Andong? Why or why not?







4. What changes do you want to see occur in our future world? Why?








3. Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

*The students have discovered that they can address issues more effectively through letter-writing campaigns and not through public demonstrations. No error


*All states impose severe penalties on drivers who do not stop when he or she is involved in accidents. No error



*Maude Adams, after her spectacular triumph as the original Peter Pan, went about heavy veiled and was accessible to only a handful of intimate friends. No error

Summer English Classes

It’s an English Summer!
** Dates and times may change.
Contact me: yjeejung@gmail.com 

4 Classes:

* TOIEIC /TOEFL/SAT
+ Targeted age group: last 2 years of HS/college + Mon, Wed, and Fri – 6 PM
+ English sections, practice problems… GET READY FOR YOUR FUTURE… it’s almost here!
+ Prep for one or all of these exams in a stress free environment!

*English Lit. Discussion/Speaking
+ Book: To Kill A Mockingbird
+ Targeted age group: High school +Tuesday and Thursday – 6 PM
+ Want to discuss an important American literature masterpiece? Learn to speak your opinions and thoughts (in English) on important life lessons and figurative language devices seen in To Kill A Mockingbird. Even if you already know how to do so, practice using English in this group!
+ If you can, please get a copy of this book. If you can’t, here is a pdf version: http://tecfaetu.unige.ch/etu-maltt/R2D2/dacostj7/stic-2/ex14/epub/ex14.pdf
+ If you are going to use the pdf version, please tell me so that I can make copies of pages that we will be discussing, etc. 
+ Also get ready for vocab lists and other activities!
+ After we read the entire novel, there will be an essay assigned over it! The best essay will win a prize!

*Grammar
+ Targeted age group: middle – high school + Mon, Wed, Fri – 4:30 PM
+ We will be using a textbook for this group
+ Includes SAT writing/grammar sections
+ Practice problems, etc.
+ Also we will practice correct grammatical English to use during conversation

*Elementary Basics
+ Targeted age group: Elementary + Friday and Saturday – 10 AM
+ A fun and interactive group that will introduce English to beginners!
+ Beginning from the basics, this group is designed to make sure that kids start with correct English pronunciations!
+ Get ready for fun and exciting children’s books like Dr. Seuss  At the end of each class, there will be reading time!

Duke

This emails wants to go to Duke. "Dear Young-Jee: I am writing to let you know that we have not received a response from you concerning your placement on our waiting list. We are therefore assuming that you have made a firm commitment to another university and that you do not wish to be on our waiting list. I know that by now you have made other arrangements for your college education, and I expect that, given your accomplishments, you had a number of excellent choices. I know that the school fortunate enough to count you among its students will benefit greatly from your presence. I have no doubt that you’ll find much success as you pursue your education further. Thank you again for applying to Duke." Ha.Ha.Ha. Duke probably thinks I got accepted to lots of schools and that I chose a one that is deemed higher than it. hee hee. It says: "A NUMBER OF EXCELLENT CHOICES" when I really only had one. I love nice e-mails. Thanks Duke, but no...I won't be on that waitlist. I hate waiting for the obvious rejection now. :)

Blogspot's new template kinda sucks. It won't let me space out lines....argh.

Hello! It's been awhile since my last blog posts that, I believe, were centered around rejections. During the past few weeks, I believe my path for the next 4 years has been settled. I shouldn't be writing this blog post until after AP testing, but writing has always had a very calming and refreshing effect on me, and I think I need to escape from the real world right now. I have currently finished 2 out of my 8 AP tests and I just need a break. I don't want to even think about the AP tests that are scattered throughout next week. I need to study, but ha, sooo much!! :( Oh well~! I'll get started soon! :) Anyways... Warning: the contents in this post will be scattered and random! Read at your own risk of confusion :) Life Without Mom: It's interesting how even though a person goes away from you, life still goes on and everything seems to still be functioning. I've always been a tough girl who can keep emotions to herself and who also goes on with life .... Maybe it's cause my dad and I always Skype with her :) It's also interesting how easily my dad can cover both the mom and dad roles. :) College: Ah.....college.......I'm going to UT. Hook'EM! I'm actually honestly pretty excited, yet at the same time a part of me is yearning to go to another school, which is honestly very, very foolish. Why is it foolish? -- Well, all the things I have ever wanted in a school is provided by UT. I basically get a full ride to UT, as I got a $19,500 scholarship through the awesome Terry Foundation as a Terry Scholar. I can't express how much being chosen as one of the Terry Scholar means to me! The main reason I chose not to accept any of my wait list offers was me becoming a Terry Scholar. In addition, I feel like UT has been the only school that WANTS me. It has been the ONLY one that has basically said, you're smart and you have the potential to become the doctor and person you desire to become and we want to invest in you, we believe in you. And that has honestly meant the world to me through these hard times of rejections and dejection. Being told that hey, you're good enough and that someone appreciates all my efforts in service and leadership, etc. has really helped me.

