#Hire Coursework Help

[cressidagrey]

The Brush Off

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Felicity Leong-Piastri (Original Character)

Summary: 5 Times people flirt with Felicity and 1 time Oscar sees it happen. 

Notes: Big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble 😂 Also, check out my new divider!

School Library, Haileybury

Felicity was tucked into her usual corner of the school library — second floor, far left, just behind the dusty shelf of outdated atlases no one ever touched. It was quiet there. Untouchable. Sacred.

Her legs were curled under her in a frankly illegal way that made the librarian twitch every time she passed by. 

But Felicity didn’t care. She had more important things to worry about. Like finishing her own chemistry coursework, writing the conclusion to her robotics team report, and, most importantly, rescuing Oscar’s history grade from what could only be described as a stylistic disaster.

Her copy of The Selfish Gene sat open next to a packet of sticky notes and five highlighters arranged in rainbow order. Oscar’s essay draft was sprawled beside it like a corpse in need of resuscitation.

 She was six pages in.

 She had already marked five run-on sentences, circled three historical inaccuracies, and scrawled “comma splice?” in angry red ink on the header. Next to that, she’d added, in smaller print: “This is a run-on sentence and also a war crime.”(This was three lines after “I am not sure if child labour can be considered a “perk” of the industrial revolution, Oz.”)

She was muttering to herself about how Oscar consistently forgot the difference between a primary and secondary source when a shadow fell across the table.

“Hey,” a voice said. “You always sit here?”

Felicity glanced up — just barely — and immediately clocked the newcomer.

Mateo.

The Spanish exchange student.

Hair swoop. Too much cologne.

He had the vibe of someone who thought reading The Secret History made him profound. Like the kind of guy who bought Moleskines but didn’t write in them. Like a walking Instagram profile captioned “Fluent in Nietzsche.”

She didn’t answer immediately. Just scribbled a note in Oscar’s margin (“use a stronger thesis here or face the wrath of every historian who’s ever lived”).

“On Wednesdays, yes,” she replied eventually, eyes still on the page.

Mateo didn’t take the hint.

He leaned in a little too close. She caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and already regretted not bringing headphones.

“What are you working on?”

She lifted Oscar’s paper slightly, as if it were obvious. “This.”

He squinted. “You’re helping a friend?”

“This is my boyfriend’s essay.”

Mateo’s face lit up, but not with recognition — with opportunity. “Wow. You’re that good a friend?”

Felicity blinked. “I’m that good a girlfriend.”

He paused. Smiled like she’d just told a cute joke at a party. “Sure. But, like, if you ever wanted to… hang out? Or study together? I’ve been struggling with philosophy.”

She stared at him. “You’re struggling with philosophy?”

He nodded eagerly. “It’s so dense, you know?”

“You mean… reading?”

He chuckled. “I just thought it might be easier with someone like you. Someone sharp. Smart.”

She just stared at him. 

Still, he didn’t leave. “I’m just saying, if you ever get bored of helping your boyfriend… I wouldn’t mind a little attention.”

That’s what made her pause.

Because for a moment, Felicity genuinely didn’t understand what he meant.

Attention? What kind? Did he want her to edit his essay, too? Help him structure his arguments?

Was this a mentorship request? A tutoring thing? Was he trying to hire her?

Because from where she was sitting — wearing one of Oscar’s sweatshirts over her school uniform with her hair up in a pencil-stabbed bun, ink smudged on her fingers… There was no way this boy was flirting with her.

She finally looked up, expression flat. “I’ve been with my boyfriend for two years. I rewrite his footnotes. I know the number of his racing sim’s USB ports by memory. You think I have time for recreational idiocy?”

Mateo blinked. He stammered something that might’ve been “Sorry” or “Your loss” or possibly just the start of a philosophy quote he didn’t finish.

Then he turned and slunk away, disappearing into the nonfiction aisle like a man who needed to Google what a footnote was.

Felicity exhaled slowly, turned back to Oscar’s essay, and drew a tiny skull next to a sentence about Napoleon.

Ten minutes later, Oscar appeared — bottle of water in one hand, hoodie sleeves half-pushed up, curls slightly mussed.

“Hey,” he said, flopping into the seat beside her and nudging her ankle under the table.

Felicity didn’t even blink. She just slid his paper across the table.

“Yours,” she said, tone dry. “Try not to get seduced by misused commas.”

Oscar grinned, leaned over, and kissed her temple.

***

Engineering Library, Imperial College London

The engineering library at Imperial had a very specific kind of silence — dense, utilitarian, and just slightly stressed. 

It didn’t have the hushed reverence of a humanities space or the open nervous energy of undergrads cramming in a group. No. This room buzzed with tension.

It smelled like soldering fumes, pencil shavings, leftover caffeine, and the faintest echo of ambition-turned-despair.

Most students had packed up hours ago, but Felicity remained in her fortress of design textbooks, open CAD diagrams, three kinds of scrap paper, and a crumpled granola bar wrapper that she’d been meaning to throw away for at least forty-five minutes. Her water bottle was dangerously low, her laptop fan sounded like it was preparing for lift-off, and her cursor had been blinking in the same spot on her thermal stress simulation for the last twenty-seven minutes.

She wasn’t stuck. She was just… tired.

Tired in the bone-deep way only a mechanical engineering student in her second trimester could be.

She shifted slightly, legs curled beneath her, one hand resting absently on the curve of her bump. Not because it hurt — not tonight — but because Beatrice had just kicked her in the ribs again, like she was trying to crawl out through Felicity’s diaphragm.

Her phone buzzed next to her laptop:

Oscar: Don’t forget dinner. Please. You always forget when your sim models hate you. 

She smiled faintly but didn’t reply. Not yet. She still had heat sink values to triple-check.

That was when it happened.

A voice—too close, too casual—sliced through the stillness.

“Hey.”

Felicity looked up, blinking.

A guy was standing across the table. Probably mid-twenties. Tall, in that I stretch for photos, way. Crisp haircut. Slim jeans. Water bottle with a “No Bad Vibes” sticker on it — ironic, because he was currently radiating intrusive energy like a malfunctioning microwave.

He didn’t wait for permission. Just slid into the chair opposite hers like this was a first date she didn’t know they were having.

“I saw you in Thermo this morning,” he said. “That fluid mechanics question you asked? Insanely clever. I was going to say something after class, but you ducked out too fast.”

Felicity blinked at him. “I had a tutorial.”

“Oh, right,” he said. “Should’ve guessed. You seem like you’ve got everything scheduled down to the second.”

“I also needed chips,” she added, because both things were true.

He laughed like she’d made a joke. “You seem intense. I like that. Women in engineering? You don’t see that every day. Rare combination of intimidating and hot.”

She stared at him.

The words rolled around her brain like loose screws.

What… did he want?

Was this a compliment? An insult? An offer?

She was six months pregnant, her knees hurt, her thesis was trying to kill her, and she was wearing Oscar’s hoodie with a faint grease stain across the front.

What exactly was the goal here?

“I mean—don’t get me wrong,” he rushed on, clearly sensing the silence and trying to recover. “You’ve just got that… serious vibe. Like the kind of girl who rewires her own dishwasher.”

“I did,” she said flatly. “Last week.”

He blinked. “Seriously?”

“And the kettle. And Oscar’s sim pedal when it failed under full brake.”

There was a beat.

“…Who’s Oscar?” he asked, smirking now. “Your roommate?”

Felicity paused.

And for a moment—just a moment—she considered laughing.

Then she closed her laptop slowly. Deliberately.

“Oscar’s my husband.”

The guy blinked.

Stood up slowly. Her hoodie shifted, and with it, the full curve of her pregnancy became unmistakably obvious. Not theoretical. Not ambiguous. Imminent.

The guy’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

She adjusted the hem of her sweater, not breaking eye contact, slung her bag over one shoulder, and smiled — cold, clean, efficient.

“If you’re gonna flirt with a mechanical engineer,” she said, “maybe do a better job at observational diagnostics.”

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked like he wanted to apologise and also vanish into the carpet tiles.

Felicity didn’t wait for a response.

***

Trinity College, Oxford

By the time Felicity Piastri was twenty-one, she had two things down to a science:

How to balance a toddler on her hip while rewriting entire sections of a doctoral thesis.

The exact number of times she could ignore the same man before it became a full-blown academic experiment.

Her Oxford doctoral project - Reinforcement Through Flexibility: Dynamic Adaptation in Composite-Structured Performance Environments. - had technically been finished for weeks. The simulations were done, the modelling locked in, her conclusions tight and triple-sourced. Now she was just revising. Editing. Wrangling footnotes into submission while Bee tried to paste glitter stickers into the margins of her printed draft.

She did almost everything from home.

The only reason she even stepped foot into Oxford was for fortnightly supervision meetings with Dr. Green, who was brilliant, terrifying, and the only person Felicity would willingly leave the house (and her toddler) for.

Which was, unfortunately, where Nathan lived.

Nathan — Dr. Green’s personal assistant — had been a PPE student once upon a time, which explained a lot. Somehow, he’d wheedled his way into a departmental admin role despite not knowing the difference between a torque curve and a coffee stain. His talents included:

Misfiling room bookings.

Brewing tea that tasted like despair.

Flirting with Felicity like it was something he was being graded on.

The first time he tried it, she’d thought it was just bad small talk. She gave him the benefit of the doubt. He seemed the type to flirt accidentally, the kind of man who said “babe” to baristas and thought it made him charming.

The second time, she was slightly annoyed.

By the fifth, she had moved on to anthropological interest. 

How did he not see the wedding ring? The child’s drawings poking out of her folder? The exhaustion of someone whose idea of a wild Friday night was installing firmware updates for fun?

Today, she arrived two minutes early for her meeting. She’d barely stepped into the department lobby when he spotted her.

“Dr. Green is running a bit late,” Nathan announced, standing up from behind the reception desk like he was emerging for a curtain call. “But I can keep you company if you like.”

Felicity barely paused. “She’s not. She still has 2 minutes till our appointment time.”

He grinned like she’d just flirted back. “You know, I was thinking the other day… you never hang around after your meetings. You always rush off.”

“Yeah,” she said, expression unreadable. “Because I have a toddler. And a dissertation. And a husband. In that order.”

Nathan winced theatrically. “Oof. Brutal.”

She offered him a smile that wasn’t one. “Sorry. Was that too reality-based?”

Still, he pressed on, leaning against the desk like he thought he was on the cover of GQ.

“Still,” he said, “it’d be nice to talk about something other than drivetrain mapping sometime. Maybe grab a drink?”

Felicity blinked. Twice.

It wasn’t the first time he’d suggested it. But somehow, today, it caught her even more off guard.

“You’re asking me,” she said slowly, “a married mother of one, who is actively finishing a thesis and hasn’t eaten a full sit-down meal in two days, to go get drinks with you?”

He laughed, like she was being ridiculous.

