I've Moved!

Hello out there!
Just wanted to announce my new blog site. It's chosenholyloved.weebly.com. I hope you check it out. :)

Blessings,
Annabelle

Studying Tips & Tricks

It's the middle of September, which means that teachers are starting to give tests (if they haven't already) and I don't know about you, but I like being prepared for my tests. I generally like learning, but having to study one subject for hours just doesn't sound like fun. So, never fear! Here are some of my favorite studying tips and tricks that help me preform decently on tests. Feel free to adapt them to however best fits you and how you learn.

Note Cards

Pretty self-explanatory. I think note cards work best with vocabulary, but you can copy anything on them. Note cards are nice because you can physically hold them and point to them. It's also very easy to quiz yourself with them. Making note cards can be time consuming, so you can either focus really hard on the terms, perhaps saying it aloud as you write, or be like me and make them while you watch I Love Lucy reruns.

Quizlet

Quizlet is amazing. In case you haven't heard of it, Quizlet is a website that allows you to make virtual note cards. Quizlet also generates games that you can play from the note cards and it creates practice tests for you. You can chose whether you want the tests to be matching, multiple choice, true/false, or fill in the blank, so you can personalize it based upon how you think you're real test will be set up.

There is also a Quizlet app. I use this app so much; it's so nice to have all my note cards on hand so I can study them on the go. The app also has a game that you can play, and it has other helpful studying tools.

Pretty Notes

When I take notes in class they are hardly legible, so I can't read them, much less study from them.  So I like to make pretty notes. "Pretty notes," as I call them, is my current favorite way of studying. Basically what you do is rewrite your notes onto printer paper (or your preferred type of paper) with colored pens or markers. By doing this, you ingrain the information into your head by rewriting it, and you now have visually pleasing giant note cards. (All of the different colors also help me remember the information better.)

Teaching Someone

Some people say that you haven't really learned something until you can teach it. So grab a family member, a roommate, a pillow, Minnie Mouse, whatever you have near and explain your notes to it. I promise that this will help your information stick.

Reading 

Read your material out loud and then repeat it without looking. Keep doing this until you can consistently explain all the material correctly without sneaking a peak. Doing this helps you because you're seeing the words, reading the words, and hearing the words, so your brain is doing three different things with the information at once.

Have someone quiz you

Self-explanatory again. Basically give your notes from class, your note cards, your pretty notes, or anything else you have, to someone and ask them to quiz you on the information so that you can check to see how much you know.

Drawing pictures of your information

I think this works best for vocab words, but you can do it for anything your little heart desires. The drawings can be as detailed or as simple as you like.

Make up a song

Songs stick with us. So pick a catchy tune and replace the lyrics with the words from your notes.

Or, if you're not really the creative type. . .

Find a song on YouTube

Such as this one. Just search "Songs about the Constitutional Amendments" or whatever you need to learn about.

YouTube tutorials

This is how I made a good grade in Anatomy last year. If you don't understand the material, and/or your teacher doesn't offer tutoring (or you can't go to the tutoring sessions), just look up the topic on YouTube.

Dry Erase board

If you don't have a dry erase board, you can use pencil and paper- just make sure you write lightly. Basically, what you do is write out the information and then read it out loud. Then erase a few words from what you had written, and then read it again, recalling the erased words from memory. Continue this process until you are saying the entire thing by memory. I use this technique mainly when I'm memorizing Bible verses, but it could work for anything.

Write material again and again

Just that: write the material over and over again until you know it. Use different colors. Use different hand-writings. Do anything that helps to drill the info into your head.

