Starting School Times

Most schools start around eight o'clock in the morning. Kids struggle to get out of bed in the morning and drag themselves to school for seven hours of education. Statistically, it is know that a child has a harder time focusing when he or she is tired. In result, schools should start an hour later in order to accommodate the amount of sleep a child needs for development.

As a student in high school, I hear stories from friends and family members about how they are always tired from coming home from work or school. Approximately, these people receive about four to six hours of sleep a night. They have reported to make silly mistakes on homework, classwork, and tests that they know they could have gotten correct. These same people also report to sometimes drift off during a lecture and falling asleep on the job.In comparison, students who get a full eight hours of sleep report to feel better and more focused in class.

The time period for schools should start later. Students who go to schools that start later report to do better academically and retain the information they are taught. I believe that if schools were to start later, students would not feel as pressured to stay up late doing homework, which had be done last minute due to extracurricular activities, family gatherings, and holidays.


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Alternative Rock/ Punk

Is alternative rock and punk music worth listening to? These two genres in alternative music go hand-in hand with each other.  I've recently gone to some alternative rock and punk concerts and I must say, the genres provide more fun than what they are usually stereotyped as.

At both of the recent concerts I went to, I was a little more than surprised by the atmosphere. The people were all friendly with diving into casual conversations, all of them knew the bands through and through, and most of them had some form of style associated with the alternative punk rock look, such as dyed hair, dark clothes, or a piercing. Even the band members in this music took the time to relate to their fans, tell stories, and make sure that everyone was having a great time.This was much different from the atmosphere of drinking, drugs, and self-harming that is usually associated with alternative punk rock.

The music content in alternative punk rock strays from everyday topics. Other music genres recently are concerned with covering the topics of drinking, drugs, or parties. In contrast, the songs alternative rock and punk are focused on unity, building yourself back up, love, and hope. These songs are a breath of fresh air from the music that is usually played on the radio and inspire you to do great things and not be afraid to stray from what society views as a cultural normality. Alternative punk rock is definitely worth listening to due to its amazing qualities.

4 Reasons to Read the Mission to Mars Book Series

The Mission to Mars trilogy by Jake Rayner is one of my favorite book series. The series is about a boy, named Alex, who agrees to be the first human to live on Mars. I highly recommend it to readers that like adventure stories. Here are the top 4 reasons you need to read this series:

1. You Won't Be Able to Put It DownEach book in the series is a real page turner. Every chapter ends with a cliff hanger. You will want to read the next one just to find out what happens next.
2. The Story is Based on Real Facts
   The author uses facts about Mars and space travel in the book. This makes the events seem very real. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be an astronaut you will love this series.
3. The main character is Likeable
   You will care about the main character, Alex. He reminds you of a person you might know in real life. Right away you are interested in his journey. When the story was over I was disappointed, because I wanted to keep reading about his adventures.
4. It is an Amazing Survival Story
   
   This story is a survival story. The character has to overcome obstacles to live on Mars. If you like man versus nature stories this is one you must read.

3 Tips for Turning Alternative

Alternative culture can be extremely confusing for those unfamiliar to it to become accustomed with what it really is. Alternative music is basically music that strays from normal music genres. The music has more meaning to it and adds more emotion into its songs. In result, alternative music varies drastically on the type of music it covers. The music genre is absolutely amazing, and the way into it is no different. I know how interesting it is getting into the alternative music genre, and how I felt right at home with alternative concerts and people. I am now a frequent alternative member and listener, and it's all from following three easy steps. Without further ado, here are 3 Tips for Turning Alternative.

1. Listen to the Music
   One easy way to start getting into the alternative culture is just by listening to the music. You can do this by going on Pandora, Slacker, or any other music library station and clicking the genre labelled "alternative." This allows you to listen to the most popular alternative music songs and get a feel for what the music is all about.
2. Get Familiar and Get Active
   After listening to the music, get familiar with some of the bands. Google them or watch some of their music videos on YouTube in order to start getting more into the values each band has. A lot of them are similar, but each band has a unique set of philosophies or topics they generally like to cover in their songs. Once you fell like you are getting familiar with some bands, start interacting with them. Going onto a fan page of a band helps you to see how people are affected by you band's music and how they act on a day-to-day basis. Of course you should never change who you just because of the music you like, but you just might find yourself being able to relate with some of these fans and maybe adopting new looks. 
3. Experience the Culture
   After getting familiar with a few bands and interacting with some of the other people listening to the bands you like, try attending a concert. Select a band you really like and try to attend one of their concerts. One of the only ways you can completely submerge yourself is attending a concert full of alternative people. There, you can experience the real life music and culture. It may be a bit nerve wracking at first, but I'm sure that you'll eventually feel quite at home. Many people that listen to alternative music are friendly and out going, as can be seen with the occasional person with blue hair! Have fun, and be open to the experience. Don't forget to get some band merch as a memento of the fun!

Example of a Band to Listen to (All Time Low)

Cue the Concerts

 

  When I went to my first alternative concert, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. Was I dressed properly? Am I sure I know all the music the bands are going to play? How was everything going to take place? I now realize that all these questions were just me panicking about going to a concert. In reality, the actual concert proved to be one of the best nights of my life. I arrived to the concert theatre and after the security, the whole place seemed to clear up. People sat on the ground, chatting with friends while enjoying the parade of lights and music that flowed from the stage, while others crammed in the mosh pits in hopes of getting a better view of their favorite band members. My heart filled with happiness as I was surrounded by people that enjoyed the type of music I loved. My friend and mother, who attended the concert with me, were both just as excited listening to the music first-hand and singing along with the bands. The bands were amazing, cracking jokes with the fans, asking them questions, telling them inspiring stories, and just playing their music throughout the entire thing. I now love attending concerts, have created a list of bands I plan on seeing, and hope to attend many more concerts in the future.

     With all that said, there are a few important things that I learned while attending my first alternative concert. First of all, make sure to pre-plan everything in advance. When attending this concert, I had my clothes picked out, tickets printed, and my means of transportation already settled  out. Even with all that, when arriving at the concert three hours early, my mother and friend were surprised to see that all the parking at the theatre was completely taken up. We eventually found a place to park and had a smooth entrance with tickets already printed and ready to go. Second of all, make sure you know the music you're going to go see. Before the concert, my friend and I listened to the band's album non-stop for a week. We also listened to some of their older songs, which proved to be helpful when the bands sang some of their greatest hits. Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with not knowing a few songs, being able to sing with your bands make everything more worth-while. And lastly, make sure your clothes are suitable for any occasion. When attending the concert, we knew that this particular venue was outside, but with the weather being pretty hectic, we weren't quite sure how to dress. As a solution, we wore tank tops, jeans, leather boots, and brought leather jackets. This proved to be the best dressing attire for us because the beginning stages of the concert were warm, but as time continued, it eventually grew colder. With my first concert I had a blast and learned  a few things that will eventually prove to be helpful when attending other concerts.

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Alternative Music

Welcome to my new blog. As you can tell, I will be writing and sharing information on Alternative music. By that, I mean that I will share popular bands, relay music, and talk about being submerged in the culture this music genre has created.