Into the Unknown

As one of my main intentions of this blog was to make a record of past and present memories, I suppose it makes sense to start off with what is going on in my life right now.

In about a week I'll be starting my last quarter as an undergraduate at UCLA. People say that those four years of college fly by, and boy were they right. So what am I going to do after I finish 16th grade? I wish I knew the answer to that question! For the first time in my life, I have absolutely no clue what I am going to be doing next year. It's scary and exciting at the same time, but mostly scary. Thusfar, life has been a pretty staightforward path. Even though I chose my own college and major, there wasn't really any question of whether I was actually going to college for four years or not. Graduate from 8th grade, go to high school. Graduate from high school, go to college. Graduate from college, ?!?!?

Well, I do have an idea of what I want to do, or at least try out. From my college experience, I've found that I really like tutoring and working with kids; so, I have been trying to get into a program that incorporates those interests. I applied to a couple of programs in December, hoping that I would get into one of them, but unfortunately I was turned down by both. Though I was pretty bummed, I'm trying to remain optimistic, and I'm using this spring break to apply to more and more programs. If I keep applying, I'll have to get into one, right?!? Ideally, I would get into a program that serves to address the needs of underserved communities, especially in education for children. That's what I've been doing as a volunteer at UCLA, and I think it's one of the most rewarding experiences one can have.

I guess the most important thing right now is to create a lot of options, so I'm not dependent on only one or two things falling through. I've registered for both the CBEST and all 3 subtests for the Math CSET. I did some research online to assess how much I should study for the CBEST, and got mixed results. Websites that were trying to sell study guides said the CBEST is going to be the hardest test I've ever taken in my life, and told me that unless I bought their study guide and sacrificed three goats the night before the test, I was sure to fail. People who actually took the test, however, said it was so easy that their goldfish could pass it. I ended up calling a friend I trust who took it, and she said the test was indeed a joke. So, I'm not toooo worried about the CBEST.. I think I will have to study for that Math CSET though.

Well, that is my situation right now. I'll feel a lot more secure once I know exactly what I'm doing next year. Until then, I just have to keep my head up and hope for the best!

My First Blog

And so begins the journey.. into the life and times.. of Andrew J. Mendoza.

This is my first time ever making one of these things. Well, except for the short-lived Xanga I had back in high school, but I'm not counting that. So why, in my last quarter as an undergraduate at UCLA, am I deciding to start up one of these things? Good question. I suppose the main reason is that it would be nice to have some record of my thoughts and happenings, so when I'm old and have nothing else to do, I can go read my old blogs and laugh at how silly I was. Hence, my intention for these blogs is to make a compilation of present and past memories, thoughts, and feelings; to capture in words specific parts of my life, so I won't forget them as time goes on. I can already think of a lot of things that I want to record, that I want to remember. Things that I want to be able to look back upon and recall how I thought and felt at the time, because remembering them will remind me of what is really important. And I don't want to forget things like that!

So, with that, I end my first blog. Hopefully many more to come! :D