Hard day = Hard life

I have to admit, today was one of the toughest days I have had in a long time. After going to bed at 12:30 in the morning to finish off my biology presentation, I had to drag myself out of bed after oversleeping for half an hour. Later I missed my train, so my dad had to drive me and as he dropped me off and I trudged my way through the wind and rain and into the halls of doom, I discovered my bag was open, nearly spilling all my books on the floor. To top that off, my first class was biology and I had to present the PowerPoint that I had just made 7 hrs ago, while I knew all of my physics buddies had the opportunity to sleep-in because their classes started later.

Once biology began, each presentation merged into the next one, including my own. Don’t get me wrong, biology is my favorite subject, it’s just that I couldn’t. I couldn’t handle everything, not even the corrected biology test I got back; I was too scared to look at the grade because of its potential negative effects of influencing my soon-to-be math test.

Time passed, and sooner than I realized, I was sitting on a crappy school chair in a deadly quiet room with a white piece of paper starring at me. The math test. Did I mention it was a higher level test? First year of university level? Yeah, I struggled and questioned why I even chose such a challenging subject.

As I stared out the murky windows and saw the rain drops race past each other, I wondered what else I could have been doing if I could have chosen, if I could actually control my life for once. Some may argue that I chose the IB path and say I have to accept the challenges and less nights of sleep, but do I really have to do this all the time? It’s better to live a healthier life than that of pressure. How is it healthy to want to get 7s all the time and beat all of your opponents, who are supposed to be your friends? What happens if you get a really bad grade, what do you do? Try, try, again?

Well, I’m definitely not giving up because this day is only one of many days to come and I need to learn to live through them. Now I’m off to bed at a surprising 9:30 pm (I don’t even remember the last time I went to bed so early).

P.S. I would just like to thank all my friends and family for making me happy today. I actually haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. 🙂

 

 

Are Fitbit Watches Reliable?

A Lawsuit and Complaints Against Fitbit’s Heart Rate Monitoring Technology

Lately, there has been a lot of discussions about the accuracy of measuring heart rate activity in the FitBit HR and Surge. I thought it would be interesting to discuss about this topic and share my opinions, since I am an avid user of the FitBit HR.

On Christmas, I was given a new Fitbit HR and when I discovered what it could do, I was quickly excited and wore it all the time non-stop, even when I was sleeping. I am very happy to have my new Fitbit because I am interested in my health and I try to get as much exercise as possible. However, when I first heard the news about the class action lawsuit against Fitbit, a lot of questions stirred and I did some research.

The lawsuit states that Fitbit devices, specifically the Charge HR and Surge, have not consistently recorded accurate heart rate data with its monitoring technology, the PurePulse tracker, as promised and warranted. In addition, Fitbit has unjustly kept class members out of court through a post-purchase agreement, meaning that buyers are required to agree to not sue Fitbit after using its products with the PurePulse trackers.

Relating to the inaccuracies in the heart rate monitoring technology, a complaint from a woman in Colorado states that she wore her Charge HR during high rate activity, and when her coach measured her heart rate, it was twice the number of what her Fitbit watch recorded. Regarding these complaints, the plaintiffs have cited independent testing in which they had a board-certified cardiologist test the heart rate monitor technology at different intensity levels of exercise; what they found was that the data was inaccurate at an average of 24 beats per minute, while at extreme cases as much as 75 bpm (page 15, allegation 2, clause 37). In response to the lawsuit, Consumer Reports tested Fitbit’s products to see if they complied to the independent testing and consumer complaints.

“At Consumer Reports, we were surprised because we had tested both of the devices, and found the heart rate readings to be quite accurate. We decided to retest these models to confirm that we should continue to recommend them. And to learn more about their performance, we added some elements to our standard fitness-tracker test protocol. The result: Both the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge passed our tests handily, accurately recording heart rates at everything from a leisurely walk up to a fast run. (Read more)

I must mention the limitations and reliability of Consumer Report’s testing; as stating on their website they “recruited a male and female volunteer”, each of “the two subjects” used the Fitbit Charge HR and Surge. What I find alarming is that they only had two test subjects, which could seriously lead to inaccurate data when relating it to the whole of society, meaning this study in my opinion has little environmental validity.

Consumer Reports also mentions that their participants wore two copies of the same fitness model tracker “one placed on the wrist, and the second one a few inches higher.” What they failed to mention was if they switched the placement of the two watched to see if, for example, the watch worn close to the wrist recorded the same activity as the second watch, which was worn higher up the forearm.

