#I got a really great offer from a college that’s good for bio research

[haliaiii]

College admission results got me feeling my highest highs and my lowest lows 😭

[ms-demeanor]

Since you're on the anti-vax debunking train, have you looking into "Dr." Pam Popper at all? I'm trying to do research on her bc her rhetoric has totally twisted the perceptions of someone I love, but I'm not finding much. I can't even tell if she's an actual doctor or not, just that she calls herself one.

JUST FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES I’m going to show y’all the basic way I do fact checking on things like this

Step One: who is this person and what are their claims

This is Pam Popper, she is claiming to be a naturopath and a doctor. This interview claims that she is a PhD and an ND.

Step Two: Investigating those claims

ND, or Naturopathic Doctor, is not a protected term the same way that MD is a protected term in most places.

By searching “Requirements for Naturopathic doctors in Ohio” I found that the state of Ohio, where Pam Popper practices, does not license naturopaths.

There is a voluntary professional organization of naturopaths in Ohio that requires members to have a 4-year degree and to pass state medical exams. It has 38 members listed and Pam Popper is not one of them.

Well, that’s that for Naturopath. So far as her state’s professional organization is concerned, she isn’t one, and the state doesn’t license them.

So what about PhD? You can have a PhD in lots of things, we call Dr. Phil “Doctor” for his PhD in English, it’s a gimme - let’s find out what’s up with Dr. Popper’s PhD.

It’s surprisingly hard to find out what’s up with her from the expected sources. Most people with PhDs won’t shut up about where they got them from (with good reason! Shit’s hard!) and will ABSOLUTELY put the name of the institution that granted their degree in their about page. Hell, most doctors display their diplomas in their offices. It’s totally standard doctor flex.

But everywhere you read about her she REALLY wants you to know that she taught part of an online certification course (you do not have to be a professor, trained educator, or expert of any kind to be hired to teach a certification course) and she was totally in Forks over Knives you guys.

So okay, you search “Pam Popper education” and you get a ton of results that are copy/pastes of her bio from her website, but one is SLIGHTLY different and says that she "[got] a Master’s degree and PhD in nutrition in her late 30’s.” That’s good to know! Very good to know! According to IMDB (and you can trust that, because she REALLY wants you to know she was in Forks over Knives) Popper was born in 1956, which means she’s 65. Okay. So, let’s *generously* assume that late thirties means 40, so she got her degree in 1996. Keep that number in mind.

Duck Duck Go isn’t turning up a TON of what I’m looking for, so I switch over to google and google sucks but it DOES make good suggestions sometimes, because that’s how I find this:

A 2001 article in which Popper is interviewed about the regulations impacting health food stores where she told the journalist where she got her degree.

Okay, so what’s the Clayton College of Natural Health?

Well, first of all, it’s shut down. So that’s a good sign. Still got that number 1996 in your head?

It’s important. It’s important because there’s a pretty significant difference between a correspondence school and online learning. Correspondence schools may have you turn in papers, they may have you take tests, they may have you make a phone call to the professor, but they were not proctored and there was essentially no way to guarantee that the student turning in the course work was the student doing the course work. Which is COMPLETELY aside from the fact that many correspondence schools granted degrees for just returning a completed worksheet.

Okay, so with that in mind, here’s what Clayton College offered for their online classes in 2001:

And here’s what the school’s website looked like in 1997:

And just for further shits and giggles here’s the reading list for the course on pediatric nutrition:

What is the ABSOLUTE LATEST that Dr. Popper could have gotten her degree from this institution if she got it in her late thirties? 1996. Credible, reliable distance education was not really available in the mid nineties. Dr. Popper paid for a diploma from a notorious quack diploma mill that was shut down by the state of Alabama because it couldn’t pass muster for accreditation even in the 2010s. The “school’s” writing lab was a recommendation to buy Strunk & White and a link to the writing labs for two real schools.

And now that I’ve shown THAT here are two sources that the alt-med community will claim are biased against them: A huffpo writeup of why the school shut down and the quackwatch profile of CCNH.

The Wikipedia page on it is pretty succinct:

The Clayton College of Natural Health is a giant piece of shit and it’s no wonder Popper doesn’t want to show you her diploma, she has NONE of the qualifications that you should expect from a doctor.

Step Three: Analysis and Synthesis

I am a skeptical cynic, so this is enough information for me. Popper’s first claim about herself is that she’s a Doctor and a Naturopath. Neither of those things are true, so there’s a pretty decent chance that the rest of the things she claims aren’t true either. She used to discuss going to an unaccredited quack school but has stopped talking about it since the school got shut down, and she’s not part of the professional organization for her profession in her state. She doesn’t have any kind of medical background and is a tremendously unreliable source for medical information.

If I were speaking to someone who is more into alt-med and woo stuff I would point out that Ohio DOES have an organization of practicing naturopaths that Popper is unqualified to join and she received her diploma from a ‘school’ that was actively adversarial to the idea of requiring board certification for naturopaths and that she now runs a very similar bullshit correspondence school.

Look at what great things you can learn in just eight weeks for seven hundred dollars plus registration fees plus application fees plus certification fees:

haha, oh shit dudes, I clicked to view the “application” to Pam Popper’s school and got this:

This is clearly an up-to-date, on-the-level institution. Also it costs a hundred dollars to submit an application and they want you to do it by mail.

Wait, I’m supposed to be analyzing and synthesizing here.

My analysis: Popper is full of shit

What you should take away from this conversation: People who don’t want to tell you where they got their degrees or what their degrees are in are extremely suspicious; people who tell you that they got their degrees at Clayton College of Natural Health don’t have real degrees; most people don’t understand the difference between naturopath (unprotected term in many places that may or may not require passing boards), osteopath (DO; someone who passes boards and is a doctor), MD (someone who passes boards and is a doctor), nutritionist (unprotected term, in many places anyone can claim to be a nutritionist with no qualifications), and dietician (protected term, this person had to get a degree in food) and we as a society don’t do a good job of explaining that.

[hutchhitched]

Walk Back

Written by: @hutchhitched​

Prompt 143: The girl of my dreams asked me if I needed a ride home from campus so I obviously let her drive me home then walked back to campus a couple of hours later to get my car. [submitted by anonymous]

Ratings/Warnings: G

A/N: I’m continuing to post the nine @everlarkficexchange prompts I took and then sat on throughout the early months of the pandemic. This is the sixth of the nine. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy. Huge thanks to @javistg for understanding the delays. Only three more to go!

 Peeta Mellark knows he’s got it good compared to a lot of people. He really does, but that doesn’t stop him from wallowing in pity every once in a while. He’s in college, the first in his family, on a hefty scholarship; his grades are good; he has a lot of friends and a good work study job that actually does give him some time to study. Those are all good things. They really are, and he doesn’t dispute it, but…

 He’s also had a rough home life with a mom who’s never satisfied with anything he does and a father who loves him but can’t stand up to his wife long enough to protect his three sons from her emotional abuse. He’s a first-generation college student who’s excelling in courses for his major but isn’t doing so great in all his other general education courses. He has to work a lot more than he should for someone with his course load. Worst of all, though, he’s madly in love with a woman who likely doesn’t know his name. Well, that’s probably not true, but still. She’s certainly not crazy about him the way he is mad for her.

 There’s just no way Katniss Everdeen, fellow Panem University student and the smartest girl in his biology lab, would ever give him the time of day. Not when she already has a boyfriend, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Rugged, who’s about to graduate with a promising career. That’s unlike Peeta, an art major. He’ll never amount to anything, or so his mother likes to remind him every time he’s stupid enough to visit his family.

 Besides, Katniss is beautiful and sassy and shy and so many other wonderful things. She has no idea the effect she has on him or any other male within a mile radius, including their biology professor who’s proclaimed her the most brilliant student he’s had in his twenty-two years of teaching. Peeta spends the better part of their class together watching her from across the room, which is probably why his lab partner hates him and his grade in that class absolutely sucks.

 So, while Peeta knows he’s got some things going for him, it’s not surprising that he finds himself a little down in the dumps occasionally—especially on days when his crush shows up at his workplace. It’s even worse when his co-worker knows about his hopeless infatuation and has no shame. Johanna Mason may be his least favorite person on days like that. Today happens to be one of those days. He’s cursing his life when Jo comes up behind him and leans down to whisper in his ear.

 “Oooooooooh ooooooh. Katniss is pretty, isn’t she? Look at her over there. So serious. What do you think she’s getting ready to check out, and is there any way to make it sexual when gets over here?”

