September 4th: Favorite Study Snack!

little ways to change your life:

learn how to write a new style of handwriting. try wearing your hair or makeup differently. find a new perfume you like.

do things for yourself, not for the validation of others. resist the temptation to post everything online.

start doing something you usually can't be bothered to do. like making your bed, folding everything neatly, stretching every hour, going on jogs, making a healthy meal from scratch or sleeping earlier.

make your surroundings as cozy and as pleasing for you to look at as possible.

bake delicious but sometimes deformed pastries. write things that no one "gets". wear clothes and hairstyles that make u happy. crotchet a sock badly. draw a picture that won't be aesthetic on instagram. let go of the perfect image of who you need to be. do things for yourself.

be messy. self-expression isn't always pretty. scribble messily in a notebook. draw messily an idea for a character. write a messy draft for a story.

learn your thing from scratch, whether it's astronomy, greek mythology, flower species, piano, japanese, making jam, drawing comics, or something completely different.

let yourself fully enjoy everyday things like food, commute, and your morning routines. slow down and notice every single thing that makes you feel nice.

appreciate nature, like the sunlight streaming through in the morning, the sound of rain, and the colors of sunsets.

notice the deeper meanings and emotions in songs, poetry and paintings.

let people in. give new loves and friendships a chance. initiate conversations when you want.

read as much as you can. read different genres, popular and unpopular books, classics and new releases. give every book that catches your eye a chance.

enjoy your solitude like you're a character in a movie. if you can, go out for walks alone. visit the park to look at dogs, a café to people-watch, or a library to spend the afternoon buried in a book. bring a journal everywhere with you, and write poetry and quotes and doodles.

collect little things, like vinyls, pretty rocks and shells, stuffed animals, whatever makes you happy.

find a sport you like. pretend you're a superhero. dance like no one's watching. swim like you're a mermaid. exercise is supposed to be fun, so find one that you like.

make self care a priority. this includes taking your meds on time, starting to study for a test after procrastinating for weeks, deleting things that trigger negative emotions, and knowing when to let go and ask for help.

distance yourself from sources of negativity. learn to be ok on your own. know your worth and boundaries.

let go of the past. forgive yourself for the things you regret and start again.

let go of old relationships. there's a difference between missing someone and wanting them back in your life.

let go of your need to be perfect. it does more harm than good.

never compare yourself. it will always feel like a losing battle, no matter how amazing you really are.

keep in touch with people you don't speak to much. even a message can brighten someone's day.

be kind to everyone you meet, even strangers. if someone makes you happy, make them happier. compliment often, and be less judgemental. give someone a smile, you never know how much it means to them.

wake up earlier in the morning. wake up with the sun and fall asleep with the moon.

if you want to be calmer and more productive, remove things on your phone and social media apps that you don't need. (which is most of them).

make a list of qualities in the person you dream of becoming. write about your ideal life with what you have. make goals to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.

don't suppress your emotions, but don't overthink them either. have a kinder relationship with your body and your thoughts.

don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's a teacher, therapist, friend, doctor or parent.

remember that healing and loving yourself is just starting over and over. it's not too late. you're still young and you can move and grow at your own pace. your peak is yet to come.

reblog to give the person you reblogged from the strength to complete The Task™

some notes on anti-asian racism

look. other people have commented on this before, but it seems like it needs to be said again because some of y’all aren’t getting the message. 

asian people are a marginalized minority. what about this do people not understand. asian people are marginalized because we live in a system of white supremacy and in this system, asian people will never be white and will never have the power of white people. just because a lot of asians are relatively well off financially does not mean we are not marginalized; there are other ways to be excluded and treated as unequal besides in terms of money, and this completely ignores the millions of asian people who are poor and working class, including the women who were killed in atlanta. asian people are not basically white- we look different, so we are treated different, just like any minority. it’s that simple. if asian people were not marginalized, why else would hate crimes against asian people rise dramatically in 2020. why else would we be attacked in the streets. why else would people tell us to go back to where we came from. why else would the chinese exclusion act be passed, japanese american citizens be shipped to the midwest during world war 2, vietnamese people massacred by american soldiers in the 70s. asian people are being killed now. if we are not marginalized, why are there targets on our backs for existing. 

black lives matter and stop asian hate are movements for social justice that have the same root cause: destroying white supremacy. black and asian communities have often been pitted against each other by white institutions seeking to take advantage of sowing discord between minority groups, but there is a rich history of black-asian solidarity during the fight for civil rights in the late 20th century. yes, anti-blackness is a real issue in asian communities, especially among older asians. and yes, asians also experience racism from black individuals- see these examples of cardi b using an anti-asian slur, this incident that happened yesterday of a black man pouring unknown liquid on an asian woman. neither is acceptable. supporting one movement does not negate your support for the other. you can do both, in fact, you should do both. realize that we all have a common enemy here, and it’s the system of white supremacy that has oppressed us. we are not free from white supremacy until it is all entirely eradicated, for everyone. 