“I didn’t think you’d take it that seriously. We could just talk—”

“About what?” she asked, genuinely baffled. “What, precisely, do you think I have in common with a man who once told me Elon Musk was just misunderstood?”

Nathan blinked.

Felicity continued. “Do you want help with your CV? Is this about office gossip? Are you confused and trying to network with me through reverse psychology?”

“I just meant—”

“I’m not trying to be rude,” she said, eyes narrowing in thought. “I genuinely don’t understand what outcome you’re envisioning here. Do you think I’m going to cheat on my husband with the guy who can’t pronounce ‘aerodynamics�� without swallowing the word halfway through?”

He flushed slightly. “You don’t have to be mean.”

“I’m not. I’m being efficient.”

The door to the inner office opened before he could reply. Dr. Green appeared, breathless and balancing two takeaway coffees in one hand and a folder in the other.

“Felicity, I’m so sorry. The grant committee meeting ran over. Here—” She handed over one of the cups. “Decaf oat, right? And I pulled the new journal submissions for you. There are a few I thought might intersect with your secondary chapter on hybrid systems.”

Felicity smiled as she took the coffee. “Thanks. I already reviewed the three most relevant ones and emailed you a summary chart with citations.”

Dr. Green blinked. “Of course you did.”

Nathan blinked, too, but for entirely different reasons. 

Felicity turned back to him just before following her professor inside.

“Oh, and Nathan?”

“…Yes?” he said, still — somehow — hopeful.

She raised her left hand and tapped the wedding band with one finger. “This wasn’t a joke.”

And then she shut the office door behind her like it was a verdict.

The Door Handle Aisle of Homebase, Woking

Oscar was off racing.

Felicity was elbow-deep in a bathroom renovation.

Not the Pinterest kind.

Not the “new towels and scented eucalyptus and a little bamboo ladder for the aesthetic” kind.

No, this was the “rip out the vanity with a crowbar and discover the wall behind it had been sealed with hope and duct tape” kind.

The kind of renovation that required full battle gear: dust mask, gloves, safety goggles, and the controlled fury of a woman who had read the plumbing manual twice and did not need a man explaining pipe fittings to her.

And because she was who she was — stubborn, competent, and wildly intelligent— Felicity hadn’t hired anyone.

She could do it herself.

And she would.

Which meant… many, many trips to the hardware store.

The staff had started to recognise her by mid-April. A couple of them even learned to duck when she walked in, in case she asked for a specific size of tap washer they didn’t carry. But one guy — the guy from the sealant aisle—hadn’t learned that lesson.

Late twenties, overly friendly, perpetually wearing a toolbelt he definitely didn’t need, like he thought it made him look rugged instead of unconvincing. He hovered near the caulk and grout displays like they were a dating pool.

The first time, it was casual.

“You here again?” he’d asked, smiling like he was in a rom-com. “You must really like DIY.”

Felicity didn’t look up from the tile grout chart. “I like doing things properly.”

The second time, it was more confident.

“Doing a kitchen too?” he asked, spotting the tile adhesive in her basket. “You ever need help—”

“I’ve got it, thanks,” she said, already walking toward checkout before he could finish.

By the sixth visit, he had apparently decided they were bonding.

She was in the handles aisle, comparing brass finishes, when she heard him again — that telltale sneaker-squeak on linoleum, the voice turned up a little too loud, too performative.

“Wow,” he said, appearing at the end of the aisle. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you keep coming in just to see me.”

Felicity didn’t look up. She held one cabinet pull in each hand and considered which one better matched the art deco lines of the mirror she’d thrifted.

“I assure you,” she said, tone even, “my interest in you begins and ends with your stock of brass hinges.”

He laughed, undeterred. “Come on. You’re always here. I figured, maybe you’re one of those cool builder girls. You don’t wear a ring or anything, so…”

That’s what finally made her pause.

Not the tone. Not the implication. But the logic.

She looked at him.

“You think I keep coming in here because… what? I’m lonely?” she asked, brow furrowed in genuine confusion. “I’m literally holding blueprints and a door handle.”

He shrugged. “You just seem like the kind of girl who could use a little—” (God help him) “—company.”

Felicity blinked. She wiped a smudge of pencil from her chin, set the handles back down, and reached into her tote bag without breaking eye contact.

She pulled out her phone.

“I’m going to walk you through something,” she said calmly, unlocking the screen. “Because clearly, you didn’t do any preliminary research before launching this… ill-conceived outreach attempt.”

She turned the lock screen toward him.

A photo.

Felicity, curled up on a sofa in a hoodie. Oscar was beside her, kissing the top of her head. Bee sprawled between them in footie pyjamas, holding a spoon upside down like a trophy. The lighting was soft. Domestic. Unmistakably intimate.

“This,” Felicity said, “is my husband. He is currently in Azerbaijan, driving a car at three hundred miles an hour. That’s our daughter. She is two. I do renovations during naptime.”

The man paled. “Oh. I—uh. I didn’t know—”

“No,” she agreed. “You didn’t ask.”

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else — possibly to dig the hole deeper.

But Felicity wasn’t done.

“I come in here to buy tile primer. I don’t come in here for unsolicited analysis of my marital status from men who think a toolbelt is a personality trait.”

Her voice never rose. It didn’t have to.

It was calm. Steady.

The voice of someone who had personally rewired her fuse box and once installed a dishwasher while on the phone and dealing with a crying toddler.

She smiled politely. Dangerously.

Like a woman who kept zip ties in her car and knew how to use them.

“I’ll take these, thanks,” she said, lifting the cabinet handles. “Don’t need help carrying them. But if you’ve got any more of that tile primer from last week in stock, that would be helpful.”

He mumbled something about checking the back and fled like a man pursued by the consequences of his own choices.

Felicity watched him go, then picked up the nicer brass finish.

She didn’t even roll her eyes. She was too tired. 

Felicity just wanted her tile primer and to go home.

***

Rooftop Bar, Melbourne

Felicity didn’t go out much.

Not because she couldn’t — Oscar insisted she take breaks, even booked her massages that she always forgot to attend — but because she liked her life.

She liked being home with Bee. She liked sanding doorframes and painting walls and mapping out the next renovation with a pencil stuck in her messy bun. She liked curling up on the sofa with her laptop, trading stock options at 1 AM. She liked Oscar reading over her shoulder, pointing out line graphs he didn’t understand but wanted to. She liked the steady rhythm of their days. Naptimes and quiet dinners and Bee’s loud commentary on the existence of pigeons.

But they were in Melbourne over the Winter break, and Nicole had insisted.

“You’re getting out of the house,” she’d said, practically pushing Felicity toward the wardrobe. “You’ve been in Australia for five days, and the only places you’ve seen are the beach and Bunnings.”

And so here they were — rooftop bar in Melbourne, warm summer air, glass of chilled white wine in Nicole’s hand and a lemon-lime mocktail in Felicity’s.

 Their dresses fluttered in the breeze; Her hair was up. Her arms were bare. She looked, Nicole thought proudly, like the kind of woman men write songs about.

Which was, unfortunately, the problem.

Because a man at the bar had noticed, too.

He made his way over with the swagger of someone who once played rugby in uni and still referred to it as “his prime.” White linen shirt. Too many rings. Hair with more product than structure. And that thing men did when they leaned on a table like they were presenting a TED Talk on their charm.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said smoothly, eyes only on Felicity.

Nicole didn’t blink. “You are.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows, mildly surprised, but didn’t say anything. She just sipped her drink and let the lime catch on her tongue.

The man chuckled — the low, confident kind that assumed he was being flirted back with.

“I just thought I’d say—you’ve got a great smile,” he continued. Still to Felicity. Still convinced. “You local?”

“No,” she said. “Just visiting.”

He nodded toward Nicole. “With your sister?”

Nicole’s mouth twitched.

Felicity opened her mouth to clarify, but Nicole got there first.

“I’m her mother-in-law,” she said, swirling her wine.

That gave him a moment’s pause. But not enough.

“Well, she’s clearly not married—” he gestured vaguely to Felicity’s left hand, bare in the way most hands are after a morning at the beach with a toddler and too much sunscreen.

Felicity smiled. Slowly. Like a summer storm deciding whether to ruin your picnic or level your whole house.

“I took my rings off before swimming this morning,” she said, amused. “Didn’t want to lose them in the ocean.”

He still didn’t give up. “No offence, but… a girl like you? You don’t need to be tied down so young.”

Felicity furrowed her brow. “What does that mean?”

“I mean, you could have fun. Live a little.”

“I’m married,” she said again, a little slower. “I live a lot.”

“You know what I mean,” he said, grinning.

 She genuinely didn’t understand.

What did he mean by that?

Was she supposed to say thank you? Defend her marriage? 

Debate the merits of early commitment like she was on a panel?

“No,” Felicity replied honestly, “I actually don’t. What exactly do you think is going to happen? I abandon my family because you complimented my teeth?”

She had a three-year-old who could build better arguments about bedtime.

Before Felicity could figure out what to say, Nicole gently set her wine glass down.

“She’s not tied down, darling,” she said, tone perfectly pleasant. “She’s adored.”

She reached into her purse like she was pulling a weapon.

“Would you like to see a photo of her husband holding their daughter on the beach this morning?” she asked. “Or maybe the one where he flew eight hours just to make it to her thesis defence?”

The man’s face did a visible three-second software update.

“No, that’s okay,” he said, already backing up a step.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “You sure? My son is very photogenic. His job likes to post him shirtless sometimes. It’s a whole thing.”

Felicity had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

“Right. Uh—have a nice night,” the man muttered, vanishing like a bug under bright light.

+1 — The One Time Oscar Noticed

The garage was buzzing with that high-voltage energy unique to a U.S. race weekend — louder music, brighter cameras, fans pressed against every fence line like they were at a concert instead of a motorsport event. McLaren’s VIP list was stacked with influencers, sponsors, and the usual parade of celebrities trying to look like they knew what a downforce map was.

Oscar didn’t care about any of them.

He cared about the girls in the denim jackets with PIASTRI stitched across the back in big, white glittery letters. Their arts and crafts project for Silverstone.

Felicity was standing near the back of the garage, Bee balanced on her hip, and a pair of toddler-sized headphones slipped over her curls. The two of them had matching jackets, homemade and loud and perfect. Bee’s even had a sparkly iron-on chicken. Felicity’s had glitter stars. Oscar had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

He was mid-chat with one of the engineers when he glanced over again.

And froze.

Because some guy—tall, tanned, fake-smiling, and clearly trying to look famous—was leaning way too close to Felicity. His teeth were too white. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. He held a drink, and worse, he had sunglasses on inside. Oscar didn’t even know where he’d come from — but there he was, leaning against the garage railing like it was a club bar and Felicity was the drink special.

He was saying something. Laughing too loud.

Felicity frowned politely. She shifted a sleeping Bee on her hip and took a half-step back.