Some additional tips:

• Only study in groups if the group is actually serious about studying. Often the "study" group turns into a "lets talk about anything besides this subject" group, and if you have a big test coming up, you don't want that. So be very picky about the people you study with. 
• If you get invited to study with a group that you know won't focus, and you really want to go hang out with them, that's fine. Just know that you may not get very much actual studying done.
• Also, know what size group works best for you. I prefer studying with 1-4 other people, but some people like bigger groups. It just depends on what environment you learn best in.
• Don't be afraid to ask your teacher or another classmate to explain something you don't understand!
• Find out what time of day works best for you to study during. Are you more awake in the morning? Right after class ends? Evening? Before bed?
• Study in different locations. Study in your room. Study in the kitchen. Study outside. If you don't drive to school, study in the car. Just switching up your location several times and reviewing your notes each time can help you better recall the information.
• If you have a big test coming up DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE TO STUDY!! Even starting to study two days in advance can help. I prefer to start studying for a big test at least a week in advance, but sometimes life happens and that doesn't work out. That's okay. Just strive not to leave it for the last minute.
• Study in small increments of time. Study for 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. Or, study for 15 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. This helps you stay focused and alert. It also helps you stay off of social media sites, texting, and other things during your study time if you know that you'll have a chance to be distracted by that stuff later.
• Reverse your notes and study them end to start. Then start in the middle and proceed from there. Whenever I study my notes from start to finish every time, I find that I remember the first things I review, but as I near the middle and end of my notes my concentration fades and I don't remember those things as well. Switching up the order helps me solve this problem.

In thy Valley, There'll be Love!

Brigadoon, Brigadoon,

Looming under sable skies.

Brigadoon, Brigadoon,

There my heart forever lies.

Let the world grow cold around us, 

Let the heavens cry above!

Brigadoon, Brigadoon,

In thy valley, there'll be love!

Two summers ago, I lived in Scotland. My uncle and four sisters lived with me, and we were very happy. The day of Charlie and Jean's wedding, two strangers named Jeff and Tommy appeared in our village. They surprised and startled us, because strangers were not supposed to find us. Tommy met Jean's sister, Fiona, and he fell in love with her. My uncle talked to Jeff and Tommy and he told them about the miracle of our village: our village only exists one day out of every hundred years, in order to avoid the corruption of the world around us. Understandably, Jeff and Tommy were very confused. In the end, Tommy believed it, but Jeff did not. Jeff returned to his home in a strange place called New York and Tommy stayed here in our village and married Fiona.

Let me clarify, two summers ago, I was in a musical called Brigadoon with a local theatre camp. This was my sixth musical with this particular camp. Normally, I was shy around new people at these camps, but this year I felt braver and I met many new people. Because I participated in Brigadoon, I experienced two intense weeks of rehearsals which lead up to our performances, and I made a plethora of new friendships.

During the first week of rehearsals, the major/minor roles learned their specific parts. I was a featured dancer, so my fellow featured dancers and I learned a complicated ballet. The other girls were very kind and loving and all of us got along well. We wore skirts during the rehearsals to "practice" what it would be like once we had our costumes. The swishy-ness of the skirts was so much fun! *Giggles.*

During the second week, I felt very comfortable with my new friends. New people who were in the chorus joined us this week, and there was no jealousy between any of the actors. When I wasn't a featured dancer, I was a part of the chorus and that was a blast. We were encouraged to invent our back stories, and we went crazy with it. As I mentioned before, I had four sisters and an uncle (these were assigned to me at the beginning of the week.) We were the "Lundy Clan." My sisters and I went to live with Uncle Lundy once our parents died. Uncle Lundy was quite old, so he made us all of his nieces take care of the farm for him. And, uh, my sister Melinda accidentally ran over our cow with the plow, so our poor cow only had three legs. According to the script, one of my sisters, Maggie, was in love with Harry, who was in love with Jean, who was marrying Charlie. Talk about a mess!

Before each rehearsal, one of the actors or actresses would lead a devotional. They would read a passage of Scripture for us and then pray for our day of rehearsal. Our goal was to glorify God with our acting.

Finally, the days of the performances arrived. I was very excited to preform and didn't have any stage fright. Our costumes were beautiful (and heavy, mine weighed maybe 15 pounds) and the set was gorgeous. All of the actors encouraged each other and wished each other "good luck!" The lead roles encouraged the chorus and the chorus encouraged them back. It was such a positive experience. The unity among the actors was very strong. I don't think I've ever been a part of a group that unified.