 “Shut up, Jo,” Peeta hisses as his cheeks flush, and he curls into himself, trying to hide behind the circulation desk so Katniss won’t see him.

 The last thing he wants is for the girl he’s been crushing on for months to hear his co-worker tease him about his hopeless attraction. The problem is that he told Johanna in a fit of self-loathing, and she coached him through it, built him up so his ego was a little higher than the floor and prepared him some for what to say to a girl when he likes her. While it was very kind of Jo to offer, Peeta isn’t that hopeless. He’d had a number of girlfriends in high school, but none of them compare to Katniss Everdeen. She is a goddess.

“What time’s your shift done today, hot buns?”

 “Don’t call me that! What is wrong with you?” he hisses. “Why are you so terrible?”

 “Terrible? I’m trying to get you laid, buddy. It’s certainly never going to happen if I leave you to your own devices, although I’m sure you’re taking care of yourself plenty. You’re a guy, after all.”

 Peeta’s face floods with heat, and he wants to slide onto the floor and hide behind the counter. She’s not wrong—he is a healthy, twenty-one-year-old man who hasn’t dated in a while—but Peeta doesn’t want his co-worker to know that. She’ll probably tell the whole world if he confirms what she suspects. Or say something to Katniss, which would be horrifying.

 “Why do you want to know?” he asks, suspicious.

 “Knowledge is power, my friend. Knowledge is power.”

 Still not convinced, he welcomes a patron and scans the student ID he’s handed. “Exactly ten minutes,” he mutters as he types in the bar codes of the pile of library books in front of him before sliding them across the counter. It’s almost midterm, so everyone’s trying to finish projects and bibliographies for research papers before they leave for spring break. The library’s been slammed for days.

 “She’s on her way over here,” Johanna nudges him.

 He whips his head up, and his eyes widen as he realizes Jo’s right. Katniss pages through a book as she strides toward the circulation desk. Johanna turns to busy herself with a pile of returned books, and he squeezes his legs together under the desk. If he can just stop his hands from shaking, things will be great.

 “Hi, Peeta,” she says with a guarded smile as she hands him her student ID. “How’s it going?”

 “K-katniss! Hi!” His voice squeaks, and he cringes internally. He sounds like an idiot. “It’s good. I’m good. How are you?”

 “Fine. I’m fine.” She hands him her student ID, and he glances down at the book she set on the counter.

 “History of Sculpture? That’s…”

 She laughs wryly and nods. “Yeah, I know. I’m not sure how I managed to get myself into it, but I signed up for an art appreciation class. I have zero artistic ability, so it’s painful.”

 “Oh,” he says. “That’s…yeah.”

 Johanna snorts behind him, and he tosses her a warning look. He should have known better. The woman doesn’t have a tactful bone in her body. Instead, she comes to stand behind Peeta and surveys Katniss.

 “You know, Peeta here is an art major,” Jo announces with her hand on his shoulder. “I bet he could help you with your art appreciation class. He’s great at that kind of stuff.”

 “Are you really?” Katniss asks, her eyes widening in pleased surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

 “I am,” he confirms. “I’m more of a painter than anything else, but I know quite a bit about all the different media. It’s kind of in the curriculum for my major.”

 She looks impressed, but she shakes her head as she picks up her book and tucks her ID into her pocket. “I couldn’t ask you to help, but that’s cool. I thought you were a biology major like me.”

 Johanna smacks him on the back, and he glares at her before wiping his expression clean and flashing a closed mouth grin at Katniss. When nobody says anything, Katniss turns to go.

 “Nonsense!” Jo cries. “Peeta’d be happy to help. I’m sure there’s something you could do for him to repay his generosity.”

 He swears under his breath and elbows Jo in the gut.

 “Oh, I don’t think there’s anything I have that Peeta wants—”

 “A ride home?” Jo interrupts. “Peeta’s car’s in the shop. He asked me for a ride, but his shift is over now, and I’ve got another two hours before I can leave. Poor guy. He’d really appreciate the lift.”

 Relief colors her face, and she nods. “I’d be happy to do that. My car’s on the street. I snagged one of those metered ones that are always full. Must be my lucky day.”

 “Oh, I’d say it certainly is,” Jo says, a wide self-satisfied smile plastered on her face. She practically shoves him out of his chair and adds, “Peeta, why don’t you go clock out. I’ll finish this up for you.”

 “I can—”

 “No, you can’t. You’re too close to hours. Besides, you wouldn’t want to keep Katniss waiting, now would you?”

 “You really are the devil, aren’t you?” he hisses as he grabs his stuff. “My car’s in the parking garage, not the shop. What the hell are you doing?”

 “Getting you some time alone with the girl of your dreams,” she explains with a withering look. “Now, let her give you a ride home so you can schmooze her.”

 Still disgruntled, he shuffles to the door and meets Katniss on the steps. She shifts uncomfortably, tugging on her braid and hunching her shoulders. He wonders if she’s trying to hide or if she’s cold in the chill of the early spring day.

 “I really appreciate this,” he says.

 She nods and leads him to her car. “No problem. It’s the least I can do.”

 “You don’t have to do anything at all.”

 She’s silent as she starts her car. Hesitating, she glances over at him and asks, “Does that mean you don’t want to tutor me? I understand if you don’t. It’s asking a lot for someone you barely know, especially since I can’t really afford to pay you.”

 “Except in rides.”

 “Well, yeah. I can do that.” She smiles at him tremulously and shifts the car into gear. Glancing over her shoulder, she signals and pulls out of the parking spot and onto the street.

 “You could help me in bio,” he blurts and his cheeks heat.

 “Really?”

 He cringes and shrugs. “Yeah. I can’t seem to get the hang of it. I think I’m one of those people that understands it in theory but not in practicality. I’m doing fine in the lecture, but lab is really confusing.” He doesn’t add that most of that is her fault, but not really, because he can’t stop mooning over her.

 “I can do that.”

 He glances at the pleased curve of her lips and wonders how he can make it happen again. The joy of seeing her happy sinks into his bones and gives him life. It’s ridiculous, but it’s true. He has no reason to think he should except common human decency matched with his overwhelming crush. He feels like a middle school boy who’s just figured out that girls and boys have different parts.

 Katniss stops at the intersection and glances over at him. Bashful, she admits, “I don’t know where I’m going.”

 Peeta’s eyebrows furrow and he motions out the windshield. “South?”

 “No,” she answers with a nervous laugh. “I mean, I don’t know where you live.”

 He’s an idiot. Of course she doesn’t know where he lives. “Sorry! Sorry. Turn left here. I wasn’t thinking.”

 “If you want…”

 “If I want?” he prods.

 “Well, maybe, if you don’t mind, that is.” She clears her throat and then words burst from her in a torrent. ���I know a coffee shop that no one else really goes to. It’s quiet and the coffee’s good. They know me there, and I have a table they kind of save just for me. If you wanted to go over some of this sculpture stuff today, that’d be a good place.”

 “Oh. Okay,” he answers, fighting to keep his face clear of the glee he feels. Katniss Everdeen just asked him to go out with her. Well, she asked him to go somewhere with her, but that was more than he’d dreamed would happen any time he imagined actually speaking to her. Not only is he going to sit at the same table with her in a public place, but he’s at her mercy with transportation. She’s got him captive, and he approves.

 “Maybe I can take a look over your lab notes with you, too. You know, if you want.”

 Oh, he wants. That’s never been in question. He absolutely wants when it comes to Katniss Everdeen.

 “That’d be great. Really great.”

 The place itself is an independent coffee shop in an older area of town called The Seam. The properties tend to be more run-down than those closer to campus, but the café is cozy and humble and has great choices in both coffee and tea. He chooses a black peppermint he’s loved since his father made it for him when he was sick. His father had also snuck cookies to Peeta despite the disapproval of his mom. He adds sugar before taking a sip that transports him back to childhood. He breathes in as he swallows and blows out a heavy sigh.

 Amused, Katniss asks, “That good?”

 Nodding, he inhales the aroma and smiles softly. “Yeah. It’s that good. Thanks for bringing me here.”

 Pleased, Katniss drops her head and shuffles in her bag for the book on sculpture and her class  notes. They work together for over an hour before reviewing information from their biology lab. He finds she’s a good tutor, knowledgeable and skilled at breaking down the concepts into sizable chunks that seemed overwhelming previously. When he compliments her on it, she waves him off but returns the sentiment.

 “I already feel like I appreciate art more.”

 “Glad I could help.”