The man followed.

“I’m just saying,” he drawled, gesturing to her jacket, “if you’re gonna wear another man’s name on your back, he better be worth it.”

Felicity blinked. “He’s my husband.”

That didn’t deter him.

“Bet he doesn’t even know how good he’s got it,” the man said, still smiling, his gaze dropping briefly to her legs. “You ever get tired of being someone’s plus-one, let me know.”

Bee stirred a little, nose twitching, and Felicity rubbed her back automatically, like muscle memory. Her brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

The guy tilted his head. “C’mon. You’re clearly the type who plays the sweet wife in public. But a woman like you?” He dropped his voice. “You need real attention.”

Oscar took a step forward, but someone else moved faster.

“Alright,” said a voice, sharp and Australian and impossible to ignore. “Let’s try that again — from six feet away.”

The man turned, surprised, and saw Mark Webber.

Mark didn’t need to raise his voice. His presence alone was enough to freeze a room.

He gave the man a smile that could cut glass. “You’ve got five seconds to back up before I make this very awkward for everyone.”

“Sorry, mate—”

“No, see, that’s the problem,” Mark said, stepping forward slightly. “You’re not her mate. You’re a stranger talking to a woman who’s clearly married, clearly holding a child, and clearly not interested. So unless you’re trying to get blacklisted from every paddock hospitality list from now until eternity, I’d walk away.”

The guy opened his mouth. Closed it. Then turned and slinked off like a coward in designer shoes.

Oscar finally got to them, face tight, fury in every step.

Mark nodded. “Handled.”

Oscar exhaled slowly. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Mark looked at Felicity. “You alright?”

Felicity still looked baffled. “What was that?”

Oscar looked her over, checking Bee, checking her, like reassurance was the only way to keep his hands from shaking. “That guy was harassing you.”

“What? No. Was he?” She squinted after him. “He was just being weird.”

Oscar stared at her. “He was flirting. Badly.”

“He was being rude,” Felicity said. “And creepy. But flirting? Why would anyone flirt with someone holding a sleeping toddler and wearing a juice-stained T-shirt? Why does this keep happening?!”

Mark rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re wearing a custom denim jacket with your husband’s name on it in glitter. Holding your kid. And you still have men sniffing around. That’s not on you — that’s on them being idiots.”

Oscar exhaled hard. 

Felicity, still gently rocking Bee, just sighed. “Maybe I should just get a flashing neon sign.”

Oscar stepped closer and kissed her temple. “You okay?”

She looked at him, tired but unbothered. “Yeah. Are you?”

“No,” he muttered. “But I will be once I get you both inside.”

***

They were tucked away in the quiet corner of the drivers' room now, post-session, Bee still fast asleep on the little sofa wrapped in one of Oscar’s hoodies. The chaos of the paddock had faded into muffled noise. 

Oscar was sitting across from Felicity, one leg bouncing.

He was still rattled.

“What do you mean they keep flirting with you?” he asked, brows drawn together as he looked at her.

Felicity blinked up at him. “What?”

“You said it like it happens regularly,” he said, voice low and sharp with something he was trying to keep cool. “Like that wasn’t the first time.”

She paused. Shrugged. “I mean… it does? A little?”

Oscar stared at her. “Since when?”

“I don’t know. Since Haileybury, probably? Or Oxford. And, like… in the hardware store.”

Oscar made a noise that might have been a groan or a growl.

“And you didn’t tell me?” he asked.

“I didn’t think it mattered,” she said simply, brushing a hand over Bee’s curls. “They’re not you. So they don’t have a chance.”

He stilled.

That one sentence — calm, sure, like it was the most obvious fact in the world — hit him in the chest like a perfect downshift.

She tilted her head, studying him. “You really didn’t know?”

“I knew people looked,” he admitted. 

Of course, they looked. He was aware of how Felicity looked:  Sunglasses pushed to the top of her head. Hair windswept from the open pit lane. She had juice on her shirt, no makeup, and still — still — she looked like something out of a dream. Breakable and brilliant. All porcelain and fire.

Beautiful. 

“I’m not blind. But I didn’t realise they were… like that.”

“I don’t even get why they are doing it,” Felicity snorted. “I look like someone who hasn’t slept properly since Bee was born. I have crusted juice on my shirt. I literally threw Goldfish crackers at our daughter to buy myself ten minutes.”

Oscar leaned back, exasperated. “And you still look better than anyone else here.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re just biased.”

“I’m jealous,” he corrected, then ran a hand through his hair. “God, I hate it. That guy didn’t even flinch when you said you were married.”

“He probably thought I was joking,” she said mildly. “People don’t really expect twenty-somethings to be married with kids.”

Oscar’s jaw tightened. “They should. You wear my name on your back.”

She shrugged. “They don’t matter. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

Oscar was across the space in a second.

He kissed her — slow, deep, a little desperate — hand sliding around her waist, pulling her in close. His other hand cupped her jaw, thumb brushing her cheek like he had to remind himself she was real.

When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, breath shallow.

“You’re mine,” he said, voice low. “I know I don’t own you, but God, I feel it sometimes. Like you’ve always been mine.”

“I have. Since we were 15,” she whispered. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. Even before you had a Wikipedia page.”

Oscar kissed her. Not rushed, not messy — but firm. Grounded. A kiss that said mine. A kiss that would’ve been indecent if she weren’t already wearing his name and carrying his child and his whole damn heart.

When he finally pulled back, she was breathless.

And across the room, Bee stirred, let out a sleepy sigh, and snuggled deeper into Oscar’s hoodie.

Felicity leaned in, kissed the corner of his mouth, and muttered, “You’re ridiculous when you’re jealous.”

He grinned. “You love it.”

“Unfortunately,” she sighed. “Yes.”

[mewguca]

MIP school uniform ref (and some notes about the MIP Academy AU under the cut.)

- Instead of the Development Center, they attend a more organized simulacrum of a school. They learn valuable skills to help them become better Groupmates, with the coursework often dictated by their Local Group Assignments. They can also study subjects for the sake of intellectual curiosity if they have time. Once they have completed their required courses as requested by their Local Groups, they "graduate" and reach their Local Group Integration.

- Director is the Principal

- SSR helps teach

- They hire various professors to teach at the school, though much of the coursework is handled by SSR and NCTG. technology allows for complex artificial intelligence programs to offer instruction.

- Implements are often called back to the school, but they're not forced to keep taking classes.

- Assistants serve as the student council and are not allowed to graduate until the Project is over. They also help teachers and help keep other students in line.

- in more silly versions we could have SSR's puppet like. physically show up so he can wear stupid outfits or whatever idk.

- tbh idk what else to do for the teachers youll have to use ur imagination

- sweaters and stuff are allowed. do whatever you want with shoes and socks as long as it isnt too disruptive. (if umbra and sls are watching)

- thorns is also the disciplinary committee and she might dress code you . idk what the dress code is but id imagine its wearing the standard uniform without too much modification.

- i don't remember anything else rn okay cool

[bobbie-robron]

Robron Fanfiction Recommendations (Jan-2025)

The below were recommended in January 2025 on the Voldemort site 🐦 and Bluesky🦋.

Let them bring you back to me (2020) 25.2K words, Daily_Scenarios

Reunion 3.0. Robert’s been in prison for a couple of months and Aaron’s in Scotland when he learns from Liv that Sebastian’s mum and Ross were in an accident and she didn’t make it. This news has Aaron (along with Debbie) scrambling to get to Sebastian. When he arrives at the hospital, Aaron has no rights to even see Sebastian (nor does Diane for that matter) because of no parental responsibility order. All roads then lead back to Robert who managed to get only medical help for Sebastian before being hospitalized himself for a prison attack. Now the lads have to work together to get Sebastian out from under social services and with Aaron while also finding a path back to each other in the process…

And that’s just the way it is (2018) 28.9K words, orphan_account

Gavin & Stacey AU. When Aaron (in Leeds) gets in contact with the company Robert works for (in London) about an open invoice, the two hit it off right away so much so that they start getting to know each other further first via FB then through texts and calls. Even with how well things are going, Aaron’s unsure if Robert’s really interested in him that way but that answer gets answered promptly. After that it’s all about getting to know each other better through reveals about their pasts, being brave enough to accept love and meeting the families especially a certain Jack Sugden…

The flowers always grow back (2019) 21.0K words, softlyspoken

Reunion 3.0, Sebastian pov. Aaron has been raising Sebastian and over time, Robert’s name has become one barely mentioned in his presence but Sebastian still wants to know about him. By Sebastian’s 15th birthday, he learns why Robert has been absent from his life. At his 16th birthday party, Robert shows up having just been released from prison. The feelings of abandonment are still strong for Aaron who’s tried to move on but Sebastian… well, he’s not having none of it. He’s determined to have his two idiot dads back together by Christmas!

This One Summer (2015) 6.6K words, lullabelle_moon

1940s AU. It’s the summer and Robert has been thrown at the Whites to marry Chrissie since he refused to enlist. When help is needed on the farm, Larry hires Aaron as he doesn’t trust Robert to do a proper job at Wyllie’s. Robert and Aaron get on well enough doing the work, that is until Aaron encourages Robert to open up and become even more comfortable with each other. Unfortunately, the era they exist in frowns upon what direction they could take. But, in the end, they might not have a choice what fate has in store for them (don’t worry, it ends fine).

Sunflower seeds (2019) 20.8K words, softlyspoken

Babysitter AU. Liv regularly babysits for quiet, Harry Potter loving, 13-year-old Sebastian but when her school’s coursework needs her full focus, she persuades Aaron to look after the teen on the sly. That doesn’t work out well as Robert comes home early not happy a stranger was looking after his son. But, as things turn out, Aaron endeared himself to Sebastian and he actually looks forward to babysitting when Liv cannot. It’s not just Sebastian he’s fond of but the Robert as well even if he may be straight. Both Robert and Sebastian want the other to be happy and Aaron may just be the person to do that if fears don’t get in the way…

[bitchesgetriches]

Hey bitches! When it comes to changing careers, is it worth it to enroll in a boot camp or other such school program or would you have better luck going for internships and then working your way up? From my research, people generally seem to think you should work rather than go to school, but for fields like cybersecurity, I feel like you need that basis of coursework to even be hired, is that right?

I think it really depends on the field! There are some jobs that absolutely require professional certifications or academic degrees. Others not so much! I've met a bunch of self-taught coders, self-taught carpenters, and self-taught small business owners, but not a single self-taught surgeon, self-taught somme, or self-taught elementary school teacher.

So research what you'd like to do starting with the path there. Reach out to professionals in your preferred field and see if any will hook you up with an informational interview or a brief email outlining how they got where they are. People will be honest about the requirements it takes to get where they are.

For example: it took ZERO certifications or higher degrees to become loudmouthed online advice-givers, and YEARS of unearned confidence and learning from our own mistakes to deliver the flawless Bitches you see before you today.