I honestly believe that all humans are able to make the grades, climb to the top of the school ranks. It just depends on if you want to invest time doing that, hardwork, etc. Which are undeniably important characters. However, I believe it is more important to be a more well-rounded unselfish person who enjoys the world explores humanity than be a few ranks up. There will be thousands of these people at UT, even though we often think that UT is just the back-up, the place where rejects often fall back to. But, it's also where you find the people who have followed their passions and although have had setbacks in college decisions (if they did indeed get rejected,) have stayed true to themselves. I am greatly generalizing and although I know the dangers of doing so, I just feel like this sometimes. We understand the taste of rejection and so I believe have become so much more humble and appreciative. It took me to the very end of high school to realize that the college doesn't matter. It's really just a name. Do you think that going to a different school with the same attitudes in each will be greatly different? That I, with my same attitude and work ethic, would have been smarted attending XYZ high school, than Consol. Hell no. I was blind by the name values that society blindly places on students. I didn't understand what the upper classmen told me last year about how it doesn't matter. It's about what you do there. I seek to now try to deliver this message to the Juniors now, but although they respectful listen, I know they don't understand. It'll be when the rejection letters roll around that they finally will. Of course, if you were accepted to an Ivy, that is a huge milestone and achievement..I am NOT denying that...but I guess this post is for the people like me. I'm excited for UT, but something in me makes me a bit jealous... UT: My Girl state buddy is going to probably be my roommate..and I AM SO EXCITED.SO VERY!! In addition, Plan II is awesome :) and Terry scholar :) and I was accepted to the 3 year undergraduate program that directs us straight to med school. However, I had to chose between the 3 year and Plan II ... sad. I hope I made the right choice, as my goal is to not only become a doctor but to become a well-rounded one. For me the path to the future is simple and plain. God, admist all the pain, has still remembered me and directed me to the path of UT. I believe that he has truly lead me through this path, knowing that I will do better in a UT's setting than at another school... April 5th was my birthday..and it was the day that I received new of being selected a Terry Finalist and selected for an interview. I also believe that the many college interviews were in the end not useless at all, as I was able to rock the terry interview through so much practice. :) PEACE.

Words are simply beautiful. Oh and water.

Light ripples race each other, flowing the other way once they hit the tedium that breaks their little race. The light shines in at the perfect angle, allowing the water to shimmer and dance around. I gently and gingerly lift my foot and swish it through the waves, watching as the waves become bigger as the ripples start some sort of panicked dance. I kick the water. The water that once looked like waves, suddenly become particle-like as a couple of droplets splash onto my legs. The soft melodious whispers sound like little secrets being told, trickling into my ears. I am captivated. Entranced. Oh, the magic of water. The power that it has to change colors, to shimmer, to dance, to splash, to give hope, to destroy, to save, to heal, to rejuvenate. What a treasure it is.

My dad said that I looked like a slowly dying person. ha. funny.

When people ask...

Now that decisions are out, the only thing left is for all the parents and underclassmen asking me about them. "Did you make Harvard, etc" I think this will prob be the worse.... I had about 5 underclassmen question me with hopeful eyes and I couldn't really answer them: "no, i got rejected and waitlist in everything, except like 2." I just shrugged, shook my head once, and walked away. Sorry if it's rude. I just can't take the whole awkward moment afterwards. A moment of silence afterwards with a "Oh" on her/his part and then a "yeah" and huge exaggerated smile on my part. I don't mind going to UT, I'm just disappointed in myself. I really can't wait to move away from this town that has set so many expectations and stereotypes on me. Can't wait to face the Korean women. Great. I'm a solider going off to the slaughterhouse/war. Can't Wait.