 “That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, though,” she teases. “I’ll still need you after break’s over, but I think I can pass the final now, anyway.”

 He shivers at her claiming she’ll need him. It’s closer to genuine interest than anything he’s ever gotten from her, and it gives him a small thrill of hope.

 Reluctantly, she packs up her bag and sighs. “I really need to get home, but this was fun.”

 “Yeah, I should be getting back, too. Got a lot to do before bed.”

 They’re quiet as they slide into the car. Contemplative, Peeta almost forgets to provide instructions so Katniss knows where to take him. As he guides her through unfamiliar streets that turn into those he sees every day, he sends silent thanks to Johanna for her brashness and refusal to let things go. He only hopes he doesn’t have a ticket on his car when he retrieves it—hopefully before it’s towed.

 “This is it,” he says with a wave at his front door. None of his roommates are home, which means he’s stuck until they return. He doesn’t want to say goodbye, but she’s antsy, unsure what to do with her hands or where to look. “Thanks again for the ride. Come find me at the library after break, and we’ll do a repeat of tonight.”

 “Sounds great,” she says warmly. “Hope you get your car back soon.”

 “Yeah, me too,” he grumbles.

 He watches her leave, lifting his hand in farewell until her car turns the corner and heads back the way she came. Fishing his cell out of his pocket, he sends his roommates a group text asking when they’ll be home and if one of them can give him a ride back to campus. As each of them gives a reason for their absence, he realizes he’s on his own. He does stow his bag inside and grab a drink before heading back outside. Squaring his shoulders, he shoves his hands in his jacket pockets and begins the walk back.

 It takes an hour, and he does have a parking ticket. Still, Peeta has no regrets. The afternoon with Katniss was the best of the year with the promise of more to come. She’s worth the inconvenience. 

[petri808]

G1+Hakyona Angel/Demon @firiare & @bmarvels

Humans have always thought themselves above other creatures even though they were merely just another species like the rest in nature. In the beginning, those with power or abilities fought against humans, but eventually gave up. They realized it was a pointless endeavor, so for the last 200,000 years, they used their magic to fade into human societies, and the ancient myths became nothing more than fairytales. Contrary to what the human societies had conjured up about ‘mythical’ creatures, the truth behind many of the stories were just that, story’s. Tales designed around them to serve a human’s purpose. A scary demon to frighten peasant subjects into submission or an angelic fairy to soothe away the fears in their hearts and offer salvation.

Life wasn’t always easy for any creature on Earth. One must learn to adapt and change, fit in and move forward. But it could be doubly difficult for a mythic creature trying to blend amongst the humans. Over time, most had developed societies within the human civilizations to watch out for their own, or gathering places where they could be their true selves. Forged bonds were also common between creatures and humans who’s loyalty were not in question. It was all meant to protect both sides, for wherever there is room for fear or misunderstanding, problems are unavoidable. Could one imagine a human being brought up to believe a demon is evil, not freaking out if suddenly they’re bf/gf said surprise, I have horns— probably wouldn’t go over well.

Hak new this well enough, he was a half demon after all. Mother was a demon and father a human who’d served in the military. But if this existence didn’t already come with struggle, his mother died during childbirth, and father during an overseas war when Hak was 4 years old. Luckily for him, a close family friend adopted him knowing full well the family’s genealogy. It was an older gentleman with no children of his own. Mundock, or grandpa Mundock raised him to blend into society. Hak turned into a very smart, athletic, capable young man who after college made a modest living working at a shipping company owned by another demon. It was a comfortable, albeit lonely life, because Hak shied away from romantic relationships.

Not that the ‘tall, dark, and handsome,’ stereotypical male couldn’t get a date if wanted to. Instead, he was afraid of falling in love only to have his heart broken if they couldn’t accept what he truly was. But his best friend Jaeha, a dragon in human form, was the opposite of Hak in many ways. Where he was quiet and naively sarcastic, Jaeha was extroverted and flirty. The man constantly tried to set him up with women. Come on, the man would admonish, let’s do a double and have some fun!

“No! No! What part of no, don’t you understand?!” Hak growled at his friend. “I’m not interested.”

“Pfft, boring grumpy ass...” Jaeha walked away from the couch where Hak was lounging with a video game. The conniving man then noticed Hak’s phone sitting on the kitchen island. Fine, he grinned to himself. ‘Time to take matters into my own hands.’

Jaeha opened the phone easily since he knew his friends password, and downloaded a popular dating app. While Hak was too engrossed in his game, he set about creating the perfect profile to lure in the women. Frankly, it wasn’t very hard. One hot profile picture, check. Bio info, stays in shape, works at a shipping company, hobbies include soccer and martial arts. Looking for, monogamous relationship with a sweet, friendly girl who is open minded. Click, send. Within minutes, the app’s inbox was receiving hits. Jaeha happily screened through them, looking for the right girl he was sure Hak would find difficult to say no to. Because despite his friend’s, ‘I don’t wanna date,’ attitude, he knew what Hak’s type was and that he was lonely.

He scrolled through profile after profile of the women messaging Hak looking at their bio’s. They ran the gamut of types, and not just in looks but demeanor from shy to scandalous. Many were obviously just interested in Hak’s appearance, and after close to 50 profiles, even Jaeha was starting to wonder if this was worth the effort.

That’s when he saw her... A pretty, fiery red head with purple eyes who’s effervescent skin and soft, innocent eyes just pulled you in. Her appearance may have caught Jaeha’s attention, but it was really her bio that solidified it. College educated, works as a primary school teacher, with a love of fantasy arts and stories. Oh, she is perfect!

Jaeha checks to make sure Hak is still focused on his game, then sends off a message to the woman.

‘Nice to meet you Yona. I noticed you’re into fantasy stuff, that’s pretty cool.’

‘Hello, nice to meet you too, Hak. Yeah, I find mythical creatures to be fascinating, so I’m always watching out for nice art or good fiction books about them.’

Jaeha grinned at the message. So far, so good. ‘It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates such things. I’ve done a little research on dragons and demons too.’

‘Really? Why demons?’

‘I think they get a bad rap in the old stories.’

‘Lol. You might be right... I don’t think angels are saints either.’

“Wow...” Jaeha mumbled out loud.

“Wow, what?” Hak looked up, questioning his friend.

Shit! “Oh, nothing. I just noticed you killed that opponent is all.”

“Oh,” Hak’s brow raised in suspicion, but he opted to go back to his game.

Jaeha breathed a sigh of relief. He would have to tell his friend the truth, but not yet. Time to go in for the kill.

‘Yona, would you do me the honor and go out on a date with me? I’d really love to get to know you more. How about this Saturday for dinner, restaurant of your choice, my treat.’

Several minutes pass by, but finally she responded. ‘Okay. Merrimans restaurant on Kilauea avenue at 6pm. Make sure to call in a reservation.’

‘Will do. See you then. Have a great rest of your day, Yona.’

‘Nice meeting you too, Hak.’

Jaeha grinned wide and walked over standing in front of his friend. “Hak, buddy, I gotta tell ya something, so turn that stupid game off!”

“No! So move your ass outta my way!”

“I got you a date.” Jaeha held the phone at arms length with the picture of Yona on the screen for Hak to see it. “Saturday, 6pm.”

“You did what?!” Hak stood up and grabbed his phone from the man’s hand, his blue eyes turning red in anger. “I told you, I’m not going out on a date!”

“Fine.” Jaeha crossed his arms over his chest, but a smug, unperturbed look still on his face. “Then you can be the bad guy and turn her down. Go ahead Hak, be the mean guy who breaks her heart.”

“You son-of-a!”

“Just look at her Hak. She’s pretty, she’s smart, and— she’s into creatures! She’s perfect for you! I’m tired of watching you moping around our apartment, you need a damn girlfriend.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“No, I’m your awesome wingman.” Jaeha winked and started to walk away. “Don’t forget to make the reservations. Details in the chat.”

“Fucking prick!” Hak groaned and plopped back onto the couch with a thud. His friend got him good this time, because he knew Hak didn’t have it in him to be mean to a girl. So, begrudgingly he started reading the woman’s profile.

Yona. ‘She’s tiny...’ okay, so, she is very attractive... and her comments about angels and demons catches his attention. No wonder Jaeha liked this one. But Hak wasn’t getting his hopes up, because finding them fascinating is still not the same as how someone would react if one were standing right in front of them. ‘Merrimans,’ at least she had good taste. He calls and sets up the reservation. “Ugh, this better turn out okay,” Hak yelled out loud enough for his roommate to hear it. “Or I’m kicking your ass dragon!”