My Career Transition Succeeded When I Gave Fewer Fucks, Made More Friends, and Had More Fun 

If you found this helpful, consider joining our Patreon.

[oleworm]

True there were always some who paid somebody else to do the coursework or whose mother or father knew someone who could help them out but it's not going to benefit your experience in any way to democratise cheating on coursework :/ People complain about nepotism hires that don't know how to do the work but how would it help that more and more workers show the same lack of quality and worth ethic, not just the ones who got there because someone owes somebody else a favour. It's already bad enough out there :(

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Szu Ping Chan

Published: Mar 31, 2024

Britain has a boy problem. If you are born male today, you are increasingly likely to struggle in school, in the workplace and at home.

The gender attainment gap is not new – girls have been outperforming boys at GCSE level for over three decades now, while the number of women completing degrees has exceeded the number of men since the 1990s.

But solving the problem of underachievement among boys has never been more crucial. Economic growth is stalling, productivity is flatlining and public finances are creaking under the strain of growing benefits bills.

At a time when businesses are struggling to hire, more and more men are dropping out of the workforce. Everyone in society must achieve their fullest potential if we are to fix our economic problems.

There is a political dimension too – William Hague earlier this month raised the alarm about the growing numbers of disaffected young men who, with little offered or promised to them in life, were turning to far-Right politics.

There is nothing innate about boys’ underachievement. There is no fundamental reason why outcomes should be getting worse.

Yet without a concerted effort to close the attainment gap, it seems destined to widen. Ever more men and boys will find themselves unwittingly consigned to life’s scrapheap.

The problem is clear – where are the solutions?

Deepening development gap

Before children even step a foot inside the classroom, boys are already behind.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) notes that “a significant gender gap in both cognitive and socio-emotional development” emerges by the age of three.

By the time children start primary school, two-thirds of girls have reached a “good level of development”, suggesting they are able to write a simple sentence or count beyond 20.

Just under two-thirds of boys have hit that same milestone. For children eligible for free school meals, the disparity is even larger.

This gap that opens up at three never completely closes, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ (IFS) analysis of Department for Education data.

“There’s a silent crisis brewing among boys and men in our classrooms, workplaces and communities,” says Richard Reeves, academic and author of Of Boys and Men, which explores the male malaise from cradle to career.

“Boys now lag behind girls and men lag behind women at almost every level of education. That’s true in nearly every rich economy.”

Reeves, a former adviser to Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, says biology is behind some of this gap.

All the academic evidence suggests that the prefrontal cortex – or in Reeves’s words “the part of the brain that helps you get your act together” – develops around a year or two faster in girls than boys.

Girls are not smarter, they just mature faster, Reeves says. “Anyone who spends any time with teenagers knows exactly what I’m talking about.”

His conclusion is that there are simply some “natural advantages of women and girls in the education system”.

Rather than recognise and compensate for this, the system has in fact evolved in ways that favour girls. A switch to more coursework at GCSE level benefitted girls more than boys, according to the IFS, which noted that the gap in performance first emerged in the 1980s when exam-based O levels were replaced by GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“The shake-up brought a move towards more continuous assessment, which seems to have benefitted girls,” the IFS said in a recent paper.

This idea is “quite hard to get this across because many people say: well if girls and women always had this natural advantage, why didn’t we see it 40 years ago?” Reeves says. “The answer is sexism.

“There is no doubt my mum would have gone to university if she was born 50 years later, but it wasn’t considered to be a thing. But now having taken the lid off, that potential for women in education just keeps going. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just that along the way a lot more men have fallen behind.”

Woes of the white working class

Of course, it would be wrong to suggest women were doing better than men in the working world. A median gender pay gap of 7.7pc still shows women are being shortchanged.

After graduation, men are more likely to get a “highly skilled” job than women and average earnings for a male graduate are around 9pc higher than a female a year after they leave university, according to the IFS.

That gap rises to 31pc a decade later.

However, what is worrying academics, politicians and teachers is that attainment among men and boys seems to be declining while for women it improves.

Average pay adjusted for inflation has fallen by 6.9pc for men since 2008, according to ONS data. Among women, it has climbed 2.2pc. In fact, men’s wages are no higher in real terms today than they were in 2002.

Men have been behind the fall in average hours worked since the pandemic, while women are working more.

Louise Murphy at the Resolution Foundation says the worsening prospects for boys and men reflect structural factors.

“The industrial structure of the UK has changed. Some of these manufacturing jobs that existed don’t exist in the same way now.”

Reeves says: “It used to be true that men with relatively modest levels of education do OK in the labour market. And that is not always the case anymore.”

The experience of boys in schools has led them to “underperform in the labour market” more broadly, he adds.

Achievement has become a particular issue among one subset of boys in particular: the white working class.

“Too many people in society just see these boys as the people on mopeds with a balaclava on their head,” says Andy Eadie, assistant headteacher at Cardinal Langley school in Rochdale. “Actually, that’s only a tiny minority.”

Eadie has taught at the mixed comprehensive school of 1,200 pupils since 2016. A fifth of his pupils are eligible for free school meals.

Many have already been “written off” by teachers as soon as they enter the classroom, Eadie says, particularly if they are white working class boys.

“There is a perception that some boys are already signed off and have no hope,” he says.

“The danger is that people aren’t bothered about these gaps. They’re just bothered about keeping them quiet so they can get on with other things.”

Just 14.6pc of white working class boys went into higher education in 2021. This was the lowest figure of any ethnic or socio-economic group and a third of the overall average, according to research published by the House of Commons Library.

Eadie says: “A lot of young people in the white working class background actually have really low self-esteem.

“And so you’ve got a lot of young people who potentially all underachieve and not feel very good about themselves.”

There are signs that this malaise is adding to Britain’s worklessness crisis. One in three 18 to 24-year-old boys were classed as economically inactive – meaning they’re not in work or looking for a job – in the three months to January, a record high.

The figure is up by more than five percentage points since the end of 2019, before the pandemic. Inactivity among 50 to 64-year-old men has climbed five times slower over the same period.

The inactivity rate among young men has roughly doubled since the early 90s, with almost two million now out of the labour force.

Some are choosing to stay on in education but the share of men not in employment, education or training (NEET) is climbing back towards financial crisis rates at 15.3pc. For women, it has remained on a bumpy but downward path.

“I think it goes back to the idea that we just don’t expect our boys to do well. So they don’t do well,” says Conservative MP Nick Fletcher, who leads the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for men and boys.

Caroline Barlow, headteacher at Heathfield Community College, has submitted evidence to the APPG suggesting there was a culture of low expectations for male students.

“In the early days, there was a tendency to almost just be grateful if boys were there and they were doing some work,” she said.

By shifting teachers’ expectations of their pupils, results improved and Heathfield was also able to close the gender gap.

Fletcher says: “We expect our boys to behave badly, so they behave badly. We are letting our boys down and unless we actually recognise we have a problem, then we won’t really start searching for the solution.”

Where does the problem start? Some think it is in the home.

Family circumstances have changed dramatically over the past few decades, with a sharp rise in lone parent households as divorce becomes more common or people don’t even get married in the first place. The vast majority of children in these circumstances grow up with their mothers.

In part, this reflects the economic empowerment of women: they can afford to be a single parent.

However, it raises the question of where male role models are coming from. Research conducted jointly by the Fatherhood Institute found that fathers who read to their children every day are contributing to their development and can help to address early attainment gaps.

The Conservative peer Lord Willetts writes in his book, The Pinch: “A welfare system that was ­originally designed to compensate men for loss of earnings is slowly and messily redesigned to compensate women for the loss of men.”

This too can leave men rudderless in mid-life.

As Reeves puts it in his book: “Economically independent women can now flourish whether they are wives or not. Wifeless men, by contrast, are often a mess. Compared to married men, their health is worse, their employment rates are lower, and their social networks are weaker.”

‘Crisis in masculinity’

The underachievement of men and boys was once seen as almost taboo.

“There have been people who have sniggered when I stood up and asked for a minister for men and a men’s health strategy,” says Fletcher.

“I genuinely believe some of the problems we face are down to the lack of interest in young boys and men, who we’ve always assumed are going to be fine.”

However, politicians have now started to notice.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, has announced that Labour is looking at introducing a men’s health strategy to address what he describes as a “crisis in masculinity” that is costing lives.

It is understood that Labour’s forthcoming review into mental health by Luciana Berger will include a chapter that focuses on male suicide. It remains the biggest killer of British men aged under 35.

William Hague, the former Tory leader, believes the issue is reshaping politics. He recently highlighted that a majority of men now believe they are being discriminated against, which is fuelling support among young men for extreme parties.

Fletcher is calling for a dedicated minister for men to match the minister for women, Kemi Badenoch, who is also part of the Cabinet as Business Secretary.

Despite overwhelming evidence that boys are falling behind, some colleagues still treat the idea of a dedicated minister with ridicule.

Fletcher says: “I think one of the problems that we’ve had as a society is there’s a lot of reluctance to speak up for men. We’ve noticed it in parliament over the years.”

Reeves wants to challenge the longstanding assumption that gender gaps only run one way.

He takes particular issue with the World Economic Forum (WEF), which looks at progress on gender equality across the world.

Countries are scored on a scale from zero to one, with the former representing no equality and the latter signalling full equality. The problem, says Reeves, is that the index itself assumes that only women have any catching up to do.

For example, it “assigns the same score to a country that has reached parity between women and men and one where women have surpassed men”.

This is a deliberate choice. However, as a result the UK’s educational attainment score stands at 0.999 despite the fact that girls have clearly outperformed boys for decades.

Reeves believes continuing to publish the index in this way is damaging and leads “to a lack of policy attention to the problems of boys and men”. In short, he says: “It makes no sense to treat gender inequality as a one-way street.”

The Government insists it is making progress, with a Department for Education spokesman saying the gender gap “across most headline measures is narrowing across all key phases.

“Education standards have risen sharply across the country, with 90pc of schools now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68pc in 2010.”

Reeves offers some radical solutions to closing the attainment gap in his book, including starting boys a year later in school. Many teachers and academics believe this is not practical and Reeves himself says the idea was designed to spark a debate.

Reeves says the evidence also suggests children should take more frequent breaks at school because boys find it harder than girls to sit still. He himself was put in a special class for English because his teachers felt he lacked focus.

At Balcarras secondary school in Cheltenham, headteacher Dominic Burke felt the only way to tackle what used to be a 15pc gender gap in the GCSE results was to level with his students.

“We got the boys together en masse and said to them: ‘You’re going to underachieve. The girls are going to beat you hands down’. And then we showed them the evidence. Their ability profiles were the same. But we said the reality is girls are going to get better results than you and we challenge you to be the first year group to stop that. We called it the ‘effort challenge’.”