Between the two Saturday performances, we went to Chick-fil-a to eat and to hang out. That was so much fun!

Before each showing, we would meet on the stage behind the curtain and form a "circle of love." We gave shout-outs (compliments) to people who we thought had been doing fantastic and shared feedback that we had gotten about the shows. Then it would be about time to open the curtains for the next show, and we would run to our places and wait anxiously for our cues.

After each show, once the final curtain was drawn we would all holler and yell and do our Scottish cheer. We hugged each other and told each other "Good job," or "You were amazing!"

I made so many amazing friends during my two weeks of Brigadoon. We still keep in touch via Facebook. We've also had a few reunion parties, which have been delightful. I miss all of my Briga-friends so much. Each one of them has impacted my life and I will never forget them. Unfortunetly, there wasn't a musical camp this past summer, so I haven't seen some of my Briga-friends since our Christmas get-together. Whenever I do see one of them, however, it is like no time has passed. An indiscribable peace covers us and I feel at home with them. I think that's what happens any time people who love God gather together and strive to glorify Him with their gifts. I'm so thankful to have been a part of my Briga-family.

Because I experienced Brigadoon, and the joy, peace, love, and unity that came with it, my life has been changed. I know that I have forever-friends with each of the people who were in that musical, and that nothing can shake the bond between us.

Nothing.

Not a distance of miles.

Not even if we only can see each other once in a hundred years.

My Favorite Things about College

The University of Not Hogwarts is so amazing. I love it here so much! I feel so at home, even though I've only been here a month. As I walk to class, I always have a sense of peace envelope me (unless I'm running late to class and have to sprint to get there on time. Those walks aren't so peaceful). I know that this is the place I'm supposed to be at right now. I know that God has a plan and a purpose for me being here at the University of Not Hogwarts. and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to attend this amazing school. I love the people, I love the campus. I love most everything!
So here are a few of my favorite things at the University of Not Hogwarts, in no particular order.

A Few of my Favorite Things about College:

Number One: The grass. The grass here is so soft and dewy and so, so, refreshing. I mean, I would hope it would be, considering the number of times I see the sprinklers on, misting the grass, as well as sometimes the sidewalks. The University of Not Hogwarts must really, really, like their grass to be green, and that's completely alright with me. On the days that I'm running late to class, I always cut across the grass and the squishy-ness of it just makes me want to lay down and roll across the lawn. I wish there were bigger hills here on campus so I could roll down them. That would be like swimming in a sea of feathers. *Sigh.*

Number Two: There are so many opportunities to learn about God here. There's chapel and Baptist Student Ministry Bible studies and required Bible classes. I also love how there is such an emphasis on finding a church home here. During the first week of school, we heard so many speakers who addressed the importance of finding a church home to become involved with. They gave us tips on visiting and encouraged us to set a deadline for ourselves, such as the end of September, to avoid the temptation of continuous "church hopping" and never becoming truly involved. The BSM bible studies have been very impactful thus far. I am involved with a few and have already learned a great deal from them. My new church also has a college Bible study that meets on campus, and I'm planning on being a part of that as well.

Number Three: The swings. The trees. The gazebos. The bells. The random structures whose meaning I haven't discovered yet. The pond. Campus is so pretty! I love walking to class and seeing all of the sights of the University of Not Hogwarts. I recently discovered that there is a swing just behind my dorm. I spent an hour talking on the phone last week while I swung and swung. The pond is gorgeous too. There's a walking trail that surrounds the pond and, apparently, it's where all the couples hang out because they think it's romantic. I suppose it is. There is a big gazebo by the pond where one can sit and gaze at the pond. My friends and I had a picnic breakfast there a while back, which was very fun. This gazebo is supposedly a big proposal spot, where all the girls get their "ring by spring." (I guess they go for a romantic walk around the pond to the gazebo where they become engaged. Okay.) I think all of that is funny. If I was going to be proposed to by this pond, I wouldn't want it in the gazebo, nor on the walking trail. I would want it in the tree. There's this really cool tree that's right next to the pond, and it is huge. It is kind of growing on its side, and its so fun to play in. When I was little and visited the University of Not Hogwarts, I would always climb this tree and pretend I was a monkey. It is one of my favorite trees on campus. (There are a few others that I would like to climb, but I don't know how to get up there without a ladder, and I think that I probably would get in trouble...)

