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18 dec. 2018 | when momentum matches your room aesthetic

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3:41 PM | celebrating the last final of the year with the first cherries of the year!! only have my state exams left and then my year’s done :) my current fav musician just dropped a new album and I’m gonna go see him in Belgium this summer!! life is so good!!

~listening to~ Small Talk by Briston Maroney

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Academic Life Pro-Tip:

If you’re struggling in a course, do not be afraid to try to reach out to your professor. As long as you’re being genuine and bring a constructive plan to the table for moving forwards, more often than not they will try to work with you as best they can.

Take, for example, my current situation. Due to a superconcoction of depression, anxiety, and previously undiagnosed ADHD (Inattentive, otherwise unspecified), I have been falling behind in my courses and haven’t been emotionally equipped to pull my academics back together on my own.

Because of my struggle with undiagnosed ADHD and insufficient supports already in place, I fell behind in my programming assignments (which make up 30% of my grade), leaving me not only with multiple 0’s in the grade book but also severely underprepared for today’s midterm exam (another 30% of my grade).

I was panicking, convinced I would surely fail my midterm and just have to accept my 0’s, forcing me to withdraw from the course or accept another failing grade within my GPA; however, I managed to push beyond my crippling anxiety and speak with my professor prior to my exam. I explained my situation, held myself accountable for my missing assignments, then conveyed my desire to retroactively complete them and aim for success in his course. The key here is that I conveyed genuine interest and care about the course and its content. I think it’s critical that you are genuine when seeking this form of support and understanding from a professor.

Upon meeting with my professor, he was very warm and welcoming, assuring me that he will work with me to help me salvage my success in the course. He requested that I still take the midterm so that I know what to expect and so I can assess where I currently stand in my learning; however, he assured me that the best thing I could do was to try not to stress, and that even if I did poorly on the exam, we could consider an alternative course of action (perhaps a retake exam, though I don’t have those details yet) so that I still have a chance at succeeding.

For those of you out there who, like me, struggle with your academics (whether it be because of mental health, physical health or some other reason), just remember:

It NEVER hurts and is never to late to try and seek out help from a professor or other resources on campus. But if you do, be prepared to hold yourself accountable (when appropriate) and bring to the table some kind of action plan for how you intend to improve. The worst that will happen is that they say no, but the benefits can be potentially grade-saving and can lift an ENORMOUS weight off your shoulders. Perhaps most importantly, whatever you do, don’t give up on a course without first seeking help.

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6:45 PM | got the top grade on an exam today!! ay ay ay. looking forward to being humbled by my math and physics finals this week hahaha :(

~listening to~ yea, babe, no way by LANY

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spring has arrived in london 💫

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Please read if you’re a student

You are NOT PROCRASTINATING, if - you’re sick - you have headache - you feel pain - you’re exhausted - you feel anxious - you have had big changes in your life that make you feel tired/restless/anxious/sad - you have to skip a class/take rest because of reasons I mentioned above. It’s not procrastinating. You’re not lazy. Everyone needs to have rest and take care of themselves when they’re sick. IT IS NOT OKAY TO WORK IN PAIN. Don’t burn out. It’s not worth it. Do not feel guilty. After some rest and relaxing you will study even more effectively. If you feel pain, - take a medicine if it works for you - put all of your books away - take warm shower - eat at least 1 healthy thing and 1 treat/feel-good-food, drink water - go to bed, sleep or read a book/listen to music that is not related to your school (if you have headache/migraine I suggest you to switch off the lights and just sleep) - just take your time - it’ll be all okay.

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recently been journalling a bit! also picked up a hobonichi for 2019 and im so excited to use it!!

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190514 - Used our class break to finish homework and write in my journal.

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Everything is relative.

Just because the person next to you is in a body cast doesn’t make your broken arm hurt less.

And just because the person next to you isn’t in a body cast too doesn’t make their broken arm hurt less.

Everything is relative.

This is something I remind myself constantly, on both ends. It’s hard, so hard, not to roll my eyes at people whose problems seem so trivial compared to what I’ve been through. It’s equally hard not to invalidate myself and my own struggles because someone else has suffered more abuse, more pain, more suffering.

All too often, adversity turns into a competition. “I stayed up til 1 am.” “Well I stayed up til 2 am, crying over my breakup.” “Well I stayed up til 3 am, crying over my best friend’s death.” It happens with everything: how many panic attacks you’ve had, how many attempts, how long you’ve been diagnosed with mental illness, how many hospitalizations, how many medications you’re on, how many times you’ve cried in the past week.