It worked. Competition and the offer of cold, hard cash was enough to encourage many to put the effort in. Boys who were judged to have done so received £20 at the end of term. The school managed to close the gender gap and a few years ago, the boys beat the girls for the first time.

“Competition does work I think, and it’s a good tactic for teaching because it becomes a rewarding experience to meet the challenge,” says Burke. “If you make something more engaging and enjoyable, people are more likely to do it.”

Healing

No survey of the state of boys and men in Britain today can ignore the changing ideas of masculinity.

Whereas men were once seen as breadwinners, American sociologists Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas point out that many women in poor US neighbourhoods have come to see them “as just another mouth to feed”. This is disorientating.

Yet perhaps the way to survive as a man in the job market of the future is to junk ideas of traditional masculinity altogether. Many of the jobs of the future will be in things like caring and education.

Reeves wants governments to spearhead a drive to get more men into health, education, administration, and literacy jobs – which he brands HEAL – just as they have ploughed efforts into getting more women into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – or STEM roles.

Increasing the number of male teachers would also raise the number of role models for boys in class. Three-quarters of state school teachers are women, according to data published by the Department for Education.

The share of men working in state-funded nurseries is even lower, at just 14pc. Around 30pc of primary schools have no male teachers at all.

“I did actually get some funny looks when I first started,” says one male nursery worker who does not wish to be identified. 

“Even now I tend to leave the cuddles to my female colleagues as I think there’s still a stereotype that any man who wants to work with young kids has to be some kind of pervert.”

Encouraging more men into these types of jobs would be no small undertaking. Perceptions that men are not suited to caring or creative professions are deep-seated.

Florence Nightingale, who in the 19th century established the principles of modern nursing, insisted that men’s “hard and horny” hands were “not fitted to touch, bathe and dress wounded limbs, however gentle their hearts may be”. The Royal College of Nursing did not even admit men as members until 1960.

Edward Davies, policy director at the Centre for Social Justice think tank, cautions: “It’s absolutely right to remove cultural, perceived and real barriers that keep men from certain careers, especially caring and teaching professions. But we also need to be careful not to pretend men and women are exactly the same.

“At a blunt population level women seem more interested in people and men in things. You would expect to see that reality play out in the jobs they do too. Imposing quotas or expectations that all professions should be evenly split between men and women will probably drive some people into careers they are not suited to.”

Fixing Britain’s boy problem may be harder than even experts think.

[ Via: https://archive.today/AFaiR ]

==

The people who talk endlessly about "equality" and "equal rights" are strangely silent when it comes to areas where boys and men fall behind: education, health and lifespan, and life satisfaction.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205349

[ The Basic Index of Gender Inequality (BIGI, x-axis) as a function of the Human Development Index (HDI, y-axis).

BIGI is the average of 3 components: Ratio in healthy life span, ratio in overall life satisfaction, and ratio in educational opportunities during childhood (see Materials and Methods for details). Deviation from zero implies the extent of gender inequality. The plot shows the largest contributor to the overall score for each nation: Purple dots indicate healthy life span is the most important component, green dots indicate educational opportunities, and red dots indicate overall life satisfaction. The Ns indicate for each level of HDI how many nations have a BIGI score greater than 0, and how many less than 0. ]

Almost like it isn't "just about equality."

[mysterymanjoseph]

Study Time: mysterymanjoseph and originalyloved

Joseph had decided to take some business classes, choosing MIT. But, some general course studies were required, and that is where he had met Ellie, the freshman sitting next to him in English Composition class. It seemed that both of them needed help, so, they decided on a team up, studying with each other for that class, and giving what assistance they could on others they did not share. Joseph finds out quickly the young woman is far more intelligent than he is, which is a great help to his own college work. This latest assignment, well, that is something that they both found intimidating, so, on Saturday, Joseph shows up at Ellie's place, to start work in it. Text book and note book in hand, Joseph knocks on her door, thinking, "Wonder if it is too late to just hire someone to do my coursework for me?"

@originalyloved

[smthliminal]

⸻ ✧ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 ⟨ the details ⟩

Name: Nicola Grimm

Nicknames: Nic

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 36

Neighborhood: Lakeside

Occupation: software engineer

Orientation: bisexual

Status: single

Residency: 3 years

⸻ ✧ 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘 ⟨ the past ⟩

In Rochester, Nicola was brought into the world by Robin and Stella Grimm. Her father was a renowned surgeon and her mother a hospital administrator, raising her alongside two siblings she was smack in the middle of. The siblings were close and the home was always a happy one despite the long hours each parent tended to work. Nicola’s mother mostly made a set schedule so that she could be as present as possible in the upbringing of her children, denying her husband’s offer to hire help for her every single time he mentioned it. She didn’t believe in her children being raised by nannies nor did she want her children to become latchkey, which meant that she had to be passed up a few times when it came to promotions given that she needed to stick to a strict nine to five schedule. Stella wanted to be home every night to prepare dinner for her family and check on her children’s homework. The siblings couldn’t be any more different from each other; Nicola’s older sister was very much the girly type that was a princess as a child and a popular cheerleader when she reached her teens, whereas her younger brother was adventurous and sporty. She, herself, was the nerdy type. Nicola loved to read and had a knack for tech, she either had her nose in a book or was taking something apart and putting it back together often leaving things to run better once she was done messing with them. She was lucky in the fact that she received two great qualities from her parents, her organization from her mother and her precision from her father.

During her school years, Nicola wasn’t the popular kid, she was either in the library or the science lab. But her lack of popularity wasn’t ever a problem for her, she was never a busy body like that and she was quite overshadowed by her siblings. Her older sister was very popular and her peers were generally nice to her for that reason, although it only made living in her older sister’s shadow that much more difficult. She was beautiful and had a figure enviable of every single girl in school, she had a charm about her that was effortless which only made her appearance that much more powerful and devastating. Nicola would often look at herself in the mirror, stare at her boyish figure and wish to be a little something more, especially since it seemed to be what most people, especially in high school, seemed to put the most value into. Where Nicola had no popularity when it came to dating opportunities she made up for when it came to her scholastic achievements. She was the girl that made honor roll every quarter, was in all AP classes as well as some classes she was taking advanced at the local college, and was in programs such as GATE.

Naturally she earned a scholarship to the University of Minnesota and entered into the electrical engineering and computer science program. Nicola excelled immediately, coding and programming by then were already second nature to her given her tech abilities that had already bloomed in her early teen years. Back in those days, before her life was consumed with coursework and internships at startups and big tech companies that littered Minneapolis, she made a good living with a side hustle as a computer repair. Nicola also did some hacking, for fun, but also for a hefty fee. She did so well that she passed her undergraduate in three years and was already onto her graduate when the job offer came to work for Google. It was a job that Nicola simply could not turn down, but it was the first time her schedule really became a challenge. The demands of her new job as a software engineer and programmer were difficult to keep up with when also trying to balance out the remainder of her university education.

Somewhere along the way she’d met a man, one that was funnily enough a few years her senior. He was a bit of an opposite to her; outgoing and charismatic, a university sport’s star that was going places, someone that was no doubt the popular heartthrob type. It was a huge wonder to Nicola how she’d caught his attention but they seemed to compliment each other because of that. Before she knew it she was married and they were living in a home in Pennsylvania, where he had been drafted to post university to play for the Flyers, and she had been thrilled for his success and rise to stardom as he accomplished his dreams. The things she wanted were put on hold and Nicola saw no issue with making that sort of compromise, she figured she was young and had plenty of time. She never would have guessed that someone that had seemed so devoted to her would betray her by cheating on her with another woman. Her husband couldn’t make it home one night, their anniversary, and when she’d called him another woman answered his phone. It was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. They’d been struggling for some time. Day by day, he grew more and more disinterested in her and their marriage.

When he didn’t fight the divorce and quietly signed the papers, Nicola knew she had done the right thing, as much as it had devastated her. Maybe she had never been good enough for him in the first place and this had all been some big cosmic joke. The women that surrounded him at games, the other player’s wives and girlfriends, well — they looked more like her sister. They were all stunning and model types or could’ve been. Whereas Nicola was small and awkward, the geek who nerded out over tech. After she left, she went to California, working at the massive Google campus in Silicon Valley. It was only a week after the ink had sealed the finality of their divorce that Nicola had discovered that she was pregnant. Deciding that her then ex-husband didn’t deserve it and likely wouldn’t want to have a family with her since he hadn’t wanted her in the end, Nicola kept the pregnancy to herself and eventually raised a son on her own.

The way to Woodside was because of her mother. Stella had been born and raised in the coastal Michigan town and since her father had passed she’d moved back to her origins. When Stella became ill Nicola packed up and moved to Woodside to take care of her ailing mother with her son. By then she’d moved on from Google and had begun working for Dock Yard, Inc and also for a security company in their software and web solutions department. Like father, like son however her boy had a natural inclination and talent for hockey. Now she’s a mom rink side and back in familiar territory she never thought she’d be again.

[seriouslysam8]

Brumous Sneak Peek

Sorry, this is a day late and unedited. LIFE, GUYS, LIFE.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Halloween

When Sirius arrived at McGonagall’s office, Harry was already seated across from her, his hands folded in his lap and his back stiff. Sirius took a seat next to him, a hand reaching out to squeeze his shoulder in greeting. Harry shot him a look, though his face didn’t give away why they were all brought together. McGonagall peered at them over her glasses, her face severe and strict.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr Black,” McGonagall started.

Sirius looked over at McGonagall, leaning back in his chair and placing his ankle on the opposite knee. “How can I help you today, professor?”

McGonagall glanced over at Harry with dismay clear as day on her face but Harry didn’t move. “Mr Potter has failed to attend Defense Against the Dark Arts for the past two weeks now,” she started, cutting straight to the chase.

Sirius couldn’t blame his godson in the slightest. He wouldn’t want to be around Snape either right now, knowing what he had done to Marlene.  

“I wasn’t feeling well,” Harry replied automatically.

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. “For just Defense and no other classes?”

Harry shrugged. “I’ve been waking up with migraines lately. Defense is first thing in the morning and it usually goes away by my second class.”

Damn, the kid was a good liar, Sirius would give him that. He arched an eyebrow at Harry, knowing there was no way he was actually having headaches. But he’d be damned if he wasn’t on Harry’s side and backed him up.

“There you go,” Sirius said, waving his hand. “He’s been having headaches lately. If they don’t get better soon, I’ll make him an appointment with Ted.”

“Mr Black, everyone in this room knows that’s not the reason Mr Potter isn’t attending Defense,” McGonagall said in a flat tone. “I would hope you could see the benefit in him becoming more proficient in the subject matter, given the state of things. Mr Potter, I would hope that you haven’t given up your dream of being an Auror because you dislike Professor Snape.”

Harry’s jaw tightened. “I’ve just been having headaches, professor. I’ve kept up with the coursework. Ron turned in my last essay for me.”

“Class attendance is not a suggestion but a requirement,” McGonagall replied in a stern tone.

