Yeah so it turns out I didn’t really miss Tumblr that much, and I don’t think I’m going to try going regular again. I mean writing posts is cool and all, but it’s time-consuming and I’d rather spend less time in front of the computer. I’ll still write stuff occasionally, but only when I feel strongly about something.

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of “college advice” columns bashing service trips to third-world countries solely for resume building. And that makes me sad. It’s not a secret that many of the things we do in high school are done for college, from clubs to sports to community service, but that’s only the beginning of the story.

I don’t think we should roll our eyes at “resume builders” because of something I heard a guy from Andover say at a community service conference: it’s not how we begin that matters, but how we continue. Having that pressure to do things we normally wouldn’t do actually provides us with opportunities to explore, and sometimes we end up finding something we really like. In all honesty, I started out doing community service in 8th grade to buff up my resume to get into Exeter, and I wound up really liking it.

I am biased? Maybe. But I think it makes sense. I can see where people are coming from when they look down upon those who continue doing something even when they don’t enjoy it (then again, sometimes we learn new things just by sticking through with something), but to discourage resume building entirely would be to lose out on some potentially great experiences.

-Kanger

Anonymous asked: do you want to go to ep with me?

Sure!

Anyone else feel like this was the fastest week ever? When the first real week of school ended, I felt like I had already been at Exeter for a month, but now time is just flying by. It’s uncanny how much I feel like yesterday was Sunday.

Sorry I haven’t been posting…I haven’t even gone on Facebook that much since I’ve gotten back. There’s school, extracurriculars, working out, and, especially this year, friends. It hasn’t really helped much that I got a virus (which I may or may not have spread around). I’ve been putting off college stuff too. I keep telling myself to spend some time doing SATs everyday, but something else always turns up—I get sick, an assignment takes a lot longer than I expect, or a friend lures me out to play frisbee. But that’s okay because I’m really happy and probably as happy as I can be given the stress that’s floating around in the back of my mind. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by yet where I’ve thought “that sucked.” The only real downer lately is that second floor hasn’t had any hot water for the past week. It’s brutal.

-Kanger

So I’ve been back for five days already and it’s been unbelievable. I’ve met so many new people (15 preps in Wetnworth!) and reconnected with a lot of old friends.

I have a theory that I want to test out this school year. In years past, I’ve spent the majority of my Sundays in my room doing homework and working on papers. Yet, I would say about half that time goes to frequent “study breaks.” When I’m sitting in my room knowing I have hours of time, I don’t really feel the pressure to pump out work and I end up doing other things, like checking Facebook. And I’ve also noticed that when it’s 8:00PM on a week day, I crank out homework like a machine. Instead of holing up in my room on Sundays and wasting a lot of that time, I bet I could put in a couple of hours with friends playing frisbee in the quad and still get the same amount of work done later in the day.

It might not be the wisest move to experiment during Senior fall, but this is my last year at Exeter and I want to make it count. From the past few days alone, I realized how much I’ve been missing out in the past by not spending the time to talk to dorm mates at night or making the trek to Las Olas on weekends. I know that if I don’t make more memories with my friends now, I’ll have a lot of regrets later.

-Kanger

I know right now that I’m not going to have enough time to write posts everyday, so don’t expect them. I’ll try as much as I can, but I have no idea how often it’s gonna be.

That said, senior year get at me. Class of ‘12, let’s gooooo.

-Kanger

Haha I love this.

Last weekend before school, so I’m not posting anything today and tomorrow. Gonna spend some time with my family while I still can.

-Kanger

Reasons why you should work out:

1) Better skin. Acne builds up when follicles clog up and create a build-up of sebum (the skin’s oil), which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Working out and sweating will open up your pores.

2) Smell better. I can’t really explain this one, but I find that body odor becomes more noticeable when I don’t work out for like a week. Then I go for a long run and everything is back to normal.

3) Eat as much as you want. Burn calories and get them back. Food is awesome.

4) Fall asleep faster. Tossing and turning in your bed and not being able to sleep is probably the worst feeling in the world, especially when you know it’s going to be a long day tomorrow. Make your muscles sore and you’ll sleep like a baby.

5) Comfort. If you work out often but then suddenly stop, your body will try to compensate by overheating periodically because it’s used to exerting itself. Instead of using the ATP to power muscle contractions, it’ll just be released as heat. It kind of sucks when a room starts getting warmer than is comfortable for no apparent reason.

6) Get a nice body. If you’re consistent and motivated, it just happens. And it’s a confidence booster too.

7) Think clearer. There’s no better way to refresh your mind than working out after a long day of paper writing or homework. Whenever I have writer’s block, I just go for a run and an idea usually pops into my head when I get back. Or if I’m really confused with emotional stuff, i.e. girls, working out seems to help my mind cut right through all the crap.

8) Feel good. Exercising releases endorphins, the same neurotransmitter produced during orgasms. I think that’s kind of self-explanatory…

9) Be healthy. It’s kind of important.

-Kanger

Someone recently asked me: “How do you think your blog measures up to Colby’s? Don’t be nice about it. He’ll understand.”

Well, I have a question for you. Why does that matter? I honestly don’t think there’s much value in comparing the two. It’s sort of like trying to compare colleges. How does MIT measure up to Rhode Island School of Design? It’s kind of pointless to look at them side-by-side because MIT is really strong at science and technology while RISD has one of the best art programs in the world. Each college, like each blog, has its own strengths and voice. I will say that I wish Colby posted more often on his blog because I enjoy reading about his perspectives on the economy and political issues.

In general, I don’t really like rankings and comparisons because every place, thing, and person has its own uniqueness, which everyone values differently. Comparisons can be useful, sure, but I think there’s a point where it starts to lose its usefulness when people obsess over what’s “the best” or when they compare themselves to other people. I get sad when some people don’t think they have a chance of getting into a particular college because other people are “better at life” and will take their spot. Quit comparing yourself and be proud of whatever you’ve done.

That’s my take on it, anyway.

-Kanger

Anonymous asked: If you were stranded on an island for the rest of eternity, what would you bring with you?

Other people. Living alone for eternity would suck.