It was four days until the fateful dinner date and he’d be fooling himself to say he wasn’t nervous, anxious to see if this girl could really be different from all the others, yet realistic that it may not turn out that way. Hak went about his work days like normal, never showing his co-workers or delivery customers anything beyond a mask of invincibility. He prided himself on never losing his cool, a behavior he’d maybe inherited from his military father. Even though inside he was a mess. Ugh! This is exactly why he avoided this area of the heart! Because in that way he was more like his mother according to gramps. His mom was a tough demon with a heart of gold who hated the idea of hurting anyone. Hak too didn’t like to let anyone down, and his respect for women came from stories about her.

What if this Yona woman liked him back but couldn’t accept his true identity? He’d break both their hearts. Maybe it would be best to let her down gently right from the beginning? This and more Hak pondered during those four days, his mind constantly calculating the options and odds. So that by Saturday morning his decision was made, right or wrong. He’ll go through with the date, but make it clear he’s not interested. Yes! That’s what he’ll do. Shield them both from future misery. Yona’s a beautiful woman, she’ll find someone better.

“Hi,” Hak stood before the hostess stand. “I have a 6pm reservation under...”

“Hak?”

A tiny female voice behind him sent a shiver right up his spine. Hak whipped around at his name, a surging sense of power titillating the nerve cells of his skin. “Yona?” The woman exuded something he’d never encountered before.

“Hello,” the woman smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Y-Yeah,” cheeks heating up, “it’s nice to meet you too. Um,” he turned back to the hostess still flustered and mind racing, “Hak, reservation for two.”

“Welcome to Merriman’s,” the hostess responded. “Please, right this way,” she gestured for the pair to follow.

Hak stepped aside and motioned for Yona to go first, then followed behind. Clearly this woman was not human, but what she was, he wasn’t sure of. Her energy was bright, soothing, and so inviting that it almost overruled his own thoughts. Was she a succubus?! What little he knew of them came from the stories, how they lured men in with their beguiling natures. Hak shook his head of those thoughts before they could be seated. Yona only came up to his chest she was so tiny, so that the idea of her being a strong demon was hard to grasp. Well, whatever she was, this date wasn’t going to be as easy to get through as he’d hoped.

The air between them was expectedly nervous. Hak couldn’t tell if Yona had figured out his nature yet, and she sure wasn’t behaving like it. To anyone around them, they simply appeared as a couple on a quiet dinner date. He did his best to stay engaged, though she initiated most of the conversations. They talked about things Hak assumed any pair would when trying to get to know each other. Family, friends, interests, but nothing overly reaching and he definitely didn’t want to just bluntly ask about creatures, not in a restaurant where they were surrounded by humans.

She was everything her dating profile had made her appear to be and more, and he felt himself being pulled in. It created a growing dilemma as the night wore on, and Hak found it more and more difficult to stick to his original plan. By the dessert round, he knew he needed to make a decision, so screw it, he’ll ask the question that could get him immediate answers.

As soon as they exit the restaurant, where no one was around, Hak launched into his question. “I’m gonna be straight with you Yona. It was actually my roommate who set this all up, not me because he thinks I need a girlfriend. A-And I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice, but there’s things about me that—”

Yona placed a finger on his lips to hush him. “Not here. Someone might hear us.” She then took his hand, “there’s somewhere safer we can talk.”

“O-Okay...” Hak blushed both from her commandingly gentle reaction and her hand in his!! He followed quietly as she led them just a few storefronts away to another business, giving up total control like a putty in her hands. If Jaeha saw them, Hak wouldn’t hear the end of it. How the mighty demon Hak was subdued by a tiny woman...

The business itself was nothing special, just a bar from the outside. But then Yona continued inside towards the back, stopping in front of a wall. Hak watched in awe as she muttered a few words in another language and suddenly a door appeared. They went through it and that’s when Hak realized they were still in the bar, just a section reserved for creatures!

After moving them to the side, Yona turned around and giggled. “Let me see the real you, Hak,” she spoke as she dropped her own glamor and white feathery wings suddenly appeared from her back along with a yellow effervescent glow on her skin.

His eyes flashed wide in shock, but he complied with her request. Hak turned off his glamor to reveal two short, pointed black horns on his head, a long black leathery tail, and talons on his fingers.

“You’re a demon” She verified.

“And you’re an angel,” Hak breathed out. “Now I understand that comment from the chat.”

She nodded. “But I have a confession as well,” Yona confided. “I already knew you’re a demon because your friend Jaeha contacted me a couple of days ago suspicious of my remark.” She chuckled, “he really looks out for you, I hope you know he cares.”

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Hak grumbled, “but yeah, that’s why he’s also my best friend.”

“Well?” Yona placed a hand on her hip in a cocky pose. “What do you think? I know I like what I see, but what about you?”

Hak snorted a laugh. An angel... who’s not a saint, huh? This woman was intriguing for sure. “Alright, angel. You’ve got my attention.”

The sound of clapping, and a slap on his back, caused Hak to spin around, swinging at the offender. But what he found instead was his green-scaled dragon roommate.

“Whoa!” Jaeha caught Hak’s fist. “I’m just here to congratulate you buddy.”

“Damn it, slanty eyes!” Hak counter punched the man in his chest. “But... thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Jaeha laughed, “now come on!” He gathered the couple one of each side of him, and pulled them towards the dance floor. “Time to celebrate my buddy’s finally got a girlfriend!”

“I swear to hell I’m gonna kill you Dragon!”

[gisellelx]

Why would Bella have been interested in studying biology in college? It makes no sense at all for her character. Just because she was ✨ gifted ✨ at biology for knowing the same mitosis lab every 10th grader in the country does? And HOW did she get into Dartmouth with no advanced classes and no extracurriculars?! Did the Cullens have to Aunt Becky her into Dartmouth? Is there a photoshopped picture of Bella playing water polo somewhere out there?

Forgive the time on this one. I actually forgot that I have bootleg pdfs of all the books--I downloaded them a decade ago and then they’ve just been on various backups ever since. I wanted to verify what Bella had ever said about her major before grandstanding on this. But now, let me grandstand on this a bit. :)

I think SM absolutely wants us to believe that the Cullens Aunt-Beckied Bella into Dartmouth. However. In normal circumstances, I’m relying on good research when I talk about what might have happened in a given Twilight situation. In this situation, however, I’m drawing on several years’ experience on the admissions staff of an honors college at a major elite university you’ve heard of. 

We absolutely would have admitted Bella Swan.

Bella absolutely got into Dartmouth on her own, once Edward submitted her materials and here’s why. Two words. Pell Grant. Universities want them. They’re not huge, but it helps fend off the “Oh you’re just for the elite students” charge. Let’s look at Bella for a minute. She’s a first-generation student (ooh), with parents of lower middle class incomes (ahhh), her father is in law enforcement (great, respectable middle-income job that is going to appeal to the kinds of people who accuse higher ed of being "elite"), who is coming from a county with an under-average college matriculation rate and low test scores. 

These are exactly the kinds of things an elite college is looking for. They want to balance out the “My daddy went to Princeton and my mommy went to Harvard” enrollment. They need to be able to go “Look, here’s a talented student who comes from nothing and we were able to make it work for her” in order to make themselves look and feel good. They need the rags-to-riches story, and if it can get a 1400+ on the SAT...bring it on.

There is nothing in the saga to suggest that Bella isn’t an excellent student. In fact everything suggests exactly the opposite--she comes into junior year Bio having already taken Bio AP at a bigger school district. She seems to be a vigorous reader, which means she’s probably not a bad writer. And she’s an introvert, so she probably spends a great deal of time studying. While it’s true we don’t get an indication that she has an extensive extracurricular life, extracurriculars are the domain of the well-off students, and admissions experts know this. Newton’s Outfitters would suffice. We/they know that our working-class, first-gen students are likely to be working as their extracurricular, so a steady job stands in for band or Science Olympiad, or what have you. 

So...yeah. Presuming her test scores are where we would expect them to be for someone who considers Wuthering Heights to be pleasure reading...she absolutely got into Dartmouth on her own. She’s exactly the kind of student elite universities are looking for--not too much trouble (and ngl, white! She'll fit in! Admissions committees are totally racist AF!) who is just kind of poor but not really through no fault of her own. So yeah, she’s getting an admit offer. 

