Are you looking for something to listen to in the background while doing your extremely long AP Bio notes or writing your English essay? Look no further than the magic of movie soundtracks! These wordless songs can provide your ears with enough stimulation to get you through whatever homework you need to do. Here are my top three movie soundtracks to listen to when you are studying.

1. How to Train Your Dragon – I feel like everyone who has listened to this music knows what I am talking about. It has action, adventure, passion, and most of all, a truly iconic theme song.
2. Bridgerton – All of your favorite pop music, but played by a symphony. It’s like Mozart met 2010’s music.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – The magic of this soundtrack will fuel your studies for hours upon end.

So, now you know that movie music is among the best to listen to for studying. Your study music is entirely your own, so make it that way. If you are similar to me and you cannot listen to music while studying, then these suggestions might be for you. But no matter what you listen to, know that whatever helps you study best is what is best for you.

This past weekend, I visited my older brother in college in North Carolina. While many families would take a flight to avoid the hassle of driving, my family decided to brave the eight-hour road trip. As a seasoned car-traveler, here are the top five things that you should bring for a long road trip!

1. A good book: To avoid doomscrolling on TikTok or checking your messages in the car, bring a book with you. Pick one with a topic or plot that sounds interesting to you, and the time will fly by! Audiobooks are also a good option when traveling, because the whole family can listen to a book together.
2. Chewing gum: A lot of road trips involve driving through mountains or otherwise steep terrain. With this change in altitude, your ears can feel a lot of pressure. Gum can help combat this, and it also keeps your breath smelling fresh. Grab a pack of your favorite flavor for the car!
3. Playing cards: At rest stops or lulls in conversation, pull out a deck of playing cards. With endless possibilities of games you can play, it’s hard to get bored. Once you get to your destination, it’s also fun to play with the people you’re visiting.
4. Water bottle: Staying hydrated is super important! It’s easy to forget to drink water when you are sitting in the car for extended periods of time. Bring a full water bottle on the trip with you to remind yourself to drink water. This will also cut down on possible waste from buying plastic water bottles at rest stops.
5. Headphones: With headphones, it’s easy to play music, a podcast, or an audiobook. Those three things alone are wonderful entertainment, but you can also watch movies, shows, or videos without disrupting others.

After bringing all five of these items on my road trip this past weekend, I can easily say that they kept me thoroughly happy and entertained. Try it out for yourself the next time you go on a road trip!

Like many other kids, my parents put me in a ton of different sports when I was little. Although I didn’t stick with most of them, I thought I would rate them and explain the reason behind each rating. So, without further ado, here are all of the sports I have played:

1. Soccer 7/10: I played soccer from kindergarten up until eighth grade. I made a lot of friends through the sport and still think it is super fun to watch and play. However, I got tired of it after so many years and decided it was time for a change. This is a common experience for a lot of the kids I know.
2. Dance 3/10: I might be ranking this one so low because I sucked, but I just didn’t enjoy myself. I knew I was bad, so I only danced for a year. Some might call me a quitter, but I think I was just being realistic.
3. Gymnastics 6/10: I also only did gymnastics for a year, but I actually had a ton of fun. Shoutout to vault and floor for being the best events (I sucked at bars and didn’t like beam). The coaches were also super cool and gave us jolly ranchers. Good times.
4. Tennis 8/10: I love tennis and still play in my free time. The only bad part about this was that I only played against boys, because the girls’ middle school season was canceled due to COVID-19. It was super gratifying to win against them, but man, did they have bad sportsmanship! They made bad calls, and some were so disrespectful it made my blood boil. However, I still think it was a good experience.
5. Pee-wee basketball 6/10: I don’t even know that this one counts for real, but it was kind of fun. I didn’t really know anyone there except for my sister, and I was just alright, but I still had a good time. The coach was cool too.
6. Track and Field 7/10: I ran my freshman year and had to stop because of injuries. It was super fun, though, and I met a lot of cool people. I also started to learn how to throw discus, and I am really curious to see where that would have gone had I not stopped. Maybe I’ll make a comeback this year…
7. Field hockey 9/10: Last but not least, the sport I still currently play. I have made so many memories and met so many people through this sport that I am forever grateful for. It’s been a long process, but I am super excited to keep playing in college. The one-point deduction comes from the fact that I tore a ligament in my knee playing field hockey. But other than that, it’s a super cool sport, and you should continue to support your Shaker field hockey team!

I don’t think I missed any, but those are the relevant sports I have played. Even though I had some negative experiences, I consider it character building. Although many of these involvements were short-lived, I definitely would not be where I am today if not for pee-wee basketball or my year-long dance career.

It’s a very weird feeling going back through all of the older posts on this blog and re-reading how excited everyone was for summer break. Now that summer is in the rearview mirror, the school year has arrived and fully set in. Namely, for seniors, that means getting your materials together to apply for college. However, if you are like me, you are probably suffering from senioritis.