Even though Consumer Reports state that “all tests were conducted twice” and “a total of 64 heart rate measurements were recorded”, it does not mean that the data is reliable enough to comply for all people, as the data was only tested on two test subjects.

In my opinion, I believe that the Fitbit watches are worth the money, even if there are numerous complaints, lawsuits, and tests that oppose to the reliability of the PurePulse heart rate monitoring accuracy in the watches. At the end of the day, Fitbit watches are not medical instruments, but instead recreational; consumers should not criticize the heart rate monitoring to every last detail because it is not a matter of life or death. Your body knows when to stop, so rely on your body not what some watch tells you. What I really find enjoyable is the motivation I receive from the watch; just wearing it encourages me to be more active and to live a healthier life style.

I give a thumbs up to the Fitbit Charge HR.

 

#IBlife

When you have a presentation tomorrow you haven’t really prepared for and two written assignments due the next. Plus Math HL questions that you don’t even know how to answer.

Sometimes I wonder why I chose the IB, especially now since I’ve been sleeping from 12:30 to 6:00 am every single day of the week. I can’t wait for the weekend…

#iblife

 

Officially a New WOTE Fan

I’ve decided to start posting again, even with the IB taking up my free time and completely freezing my social life. I’m just going to be posting things that I find interesting.

What I want to talk about today is WOTE, otherwise known as Walk Off the Earth, which is a Canadian band that makes music off of already hit songs. Though there’s a twist: they normally make their music videos with unusual instruments and have cool performances. What I mean by this is they, for example, use a surfboard and tap shoes to make instrumental sounds and they perform in a garage behind a surf board. This was in their new video of their version of “Hello” by Adele, which also happened to be the first video I have ever seen of them. Yeah, I literally had no idea they existed until yesterday.

How could that happen? They are like the best singers ever with their voices in perfect tune and beautifully harmonized. And the fact that they have become so popular without the help of record labels, booking arrangements, or managements is quite astonishing. They also seem like real people, which is one of the things I like most. They aren’t like a stereotypical band with superficial lives, at least not that I know of.

Anyway, hope most of you guys have heard of this band. If not, go watch their videos! The newest ones are absolutely amazing!

A picture of the band members taken from the WOTE official website: http://www.walkofftheearth.com/photos/

 

Leap of Faith

Hey again! I know it’s been a long time since I last posted, but I have been busy with the IB. Now, I’m working on my CAS diaries and decided to share one of my reflections. A little while back, I took on the challenge of making a public speech and performing it in front of all of my peers.

Reflection

The English Public Speaking Competition was held at St. Olav on Tuesday the 24^th of November 2015. I, along with five other classmates, competed in the competition while our peers watched and voted for their favorite speaker. However, the main objective of the competition was to encourage students to take the stage and share with the audience their thoughts on the topic, which was how everyone has power even if they do not know it.

At first, I was very excited to face the challenge of making my own, creative speech and then performing it in front of over 50 people, however the last few days before the competition were nerve-wracking and I almost backed away from the challenge. Whenever I tried to write or research information for my speech, I would avoid it and think about other things to calm me down. However, I took on the challenge and faced my fears. On the last day before the competition, I practiced in front of a mirror and researched tutorials on how to present a good speech; my perseverance did not let me down and I was determined to do my best on the final day.

Once it was the day of the competition, I could not focus during classes because my mind was in a different world—the world of my speech and its message, the speeches that I would hear from my opponents, the feeling I would have being on stage. When it finally was competition time, each of my opponents took the stage one at a time; I listened for about the first 30 seconds of each speech and then I was slowly dragged back to my speech and its world. And then last was me.

I slowly rose from my chair and carefully walked to the stage, taking one shaky step at a time up the steps. My heart pounded 100 miles an hour and before I knew it, I stood on the stage, feet planted on the floor and my body facing 50 people with curious faces. I then took a deep breath and told my story. Some say it was creative, others say I may have been too harsh, while the rest may say I moved too much on the stage. However, I did not take notice. How not? I was in my own world. I felt the words pass my lips and hit the audience with their strong meanings and emotions. My arms waved around, telling the story and trying to bring the audience into my world. At one point, I felt so empowered with the words coming out of my mouth that I almost felt a tear roll down my cheek. The emotions flooded me; the thought of influencing so many people was overpowering.