As to science--I had to go searching here because I’m not sure if you’re referring specifically to my personal AU. But I have to assume you are, based on what’s in canon. In canon, we don’t get any indication that Bella is bad at science. She just prefers Victorian lit. In One Day the Sun Will Rise, she chooses neuropsych precisely because of what happened in TW & NM. She has an aptitude for it, if an underdeveloped one (but seriously, every undergrad has underdeveloped aptitudes for lots of things) but she has only ever imagined herself as an English teacher. Edward, and his death, force her to re-imagine that--English lit is painful because it reminds her of him, and neuro is intriguing because it offers insight into his gift. So something very different than what she has envisioned makes a lot of sense in that canon divergent AU. She doesn't suck at science, obviously; she just hasn't dreamed of a need to cultivate it. And Edward gives her a reason to cultivate it.

I think in canon, had pregnancy not been forced upon her by SM, she absolutely majors in 19th century lit, has a wonderful time at Dartmouth, eventually gets turned, and does other degrees later. But I don’t think it is implausible to think she got into Dartmouth on her own, nor that she would pursue a science degree if Edward were out of the picture. 

[studyscrasic]

Hm, thinking properly about the fact that I’m really hoping to go back to school this fall, if the universe is a little kinder this year (I had been gearing up to last fall and then... well.... it didn’t seem worth applying just to do all my courses online, especially since I need a lot of lab credits and I can’t imagine doing those via distance learning).

On the whole I don’t know that it will impact too many of my self-study efforts since like, it wouldn’t be until August anyways, and even once it starts I hope I could still juggle some practice on the side (especially if I establish some good habits/connections to language-learning communities earlier in the year, which, seems like it’s going well so far?), except for the fact that with the degree I’m looking at transferring into (a Biology, Society, and Environment B.A. in the liberal arts college, instead of their just plain Biology B.S. in the college of biological sciences, which would have been more akin to the bio degree I was working towards at the other two schools I’ve attended) I would suddenly have a language requirement to fulfill.

Which like! Is great actually, I have really wanted to take language classes in college, especially since I loved my brief experience taking Mandarin in high school before the program got cut. Before, as someone working towards a science degree it wasn’t something that was ever in my course plan and I was always a little sad about that. So I love, love, love that I’ve got the option to do this degree now (assuming the let me in as a transfer student in but my GPA should be good enough?) that’s still a full biology degree but has a whole social sciences/liberal arts component baked in as well. (Plus it’s a dang cool degree program!) But it also means I have to pick which language I’m going to take, and they just have so many options! Also I am unfortunately tempted to choose something that isn’t one of my target languages -- especially since they don’t offer any Celtic languages to start, and I feel like German has so many good self-study and practice resources that I feel like I should pick something that’s harder to learn on my own for my classroom language.

Anyways it’s not relevant now and I don’t even know for sure it’ll be relevant this fall (I have to get in and the pandemic has to lift more, but both those things seem, like, eminently possible?) but I realize I should probably at least like. Think about the options so I don’t have to rush my decision, and potentially so I can plan around the fact that I may end up adding another TL this year even despite my best efforts not to (of course...) Out of what they offer I’m most interested in:

Somali -- there are NOT very many Somali resources out there; I’ve looked. But it’s one of the most commonly spoken immigrant languages here, and I think it could be great to learn a language that could help me communicate with some of the people here whose English isn’t as strong, especially since I tend to work public facing jobs (right now I’m a science museum educator, so talking to/teaching people is like... what I do)

Finnish -- I have ALWAYS wanted to learn Finnish, and found out a few months ago that one of my sister and I’s childhood friends is dating a guy from Finland, and is serious enough about the relationship that she’s probably going move there. My sister has even said she’d consider doing the same, since this is one of her closest friends. So like! Finnish could be more useful than I expected!

Ojibwe -- Hm so. This one is a much more tentative thought, because I would want to check to make sure my presence in the class is supporting the program at the university with my tuition as opposed to taking up seats from heritage learners/people specifically interested in linguistic revival. I’m very much white and get that the politics of learning Native languages are incredibly complicated, so would want to do a lot more research on those dynamics with Ojibwe and the program at the university specifically. But I also think that learning one of the languages originally spoken in the area I live in right now and spending time with the people in the program is the sort of thing that could be valuable with regard to like, cultivating my own allyship, and if that’s something that’s welcomed I would seriously consider looking into the program.

Aaaand last but not least, the university DOES offer Icelandic, but the trouble is I need 4 semesters for the language requirement and it’s one of only a couple language programs at the school that only offers 3! I’d have to find another university to do the last semester with, probably via distance learning, and I don’t super want to do that. I also can’t tell if it’s something they always offer and/or if it’s more of a guided self-study thing (which you know -- it’d encourage me to stick to it, but that’s kind of what I’m already doing!) so in general it’s very ??? I might at least talk to the Germanic/Scandinavian studies department about it, but it’s probably not what I’m looking for, much as I’d really like the chance to take a class in one of my TLs that it’s harder to find content for! It’d probably be my first choice if it wasn’t the complicated one, but that’s just not the case. :c

In total the school has almost 30 language programs which like. Aaaaaaaah. So really, thinking about four of them is already me being restrained (otherwise I might have, like, Hebrew or Korean on the list too). And I suppose the timing of classes might be the thing that decides it for me; obviously I don’t even know for sure I’m going back yet and I don’t think I’ll be able to officially narrow down a decision until I’m actually a student again. But I hadn’t realized until just the other day that I’m going to have to think about university language credits at some point, too which.... well, it’s sure a thing, huh

[mandadoration]

okay okay okay,you cannot just leave me with a glimpse of that whiskey and villian reader au,please dear god elaborate

OKAY so like in my mind, supervillain!reader has GOT to be wickedly smart because in my mind, their civilian persona isn’t one of any real intrigue. 

something real low profile, maybe just like an office worker, or maybe even a freelancer for some computer shit? the offhand community service (even if it was mostly in high school) but something that wouldn’t cause her any suspicion because her cause?

she’s seriously testing out some illicit genetic re-coding

(long post so the rest under the cut)

at first it wasn’t so bad. in college reader was testing out some genetic therapies, delving deeper into new discoveries and methods like CRISPR for treatment, and let’s say in this universe that shit seriously worked

i don’t know much about all this bc that’s not my area, but I KNOW gene editing is some seriously debated stuff and the whole process is probably volatile (any biology/bio engineers pls hit me up about this) 

and so reader starts asking around for enhancements for humans, analyzing what exactly made people stand out, what is transferable (honestly rn all I’m thinking about is that Michael Phelps actually has a genetic advantage for swimming)

i really want to write like… an honest-to-god BAD and cold-hearted, cut throat, and chaotic neutral reader who does shit just bc they can. so my thinking is that maybe at first it was with good intentions. genetic recoding could seriously help those who lost at the genetic lottery, jumpstart another era of evolution in humans! but her thinking and requests got much too out of regulation and all the rules set in place that she immediately got shut down.

luckily, reader didn’t actually do anything that grounded for termination or expulsion from university, so they just quietly completely their schooling as to not draw attention to them. reader isn’t mad, just a little miffed. a far cry from a tragic backstory that comic book villains get

but they got the attention of some old money family that caught wind of what reader was interested in through a loose-lipped classmate and wanted to secretly fund her. so she does some on the side research about it just because she can and has the ability and resources to

of course that same family was in with valentine and dies

everything gets put in her name because of some legal shit i dont want to think about rn, something real discreet so that she doesn’t get any attention and no one will think twice, but being the smart cookie reader is, they stay where they are, they still work their boring job, and not draw any attention as they use funds to test and experiment rather than indulge from their less-than-ideal middle-class life

meanwhile, the thing yall are most interested in: whiskey

reader goes to new york to meet with some people for new equipment under the guise of a family emergency (which isn’t complete false because let’s say the old money family has some distant relative that needs dealing with) and who does she stumble across?

motherfucking jack daniels

a cowboy in a concrete jungle looks SO out of place, much different from how reader is trying to blend in. but whiskey isn’t stupid, and knows something is different about reader. just a gut feeling that something is up behind those eyes, maybe a little unsettling and makes his heart race faster, and starts up a conversation with her

whiskey isn’t stupid, but he is a romantic, and thinks that it’s something akin to infatuation

because reader is making witty quips and giving him the dry humor that he loves and he can tell they’re super intelligent from how fast they can think on their feet and whiskey loves someone who can challenge him, someone to butt heads with

reader’s only human, and thinks he cute anyways, so they keep in touch long after they leave new york. 

and what do you know, but reader is based in georgia, and whiskey doesn’t mind making the trip to visit her whenever he’s in kentucky anyways. 

