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Blog Post #1: 3/16/17

We are currently three weeks away from being released for our full, capstone research experience. We still have our literature review, research paper outline, and declaration verdicts left to complete before I am out in the wild! I am very excited to be fully immersed in my project, but I do have some worries. What if I'm overwhelmed? What if I can't get everything done on time? What if I miss the social interaction of being in school? One thing I won't miss is A block!

I know that by scheduling my time well and making sure I spend time with friends away from my project, it won't be overwhelming. In fact, what I'm most excited about is delving into a topic that I love-especially while everyone else is stuck at school. :)

Blog Post #2: 3/23/17

We are perhaps only one week away from being released, as Mr.Sanders has approved us leaving classes on the 31st if we are 100% ready to begin the project. That scares me a little! I feel like I've been so conditioned to need someone else scheduling my learning time that I'm not going to know what to do with myself. I'm currently 99% done with my Literature Review, Annotated Bibliography, and Works Cites page so I feel solid about where I am in the process right now. I am also setting up interviews at the moment and I have worked on my "Master Schedule" for each school day+work, extracurriculars, and my favorite tv shows. :) I feel like I won't be lacking in scheduled time the next two months.

Blog Post #3 3/28/17

I have updated my annotated bibliography (without annotations) and posted my paper outline under Action Plan (I think thats where it goes....it might be moved to research.) I am also compiling my list of Primary Sources. T-3.5 days until the "release"! I feel like I'm counting down the days to my prison release. (I might be watching to much OITNB...) Of course, teachers are making sure I remember my last week of school....tests upon tests upon tests. It never ends, folks.

Here's a list of exciting things coming up re: my project...

-Interviewing the folks that make a podcast about The 100, a show on the CW. I'm excited to put faces to the voices I've been listening to.

-Less is More Tour: The Minimalists, a podcasting duo I listen to, are doing a live tour and they are coming to Boston on the 15th. I'll be there, taking notes/trying to learn how to be a minimalist.

-Helping to organize the upcoming Youth Action March in Boston, which is about connecting and mobilizing youth towards social justice. My project at one point was about social justice, and while I'm not talking about that anymore, how "spreading the word" through social media is influential still part of my research.

Blog Post #4: 4/5/17

Wow! I've have 2.5 days of Capstone so far. So far, I have been reaching out to interviews and sourcing guests for the podcast. Later today, I'll write at least the intro to my research paper, and then, on to real school studying. Tomorrow, I'll be talking to the librarians about reserving the recording studio, and finalizing my list of podcast guests. Exciting stuff!

Blog Post #5: 4/13/17

Tomorrow is our due date for our rough draft....and I have unfortunately not spent as much time as I should have writing my draft. Podcast stuff has taken up a lot of time. I have also had some difficulties arranging interviews and attending the Minimalism tour. So I guess you could say I've had my first difficulties with CAPS, but I suppose these are normal problems to have.

Blog Post #6: 4/14/17

Due date is today!! And....including the section on yoga...the paper is looking at ending up around 30 pages. So, I have decided to not write about yoga. I think like a lot of other capstoners, I got way to excited about the build project and less so about the research paper. I've recorded 2 episodes of the podcast though!! Those should be edited by the end of vacation week.

Blog Post #7: 4/21/17

Last week, I went to the Minimalist Live Show! It was super informative and people asked a lot of great questions. I have yet to incorporate the information into my paper yet, but I will be on that soon.

Some highlights that I wrote down from the event:

• "Memories aren't in our things- they are in us."
• Removing clutter is the first step. You could get rid of all your things and in a year be back at square one if you don't get to the root of your problems.
• "Live deliberate, meaningful lives."
• No debt is good debt.
• NEVER spend faster than you are earning.

All great life advice!

Blog Post #8: 5/4/17

Had a great interview with the folks who make The 100 podcast, and they gave me some great info about podcasting and why it's such an influential medium. Right now, I'm adding citations, finishing up my hygge section, and adding graphics. A lot of work, but by the weekend I want to be on my conclusion. Let's see if I can stick to that!

Blog Post #9: 5/8/17

Just finished the hygge section! Just have to add my conclusion and my citations, and I will be done. Yay!

Blog Post #10: 5/29/17

Sorry for the radio silence on here! The last few weeks have been HECTIC! But my presentation was on Friday and I passed, so....yay! Honesty time: I wasn't too thrilled with my presentation. I don't think I articulated what I wanted to and I think my audience walked away with the wrong message. If I could do it over again, I would. I got great feedback from friends and my parents and I passed, so I must have done something right.

I've published the first podcast episode and the next one is soon coming. Hold tight!