A New Chapter

It's time for me to close my college dreams and face the cold reality of rejections.
I will make a collage of all my rejection and waitlist letters and take them with me when I go to college. And everytime I feel like giving up or just doing badly, I will look on this said collage and recharge. I will not be the one receiving all the rejections in 4 years for medical school. Bring it on. :)

Mis padres

The one thing (out of lots) that I like about my parents is the way they're so optimistic. Always telling me this isn't the end, when it sure does feel like it...
Always, even when it does not look like it or feel like it, they believe in me.. at least deep down.

Just once in my Life...

I love my friends. My amazingly smart, I-still-have-a-life friends. But just once in my life, I want to be the person getting congratulated on something. I've congratulated and celebrated so much with my friends and I am truly ecstatic and proud of them. Yet, I wonder when it'll be my turn to impress them, I guess? I know that their process was probably full of blood and tears and that they just keep that a secret, but will that day come when people will be proud that they know me? They haven't here in College Station. Well, I can change that these next four years. College will be my new beginning that I desperately need. High school just seems like a black hole for some reason. Something just feels empty/missing.

Waitlist sucks.

'nuff said.

Life is a Marathon

Life is a marathon and we are all marathon runners.
College is only at the 10 or so km mark. We have so many kilometers left.
You never know in a marathon who's going to win.
We just gotta keep running.

Rainy Day Thoughts

It's interesting and sad how much location changes perspective and truly every aspect of life.

This week was when Kony 2012 came out and captured the thoughts and attention of millions of online viewers and people. While in bed, smothered with blankets, I opened the link and watched the 29 minute video. During those minutes, I "traveled" to Uganda and "experienced" Jacob's pain, as tears silently flowed down my face. His words to his gone brother, who was basically beheaded in attempts to flee the LRA, his pleas for the Americans to kill him "if possible," the pain and fear in his face. Yet also, his hope. He looks shy as he tells the cameramen of his dream of becoming a lawyer. He smiles faintly, as if even he knows that his dream is far-fetched and impossible to reach. He knows that it is. All because he lives in Uganda. All because of location. As I watched and re-watched some segments, like other millions of viewers, I wanted to do something. To help. But how? As these thoughts filled my mind at 4 am, I then turned off the I-phone, tightly hugged my pillow, and went to bed. Turned it all off and went to bed, knowing that I am safe. Knowing that these problems are far away. We are able to just shut out problems and continue on with our lives, worrying about college decisions, and knowing that in the end, God will provide. We continue on with worrying over boys, typing out thoughts and rants on blogs, complaining about how much life sucks and how grades are dropping and ruining lives...all these complaints and worries never being life and death situations. All because we live here. All because we were born to our individual set of parents.



How is that? Why is that? Why does God seem to provide for us, yet often times, in our eyes, not for them? Don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian, yet I'm just one with questions. God told us and promised us to not worry about tomorrow, about the clothes we wear or the food we eat.. yet why does this promise seem to apply to the more well off and not others? I'm sure it does and as a human I can't see and understand what's going on and everything. Free will stuff I guess? When college decisions for UT came out and some of my friends did not get their wanted majors, they just said it wasn't meant to be and God has other plans. I'm sure my parents and I will say that once my college results come out, but hey, we rely on God so much in such comfortable situations. We say that it wasn't meant to be, knowing that we'll be going somewhere. Yet, what about the people in Uganda, Syria, North Korea, etc.? Believing in God and relying on Him is so easy here. Believing and trusting God when you're a child solider, when you're a sex slave, when you're starving... that's true and that's real faith. [Disclaimer: I'm not saying we don't have real faith, here. Sorry if it sounds that way.] Yet, more often than not, why do our prayers seem to be answered, yet theirs aren't? Maybe it's just that that things we pray for (college, happiness, etc.) just happens here when we try. There are no answers to these questions. See, truly, ignorance is bliss. The more we don't know about what other people are suffering through, the more we don't think about it. The more we continue to complain about every aspects of our lives. I complain a lot and having watched Kony 2012 and after reading a TIMES article about Syria... I'm ashamed to have done so. Just being able to sit here and type is a blessing. Yesterday as the heavens roared and thunder, lightnings, and rain poured down from above, I noticed how strong our ceiling was. How comfortable and safe everything was, when outside it was horrible. Just imagine camping outside now. That's how some people live.






~~I don't care if it's hard ... I'm becoming a doctor and that's how I will help. Granted, I can give little help by donating my time and money now, which I do in service clubs, etc. But the true help will come later. And I will make it happen.