whiskey always offers to get her a better place, to look for better jobs, maybe one up in new york with him because he is in love at this point that he wants to give reader the moon and stars if he could. his love only runs deeper you refuse, saying that “you’re content with where you were, and more than happy with him” because you offer that constant, that feeling of domesticity that he’s missed so much that he doesn’t mind that you don’t really strive for great and better things bc he’s so used to the power hungry and ruthless that you pull the wool over his eyes to make sure he doesn’t see that you are exactly what he hates

but you know… you don’t know that jack is a super secret cowboy spy bc statesman is top tier and once again, jack daniels isn’t stupid enough to reveal himself to you unless he’s 100% sure, but you are just as smart as he is, if not more, and know there’s something else up with him

and you aren’t the romantic he is. 

you’ll play this game with him. the starry-eyed girlfriend of a hopeless, old-fashioned romantic that sends you good morning and good night texts no matter what situation he’s in, giggling and blushing when he presses kisses into your hair while you get closer and closer to reaching a breakthrough and revolutionizing the human race

[historyy]

The Oxbridge Applications Masterlist✨✨✨

I’ve had a ton of people both online and irl ask me for this, so here it is. I’m sorry its a month or so later than I initially promised but I’ve been pretty busy. This is basically a breakdown of the application process, some advice, and my experiences as an applicant for History and Politics to Oxford in 2018-19; because of that its pretty Oxford / humanities specific. I was lucky enough to have some great resources available at school but applying for Oxford was still daunting, so I wanted to demystify it and give some advice. Hopefully you find it helpful!

Personal Statement

How you write it: 

My main advice with the PS is to get started early, because Oxbridge is early entry so you’ll have months less time than your friends. Do a first draft of your personal statement in summer Y12. Mine was pretty much done by September and it made that early deadline much easier to reach.

Keeping a list of everything relevant you’re doing will be useful when you come to write the PS, as well as for developing your ideas for interview. My list was split into Books, Academic Papers, Extracts, Documentaries, Podcasts, Lectures / Online Lectures, Other Publications, Courses, Newspapers, and Extracurriculars. I also had a list of my particular interests related to my subject. 

It will need lots of editing, but thats what teachers, friends, and former applicants are for! I edited so many personal statements for people in my year, because they knew I was a writer and thus good at cutting words and finding shorter ways to express.

With your first draft, write big. Go way over the character count and put everything you want to in it, then cut. A few tips for cutting: 

Don’t waffle on about irrelevant anecdotes 

‘Such as’ ‘like’ ‘indeed’ ‘including’ are useful but overused 

Rearranging sentence structure can cut lots of characters and make your syntax snappier. E.g I interviewed a civil servant which showed me… versus Interviewing a civil servant showed me…  

Semicolons will save your life.

It will hurt, but kill your Oxford commas 

You don’t need to give each author / source a bio, assume the reader knows their stuff, and you don’t need to use full names / titles 

What you write in it:

With the PS, a catchy opening is vital; you need to show why you’re interested in your subject and why you’re the right choice. Mine was:

The 2015 Leaders’ Debate sparked my interest in politics and the language surrounding it, when I realised I was focussed both on what the debaters were saying and how they were saying it.

The best advice I got is to treat your PS like you’re narrating your journey with your subject. Start with why you got into your subject, show what you did following on from that sparked interest, then how you built on that action, and so forth. You might want to map this out before you start writing. An example might look like this (this isn’t mine, but assume its for HistPol):

Saw an exhibition on Renaissance artists - interested in social and political context of the art - researched Italian city states focussing in on famed patrons of the arts who were politically eminent  - read Machiavelli’s The Prince as is based on Cesare Borgia - interested in other theories of rule and governed/govt relations - read Locke and Hobbes to compare later theories and the development of these ideas - entered an essay competition about the development of the state citing Locke’s ideas on the social contract

Then you build on this journey, talking about your reading and research. Cite specific papers / books / articles you’ve read, and engage with them. Did you agree with everything they said? Or not? How do they link to other things you’ve read? For example, I wrote:

D’Ancona’s ‘Post-Truth’ with its discussion of disinformation and the collapse in trust also influenced me, though I disagreed with his assertion that the post-truth era only began five years ago (Orwell springs to mind).

Don’t just name drop books etc, actually engage with them, or you might as well not have read them.

In terms of what to include, Oxbridge don’t give a damn if you do Grade 5 piano or were the lead on your ballet show; you should focus your PS on the subject you’re applying for. When I mentioned extracurriculars it was in relation to the subject; I was editor of the school magazine, and I interviewed a senior civil servant on Brexit’s impact for it, increasing my understanding of current affairs and I gave a presentation on sexuality in the Weimar Republic at our LGBT society, exploring oft forgotten facets of history.  

I would suggest that only 10% of your PS should be about extracurriculars, and even those should be related to your subject, or linked to transferable skills.

You should end your PS with a brief concluding statement or paragraph which summarises why you want to study your subject.

Aptitude Tests 

I did the HAT so this is skewed towards that, but other tests are similar.

The aptitude tests are stressful but formulaic, so once you’ve worked out the formula and done as many practices as you can, you should be fine. You don’t need to get a high mark, only pass the benchmark to secure an interview, so it won’t be perfect. No one gets full marks; I think the benchmark for the HAT was 60% last year. 

My main advice on the tests is to go to all the sessions on them with your teachers that you can, and if your teachers don’t offer sessions ask them to hold some, or find a former applicant. Do lots of practices, starting not in timed conditions and work up doing them in time. Talk through your completed papers in detail with your teachers. If there are other applicants doing the same test, talk with them — orally write the essay together and bounce ideas off one another. 

Learn how to pull together an argument in a way which will grab the reader’s attention and show that you’re interested and engaged, and that you think outside the box and are different to the other candidates. For example in our HAT, the source was on a 16C woman’s relations with her servants, and I talked about her household as a microcosm of a class stratified and hierarchical society with moral expectations of servitude.

Basically, its an exam paper, treat it as such! 

Interview

The interview is, on the whole, more important than the PS. If you’re lucky enough to get one it means you’ve already done better than most people. I found the experience to be a mix of absolutely terrifying and weirdly enjoyable. 

I had two interviews, one for History and one for Politics, but you can be called to interview at other colleges. I know someone who had six…

The interview is basically like a tutorial will be if you get in, and there are different types (this is a bit humanities specific, sorry). You can get asked about your PS and reference, though this is rare. Extract interviews are common, for my Politics I was given an extract about citizenship. You can also get asked about your submitted work, as I was for History. 

In terms of prep, make sure you’re familiar with your submitted work and PS, as well as all the stuff you say you’ve done in your PS and your reference. You can get asked about any of it. Bring copies of these and your reading notes with you to interview so you’re familiar with them. Also look into some other key concepts of your subject, for example I looked at a lot of historiography, and in the interview talked about the concept of history as teleology and how I disagree with it. I think I was actually asked if I agreed with the Idea of Progress, having read on that a lot I felt equipped to answer it. 

Do as many practice interviews as you can. I got lucky as we had teachers who could do these, and I also did one at my sister’s school. However even if you don’t have that access, ask a friend, parent, teacher, a previous applicant, or even someone online. Even just talking about your subject helps. On the flip side of all this, don’t do so much prep your answers are stale and formulaic, you need to show you’re thinking on your feet. 

Both my interviews were only 20-25 minutes. My Politics interview was really chill, I had an hour reading time before in which I made notes on an extract and basically wrote a script for myself. The questions I was asked were actually given to me in this time so I had lots of material to work with. The man was really nice as well, and I enjoyed the experience. In contrast my History one was a disaster and I felt like I was being interrogated by the two women the whole time, though they were nice.

Don’t be scared if you screw up, in my History interview on my Tudors essay on Tudor parliamentary changes (which I’d been studying only 2 months), my interviewer was an expert on Tudor parliament, writing a book on the subject. This one question about groups of people represented strongly in parliament really threw me, and I went through three answers before I found the right one (lawyers). At another question I blanked for thirty seconds before speaking. I came out in tears and was certain I’d failed, but clearly I did okay…

General advice

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go chat to that scary teacher who told you your essay was too journalistic and not historical enough and just because you want to be a journalist you can’t write like one in academia (personal experience? me?). Ask them for advice and just talk to them about the subject! 

Leading on to: JUST TALK ABOUT THE SUBJECT. Talking nonstop about History and Politics helped me know my interests inside out and it gave me a way to develop my speaking skills as well as my love for my subject.

