Well, I finally got around to creating the blog about the Vauxhall meet. The drive was, like, 6 hours so that's naturally where I'm going to start this blog.
We watched, according to my request, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat (I got it on DVD for Christmas), Star Trek, Kung Fu Panda 2... We were watching movies for almost the entire ride, if we weren't sitting around making odd noises at each other. I'm serious. Braeden and I were definitely talking weird almost the entire time we were in the van. We stopped at Scott's Parable where I got 4 CD's for 8 bucks (W00T!) and we continued on to Lindon where we stopped for some amazing lunch and the best pie in the world, and it was generally an awesome ride down.
Quizzing starts, not a great first quiz. I don't remember if I erred out or just didn't do very well but we weren't too happy with that quiz. -shrug-
The hotel was fun... We went to Boston Pizza despite our experience with the wait times there at the last meet, and headed back to the hotel to enjoy it while watching the last 20 minutes or so of the King's Speech. It was interesting from what I remember but I don't remember much... I had melatonin in my system and I was doing flashcards (let me know about any typos... I am sure that there are several)
I woke up against my better judgement at 5 in the morning and tried to focus on my studying as I couldn't get back to sleep. Patricia insisted that 7 was the best time to meet for breakfast so that's when Lana and I went down, eventually no longer making any resemblance to zombies and getting pumped for the rest of the meet.
The rest of the meet was kind of a blur. NEXT 1 was either really tired or just not prepared enough... We ended up in consolation in the afternoon despite a WXYZ quiz that went a thousand times better than the rest of the morning. Didn't do too well in consolation either, though, so I guess it was a good thing that we didn't end up in championships... we would've gotten crushed. As Jon said, it was a lesson in humility if anything... A reminder that even if we had a good meet last meet and a good year last year doesn't mean we can study less or not try as hard. I think it was also a reminder that getting into championships, doing well... They're things to be proud of. Puts things into perspective.
NEXT 2, however, rocked the socks off of the meet, winning the Rookie Division finals! (They were amazing. Seriously. NEXT 1 could learn a few things from them).
The drive home was filled with G.I. Joe and studying... Chapter 8. You'd think that I'd give myself a bit of review time after that meet... Heh. It probably would've been a really good idea. But at least I'm really good at chapter 8. Its an easier chapter but I'm good at it now.
From the ride home I went straight to LAJ with Lana... It was an extremely surreal weekend, to be completely honest.
NEXT 2 has been keeping up the good work at practices and seem to be getting better every work, and NEXT 1 has, with renewed focus, gotten back on track and are ready for anything next weekend at the Southgate meet. Well, almost anyways.
Once again, I am studying for my Highland theory and realizing how much my Quizzing is helping my Highland and vice-versa. For example: one thing my teacher told me at my private lesson once that has become my motto for the rest of the year: "They're not neccessarily better than you... You're just not trying as hard as they are." I feel like I haven't been trying as hard this year, and I feel like keeping that in the forefront of my mind will remind me that it isn't an issue of being a 'good quizzer'... It's a matter of effort and trying hard.
Anyways, I'll blog about the upcoming meet another time. I only have up to chapter 5 in flashcards done and I really need those things...
Question of the blog: How was the last meet for you guys? Learn anything new?
Quizzers Unite!
Maegan
Is that even a word? I'm not sure. But April once again is awesome and has reminded me that I haven't blogged announcing the next quiz meet yet, like I usually do! Obviously, Winter break has taken a bit of a toll on my mind (and as my team would testify, my quizzing :oS). But I do have a list of valid excusees including the following (yes, I'm about to list a bunch of excuses for not blogging):
It's January, and not only does my dance school have our recital in the beginning of January, the 25th of the month is Robbie Burns Day, and Highland dancers are naturally super busy around that time. I had a dance performance yesterday and I will have another one tomorrow. If that's not excuse enough, my class was also working on new choreograpy at the beginning of December that we had just over a month to prepare, and I have a championship that I've been preparing to enter in, so I've been super dedicated to my dancing lately. Not that I haven't been trying to study as much quizzing as possible, of course.
Also, I've been really busy with my new job at Jysk. At one point I was working 20 hours in one week, although now it has eased up considerably to 7 hours, 6 this week. I literally wore pieces of dance costumes under my work clothes twice this week.