Sirius leaned his head back against his chair, his eyes focused on the ceiling. “I understand that attendance is a requirement, but Snape admitted that he left a woman to die,” he started, his gaze flickering down to McGonagall. “Harry’s godmother at that. I also know that Snape has bullied his students for years. Remus told me Neville Longbottom’s boggart is Snape, so please tell me how stellar of a professor that man is. Snape has, over the past five plus years, terrorized Harry because he dared to look similar to James. Snape hated us and he’s taking those sour feelings out on Harry, a child that he has authority over. So tell me, how is he still employed here?”

“Sirius, you know why,” McGonagall said, her eyes boring into him.

“Right, yeah, because him being a spy for the Order means he has to work here,” Sirius replied in a dry tone. “Makes perfect sense.”

“Regardless, the decision that Severus is a professor is here nor there for this situation,” McGonagall reasoned. “He is a professor and Harry has signed up for N.E.W.T. level Defense. He needs to attend class.”

Harry sighed, his chin dropping to stare at his lap.

“Look, Harry has weekly dueling lessons with the Aurors. Starting next month, he will also be tutoring younger years in Defense as a student leader,” Sirius explained. “Harry has also consistently been top of his class in Defense. I would wager that Harry could probably take the N.E.W.T. level exam right now and come out with an Outstanding. So instead of having him sit in a class with a professor who can’t teach worth shit, why don’t I hire him a private tutor to not only prepare him for his N.E.W.T. exam but also to prepare him for Auror training?”

Harry stared at Sirius, his lips twitching into a smile. Sirius winked at him.

“Who do you think would be an appropriate tutor for Mr Potter?” McGonagall asked.

Sirius didn’t even have to think. “Remus Lupin, of course. He can come to the castle every two weeks to have in-person lessons. Between lessons, Remus can assign Harry independent assignments. In case you didn’t know, Remus is dating my baby cousin Dora Tonks who is an Auror. I know Dora would be ecstatic to help Remus with the curriculum so that he’s appropriately challenged.”

McGonagall looked over at a very hopeful Harry. “I will speak to the headmaster about it. We will have a decision by next week.”

“Brilliant,” Sirius replied as he rose from his chair, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll talk to Ted just in case Harry’s headaches persist, yeah?”

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[melishade]

I've been taking my Mid Year as an Engineer in Adamson University as a 1st Year to college. May I ask that if you have any advice about going through college?

First of all, congratulations.

Second, oh boy, college. The bane of my existence.

I speak as someone who had a better time as a graduate student than an undergraduate student. But I will give you tips that I used to get by in college, and should have really taken to heart when I had the chance.

First and most important, it is okay to change your major if you cannot handle the coursework or do just don't like the major. Obviously, it is good to pursue a major that has a guarantee chance of you getting a stable job in the future, but if you can't handle the coursework, then you are going get burnt out and your grades will drop. I chose a major that I ultimately despised and I could not handle the coursework and I broke down crying in the middle of many of my exams. Don't be like me, make sure you can enjoy and handle the coursework.

Two, build good connections with your professors and classmates. For a few reasons. One: your classmates and professors can help you understand the material if you cannot. Especially those really smart classmates who seem to just break the curve and ruin it for everyone else. Two: your professors can help you build connections with other professors, and their recommendations can help get you hired for an internship, job, or even a volunteering opportunity. Job and graduate school applications tend to ask for references and letters of recommendations. If you don't have any work experience just yet, those academic references can help you get a good job. Three: sometimes professors can be extremely lenient with their courses depending on the situation. If you build a connection with your professor and they know how hard you word, and you are on the boarder between a B and an A, they might just be kind enough to give you that A.

Three: If you do have to take a GRE course, try to take off a GRE course that knocks off multiple requirements. Same for the elective major courses. If you're able to complete them and get a good grade, then it will save you time and money and you'll be able to graduate faster.

Four: Have proper time management. Make sure to take proper breaks. Don't overwhelm yourself with work. If you're unable to properly finish the course, be sure to drop it before there are any charges to your account. Colleges do charge you if you drop a course right before finals. And if you do need to take a gap year, that's fine too. It's not defeat. It's just recovery.

Five: Don't feel bad if you do get a C. C's do get degree.

(If anyone else wants to add their two cents in, go for it. College can be difficult and advice from others who have gone to college would be beneficial.)

[addictedtostorytelling]

This is a silly question, but how do you think GSR approach their (hypothetical) childrens' education? My friends and I used to joke that the fact that Sara doesn't drop that she went to Harvard multiple times per episode means that she didn't fully drink the koolaid!

hi, anon!

so speaking very broadly, i think education is something grissom and sara consider important.

after all, they both value knowledge and its pursuit very highly and are both themselves educated, with multiple degrees between them.

that so, i believe they would most likely encourage any hypothetical child or children of theirs to take learning seriously and (with few exceptions) pursue higher education.

that said, i think a lot of the particulars on how they’d educate their kid(s) would probably be dependent on situational variables.

—which means i ultimately have more questions than answers in regards to this topic.

if you're willing to hang with me for a good, ol' fashioned ramble, i've got one after the "keeping reading," if you're interested.

__

to start off, just the “when and where?” of it all probably would make a big difference in grissom and sara’s choices.

for example, if they have and/or adopt said hypothetical kid(s) while they’re living in vegas and both still working at the crime lab, then they’d have to choose between sending said kid(s) to public school or private school or homeschooling them.

honestly, the las vegas public school system is one of the worst in the nation and has been for a very long time (stretching all the way back to when grissom and sara might have hypothetically first been welcoming their kid[s] into their family, circa 2005 or 2006).

knowing how bad the public schools are in sin city, they might opt not to send their kid(s) there. however, if they’re both still working the night shift at the lab, homeschooling likely wouldn’t be on the table as a choice for them (just given their hours), meaning they’d probably have to find a private school. but the vast majority of private schools in the us are religiously-affiliated, and they’re not religious. so just looking at secular private schools or charters, their options would fairly limited (particularly in the early 2000s, before the “alternative school” boom).

maybe they might choose a more stem-focused charter school. however, they also both love and value the humanities, so they also might not want to bar their kid(s) from getting a more rounded/liberal education, especially early in their development.

could they afford a pricey private institution, like the fictional butterfield academy where catherine eventually sends lindsey (see episode 05x19 “4 x 4”)?

catherine can only really afford that tuition with help from her casino mogul father, and grissom and sara aren’t in sam braun’s same income tax bracket by any means, so if they couldn’t find a school they ultimately liked and/or could afford, what would they do? would they go as far as to move—perhaps even out of state—in order to obtain better educational opportunities for their kid(s)? go a more nontraditional route, like enrolling their kid(s) in online coursework or hiring a private tutor?

of course, their whole situation and set of choices might be very different if their kid(s) were born and/or adopted and reached school-age while they were living abroad in costa rica or paris.

would they, living as expats, choose to enroll their kid(s) in their nation of residence’s school system—so, for example, in france, the école élémentaire—and have them educated in the local language, or would they seek out an international school where the kid(s) would be taught primarily in english and on a more “americanized” system?

once the kid(s) were older, would they encourage them to take ib courses? have them apply for college in the country where they’d been raised/educated or return “home” to the states to attend an american university?, etc.

if they became parents during the “sara lives in vegas while grissom lives abroad” period of canonical s10-s13, how might they go about things then?

i'm fairly certain the second they realized sara was pregnant and/or had the inclination to adopt, they’d pretty much immediately quit the whole “living on separate continents” bullshit and choose to settle all in one place as a family.

but what place—in the states or abroad?

might the educational options of both nations play a role in where they ultimately decided to live?

for example, france has one of the best education systems in the world.

and in the odd event that they had an “oops” kid or kids while they were living aboard the ishmael—a scenario i consider somewhat unlikely, just given sara’s age by that point—what might they do then?

in all honesty, i can’t really see them deciding to keep their kid(s) full-time on the boat because they’re not assholes like this girl’s parents were just due to the sheer difficulty of trying to educate a child or children while living a nomadic lifestyle on the open ocean. i think the second their child(ren) reached school-age, they’d realize their year-round seafaring days were over, at least for the time being, and would choose to settle down somewhere on land, perhaps only spending summers on the boat (treating it like a floating science summer camp for their kid[s], a la the voyage of the mimi).    

but who knows?

maybe i'm wrong and they’d just choose to homeschool their kid(s) while continuing to sail and conduct their research.

after all, they are both—as polymath geniuses with multiple graduate degrees between them—qualified to teach.

of course, even outside of the issue of where they'd be living at the time when their kid(s) began school, there are other factors which might influence their decisions.

one factor that might affect their decision-making would be the number of children they ultimately had and what the spacing between the kids were like if they had more than one.

for example, it's easier to homeschool two kids who are close in age than it is to homeschool two kids who are close in age and then the "oops" baby of the family who is eight years younger than everybody else; it's more feasible to pay for one kid to attend a pricey private school than to pay for two kids to do so; though moving to a new state for the sake of better public schools might not be something you'd consider with just one kid, doing so when you have four kids (and you can't afford private school for all of them) could be an imperative; if one of your kids requires special ed. services that aren't offered in your public school district of residence, you might choose to send all of your kids to a charter school where such services are available, just to keep them all together; etc.

another—related—factor would be finances.

obviously, kids cost money, and the more kids you have, the more money they cost.

even just having one kid can be spendy.

that so, not only might their financial situation affect what kinds of schooling they chose for their kid(s) when they were young, but it might also come to bear when their kid(s) reached college-age.

depending on when said kid(s) were born and/or adopted, they might end up graduating high school either circa or after the point when grissom was retired, at which time their family might be down to sara’s single income, supplemented by grissom’s savings/social security payments.

while i have no doubt but that grissom and sara would likely have opened a college fund for their kid(s) the moment they realized sara was pregnant and/or they started considering adoption, given that college costs have risen exponentially over the course of the last two decades and are still continuing to rise, they still might not be able to fully foot that bill, particularly if they ended up having multiple kids and/or their kid(s) intended to attend pricier schools (like, say, harvard).

it's worth noting: we don’t know almost anything about grissom and sara’s financial situation in show canon. my impression is that while they’re both still living in vegas and even when they’re doing the “split-living situation” thing between s10 and s13, by early to mid-2000s standards, they’re more or less middle-class (perhaps on the upper end of that tier, considering they are, in canon, dinks); however, it’s harder to gauge where they’re at during their ishmael days. are they living on grant money? savings? investments? inheritance from betty? do they have any kind of regular income?

of course, if the kid(s) took after mom and dad, they might earn full-ride scholarships to any university of their choosing.

but that’s another thing:

even though there is a fairly good likelihood that, given grissom and sara’s genes, any biological kid(s) of theirs would be “academically inclined,” perhaps even to the genius level, we can’t necessarily assume that such would be the case.

for one thing, if the kid(s) were adopted, they might have different educational aptitudes than grissom and sara.