Imagine if we all switched positions with people in Uganda, Syria, North Korea, even for a day, while having all our old memories. What do you think the people who got our lives would do? Think about it.




***Senior Year has really been a time where I questioned different aspects of life and switched political sides multiple times, while to figure out that politics is just plain corrupt. That no matter how hard we try to fix a problem, a bigger one exists and so fixing something is just impossible. That all politicians want is money, fame, and votes. That economically there are solutions to many of our million dollar problems, yet morally that just can't happen.

I have so much time now that extracurricular activities are winding down and we did not have a Key Club meeting that I need to prepare for because of TAKS testing.
So much time. I never really realized how great it is to come home at 4:15. So much time. All for me.

And to think, this is all over my dog.
Really ironic/sad/unfair how I'm getting depressed about the well-being of my dog for the years to come, while millions of people are starving to death/dealing with harder situations.

I am blessed.

I don't want to grow up anymore.
I'm going to be here all alone this fall.

I don't want to go to college anymore.

My parents/we are moving to Korea this summer. My parents and I have been cleaning and packing our stuff that we had for at least 17 years. At first, I was excited to get to go to Korea, but now it seems all surreal.

We pack and we uncover so many lost memories and treasures from the long years ago. We spend lots of time just looking at old photos and toys, recalling back all those dusty, happy memories.

But really, packing a house that we lived in for 10 years is hard. It just finally hit me, that this place that I am inside of will no longer be the place that I rush to after school. And so what.. it's just a building right?

But then there's Mr. Abbeyboy.
I love this dog. My dog. He's the most nicest and genuine living thing in this world. He guards my window at night and understands both Korean and English. <3
He can sit, down, play dead, roll over, shake hands, stay, catch, come, and be a great sport. He also eats a little bit of grass and looks and acts like a cow.

Thing is, as hard as it is, I'm ready to let go of College Station and our house, but I just can't and don't wanna let Mr. Abbey go. We're moving to Korea, which means that this 7-8 year old dog prob won't make the flight there as "cargo." Also, apparently we can't find space for him to live at.. cause my parents don't even know what jobs and places they'll be at. Korea is just not gonna be a happy Texas place that he's used to. So we really can't take him. He'll be happier here. So I'm looking for a new home here. I don't wanna go to college anymore. I'll live through this boring old life again until Abbey is like 20.

I thought I was a change-loving person. Just personally felt that with change, there are always some sacrifices. I don't like this change. For his sake.

uPDATES!

Hello. Hello! :)

I haven't written on here for a while.. so a quick update!

College update:
I got accepted into UT Plan II Honors on January 5th :)I have a pretty sweet backup now! :) The waiting period for college decisions is starting to get to me. I just want to know now. I hope I here back from Rice/Baylor in March cause that would make my life. Anyways if no good news arrive on April 1st, I need to keep my word to my UPenn interviewer. I told her that no matter what happens, I will still march on. Still have my dream, grit my teeth, smile, enjoy life, and love the school I get accepted to. Through this all, I've learned that it does not really matter where you get accepted; it matters how much you will try hard and seize all the opportunities while at that college. I believe I have done the best I can regarding the college admissions process (maybe if my GPA was a bit higher, but meh,) and having my parents tell me since truly means that I have given it my all. If a college doesn't like me, so what? They're gonna miss out! haha just kidding! I'll just know that there are so many great and talented peers out there and just work harder to get into med school. It'll be my little challenge. :)

Now onto a really really happy and humbly thing.
Today, I got an e-mail from a parent asking me to tutor her son for the SAT. That made my day. I don't know why, but I'm so excited to get to be a tutor! It'll be so much fun! It's so weird, how giddy I am.... you would think I got into Harvard or something. :)

**I though Senior year was suppose to be easier than all the other years.. LIES! This has been the toughest year, maybe it's because I have to really juggle my time with Key Club, Stuco, YAC, and my 8 AP classes. Yeah, being President takes up so much time and energy! but I love it. :D I'm so proud of what we got accomplished this year and really hope to get lots more done before this year is over.

SENIORS, LET'S FINISH STRONG! SHOW'EM WHAT YOU GOT!

I AM DONE WITH COLLEGE APPS

DONE. DONE. DONE. DONE. PRAISE THE LORD!!
i AM DONE!!

First Full Length All-nighter

I'm kinda impressed.