Annnnd I am now co-directing (coaching and choreographing for, scheduling practices for, writing letters to the parents of) a dance team at my church. Which if you lie in Edmonton you need to ask me about because it is awesome.
So if that's not excuse enough to have been caught up and not available to blog much, you either aren't a dancer, or didn't actually read the last few paragraphs.
But, yes, thus is my life. My flashcards are WAY behind, my blog hasn't been updated since... did I even blog about the last quiz meet? At all? Man, do I have some catching up to do!
So, let's start with the last quiz meet. Lots of fun stuff happened including a massive game of Gump that got slightly out of hand, falling flat on my face trying to do fouettes without warming up, running off to the mall during the break between prelims and championships... and oh yeah, QUIZZING :o)!
We had some really really good quizzes, all of which I am extremely proud of. There was one really crappy quiz which I would prefer not to really talk about, which was our last quiz of the day (Lana almost fell asleep on the benches, actually. It was pretty funny), but it was a fun day in general. Like normal, we took the long way around things, and placed 7th in Championships! Without a stats sheet in front of me I don't remember how NEXT 2 placed, but they did really awesome. In my opinion, they could be in the Senior bracket but *shrug*. They're doing awesome.
Personally, I placed 8th in the championship bracket which is a huge success! Not a personal best, but awesome nonetheless.
This next quiz meet is just... Gah. I'm too tired most of the time to really force myself to get pumped (dancing takes a lot of emotional, mental, and physical energy which I don't seem to have a lot of lately). However, while well-rested and caffienated, the thought of it sends my stomach butterflies insane. Without caffiene I'm not panicking though, so I guess that's a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. Bad thing because I am WAAAAAY behind and a little bit of freaking out could do my quizzing a lot of good.
I'm looking into binaural beats for focus and high brain activity, and I'll let you guys know what my experience is. Right now I'm desperate so I'll try almost anything.
Quesiton of the blog: Do you get less motivated over the Winter months? I sure do.... this happens every year!
Anywhoodiddles. There is studying to be done and I have a dance out tomorrow and I don't really have the time to be blogging :oP
QUIZZERS UNITE!
Maegan
Well. I stopped the title before it became a song reference. Are you proud of me? I'm proud of me. Are you proud of me? LOL!
Anyways. I totally disappeared, didn't I? Yes... I vanished sometime during the last quiz meet and I haven't blooged about it and I feel like a terrible person for it. So here's the down low on the last quiz meet.
I was actually pretty relaxed by the time we got to our first quiz, probably too relaxed. A group of us quizzers got together and got a tour of Ambrose University (they have an amazing music room, by the way), and we had watched Tim Hawkins for most of the drive, so we weren't really in the worst mood. Dropped my stuff off at the hotel where my mom and I were staying, went out for supper and showed up a bit early, not that it was a bad thing. Talked to some people, got pumped up, went to announcements, and trekked upstairs for the first quiz of the meet.
Jon and Patricia did really well in the first quiz, but I erred out. Talk about a bad move right off the bat. I couldn't think about how everyone else was doing as much cause I just kept thinking about how stupid all of my jumps were and how much of a moron I felt like for getting the questions wrong that I did. It was not a good quiz, in my opinion, and after the quiz Jon and I ripped up the score sheet into several pieces. My mom took me out for ice cream right before DQ closed, and we watched a movie. WOAH! What happened there? I wasn't studying? Like, really? Yeah. I freak myself out, too.
I admit, I still didn't sleep very long but when I woke up I wasn't in a panic like I usually am during quiz meets. Which was odd. But on to the stuff we care about, right? The quizzing. The morning quizzes went a LOT better than the quiz the night before and we all felt better in the end of it all, making it into championships and stuff. We were excited, like we always are when we do well, and even though we took a long road in the afternoon, didn't make it to finals. We had some amazing quizzes, impossible questions, Patricia banged her head on a microphone (then got the question right) and we had an all-around good time. Jon, Patricia and I all made it to Great West and we're all going, after I talked their heads off and threatened to kick Jon. Heh heh. I'm not violent.