for another, even if the kid(s) were biological, they still might not necessarily inherit grissom and sara’s bookishness.

in either case, there might be learning disabilities involved or possible mental health issues.

that so, it’s not just a matter of course that any kid(s) grissom and sara were to have would earn scholarships to college, full-ride or otherwise; grissom and sara might end up having to pay out of pocket for their kid(s) to pursue a higher education.

their kid(s) also might not ultimately pursue higher education at all, either due to disinterest or due to academic ineligibility.

honestly, it would be really interesting to see how grissom and sara would respond to having a kid or kids who weren’t as academically inclined as they are.

how might they deal with a report card filled with c+ and b- (or even lower) grades? with a child who hated to read or had trouble with math? with a soon-to-be-high-school graduate whose gpa qualified them for community college only? with a son or a daughter who came to them and said, “mom, dad, i don’t think i want to go to attend any kind of university at all”?

while i have supreme trust in their ability to love the kid(s) they have as they are and to eventually adjust their expectations and support their kid(s) down whatever life path they ultimately ended up following, i also think it might initially be difficult for them to wrap their heads around having a kid or kids who just weren’t as schoolish as they are.

learning and education are so important to them and are central to their identities; they might find it difficult to even conceptualize what kind of life their child(ren) would have taking an alternative route.

in any case, if they had a kid or kids who didn’t qualify for scholarships but still planned to attend college, it might pose their family some financial difficulty, especially if grissom were already retired by that point.

unless we assume they had an accidental love baby during the san francisco days (between 1998 and 2000)—again, a scenario i consider to be fairly unlikely—then most probably any children they had biologically and/or adopted would be born and/or join their household between 2005 at the earliest and around 2020 at the latest, meaning they would reach college-age sometime between 2023 and 2038. meanwhile, grissom would reach retirement age circa 2023.

of course, just like it may be true that grissom and sara’s children might not follow in their academic footsteps, it also could be the case that, conversely, they would follow in them.

both grissom and sara graduated high school early—grissom at age fifteen, sara at age sixteen—and attended university while still minors.

it's possible their kids could do the same, in which case our timeline might move up a bit.

in the event their kid(s) were admitted early to university, then a scholarship of some kind would most likely be on the table.

it might therefore be possible for them to not only send multiple kids to college—if they had them—but to also send them to really good schools.

so how would they approach the issue of school choice?

sara attended harvard for her undergrad and uc berkeley for her master’s degree (and possibly an unfinished phd). meanwhile, grissom—most likely—attended ucla for undergrad and uc davis for his phd.

by the way, i know this post isn’t really the place for it, but i want to mention: back in the day, fans commonly used to believe that grissom had attended the university of chicago for his phd, citing what seemed to be a diploma on his office wall from that institution as proof. however, upon close inspection of the document, one can see that it is an honorary certificate from the society of vector ecology, a real-life professional organization for persons who study “nuisance organisms and disease vectors” (including insects), and is not actually a degree of any kind.

perhaps somewhat unrealistically, neither one of them ever talks much about their educational backgrounds on the show, so we really don’t really have a feel for how they regard their respective alma maters. do they have any school spirit or (as you suspect, in sara’s case) are they perhaps more lukewarm concerning those particular ties?

without knowing, we can only conjecture: would they insist that their kid(s) “follow in their footsteps” and attend the same schools where they are themselves alumni? if so, which school(s) would they insist upon? would mom or dad’s affiliations win out?

it is worth noting being a “legacy student” does often help with admissions, particularly at ivy league schools. for example, every year, about 30% of harvard admits are legacy students.

alternatively, would they be open to their kid(s) attending schools they hadn’t attended themselves or perhaps even encourage them to do so? if so, would they have any expectations regarding what types of schools were on the table—for example, “you have to pick an ivy league university” or “no state schools” or “anywhere but yale”?

what if, by this time, grissom had retired from criminalistics and had taken a teaching job somewhere?

in canon, grissom teaches at both williams college in massachusetts and the sorbonne in france.

what if he were on faculty at one of those schools when his and sara’s kid(s) came of college-age or else was teaching at some other university then?

tenured faculty members often receive discounted or even free tuition for their children at the institutions where they teach.

were they afforded such a benefit, would grissom and sara make their kid(s) attend the same school where grissom were teaching, just as a matter of cutting educational costs?

what about a school where uncle greg were located (as it is suggested in the reboot that he is pursuing a phd in chicago with the intention to someday become a professor)?

if their kid(s) did qualify for scholarships—meaning cost were not an issue—might location factor into the decision-making process?

as an undergrad, sara attended a school literally on the other side of the country from where she’d grown up (probably at least somewhat by design).

however, grissom stuck relatively close to home.

if he indeed matriculated at ucla, then he went to school about 12 miles away from his hometown of marina del rey.

would grissom and sara give their kid(s) free rein to attend school anywhere in the country or perhaps even internationally, or would they want them to stick closer to home (wherever "home" happened to be)?

what about the issue of picking majors once their kid(s) were enrolled?

again, though one might easily assume that any biological child of grissom and sara’s would likely be science-minded like them, they might end up having a kid or kids (either adopted or biological) who were more into the humanities.

would they be cool with their child(ren) declaring a photography major or ending up with an mfa in art history? they both themselves enjoy the arts and culture and are very literary. however, the “family business” is science. so would they try to shepherd their kid(s) in that direction? or would they give them the choice to follow whatever their own academic bliss were?

anyway, all of the above rambling is to say that i don’t think there is necessarily a “one-size fits all” answer to your question.

the way grissom and sara approached how they educated their kid(s) would likely depend on myriad factors; they might choose to go in one direction in scenario a and to go in another direction in scenario b, you know?

like i said up top, i do think their instinct would always be to encourage their kid(s) to seek as much education as possible.

both grissom and sara are excellent teachers and constantly ply each other with trivia and fun facts. their “family culture” even as a childless couple in canon is one that is built around the pursuit and exchange of knowledge. even just the way their condo is set up in s8 shows their extensive curiosity for the world.

that so, i imagine theirs would be a household where they would constantly be reading to their kid(s) and having their kid(s) read back to them once they were old enough, where they’d have science experiments spread out across the countertops and art projects displayed proudly on the fridge, where weekend outings would frequently be to museums and historical sites and national parks, where they’d max out on the library book check-out limit each week, where there’d be art supplies and modeling kits and alphabet blocks and magnetic numbers strewn across the playroom floor, where solving riddles would be a favored dinnertime activity, where stumping dad with a “did you know—?” question or beating mom on a mental math problem would be a badge of honor, where inventing a secret cypher for writing notes or solving a massive jigsaw puzzle would frequently be the pursuit of an afternoon, etc., etc., etc.

grissom and sara would probably be very involved with their kid’s or kids’ k-12 schooling, helping them out with homework and science fair projects, going in for parent-teacher meetings, attending extracurricular activities, and just generally being incredibly “hands on” regarding their academic progress.

if there were a class or subject area their kid(s) struggled with, they would probably try tutoring (either with themselves acting as the tutors or else someone they hired).

they would probably also very much encourage independent learning, outside of the school curriculum.

they would likely assume, unless something forced them to consider otherwise, that a college education for their child(ren) were an eventuality—not an "if" but rather a "when."

if it turned out that their kid(s) were not interested or able to pursue higher education, they’d have to shift that paradigm.

and in a such a case, i suspect they’d very much want their kid[s] to develop some kind of skill or learn a trade, if possible.

however, otherwise, i think they’d do everything in their power to give their kid(s) an opportunity to pursue higher education.

in scenarios where their kid(s) were interested in and qualified for higher education, grissom and sara would probably want them to attend the best universities open to them. however, i think they could also be prevailed upon to accept their kid(s) going to less prestigious institutions if it turned out that said institutions somehow suited them better (particularly since i believe that while sara enjoyed harvard immensely academically, she also likely struggled there socially, so she probably understands that a top school doesn’t necessary equal best fit).

if their kid(s) wanted to go to a school that were closer to home, say, or one where they felt a better cultural fit—even if it weren’t on the forbes top 25 list—they would likely be supportive.

they might likewise consider having their kid(s) attend a school where grissom were teaching, particularly if doing so represented the best financial option for their family.

they would also likely be thrilled if their kid(s) eventually went on to graduate school, though i don’t think they’d expect or require them to.

honestly, for as science-minded as they both are, i think they’d be supremely chill about their kid(s) studying subjects other than science. while of course they’d be overjoyed to have another scientist in the family, i think they could be equally as excited about their kid(s) pursuing a degree in history or art or a language.

considering betty’s background as an art dealer, it might make grandma very happy if her grandkid ended up pursuing an art degree, too.

i believe they also could be supportive of their kid(s) going in an entirely different direction like engineering or computer science or veterinary medicine or physical therapy or what have you.

i suspect grissom and sara would do as much as they could to support their kid’s or kids’ education financially.

like i said, i think the second they got back a positive pregnancy test or were approved for an adoption, they’d start putting money away into a college fund.

if their kid(s) went on to secure scholarships, then that money could end up as a gift and/or nest egg.

however, depending on circumstances, the money might not be enough to cover an entire college education (and particularly not if they had multiple kids), in which case, either they or their kid(s) might have to take out some loans.

honestly, i think they’d try as much as possible to avoid having their kid(s) take on too much student loan debt themselves (and especially since sara likely knows from experience what it is like to be in that situation, having no financial support from parents).

grissom might end up working past retirement age in order to avoid that outcome.

regardless of where their kid(s) attended school, i have no doubt but grissom and sara would be proud af of them when they graduated—even if it were ultimately from a trade program or a two-year school.

ultimately, i think the main thing they’d want for their kid(s) even beyond any particular degree or educational accolades would just be for them to always want to keep learning, no matter the field or format, you know?

of course, i have some pretty specific plans for grissom and sara’s educational choices as parents in the accidentsverse, but those count as #spoilers, so.

anyway.

enough broad rambling from me!

thanks for question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[gradsireninc]

How To Get A Job Without Experience (With 6 Career Options)

Are you wondering if you can get a job without any technical or professional experience?

Getting a job without any prior work experience can seem daunting. But it's not impossible! You can convince employers to take a chance on you with the right strategy and perseverance. This article will take you to some effective ways to land a job without experience. You'll get to know six career opportunities that don't require any experience or minimal expertise.

Let's dive in.

Effective Ways To Land A Job Without Experience

Here are some effective ways to help you make a strong case to potential employers and open doors to intriguing prospects. You can utilize these ways whether you're a recent graduate, switching to a different sector, or simply trying to start over.

Leverage Your Education

Highlight your academic credentials, especially if you have a degree that relates to the field or role you're pursuing. Coursework, projects, internships, leadership activities, and any honors or awards show your capabilities.

For example, if you majored in marketing, emphasize any analysis or campaigns you did for class. Or, if you're applying for a software engineering role, describe coding projects and hackathons you participated in.