just because i speak in the collective sense about asian people does not mean that all asian people are the same. even though some of us may look similar, with black hair and “small” eyes, that is only a representative image of some east/southeast asian people. asia is vast and incredibly diverse, and each nation has its own culture, language, and traditions. in addition, the asian diaspora is huge. asian people live all over the world, in varying economic, social, and political situations. different asian people in different areas have very different problems, even within the same country. an asian in a small town in nebraska will have a very different experience than an asian in paris. a korean person will have a different experience in a given place from an indian person. i don’t know how many times in my life i’ve been asked, “are you chinese?” the answer is no, i’m not, and a lot of asians aren’t chinese. tied into this is the mistaken belief of some nonasians in the western world that all asians are still allegiant to the country of their heritage and speak the language of that country, which manifests in comments like “oh your english is so good!” or “are you, like, communist?” first off, it ignores the very real possibility that an asian person could be born outside asian countries, and second, being from a certain country by no means determines whether you’re loyal to it and agree with its policies. i just saw this with an anon claiming all chinese people support the government’s reeducation camps for uyghur muslims. this is absolutely preposterous. 

finally, a word on allyship. i have zero faith in nonasian people- and by that i mean white people- to continue talking about this and spreading awareness about anti-asian racism. part of it is this model minority myth, that asians are basically as well off as white people, at least financially and academically, so they can figure things out by themselves. no. absolutely not. we cannot get out of the hole white supremacy has put us into without white people making a genuine, legitimate effort to confront their own biases. your white tears, your prayers and thoughts, they mean nothing when the blood of our families and friends runs in the streets. they mean nothing if you haven’t bothered to learn a single thing about your own prejudices. i hope to god that i am wrong about this. i hope for my family, my friends, and myself that y’all will continue to be loud about this, because we are tired of screaming for help in a crowd where we are invisible and no one cares. but i’m a skeptic for a reason, and it took a massacre for people to notice what was happening. i don’t know if i’ll ever be proven wrong. 

here are some links and posts below where you can learn about this issue and donate: 

anti-asian violence resources

61 places to donate to help asian americans

donation links 

microaggressions against asian people

twitter thread of resources

asian therapists in the us and canada

asian hate coping resources (in several different languages)

reblog if school has actually made you cry

like the stress, the pressure and everything ya know. everyone keeps saying like ‘school makes me cry’ and stuff but has it really made you cry bc i cried a lot of times tbh

Things I wish I knew before freshman year of college

After being in college for a year, I’ve learned that some things that people told me were true and others were false. Now this is purely in my own experience so maybe I will prove to be wrong when you attend. Also, I am a commuter student so I don’t have any advice on dorms/apartments and how to deal with them. 

So seeing as half of my classes are in person this semester, I thought other people may be in the same situation as I am. 

emails will either be “Good Afternoon Professor Smith,” or “hey john” — whatever it is keep it short and to the point

the only profs that I actually call “Professor” are from gen eds/100 level courses. everyone else I address by their first name and none of them have a problem with it.

first day of class nerves are real here’s how to lessen it- scout out classes before hand, eat as you normally would on that day to avoid feeling sick, if it’s that bad just leave five minutes into class (chances are it’s not) you’re a college student you can leave, it’s not as bad as what you may think

KEEP THE SYLLABUS  it is your guide

8am classes will become hell as progress through the semester bc you won’t want to get up

your MWF classes may know about your TTH classes. Just so you know

don’t sit near the windows and look up to find the AC unit and don’t sit under it. You will be cold.

ice breakers are horrible and no one likes them, find a fact about yourself that you can expand on and use it for every class.

some classes will put you through your paces, go to office hours if needed

some profs are just unhelpful. Find another prof that would be willing to help

student tutors are not helpful at all

start studying for an exam at least a week early and get into that habit

raising your hand in class to ask a question is powerful because that means you’ve gotten far enough to actually understand what is going on

some profs won’t let you use a graphing calculator on an exam, bring a less complicated one with you as well.

some profs won’t let you use a calculator at all. sharpen up those basic math skills

if you have a genuinely bad prof, report them to the head prof of that department. If there is enough students who say the same thing they can take care of things :) (exception- tenured profs)

take public speaking your first semester and take it seriously. It really does help.

time between classes can be used for watching YouTube, studying, or taking a nap. Use it wisely.

always bring a water bottle and a granola bar with you anywhere you go

first semester may be exactly like high school but second semester won’t be as you will get harder classes

all nighters are not necessary if you study a little everyday

no one cares what you wear. HOWEVER if you want to be easily identified as a freshman on the first day, dress up really nicely. I just wore a school shirt and jeans, but I saw hoards of freshman girls with dresses and heels walking to class

speaking of clothes, I wouldn’t recommend wearing short sleeve shirts and shorts until you know the climate of the rooms you’ll be in. But that’s your preference

hand sanitizer. even after covid please continue to use it. There are sick people all the time on campus without covid

I believe an electronic writing device to be better than any paper or pens. You’ll have everything with you at all times without worrying about losing things