BUT WAIT! There's more! We all went to Great White North practice together!! YAY! That was fun. My quizzing was... off... Patricia didn't feel too good either, but the day was fun. Before the practice, Patricia and I went looking around at Home Hardware, then I felt bad for just hanging around in the store and bought tic tacs. :oD.
The practice itself was great. I got some good advice on jumping, challenging tips (no, I'm not gonna dedicate an entire page to challenging. Maybe.), and TONS of motivation.
Anyways, Great West is a day after tomorrow, and I have a LOT of work to do... I'm gonna go finish up the flashcards! Up to chapter 18 is up... I apologize for the wait and the rushed-ness of this blog!
Quizzers UNITE!
Maegan
I... sorry, I need a moment...
Okay, so I have a diploma exam for Math30P next week, right? I am in a 4-day super intense diploma exam preparation course this weekend that's supposed to get me ready for the big test, and I have tons of work to do and material to study and I think that it'll go really well, ya know? Like, I've got everything I need right in front of me to do well.
My mom doesn't see this in the same light...
She thinks that my quizzing will distract me from my math or something. So I am not allowed to study anymore. Not until after my exam is done.
WHAT?!?!?!?
I'm gonna die! I'm gonna just roll over and DIE right now! I JUST started getting back into this whole studying thing from my little rut at the beginning of the year, and now it's all for what? A good math mark? Entrance to University? ...Okay, yeah, thats what its for. BUT really... not at all? That gives me NOTHING to work with at the next practice. NOTHING!
Anyways, I hurt my foot last night. Which will not help my jumping much. I think its either a sprain or a minor fracture, but I refuse to go to the doctor cause I don't want to end up in a cast... I don't care how muchlonger it'll take to get better... I can dance with it and as long as I have an ankle brace on its totally fine.
So. That's my life right now. My question for today: Does school ever interfere with your normal studying?
Quizzers Unite!
Maegan
No, not the entire thing.
Well, yeah, kinda. But you know. I meant THIS particular post. I'm just guessing since the quiz meet is on Friday, which is in... holy crap... 2 SLEEPS?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (enter freak-out here)
Anyways, I've got this week off of school to do nothing but study, study, study, sleeps, and... study. So I'm taking a short break right now.
Its Wednesday. Wow. Last practice is tomorrow. I'm jumping way too fast and talking way too slow. I don't know my material enough. I NEED to study...
pre-meet syndrome. Did I write about that already?
Anyways, I'll stop while you're not sick of reading yet... or are you? LOL! Just getting pumped up!
Quizzers Unite!
Maegan
And by 'it' I mean my emotional attatchment to Quizzing. Studying etc... starting to consume me again. The spark lit the forest on fire... right?
Anyways, I'm almost done the flashcards for the first meet.
OMG the first meet! Its one practice away after today... I know... what the heck? Where'd the time go? I'm kinda confused... I wish I'd been studying more earlier in the year....
Anyways, just thought I'd post those two things. This is short, I need to keep my flashcards, copywork and sutff up to date.
Quizzers Unite!
Maegan
Skip to the end if you wanna skip the ramblings and go right to website udates.
Anyways, I've heard this from a few other people and I'm definitely feeling like this myself, every single practice 'I'm not ready, I haven't studied enough...'
Remember that panic demon in my head? Its not even panic anymore. Its just a general not ready feeling. At this point I'm not sure I'm going to be able to catch up in time for the first meet of the year, in all honesty. I'm just... not on my best game. I don't really have the drive I usually have. Which is odd. And kinda disappointing cause as a result I'm not doing well in practices and as much I expect it, it still bugs me when I can't find an answer right away. SO I'm thinking of putting some stuff up on my study page... so question... how do you get yourself to study when your head and heart are like "STUDY!!!!! STUDY STUDY STUDY!!!" But the entire rest of your being is like "Later. I can't reach my book from here. I'm too lazy to study right now. Zzzzzzz.". Or am I the only one with this problem? *sigh* as nobody bothers commenting anyways. Oh well. Fine. Don't comment.
Anyways, 2 new tips in Nerves. Thats the update. Happy now? LOL! Jk... Wake me up when practice starts, k? Zzzzz... Jk again... maybe... LOL!