Once I finished and exited the stage, a smile crossed my face. I could not be any prouder. My opponents and I then exited the room and the students and ESU representatives voted for their favorite speaker and at that moment, it did not matter if I won or not. What mattered was the message I gave to my audience. Soon, the results came and I found out the devastating news that I did not win. I did not even get second place, but I held my head up high and I thought back to the week before when I was struggling to even write my speech. Now I had accomplished my challenge and proved to myself that I can face anything as long as I have the perseverance and keep my commitment.

Throughout this experience, I have gained much knowledge within the realms of public speaking and communication among peers. I have not only learned how to create a moving speech, but also how to deliver it; I also recognize my need for improvement. I am very proud of myself for taking on this challenge and learning to face my fears. I have learned something that cannot be taught through a textbook or a teacher—what I experienced was the power of my words, the overwhelming wave of emotions, and the influential moment while realizing that I was delivering my message to over 50 people—all in one, special moment. That is something that you can never learn from others, you can only learn it through your own experiences.

The six contestants along with the whole 2IB and two ESU representatives

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#PrayforFrance #Prayfortheworld

For my Brother Cory

This past week has been a very saddening time in my life. My brother Cory passed away and he was laid to rest today. I had the opportunity to say a few words at the service. Below, you will find the eulogy that I made for the service. Cory, you will be forever loved.

Cory was my brother, but to others he was known as father, son, grandson, uncle, and friend. Despite the many titles, we all knew Cory as a Norwegian American Chargers-loving racecar fanatic. To many of us, he was also known as Pigz.

Cory was an adventurous guy who always did fun and crazy things with his buddies. However, after discovering the news of his expected parenthood, he became more mature and serious over his actions. Once Cason was brought to this world, Cory and he were inseparable. He has not only shared many special moments with Cason, but also to everyone around him. The memories that really stand out to me are the times I spent with him during our family gatherings.

Every Christmas, all the Norwegians in our family gathered to celebrate. We went to farmor and farfar’s house and ate farmor’s special meatballs and mashed potatoes. It was so special for me because I was able to see all of my older siblings and hear what has happened in their lives. After sharing stories, taking family pictures, and passing everyone gifts, we gave each other good-bye hugs. Every time I gave Cory a hug, I noticed the colorful tattoos as his arms wrapped around me. All of his tattoos fascinated me, especially the one with the American and Norwegian flags. I will always remember the feeling of warmth as his arms wrapped around me and how his tall stature contrasted to my small, child figure. We were far a part in age, but he will always be my exciting, big brother.

We will always remember Cory as the guy who lightened up the party and lived his life to the fullest. His life was an exciting and adventurous one that took him all the way to Europe and back. I would like to say a quote by Jack London that reminds me of how Cory perceived life.

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

Cory has lived a fun and adventurous life. He was kind, loving, and caring and he was always the joy of the party. Even though it is saddening and unfortunate for us, it was God’s plan to take Cory at this point in time. Cory has not only brought us together during his life, but also after his passing. I can’t even count all of the people I have met that have been special in Cory’s life, all from family to his buddies and to all of his friends’ families. After his passing, Cory has brought us together and that is what I want to embrace. Thank you Cory for touching all of our lives. We love you.

Setting Goals

I know there are many people – friends, family, and random readers – that may think that I set my goals way too high and that meeting my standards are unachievable, but I beg to differ. I do set very high goals, such as my goal to study at Oxford and to accomplish noteworthy work in my career, but these goals help drive me. They give me challenges in life, and what isn’t better than to accomplish your own challenges? It feels as though you have surpassed roadblocks that stand in the way of you navigating your way through life.

Even though I set high goals, I set small goals that lead up to the main one, which prevents me from becoming pessimistic. We need to take small step until we can achieve the overall goal. For me, I have already taken the small steps of doing the IB, going to Oxford, and researching university courses. Yesterday, I met a high goal achiever who is currently a competitive swimmer, even though her legs are paralyzed. The swimmer, Sarah Louise Rung, has won numerous of medals in the Paralympics and has plans of winning more in the next Paralympic Games in Rio. Her goal to be one of the best Paralympic swimmers has come true, because of all the small goals she accomplished before. After her accident, she wasn’t even able to sit upright in her chair. Now she has come far with her determination and support from her friends and family.

I believe anyone can achieve anything as long as they put their minds to it. You need to have an idea, make a main goal, decide the small goals that lead up to your final goal, and don’t give up. You will make it in the end.