Be prepared to talk intelligently about what you studied and how it prepares you for the job's responsibilities.

Showcase Transferable Skills

The fact that you don't have direct experience in a particular job doesn't mean you don't have relevant skills. The key is identifying abilities from other areas of life that translate.

For instance, if you're trying to get a retail job, customer service skills from past restaurant work are highly applicable. For an office manager role, administrative skills from coordinating student group events would be valuable. Make a master list of all your strongest soft and hard skills. Then, customize it for each job by picking 3-5 that fit the role.

Highlight Volunteer Experience

Any volunteer work can help fill in experience gaps on your resume. Nonprofit, community, religious, or other voluntary activities demonstrate responsibility, teamwork, dedication and other qualities employers seek.

Just be sure to frame your accomplishments from a professional standpoint. For example, "raised over $5,000 in donations" is better than "participated in a charity fundraiser".

Complete Internships

Internships are like work experience training wheels. They give you professional skills and knowledge and let you start building a network.

There are abundant internship opportunities, paid and unpaid, that don't strictly require you to already have experience. Look for openings at small or mid-sized companies that may be more flexible.

Successful interns are often converted to full-time hires post-graduation. Even if that doesn't happen, it's still incredible resume fodder.

Showcase Related Side Hustles

Freelancing, consulting, business ventures, etc., demonstrate you have initiative, can generate income, and pick up new skills quickly. Even informal side work like tutoring, web design, or selling crafts has merit.

For example, if you're seeking a full-time marketing position, tout the social media management or influencer marketing services you offer. Anything where you actively had to market yourself and acquire clients is impressive.

Just make sure you can back up any claimed skills if probed in interviews.

Ace the Interview

At the interview stage, how you present yourself matters more than a thin resume. Confidence, professionalism, problem-solving skills, bona fide interest in the company and quick learning ability can all override experience gaps.

Come equipped with thoughtful questions, ideas and visions for how you'd tackle the role. When asked about experience gaps, pivot to your assets.

For instance, "While I don't yet have full-time social media management experience, I learned XYZ skills managing the Instagram account for my college basketball team, which helped increase engagement by 30%."

Sell how you can provide unique value. With preparation and passion, you can make employers believe in your potential.

The key is convincing hiring managers you have the right foundation and can excel on the job. With resilience and utilizing these tactics, you can transition successfully into a new career without directly relevant experience.

Just highlight your transferable abilities, be willing to start at entry level and work hard to prove yourself. The rest will fall into place.

6 Career Opportunities Options You Can Pursue Without Having Any Prior Experience

Entry-Level Customer Service Representative: Customer service roles like call center reps or customer support specialists rarely require previous experience. You'll learn on the job how to interact with customers, troubleshoot issues, and provide excellent service.

Administrative Assistant: Many administrative or secretarial positions are open to those just starting. Your duties may include answering phones, scheduling, filing, data entry and supporting office operations.

Sales Associate/Retail Worker: Retail companies are often willing to hire people without experience for roles like cashier, sales floor associate, stocker, etc. These jobs provide lots of customer interaction.

Teacher's Aide/Assistant: Schools, daycares, and learning centers need paraprofessionals to support teachers in the classroom. No prior experience is necessary beyond a high school diploma.

Delivery Driver: Pizza chains, UPS, Instacart and other delivery companies need drivers to transport packages, food orders or other items. A clean driving record is generally the only major requirement.

Entry-Level Hospitality & Tourism: Hotels, restaurants, parks, and other hospitality providers have many basic operational jobs like a housekeeper, dishwashers, ride attendants, tour guides, etc. These allow you to start in the industry.

The key is being willing to apply for junior roles, learn on the go, provide great customer service, and work your way up the ladder. You can build a career even without direct experience with motivation and persistence. You can also ask for assistance from platforms like GradSiren that offer you entry level jobs. They allow you to find fresher jobs as per your interests and skills.

Conclusion

It is possible to find employment without experience. Put a focus on your education, practical experience, volunteering, internships, and relevant side businesses. Gain confidence and problem-solving skills during interviews.

Take a look at entry-level jobs in administration, retail, education, delivery, or hospitality. You can begin your job adventure and rise through the ranks if you are determined and open to learning. Remember that everyone starts off somewhere, and your potential can emerge with persistence.

[nursing-blogs]

The 4 Best Nursing Assignment Websites for Every Budget

As a nursing student, you're likely no stranger to the demands of your coursework. Nursing assignments can be particularly challenging, requiring in-depth research, critical thinking, and precision. But fear not, because there are websites out there that can help you tackle your nursing assignments with ease. In this blog, we'll explore the 4 best nursing assignment websites that cater to every budget, ensuring that you can find the assistance you need without breaking the bank. Whether you're searching for top-quality service or cost-effective solutions for your do my nursing assignment  needs, we've got you covered.

NursingAssignmentHelp.com

NursingAssignmentHelp.com is a go-to destination for nursing students seeking expert assistance with their assignments. This website is renowned for its commitment to quality and affordability, making it a top choice for students with various budget constraints. The key features of NursingAssignmentHelp.com include:

Expert Writers: NursingAssignmentHelp.com boasts a team of experienced nursing professionals who can craft assignments that meet the highest academic standards.

Affordable Pricing: One of the standout features of this platform is its competitive pricing, ensuring that it caters to students on a tight budget. They offer various packages and flexible pricing options, ensuring that you can find a suitable plan for your needs.

24/7 Customer Support: With round-the-clock customer support, you can get assistance with your "do my nursing assignment" request at any time, ensuring that you meet your deadlines.

Plagiarism-Free Content: NursingAssignmentHelp.com takes plagiarism seriously, and they ensure that all content is original and thoroughly checked before delivery.

EduAssignmentHelp.com

EduAssignmentHelp.com is another excellent option for nursing students looking for professional assistance on a budget. This platform offers a variety of features that make it a top choice for nursing students. Here's what you can expect from EduAssignmentHelp.com:

Experienced Writers: EduAssignmentHelp.com's team consists of experts from various nursing backgrounds, ensuring that you receive quality work tailored to your specific needs.

Budget-Friendly Pricing: This website offers competitive pricing and even provides discounts for regular customers. This makes it a viable choice for students with financial constraints.

Quick Turnaround: They understand the importance of meeting deadlines, and they prioritize delivering your assignments on time, allowing you to keep up with your coursework.

Money-Back Guarantee: EduAssignmentHelp.com is confident in the quality of its work and offers a money-back guarantee in case you're not satisfied with the results.

AssignmentPedia.com

AssignmentPedia.com is a reliable option for students seeking nursing assignment assistance. This platform combines quality with affordability, making it accessible to students with various budgets. Here are some of the key features of AssignmentPedia.com:

Specialized Nursing Writers: AssignmentPedia.com hires writers with specialized knowledge in nursing, ensuring that your assignments are handled by experts in the field.

Budget-Conscious Pricing: While not the cheapest, AssignmentPedia.com offers competitive pricing that strikes a balance between quality and affordability.

Direct Communication: You can directly communicate with the assigned writer, allowing you to provide specific instructions and track the progress of your assignment.

Timely Delivery: AssignmentPedia.com places a high priority on delivering assignments promptly, ensuring that you never miss a deadline.

TakeMyClassCourse.com

TakeMyClassCourse.com is a unique website that offers comprehensive academic assistance, including nursing assignments. It's a great choice for students who may be looking for an all-in-one solution. Here's what you can expect from TakeMyClassCourse.com:

Diverse Services: In addition to nursing assignment help, this website offers a wide range of academic services, making it a versatile choice for students.

Experienced Tutors: TakeMyClassCourse.com hires experienced tutors who can provide one-on-one assistance, helping you better understand the subject matter.

Customized Pricing: While pricing varies based on the specific service you require, TakeMyClassCourse.com is known for its flexible pricing options, making it accessible to students with different budgets.

Quality Assurance: They have a rigorous quality control process to ensure that all assignments are of the highest quality.

Conclusion

Finding the right nursing assignment website is crucial for your academic success, and the four options mentioned above cater to students with various budget constraints. Whether you're in search of top-quality service, affordability, or a combination of both, you can confidently turn to NursingAssignmentHelp.com, EduAssignmentHelp.com, AssignmentPedia.com, and TakeMyClassCourse.com for your "do my nursing assignment" needs. Remember, the key to a successful academic journey is knowing when to seek help, and these websites are here to provide you with the support you need while respecting your budget.

[catboybiologist]

any tips on dealing with the fear of not getting into the biology grad-program you want bc it has very limited spots ?

This isn't the advice you want to hear. But... you're probably not going to get into the exact graduate program you want.

I applied to 12 schools for my PhD. I had a top choice for a graduate program that felt perfect. I already had my master's, putting me above applicants coming straight out of their bachelor's (For people in Europe, Oceania, and elsewhere- US PhDs are 5-7 years, but don't require any other postgrad education[although it helps for applications][also the rest of North and South America, as well as East Asia, also work like this]). I had already worked with a professor at this institution, and therefore my previous research had a lot of great connections with research at that institution. I had a strong mix of experience in the wet lab, computational work, and as support staff working with a tech. The university was in a location I loved, I had a friend who went there and we talked about how cool it would be if we both ended up there, and the coursework and educational focus was exactly what I wanted out of my career.

I didn't get in. Out of the 12 programs I applied to, I got into 2. 10 rejections was a blow to my ego, ngl, and for that and various other reasons, I felt miserable during that rejection season. I had staked a lot of my future visions for my plans on this one graduate program, so it was a nasty ego hit.

The blunt reality is that this will likely happen to you. And that’s okay. It means nothing about how qualified you are. The problem with graduate school is that it's not like undergrad. They're not just agreeing to educate you- they're *hiring* you to be a research associate. As such, they're not looking at how "good" of an applicant you are as an absolute scale. They're going to look at the particular mix of experience you have, and determine whether it's something they need for their program at that time, as well as the mix of experiences represented amongst all applicants.

For example, two of the things I had going for me were bioinformatics experience and animal research experience. Turns out that my dream program already had a lot of bioinformaticists there, and didn't have a strong emphasis on animal research, so they didn't need my particular skills at that time.

There's a mantra you'll hear so much in grad application times that you'll get sick of it, but it's unfortunately true: they're not looking at how "good" of applicant you are, they're looking for if you're the right fit.

The way to deal with this is realize that you probably won't get into *that one program*, but you *will* probably get into several others. And guess what? All of those will have amazing opportunities and educational environments for you. It might not be exactly what you pictured for yourself, but you will make it work. And above all else, don't let the rejections affect your sense of self worth.

I know because I'm extremely happy where I am now. The program I got into and went to has been phenomenal, and they actually kind of knew what was up with accepting me- my skills fill a particular void in one of the labs I said I was interested in. So I've been useful, productive, and happy here, doing interesting research.