Quizzers Unite
Maegan
Okay, so I wasn't planning on writing two blogs about being excited for the first quiz practice of the year, but this morning I woke up and I was so excited I was dizzy. With excitement. I swear I'm not sick or anything. Really, I'm not. I was so excited that I (theoretically) commented on my own status!!! (my quizhelper's status...) I know. I'm a nerd.
But I woke up so excited that I HAD to blog about it!!! Its kinda weird, ya know? I've been studying for a long time now and I've got a lot of my text DONE... but I feel like I haven't studied enough... not even CLOSE to enough... its the most odd feeling in the world cause even though I am fully aware that I've been working my butt off all August there's still that little panic demon inside my head... like... OMG MAEGAN WHY ARE YOU ENJOYING THE NICE WEATHER WHILE YOU HAVE IT YOU NEED TO BE STUDYING YOU DONT KNONW THE MATERIAL!!!!! GFDJKHFSIOFHB AAAAAAAH! I call this pre-practice quizzers syndrome. Pre-quizzing syndrome was already taken. See my blog about quizzers diseases.
SO thats the panic inside my head right now, pushing all logic aside and eating my brain from the inside out.
To think that yesterday I described my feeling towards this year starting as numb... I mean, I'm copying down my own jumping tips... (seriously. I'm not kidding.)
K, so I really need someone to comment. Fill in the blank. Please.
I'm SO excited for quizzing to start I _________________.
Please. SOMEBODY comment!
Don't get too excited, but I'm probably gonna blog tonight after practice. (troll: GET OFF THE INTERNET!)
*sigh* Quizzers unite!! WOOT!
Maegan
I actually have a topic for this blog!!! No, its not a website update, but I have a blog topic! Thank you, Taylor, for inspiring me to write about...
Post-Quizzing Syndrome.
I mean, I don't know about you, but I miss quizzing a LOT, I mean, quiz meets, weekly practices, blogging about everything, flashcards and the pressure to keep them updated... and quizzing in general. Actually, let me be corny for a second... I miss you! See, during the quizzing year, I blog, and Patricia and a few of you people reading on the internet comment, and I put tips on my website... :o)
Okay, corniness aside, post-quizzing syndrome. Almost all of us go through this stage between finals and the first quiz practice for the year, or even the first meet! So I decided to speculate on this.
In my opinion, its what happens when you're working really hard for something, getting into the habit of working on it, and all of the sudden its gone. For myself and my fellow study-a-holics, studying is a way of life and Quizzing is a label. WHAT do we do with ourselves after quizzing's over? Then there's the post-quiz MEET syndrome, that we get close to minutes after jumping into our vehicles immediately after quiz meets since we're not studying or running from quiz to quiz after the afternoon events. Being the person that I am, flashcards and studying and copywork become my life and its like fracturing my neck but not breaking it and putting me into intense pain to not study THAT suddenly. Its breaking my natural cycle. Ex
Now, what about pre-quizzing syndrome? This is what I use to refer to the week before the first practice when you've either gone crazy over the Summer and get extremely anxious, even though its just a practice, or you really have to push and pull yourself into studying and getting used to jumping at practice again.
So what I'm asking for this post is, what are YOUR cures? Have any tips for either of these?
My answer: Post-quiz meet: study and go hard at practices. Post-quizzing: do jump rope or something ACTIVE. Pre-quizzing: Just study... it makes you feel better about your first practice either way.
I might be wrong. What are your opinions? All, like, 60 of you that view my site and never comment except like 4 of you?
Why did I type the title like a lolcat? I don't know. But it probably has something to do with the fact that I'm so excited for Nakamun! Less than 12 hours left to study... are! You! READYYYY???
Cuz I sure am!
I mean, I think I'm ready... I've studied my brains out this week! And after studying, the most important thing in quizzing is the actual quizzing. The flashcards are GREAT for preparing for quiz meets! Not to toot my own horn, but they are!
You know you're a quizzer when...
Finish that sentence!
Mine: You hear a key phrase on TV or in a conversation etc. and automatically start quoting and putting references to that section.
Well, these are my last words before Nakamun... study hard, jump fast and have so much fun you don't wanna go back home!
Maegan
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