PDF scanner app

FIND A RELIABLE BACKPACK not a trendy one, a nice reliable comfy backpack with plenty of room

you don’t have to meet your best friends within the first day, week, month, or semester into college. They’ll come, it will be okay

you may make a friend that you later find out that they are horrible. End it quickly, ghost if you have to

if you feel lonely bc you have no friends bc you went to college on your own, please talk to someone about it. it does help even if it is a prof who asked you how your day is in private (not in front of the whole class)

everyone will think you know what you’re doing if you look confident. Doesn’t matter if you’re walking to class, doing work, or even asking questions. They’ll assume you’re higher in your education than you really are. I’ve had profs come up to me asking if I was a sophomore or a junior (I was a freshman in my first semester)

everyone and their mother will talk to you during the first week

no one will tell you about specific things (such as expenses, scheduling, etc.) seek it out if you find something you don’t understand

profs will tell you about due dates and exam dates, it may be brief but they’ll tell you

noise cancelling headphones are a must

group work is hell even if you know the members. my engineering prof says to make a contract that every one signs stating what they will do. present it to the prof if someone fails to do something.

stay away from populated areas that most people will go to such as libraries/tables/cafe. (covid related)

meal plans can be useless but sometimes you’re required to have one

Online classes:

a desk is best but sitting on the floor is a nice change of scenery

it is true that you should have a separate area for studying/classes but not everyone can do that. Try to angle where you sit either out of a window or face a wall opposite to where you sleep.

getting another monitor for my desk has been really helpful

tip from my computer science prof- look away from your screen periodically, humans are adapted to see far distances better and it relaxes the muscles. hang something up across your room to read every now and then to reduce eye strain. 

blue light blocking glasses can help reduce headaches 

you can do classes in bed if you want, I have and it hasn’t caused any problems

PDF scanner app

a planner is a must in this case to track when assignments are due

emails, emails, emails. All day.

my school has told me they can’t require us to turn on our cameras, so I don’t. even during exams. (It’s an invasion of privacy)

if you have to turn on your camera, don’t have a distracting background

turn in assignments one day early just incase something should happen where you have to email a prof saying that you’re unable to turn it in.

I’ll probably add to this as I think of things but for now… here is all I know

January Study Challenge

day 21 - can you play any instruments? how long have you been playing?

i play the viola! i’m not in my school’s orchestra anymore, but i’ve been playing for like 5 years now!

p.s. i skipped days like 18-20 i think? i forgot 😬

p.p.s. i got mildliners recently ! i love them so much already

Random pieces of advice

The world is less scary and chaotic if you lie down on the floor

Noticing different kinds of light (stars, candles, sunshine or city lights) can bring back the feeling of wonder and hope

If you can’t shower, washing your hands and face will help you feel better and cleaner

If you can’t clean anything else, changing and/or washing your bedsheets can do wonders

Fresh air and being outside in general can help with depersonalisation

Spending time around animals can help you recognise what’s important and calm anxious thought cycles

Techniques for emotional regulation in children can really help adults too

Putting random asortment of food on a plate without creating an actual dish still counts as a meal

Drink something warm

Delete that app

Treat yourself as if you were a kid. Buy yourself a toy, play around, learn about cool new things

Fast paced life isn’t morally better and it’s not good for everyone

There is no good reason to keep yourself hungry

Singing to your full lung capacity can be a great way to let out built up emotion

Tension in the face can cause headaches. Try to massage your face regularly

Nothing is as important as your health

You are a whole person on your own, you don’t need someone else to be there to deserve love and attention. Your life can be full as long as you are present

You should cry things out whenever you feel like it

Slow walks are still movement and they do count

It’s never as bad as you imagine it

Try changing your toothpaste flavor if you hate brushing your teeth

Anything can be a stim toy - one of my favourites is a heavy dragon necklace that has a complicated surfice. It’s fun to touch and hold and it’s not even “actual” stim toy

Procrastinating and feeling bad about it is true waste of time. Learn to truly rest. It takes the same amount of time but it is useful

Sometimes you have to force yourself to do the things that make you feel better

Don’t trust the thoughts you have after not sleeping for a while

Friendships don’t have to be forever to mean something

free online resources from virtual museum tours to online learning

hi! if you’re looking for some ways on how to spend your time and engage with subjects you really love, or learn something new, or just distract yourself with art and literature, i’ve got you!! please share with others if it’s helpful <3

Language

how I study languages on my own

free online language courses

language challenges

Art, Music and Photography

582 met ebooks for free

visit the louvre, vatican museums, and many more virtually

stage shows, operas, musical theatre streams for free

free online art courses

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free online music courses

free online photography lessons from nikon (april only!!)

Philosophy, History, Law & Literature

100+ legal sites to download literature

complete works of shakespeare

free online ivy league literature courses 

free online ivy league philosophy courses

free online ivy league history courses

6 cute ideas on how to fill your empty notebooks

free online ivy league law courses

Sciences

free online computer science courses

free online chemistry courses

free online medicine courses

free online physics courses

2400 free online MIT courses

when you crave academic validation but also live and breathe procrastination.

i'm trying so hard to finish reading the ortho chapter but it's so long i want to give up