Also, read. JSTOR is your bff for academic articles and Niche Stuff here, but you can find plenty of good books at libraries and shops. The A Very Short Introduction series is amazing for this, as they’re all really short and written by Oxbridge academics, I read tons of them. You can even just dip into longer books or collections of articles. 

Keep asking yourself And so? — take your ideas further. This was my History teacher’s advice for essays, but it works for PS, tests, interviews, and general critical thinking. 

For example in the HAT (I’m making up this example, it might have asked you what you could learn about social norms of a time from a source): You could say: The woman bosses her servants around but is subordinate to her husband so we can learn about gender and social roles. Or you could say: The woman commands her servants, yet remains servile to her husband, indicating the prevalence of hierarchical gender and class relations in the society of the time; her role as wife is clearly interlinked with her position as ‘head of the household’, which she is unpaid for. Viewing this through the lens of feminist theory, one can infer that an unequal sexual division of labour exists in this society, and women’s contributions to society are not appreciated, as when the husband ‘dismisses’ his wife. While her command of the servants shows she is elevated by her ‘great wealth’, her subordination to her husband suggests that a woman in this society was unable to further her position as easily as a man could. 

Don’t fret about choosing a college on the form, 1/3 of people (including me) get pooled. 

And finally, don’t set your heart on Oxbridge. They’re by no means the only good universities out there, and they’re not for everyone. If you’re not enjoying the research for the PS, or are finding the aptitude tests unbearable and the interview style uncomfortable, it might not be for you. But if you do decide to apply, good luck!✨

[inkofamethyst]

April 17, 2020

Other than the ridiculous stress that came with having three exams this week, I had a really good week, I think.

Day 109 of the cute campaign: Not today, I’m afraid.  It was a pyjamas day which means that I’ve got to take a shower tomorrow.  Yesterday was a really cute day though.

Day 37 of quarantine: As I’ve said before, school online sucks, but one good thing did come out of it yesterday.

Alright, Thursday was a really good day for me.  I had my math quiz cancelled, I played TheWikiGame with my friends for 45 minutes (I couldn’t stay long because I had to study/prepare), and I had, like, two advising sessions that I was actually looking forward to.  First was the advising for my humanities program with the incoming director, and that was really just a casual 20-minute Zoom chat about how the transition was going and also I told him that I was planning to switch from biochem to bio/anth.  You know what he did?  Later that afternoon he sent me an advertisement he saw for an online discussion panel with anthropology professors from different universities!  How awesome was that?!  So that’s what I’ll be doing with my Monday evening!  

About two hours later I went to the Zoom version of an event that got cancelled which was basically supposed to be a gathering event for black girls in the honors college.  I had been really excited about it when I was on campus, and I was thrilled to receive the invitation to the Zoom meeting.  And guess what?  I was only one of three people there: Me, the associate director for the honors college (a black woman, in case you weren’t sure), and the rising senior who organized the event.  Now, you might be thinking along the same lines as my parents: “That’s awful!”  Well!  You’d be absolutely incorrect!  Because I was the newcomer, I got waaaayyyy more personal attention than if I had been one of, oh, a dozen or so others.  And you know what that’s done for me?  The Associate Director of the Honors College told be that I could absolutely come to her for a letter of recommendation.  Oh, and honey, that’s not all.  I also told her about my plans to change my major (she sounded really excited about the combination I’d chosen and the reasons why I’d chosen it) and demonstrated that I had been putting a lot of my time toward this idea of getting involved in something I’d never done before, and she a) told me she’d recommend me a contact at the university (which she did later that day, and I’ll be emailing him tomorrow probably), b) told me that she’d look into recommending me as a driven student for a new university task force that was in the works (I won’t say much about it here, but it sounds really cool), and c) told me she’d see if she could get in touch with a student in a similar situation to mine to meet!  I got so much more out of that experience than I had ever anticipated, and the only thing I could have done to “be more prepared” was have a list of faculty in the bio/anth departments in whose research I was interested (of course, that would’ve required a ridiculous amount of foresight, and I’m sure the offer to help me make contacts still stands).  And I got some wisdom out of the student, an info sci/journalism double major herself, as well.  She told me that I should use my uniquely combined majors as a selling point.  They demonstrate my drive and passion, and could even make up for being a little unqualified for a job/internship/opportunity.

So yeah!  Thursday was great!  I also think that I’m going to take an anthropology class over the summer to lighten my eventual load, allow me to take classes I’m really interested in during future semesters, and earn some gen-ed credits that I need.

And you know what?  Today was a pretty good day too!  Took my orgo exam and got a ninety on it which brought my lecture grade up to an 85% (meaning that a B+ isn’t out of reach).  Just finished up my anatomy practical and I think I’ve gotten somewhere in the realm of an A, though I know I lost a few points on spelling in some places.  Found out that the girl I was thinking about rooming with is planning to get an apartment instead which... okay.  Wasn’t meant to be; I don’t really mind.  Also, there are still a decent number of spaces left in all of the sections for classes that I want to take.  I’ll be up at 8 am 3 days a week (one of them for a lab, mid you), but I don’t think that my days will feel crazy long, so that’s positive.  By the way, I was right about the anthropology class with the 8 am lab filling up much slower than the others.  I’ll keep checking back to see if I can switch to the section I prefer, but two hours of class on Mondays is pretty appealing, I won’t lie, so I won’t sweat it if nothing changes.  Waitlists are already forming for those sections anyway, so I’m not expecting much.  The literature class that I want to take (as opposed to the dance one which has been a really popular section for my humanities program over the past few years) seems like it’ll be really fun, and I’m ready to get back into reading good books again!  Also the professor is an anthropologist, so I can totally pick her brain on the subject.  Orgo and bio are... well, orgo and bio.  The bio class is technically a freshman level one, so it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge at all.  ~And then I’ll be able to declare my maaaaajoooorrr~ (or at least apply for it, anyway).

Well, folks, that’s been today (and yesterday, though technically two days ago from the time I published this).

Today I’m thankful for my Orgo Exam grade!!!!  My exam average has been an 82% so far, so a 90% really is a big improvement!  I definitely still need to work on the study habits, but they’re improving little by little.

[scullyeffect]

my conversation (through voice message) trying to get my friend out of an MLM

me: I'm really worried this is an MLM even though you say it's not. Are you sure?

friend: Hi, so it's actually called 'affiliate marketing'! If you watch the webclass it explains more in detail but our sales just go over and down the line. Not all the way up to a top human who gets all the money and we do all the work. It's okay to be skeptical. We've all been brought up to believe 'if it looks too good to be true it is', but I've got lots of videos from others in the business and my own personal testimony to prove that we are who we say we are. If you're interested just go watch the webclass.

me: So, it's kind of like the affiliate links?

friend: Yeah, it's exactly like that! And if all you do is purchase that's where it ends but there's an option in it where you can be on my team to distribute.

friend: And so where it's different from MLM/Pyramid Scheme bullshit is that we have a compensation plan that's patented, so no other company can use this. And basically our sales go over and down, like, you...and you create a line, basically. There's no pyramid, no stacking. So what that entails is also we have ranks, and ranks are really important. So, if I sell to my friend Danielle, and Danielle sells a bunch more than I do, or promotes the business really well, or is better at building a team than me, she could rank up higher than me, and then she could make more money than me even though she's below me.

me: *that is literally just a whack pyramid scheme*

friend: So, it's an 8-point payout system, so basically think of a pie chart with eight pieces. If you're a certain level, so if you're a 1A, you just get the A commission, just one piece. But there are obviously ranks that are hella higher than that, like if you're a 4A, you get four pieces. Say you're a 6A, and your 4A sells a machine, and they get their four points of commission, Enagic (the company) only pays out eight points, so even though you're a 6A, you're going to receive four. That's why we're not multilevel.

me: *oh my god that's still multilevel*

friend: I don't know if that was clarifying enough! If not definitely watch this little webclass she's so informative. *sends link*

me: *is doing extensive research about all this shit and doesn't click link*

friend: Also, it's not scary, the only thing that this link does is link you to me, for if you were to join or affiliate. And it only links you to me for three months. So if for any reason within the three months you want to pursue someone else within this business, that's allowed. So there's nothing permanent or scary about this, it doesn't take your card info or anything. Completely free.

me: *doesn't click link*

me: Do you get a steady income with this company, or is it a side hustle?

friend: So for right now it's a side hustle, but I did quit my second job because of it.