Number Four: The people here. The student body as a whole is phenomenal. People consistently hold doors open for people. People are friendly as you wait in line for fifteen minutes in the Dining Hall for a hamburger. People are genuinely nice and polite here. It's awesome. Of course there are those people whom I see from a distance and avoid because they seem sketchy, but those people are the exception, not the rule. I am so blessed to have made so many amazing friends in the short month that I've been here. And we do everything together, literally. We have classes together, we eat together, we walk to classes together, as several of us live in the same buildings. Its fantastic. I am so thankful for each of them, and cannot wait to get to know them better as the year progresses.

So that's about it for now. There's more things that I love that I don't have time to mention. But anywho, as I said earlier, I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to learn and grow here. The University of Not Hogwarts is a great school and God is truly working in the lives of the people who encounter this place.

Blessings,
Belle

An introduction of sorts

Hey there.
This is my first blog post.
Ever.
I'm kinda intimidated by that thought. I'm scared too. Like, that's the underlying fear, what if people don't like what I say? It's probably why I haven't taken up blogging yet, although I've always thought it was a good idea.
Confession: I don't know what this blog as a whole is going to be about. Am I allowed to admit that I don't have this blog thing figured out? "Honesty is the best policy," right? *bits lip and continues.*

Lets see, I suppose I shall introduce myself more. (I know that there's the "About Me" section somewhere around my blog, but a full introduction will be much more fun.)

My name is Annabelle Grace, but I go by Belle. Belle is my favorite Disney princess (and of course Elsa is my favorite Disney queen *winks*), but not just because she shared my name. I'm sure I'll do a post about my love for Disney later sometime. I am eighteen years old. Wow, that's such a weird thought. I'm an adult now y'all. That's strange; I feel like I'm still twelve...

I attend a small Christian university that isn't too far away from my hometown. I recently have completed reading the Harry Potter series, and so I like to pretend that I'm at Hogwarts. But, alas, it is not Hogwarts. Sad day, right? I wish it was Hogwarts so bad. Anywho, I love it here at the University of Not Hogwarts so much. Campus is beautiful and there are trees everywhere and soft, soft, grass. I'm telling you, the grass here is one of my favorite things ever. I love walking to class. I love the exercise of it, and the fact that I get to be outside, and I love that several of my friends pass me on their way from or to class (Yay small school!).

As far as mi familia goes, I have a mommy and a daddy whom I love very much. I also have a little brother, Ky. Ky is fourteen, nearly fifteen now, and a freshman in high school. He is also about a head taller than me now, which is hard to get used to. He likes playing football, and he's awesome at it. He has a great heart and loves serving Jesus. I also must say that he's a definite goober. He makes me laugh so much. We also have a cat, Nemo, and a dog, Gracie. Gracie loves Nemo so much. However, Nemo can't stand Gracie, so that makes our traditional-family-Christmas-picture-with-the pets a challenge.

My favorite animal is a duck. I love them so much. They're so cute when the waddle and quack and flutter their feathers as they dive for food. Feeding ducks is one of my favorite things to do. There's a creek by Not Hogwarts University and I like to go there sometimes with some bread and feed the beautiful ducks. Ducks are just so, so, happy. *sigh.*
I also like the color pink, and I like musicals, and cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. (Speaking of which, I just remembered I have some mint chocolate chip ice cream in my freezer. Yum!)
I like singing. I like country dancing. I'm addicted to Pinterest (Follow me!!). I like reading and playing my ukulele named Barcelona and coloring in my Disney princess coloring books. Coloring is such a great thing. It's a stress reliever, its a comfort when I'm sad, it's just amazing all together.

Yup, so that's me in a nutshell. I'll talk to y'all again soon.

Blessings,
Belle