Actually, sorry, but I'm a junior... they do it backwards at our school, gov jr. year, world studies senior year. AP calc kinda sucks... . Well, maybe its cuz I am taking AP calc, AP US Gov, and AP Language and Composition all at the same time. *shivers* Next year should be easier, I am only taking AP stats and doing AP Comparative gov contract based. So, what are you guys looking forward to most about the trip? I am looking forward to meeting with one of our senators... both of them are uber liberal, and I am a libertarian, so it should be interesting. So, are any of you guys from around Washington? I think I am the only one from this far out... lol! But Seattle's cool... hopefully there will be a starbucks somewhere near the hotel, or I will die. haha. Do any of you guys do debate? If so, totally hit me up, cuz we can chat about resolutions and stuff. Good times. ^_^
*lauren*

I was wondering the same thing about starbucks...

Yea i'm taking AP Calc, AP BIO II, AP Brit Lit, and AP Gov't all at once and it's not too bad, and about the starbucks thing, starbucks doesn't really have a big presence around here so i wouldn't count on there being one. I'm not saying there won't be one but i doubt it. However i would bet there's some kind of coffee shop near by but like i said i don't think it'll be a starbucks, if that makes any difference i don't don't drink any kind of coffee so i really don't know. Its actually kinda stupid we're staying in Tysons which is like 25 minutes from DC. But Tysons corner is a big shopping center and the hotel is like 5 minutes from that so i'd bet there's something.

oh my gosh. AP language and compostion!!!! i am totally in that class. and we took a practice test today. and it was horrible. i am a really good writer, but an essay in 40 minutes, yeah, like that is ever going to happen. i am not looking forward to taking that test in the spring...

oh, and addison, you know this means youre going to have to give me some chocolate, right?

Those stupid impromptu writings... we have to take one every friday. Does your teacher grade them on the 1-9 scale? I got stuck at 7 for like, 2 months, and our last one finally got me an 8! I was so excited, I called my mom! teehee. But she did give us more time then the usual 40 minute cutoff, so that probably is why... Any coffee is good, as long as it is coffee, you know? I might just bring my own and hope there's a pot in my hotel room. lol
*Lauren*

Yea.... AP Eng is a great class it can just get difficult at times. We grade on the 1-9 scale as well. I think thats standard for colleges. Why couldnt they be like everyone else and grade on a 1-10 scale?? haha.. Jeez those college board people confuse me. Anyhow, right now in Eng. we're reading All the Kings Men. It's wonderful. I absolutely love it so far.

I'm not a big coffee freak, never understood why its so wonderful. It never woke me up or anything, it was just a drink that if you didnt put enough sugar or cream it tasted horrible.

Heck, since this whole thing is on valentines day i'm probably going to pick up one of those heart shaped chocolate boxes for myself at the airport ;-).

The info on Nigeria isnt that hard to look up. CIA-worldfact book or whatever it was has a lot of basic info on structure, people, and economy. What i've done is taken notes over the subject so that I can have a basic understanding of the country before I go in and do whatever. I dont know from experience, but i'm guessing that knowing the general landscape might help if you are actually using strategies.

my teacher is actually making those 20pts. and she has only graded one so far. and mine was really bad and i got 15/20. but she says she is going to start grading them harder as we go along. which really sucks because the last one i did was worse than the first one. i don't know what is wrong with me, but i just can't write those things. and we read an example one in class that got a 9. it was so incredibly amazing. the kid wrote it in teh same style as the author and there were tons of allusions... it made me feel even more horrible.

i can't wait for this trip. need a break from school!!!!!!

Hmmm... I see similar classes. I am taking AP Government, AP Calculus, English 102 (yes, its a college class), Honors Earth Science, and Honors Spanish IV.

As for my mode of transportation, I'll be flying Northwest Airlines:

7:00AM: Depart Phoenix for Detroit
2:05PM: Depart Detroit for Washington (Dulles)

I should arrive in DC around 3:30PM.

So it looks like just about everyone going to this conference takes AP GOV..,

I have to say that it's my favorite class, but I still to bad in there! I suck at those AP GOV tests! And don't even get me started on those free responses!

