Debate

Debate is wonderful. Plain and simple. It's the formulation of ideas by two individuals or teams which clash head on. It's truly a beautiful thing. I am certainly not a proponent of conflict. Yet this sort of conflict injures no one (in most cases) and educates all. But, when debate becomes two ignorant sides educating a closed-minded audience, debate loses its purpose. Debate is only beautiful when the two sides and the people watching gain insight into issues and are able to better get a better feel for their opinions. Me and my debate partner claimed 4th place at a recent tournament out of 28 teams. By this achievement, me and my partner have now earned an invitation to our league's national competition. It was by my love for argumentation that my skills developed, and now, after only my first year of competition, I am competing at the top level. I hope you too can find a love for debate, even if you can't compete.

College Confidential

As I've mentioned previously, I love academics. So, it makes sense that I would be interested in college, considering they are institutes of learning. When it comes to information on college, I turn to Collegeconfidential.com. The resources available at this website are invaluable to admissions questions, test preparation, and even college life. From browsing through all the different topics on College Confidential (or "CC" as posters on the website affectionately refer to it), I now consider myself a college advice expert. Though it may seem arrogant to hand out advice about college to people, even though I'm not a "real" expert, I really have learned a lot about the admissions process. In the homeschool world, parents and especially students don't know much about college. So I help them out. I strongly suggest, if you are a highschool student thinking about college, to check out CC, and you just may find it as valuable as I do.

Academics

Being an extremely motivated and literal person, its seems quite reasonable that I should be so focused on academics. Academics is the absolute good (in almost all cases). It is pure improvement in the one learning, in any subject of study. In music, one can perform and comprehend pieces more fully. In literature, one converses with the great visionaries of history, from George Orwell to Charles Dickens, and gains new perspective which is invaluable in this day and age. In science, one understands how the world around us works, which provides tremendous insight into nearly every area of life. In mathematics, one creates a world of perfect logic in a modern world filled with contradictions and uncertainties. For example, 2 and 2 will always equal 4. In contrast, FDR will never be considered the best President by all, though he is held to that level by many. In math, there is agreement. In life, there is none. This pure logic allows one to make sound decisions based upon reason, and also (obviously) allows him to work with quantities and numbers, which will always be huge parts of our lives. Any area of academics creates an improvement in the person learning. As the philosopher Socrates once said, "There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." As Socrates reaffirms, it is knowledge which is the absolute good, and ignorance (such as the contradictions in life mentioned above) that is the one evil.

So just how focused on academics am I? Well, I'll be doing AP Calculus BC next year (I'll be in 10th grade) after completing Geometry, Advanced Algebra, and Trigonometry all in the same year. I will also be taking AP European History and AP Chemistry, along with many other courses. I am homeschooled. I may just as well say that now rather than later. Yes, I know. Homeschoolers aren't as smart; they're unsocialized. This argument is invalid. Sure, they're definitely unique, but they never turn out strange or unsocialized. They turn out as human beings with a perspective formed by studying what interests them, and following where their interests lead, rather than being held to a strict school schedule. Having this freedom of schedule means that what they want to become, rather than what the government wants them to become, becomes their main priority. If your interest be dance, then you have the freedom to practice three hours a day, six days a week, at any time of day, thanks to homeschooling. This is what attracts me to this practice. I have the freedom that others do not. I can go into a studying frenzy for two days because I am so interested in To Kill a Mockingbird and the Botany section in my Biology textbook and I have no teacher to tell me I should pace myself with the rest of the class. I can accelerate as quickly as I like because of the freedom granted me. It is for this reason I'll be finishing three years of high school math within one, as well as compiling a book list comparable to an under-grad student. So yes, by the previous sentence, perhaps you can tell I'm extremely focused on academics. I do love it, and I hope to love it the rest of my life.

P.S. Sorry about the rant on homeschooling. It just gets a lot of hate sometimes.

Hello

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Caleb. I live in the "wonderful" (hear the sarcasm?) state of Missouri. I'm considered too realistic and far too literal. I appreciate when others tell me this. They make me see myself more clearly (making me more realistic, ironically). Before I go on, maybe I should just come right out and say it. I may be starting this blog to hone my writing skills (gasp). I know most realistic, literal, and sometimes cynical people out there (such as myself) would hate a writer who doesn't quite know what he's doing. I appreciate this fact. It drives me to be better. Hopefully, all of the people who are like-minded to myself can look beyond the dangling participle that may float around every once in a while, and find the true relation I have to all of you. My life is composed of experiences, motivations, and opportunities that, through my observation, are hard to come by. My life is entirely and wholly unique, and very literal. I am proud of this. By reading this blog, I hope you can not only relate to me, but enjoy reading about the insane things I do and experience everyday, and perhaps even appreciate (gasp) a different and wholly individual perspective.