One of the first steps towards compassion and empathy is to understand this. The way I see it, when you’re faced with frustration because somebody is crying over something that pales dramatically in comparison to what you’re dealing with, you have a few options. One, react with frustration and scoff or snap at them. Two, take a deep breath and remind yourself that even if they are being purposefully over dramatic, it isn’t a direct insult or invalidation of your struggles - so you can walk away calmly, knowing that whether their words or complaints are valid to them, it has nothing to do with you. It’s 100% valid to have no patience and be annoyed out of your mind, but the difference is how you react. Do you take it out on them, or do you count to ten and disengage from the conversation?

Or three, if this is someone you care about enough that you feel compelled to push past frustration… find a way to relate. Everybody has been through something to a lesser or greater degree. If you’ve struggled with something worse, then you’re better equipped to help someone who’s going through something for the first time. Do not let your experience go to waste by channeling it into frustration, dismissiveness, and annoyance.

We console a child who cries because they scraped their knee, when as teenagers or adults we would never dream of shedding a tear. Why is it okay for us to condescend to peers who are experiencing anxiety for the first time, just because we’ve had more panic attacks and more severe symptoms? Severity is reliant on relativity: I have had a high baseline level of anxiety my entire life, so the gap between my baseline and when I am distressed enough to have a panic attack may be the same size as a 20-year-old who has never experienced anxiety and suddenly starts having racing thoughts or heart palpitations. I’m used to handling a lot of stress and mental illness; others are not, and I should consider myself blessed that I have more experience and resilience - rather than be annoyed that they have the audacity to express their own anxious or depressed feelings.

And it is equally important to apply this to yourself. You can use others’ seemingly greater struggles as a reminder to count your blessings, but should not use it to compare yourself and your worth unfavorably. Everyone deserves love and support. You are allowed to be upset over something that might not faze other people. You are allowed to be miserable and need help desperately even if you’ve never been hospitalized.

Just remember that everything is relative. You cannot judge yourself and your pain and suffering in comparison to others’, and neither can you judge others in comparison to yourself. All too often, well-meaning people say “try to feel this way” with the entirely unintended implication that if you can’t (e.g. if you can’t help but feel irritation), there’s no recourse and you’re just not as good a person. It’s fine if you feel annoyance. It’s fine if you’re “selfish” or you have trouble seeing and validating someone who’s whining about not getting their $500 allowance when you’re trying to avoid needing hospitalization for your mental health issues. Validate yourself and focus on your behavior. Do remind yourself repeatedly that everything is relative, but don’t feel horrible if it doesn’t get rid of your annoyance and turn you into a perfect altruistic angel. And in case you needed to hear it today: your struggles, whatever you are going through, are valid.

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8th may 2019

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march 12th, 2016 | doing my weekend reading & planning!

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I’m a new studyblr/langblr

If you post/speak any of the followong languages please reblog so I can follow

Scottish Gaelic

Japanese

French

Latin

Attic Greek or any type of Ancient Greek

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I’m really enjoying journaling right now so I’ve been writing down everything. The pretty yellow roses were gifted for my mum for International Women’s Day. I’m wishing all my women followers a Happy late Women’s Day!

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23/3/18: 82/100 days of productivity 

I’m posting this from a train - I’m on the way to Wales and trying to get a bit of reading done on the Aeneid for Latin ✨

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REBLOG IF

- you are a studyblr

- you are super friendly

- you love when people message you

- you want to support everyone in the community 

one thing i love about this community is that it is one big family and everyone is ready to support eachother. reblog this and follow the people that also reblog and start some super cute supportive friendships because you all deserve the best 

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Actual good first-time college student advice:

Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna

Backpacks with thick straps are your friend!  Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back

You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class.  Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.

If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE!  It’ll only get worse from there!

If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.

You are in charge of your schedule.  Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.

Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.

Pay attention to your credit hours and grades.  Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!

Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook.  Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online.  Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts).  Use your best judgement on what you think you need.

Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them.  It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.

The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates.  They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study.  And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.

You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!

If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted.  Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!

Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!!�� Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed.  Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time.  Look into it if you need to!

Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something.  Anything.

Eat and stay hydrated.  Bring a water bottle and snack to class.

All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.

It’s going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up.  This WILL happen.  You just have to make sure what you’re doing isn’t making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!

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BaBa Dum! A Fun Vocabulary Game

Vocabulary can be a difficult aspect of learning any language. There are so many different words to know and it’s hard to know words for seemingly random items. That is where BaBa Dum is a great resource!

BaBa Dum is a game based learning website where you have several different options to play with. The options include:

Choosing Picture from Word

Choosing Word from Picture

Choosing Picture from Sound

Typing Word from Picture

And a mixture of everything!

Obviously there are several options open for whatever method suits you.

Right now, BaBa Dum has a fairly extensive language list available, including:

British English

American English

Chinese

French

German

Italian

Greek

Portuguese

Japanese

Lithuanian

Polish

Russian

Spanish

Swedish

It also has a Japanese Kana learning game!

Overall, this website seems to be very useful, and is definitely worth checking out!