Meeting my Idol

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be paralyzed? To not be able to move your body, no matter how many times you try. To one day be free to do whatever you want, but then to have your life turned upside down because of an accident. To be confined of the freedom of movement and independency. This is what one woman has faced in her life, and now she is a Norwegian Paralympic medalist swimmer. Her name is Sarah Louise Rung.

As I took my seat in the conference room, I noticed the familiar face of the well-known athlete. She easily glided her way across the room, preparing for her presentation. Once the voices of the conversing audience quieted down and everyone was in their seats, Sarah took her position in the middle of the room with a confident, excited smile. After a short introduction, a film assembled of homemade videos grasped our attention. The videos were of Sarah as a little girl living her normal life of swimming, hiking, and running; her wide smile and happy eyes constantly appeared. Being active was one of the most important and enjoyable moments in her life. Then, everything changed.

On the 1^st of September 2008, Sarah lay on a cot with a thin gown wrapped around her body. At only 19, she entered the operating room with the hope of straightening her crooked spine. The simple operation first went as planned with Sarah under anesthesia and the doctors repairing her back. Still under surgery, the medics woke her up from anesthesia and asked her to move her toes. Nothing happened. Once Sarah was fully awake, she noticed all of the doctors’ grim faces and realized something was terribly wrong. Moments later, she was informed of the saddening news that she was permanently paralyzed from the legs down. For the next few weeks, overwhelming emotions of frustration, anger, and sadness occupied her thoughts as she realized she could never walk, run, or ski again. She thought she could never be as active as she was before, but then she fought.

She took the challenge of rehabilitating herself and living an exciting, active life. She remembered the importance of being optimistic and positive about the situations around her, which helped her concentrate on the tasks at hand instead of living a depressive life. What also contributed to helping her move on was the help from the people around her and the challenges she had to face. After months of rehabilitation, she went to the pool for the first time since the accident and found herself at peace. She decided to continue training to be a competitive swimmer and set goals for herself. Through the help of her friends and family, she was able to accomplish her goals, which took her all the way to the Paralympics. Sarah concluded her presentation with a film of all the achievements in her swimming carrier with videos of her swimming against her fellow competitors. She won her races through her determination, and as she received her gold medals, a smile of joy crossed her face. She set her goals, and she has already set new ones for the future with plans to go to the next Paralympic Games in Rio.

Sarah was first like any other girl who loved being active, but then her life changed. After being affected by the saddening events of her life, she was able to twist them to her advantage and has accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime. She has won four Paralympic medals, won the 2014 Role Model Award by the Norwegian Sports Gala, and completed her higher education. From not being able to sit upright in her chair, to becoming a Paralympic champion has changed not only her life, but also the people’s lives around her. She has inspired many people – of all ages – to face their challenges in life and to never give up.

Me and Sarah Louise Rung at Kruse Smith

My Reflections

I would like to add that this journey to Oxford University was absolutely amazing and definitely an experience of a lifetime. I will always remember the times I spent there making new friends and independently exploring the world while grasping at my chance of freedom. I learned so much about the IB diploma, different cultures, how it is to live in a university, and how important the environment is around you. I gained so much knowledge of what it really is like to live at Oxford and the chances of being accepted into the university. Even though it is very difficult to be selected for an interview, being student at Oxford University will always be a part of my dreams.

For those of you out there who also have similar goals, don’t let anyone ruin your dreams. Even if your chances are slim, there is still a chance to accomplish whatever you want as long as you have the determination to stand up for what you want and/or believe. No matter how many times a person pushes you down, stand back up and fight. Think about all of the positive aspects and your advantages. Think optimistically. As long as you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything.

I have already achieved one of my main goals, and that was being accepted into the school I now attend. When I first moved to Norway and went to a Norwegian school, my grades weren’t perfect. I struggled in Norwegian with a starting grade of 2 (equal to around a D in American grades). I was okay in everything else, especially in English, but I had a problem: I wanted to be accepted into an IB school. The minimum grade point average to enter the class was 5,0 (equivalent to a 3.8 GPA). For the next two years, I studied and took extra language classes for my Norwegian. I also did all of this while competing in at least two handball games a week, playing two instruments, and participating in school clubs. My grades grew higher and higher as the years passed by. At the end of my last year in middle school (10th grade), I accomplished a GPA of 5,1. I was ecstatic and genuinely proud of what I had accomplished. I not only achieved my goal, but also went as far as leading a school club and improving my handball skills.

Now that I take the IB, I feel as though there is still so much for me to accomplish. I have a whole two years’ of work laying in front of me. The stress has already begun to take place, but I’m still starting the year off strong.