Anyone have any tips about managing the tests???

1-9 is the AP scale for essays that's why everyone's teacher's are using it. and your funny ella. it will be interesting to see if they do anything for valentines day.

i take ap la too. Our teacher doesn't give us too many practice essays but we do some of the multiple choice practices. We just finished reading Hemingway -For Whom the Bell Tolls
i don't take ap gov- im taking apus instead

It would be cool if they did something for valentine's day (hint to moderators and others reading)

And if they don't do something, let's have our own valentine's thing.

You up for it, Addison?

I am all for doing a valentines day thing... I have to leave at like, midnight to get to DC on time! My flight(s) goes as follows:

AA #1212 from Seatac to Dallas/Ft. Worth and then
AA #1576 from D/FW to Balt/Wash Intl

I should get in around 10:45, which will give me time to get settled and take a nap and such, seeing as I am leaving so late. Eh, thats what iPods are for, though... lol. So, when it comes to the gov tests, I have found that reading the questions slowly and restating them to myself helps. They always seem like trick questions, so you have to figure them out. Also, cross off answers when you have eliminated them, cuz if you have 3 out of 5 that you aren't sure of, your chances of guessing right are much higher. I don't see how you can not like coffee! Maybe its too many 5AM mornings headed off to debate tournaments, but I would die without it...
*lauren*

yeah the highests I've gotten on those essays in 8, but I seem to be always stuck with 7's.

Not enjoying coffee is easy, i personally think it tastes like hot grease that's been run through a blender with some sugar added to it, but thats just me. And i'm down for doing our own valentines thing, just let me know what i need to do and i'll see what i can do. and Lauren you do realize BWI is well over and hour away from tysons corner right? Map Quest says 50 minutes but with traffic i'd bet it's way more than that. And as far as writing goes i'm the most inconsistent writer you'll ever meet. I've gotten anything from a 9 to a 7 on an essay and i never know what i'm gonna get. It's actually funny i'm usually completely backwards of what i think i should get. Like 1 time i asked to redo an assignment cause i thought what i had done was horrible, and i ended up getting a 9 on it. blew my mind i didn't even come close to understanding how it worked out that way.

hey everyone. my name is Eddie and i'm from Tucson, Arizona. im also going to the feb.14-19 DID forum.

About Me:

im 17 year old junior. some sports i play are paintball and karate. i also play a array of musical instruments including the alto sax, clarinet, piano (synth), drums, and i also do a little mixing. i am a republican and strong backer of conservative issues. some things i enjoy are joking around, coaching my paintball team, and taking midnight strolls on the beach (yea i made that last one up).

I asspire to become a tactical intelligence officer in the United States Marine Corps. im hoping this forum will help me learn more about the U.S.'s forign policy and where that would take a person who is looking into the military as a career.

hope to see everyone soon.
if anyone wants to chat, hit me up on aim: stan123376

Whats up Eddie, I'm Addison nice to meet you. Yea Paintball is pretty sweet i used to be hardcore into it but i don't really have the time anymore. I got asked to be a boatload of teams but didn't have the money to get a good gun back then and it kinda faded. I'm also like the local guy for this thing cause i live 45 minutes from the forum so if you need to know anything about where your coming just let me know and if i can't answer it i probably can get the answer.

when i was little i used to steal coffee beans from the grocery store and eat them. but i don't like coffee (except for its smell) i am more of a tea person.

and i am not in ap gov

and oh my gosh i just saw brokeback moutain and it was an amazing movie!!!!!!

My flight gets in at 10:45, but even with an hour drive there will still be plenty of time for stuff... coffee is amazing. I don't know how to describe it. Like, right now I am halfway through a debate tournament (they run both friday and saturday). I got home tonight around 11, and I need to be at school tomorrow morning at 5 to get to PLU on time for the second day of competition. I should be done tomorrow around 11 as well. Do that for 3 weekends in a row, and you will grow to love coffee too. *sigh* I love debate.
--Lauren

Anybody want to be my valentine...we should all have our own valentines within our session and then we can meet our valentines when we get to DC