<p>Whatever, I feel that I shouldn’t go off on too much of a tangent</p>
<p>@topaz1116 which clusters are you applying to?</p>
<p>Hey, my school is known as a “pressure cooker” as well! We occasionally have “stress-free days” because everyone is so stressed out; in the first one this year, they played movie music (the Circle of Life, Hedwig’s Theme, Let it Go, etc.) instead of our bell. I had gotten a new book from the library that day, and I raised it in the air like they raised Simba in the air at the Circle of Life.</p>
<p>I… have no idea which clusters I’m applying to. Something astrophysics/particle physics related, probably. And depending on which campus I apply to, I might apply to a math cluster (although right now I’m thinking of Irvine, which has a particle physics cluster and an astrophysics cluster). Apparently they sometimes change clusters right before the application is posted, so I’m waiting for that.</p>
<p>you’re school is better at stress relief than mine. </p>
<p>Also, I am applying to biodiesel and red blood cell (bioengineering/mechanical engineering) clusters at UCSD</p>
<p>idk what to say lol</p>
<p>How did you guys hear about COSMOS? Just curious. On a side note, essay writing is dreadful, because of writer’s block. </p>
<p>I heard about it through people talking about it at school last year. However, my parents didn’t want me to go to a sleepaway camp so I didn’t apply.</p>
@topaz1116 my school did the exact same thing for a stress-free day… do we go to the same school?!
Edit – we literally go to the same school.
I wish I could go to your school…
@carisatinie whoah that is really cool. What grade are you in?
Has anyone actually finished their essays/short answer responses?
@topaz1116 junior!
@Cornbread1999 I honestly really dislike my school; it’s way too competitive 
Happy new year everyone!!
@carisatinie sophomore (oh, I’m so despicable) here. I really hate my chem teacher at the moment (he’s the one who is very very picky about how you do things). Eegh. Problems that would have taken me two minutes each take me ten minutes to do because of his “methods.”
Does it really get that competitive junior year? I don’t want it to be junior year (but then all the classes I’m taking are reputed to have good teachers and it’s not getting one of two evils, as usual), but it’s already 2015. Six months until I’m an upperclassman.
Also are you in Precalc or Calc? Because Precalc is killing me (I’m pretty sure I understand the material better than most of the people in the class, but I keep making really dumb mistakes on tests; thankfully I’m still in the top 40%).
@Cornbread1999 I’m almost done with my statement of interest.
@topaz1116 (sorry for digressing from the main pt of the forum!)
Ahh, I had the other chem teacher. I can’t say that any one of them is better than the other, haha. I’m currently taking AP Chem as my only science and, tbh, I’m doing worse than I was last year. The teacher is really good… I just suck at taking conceptual tests (which probably means I’m going to flunk the AP test haha). I’m in the minority, though; I think most people believe it’s easier to get an A in AP Chem. Junior year (so far) isn’t too bad, but it is definitely harder than soph year. January is going to be terrible, as are the months leading up to AP season
I’m taking Precalc! Luckily I have the best teacher and I did well on the midterm 
It seems like all of you are applying to UC Irvine. Is that campus going to be more competitive this year, because I was thinking of applying there also?
@carisatinie by good teacher, do you mean the one who makes the tests or the really nice one? Thankfully I did well on the midterm and several quizzes, because I have made way too many dumb mistakes on the past few tests (my grade dropped like six percent).
@cjchasinglife I think it also depends on cluster; but Irvine probably will have the most popular clusters.
@topaz1116 but isn’t UC Irvine supposed to be the least competitive?
@topaz1116 - The one who makes the tests. He’s also the best at, y’know, actually teaching. I actually have an insanely high grade right now (what a miracle!!!) that I kinda wish I could transfer to other classes that I’m not doing so hot in…
on the downside, the teacher’s pretty intimidating and I don’t know if I can get a rec from him for summer programs
@carisatinie you’re lucky. But I love my teacher (the really nice one); I’m probably going to get recs from him lol (despite my low grade, I’m one of the people who answers stuff on the board and stuff). I have quite a few friends who have him as well (half of the people who sit around me in history have him fifth period), and they’re always stressing about homework and tests and stuff (hah with my teacher, if you put something down on the paper that seems like math, he’ll give you credit). I’m also probabky going to get a rec from my math teacher from last year (the new one who sometimes skateboards) because he’s the greatest.
I want to ask my chem teacher for a rec, but he’s really intimidating. Also I don’t know what he’d write on the rec.