me: *SCREAMS*

friend: You do get steady income once you build your team up to the point where they're doing well, but it's a lot of energy exchange and putting time into these people and into your business. And obviously way down the line, like my friend Amelia started Breakaway Movement and she's been doing it for two years, and she's just achieved the rank of 6A2-3, and this is where your steady income starts. SO she got a $30,000 bonus, and she gets $5,000 a month for life, which is super cool because she can pass that residual income on to her kids. And this is on top from the commissions she's already receiving. So that can happen, but you have to work your butt off.

friend: For example, my first sale, I'll make anywhere from $700 to over $1,000, and that's only for one person. I have friends who started last month and have already made $8,000, granted they've had entrepreneurial experience, but it is something that can happen if you allow yourself to receive it.

me: *pulling my hair out and wanting to scream JESUS CHRIST THIS IS A PYRAMID SCHEME YOU DUMMY*

me instead: So like just to be clear I’m 100% just saying this because I care about you, like I know for everyone who’s skeptical about something there are five people who are gonna contradict me and that’s fine I’m just offering my opinion. But I have two red flags about this stuff and I really am just doing it to look out for you.

me: *gently launches into a long bio/chem/physiology diatribe about how alkaline water really just violates BASIC laws of chem/phys and reasons people get results from this stuff is because they think it's so good for them so they drink MORE of it, and water is great for you so your body is like YUM and of COURSE your skin gets better, you lose weight, you feel healthier, YOU'RE DRINKING WATER. Your body is DESIGNED to hustle itself to keep internal pH between 7.3-7.4 and alkaline water won't hurt you but it doesn't really do much. But in developed nations buying a $4,000 water filter system is just...not...worth it.*

me: And I also found something about Breakaway online that I think you should see, but I'm doing this as a friend and feel free to disregard everything I'm saying.

me: *sends screenshot of a subreddit of people exposing the girl who started Breakaway because she USED to be in an MLM with the same company but basically just...in a shady way recreated the same scheme with herself at the top? (link if you want)*

friend: I know you're not trying to like, fight me on any of this and you're doing it as a friend, but we actually have doctors and scientists talking about this since it is actually a Medical Grade Machine. I don't have all of that info, because it kind of flies over my head, but I know people who know about that stuff.

me: *WHY WOULD YOU SELL SOMETHING THAT CLAIMS TO AFFECT PEOPLE'S HEALTH WITHOUT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SELLING I*

friend: If you want some more scientific information, I could maybe find someone who could help explain it to you. I just read a story recently on our message boards about a girl with a bunch of chronic illnesses who was healed from it, and her husband is a science teacher.

me: *rolling eyes, maybe it'll clear up my bad case of epilepsy*

friend: And as for the MLM comments, as a human on the inside who sees everything this company has to offer, this just isn't an MLM...by definition. But we're about network marketing and affiliate lines, totally not MLM.

friend: *goes off about how there's a HUGE difference between alkaline water and alkalized water*

me: *god i don't care about the water i only said all that to not directly say THIS IS A SCAM YOU'RE IN AN MLM DON'T QUIT YOUR JOB FOR THIS*

me instead: Okay well I'm sure you know more than me because you're more involved! I just skeptical of any type of networking where you have to like go down any sort of line or there's anyone at the top and it's about climbing.

friend: Our platform is super centered on genuine personal connection, like I don't go door to door, I just post my content (she's a YouTuber) and try to make a team and just...I can't think of the words...

friend: To just have this team and platform that's pure. I don't want their money. I want to help them change their life and be their mentor, if that makes sense.

friend: I totally understand your skepticism, but it's not about climbing on top of people or anything, it's just climbing in rank.

me: *christ am i actually trying to teach someone the definition of a word here*

friend: But if you have that mindset, maybe just...sales aren't your calling in life, which is 100% perfect for your journey and your life. But I hold the view that money is energy, and if you want to watch my friend Amelia, when she got her bonus she gave away $15,000 just because she could. These aren't evil people.

me: *she SAID she gave it away in a YOUTUBE VIDEO. give me receipts. also at the moment sales are my life i'm whoring myself out to 5 different colleges*

me instead: Wow, that's amazing!

friend: *sends me a link explaining alkalized water, source is the site from her company*

me: *leaves the chat*

[kikifeliz]

8 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE!

Deciding to become a university student is a huge investment of both time and money. You don't want to start only to have to drop out due to finances or failing grades. You also don't want to finish and find that all you have is a piece of paper with mountains of debt and no job prospects.

The average cost of a 4-year Bachelor's degree is about $36k at a public university, and about $136k at a private university. Google the yearly cost of your school of choice, then multiply by 4. Then add on about 5k for the additional costs of books and travel fees, clothing, and other miscellaneous. Then add on about 10k for the interest that your student loan debt will incur! 😫

The average cost of graduate degrees can vary by school and concentration, but can easily cost over 90k for tuition alone. Student loan debt is not a joke! Invest your time wisely while you're in school so you don't end up regretting your decision and sharecropping your life away in some 9-5 that you hate.

So, here are my tips for making the most of your time as a university student! Whether you're in undergrad or graduate school, I hope this advice helps you! I'm not going to give you the basic "go to every single class" bullshit. While that's undoubtedly good advice, I want to be a bit more practical and dig a little deeper. I think if you're paying for an experience like college, it's obvious that you should attempt to be as immersed in that experience as possible. You're not going to pay for entrance to a water park then stay off the slides and out of the pool, are you? No, you're going to jump in and go on as many rides as possible! At university, you're paying for school, so you need to treat it the same way. If you're paying for a class, obviously you should go as often as you possibly can. So in the hopes that I can be practical without being trite, I'm going to address the finer details of the college experience. From the perspective of a woman who's in the process of finishing her 2nd Master's degree (at an Ivy League school, no less), you can take it or leave it!

1. Update your resume as soon as you commit to a school and give them your deposit.

As soon as you've paid the deposit to the school of your choose and sent back your decision letter, go ahead and update your resume. If you don't have a resume, make one now! There are plenty of templates online you can follow.

Include your new school and anticipated graduation date under the "Education" section. (You can add it to your social media bios too, if you're into that sort of thing.) The truth of the matter is, the moment you pay the deposit to the school, you've paid for the brand name. You might as well start wielding and wearing it ASAP! This will help you as you apply for internships for the summer after high school and during your freshman year of college.

2. Once on campus, join clubs and student associations.

This is super important! So much of college is about networking. Once you graduate and leave campus, your college network can help you find jobs, travel, keep you up to date with learning opportunities/conferences, or even help you settle into to a new city. It's important to make authentic connections with people on campus outside of your immediate friend group, and a great way to do that is through common interest clubs or associations. Attend a programs fair and check your school's websites and message boards to find events.

Once you've decided which clubs you want to join, make sure to introduce yourself to the leadership! By getting to know the club leaders, you can make sure you'll always know what's next for the group so that you can take part and continue to build community.

3. ‪Spend as much time as you can at the library and in other public study spaces on/around campus.‬

Most university libraries will have cafés, help desks, computer labs, and even group study areas. Often it's okay to talk in the group study areas, so you can always take a break from studying and do a bit of socializing when you need to. When you need more privacy or quiet space, it's typically available just a room or a floor away! Bring healthy snacks like carrots and almonds and chocolate-covered espresso beans or raisins to keep you energized and alert.

Studying is obviously an important part of being in college. You don't want to get into the job field without fluency in the language/jargon or requisite content knowledge that is necessary to succeed!

4. Use the "free" time to develop your genuine interests and hobbies.

If you have the time and don't have a ton of responsibility to other people in your family, take advantage of that! You likely won't have a lot of time like that in your life again. Use this period to follow your curiosities and your interests. Make art! Join an intramural sport! Experiment with fashion! Work part-time in a place you never thought you would! The possibilities are endless. As my dad would say, "It's your world, squirrel!" (He's really corny.)

5. Be as discerning as possible with the classes you take - you are paying for each of them, after all!

Take classes that really interest you, with professors you truly want to learn from. Read the class descriptions carefully, and do research on the professors. Try to get professors that have great ratings, multiple publishings in reputable journals, books, and websites, and a good track records of helping students.

Many colleges have core curricula that you must complete to graduate. If the classes in your core don't interest you, see if you can find ways to navigate the system so that there's a silver lining or so you can make the best out of them. Always give it a shot, you may find that you're more interested once you attend than you were by reading the description alone.

Even if the class isn't of interest, the people there probably are - especially if everyone has to take it! Whether that's ensuring you get the best professor that's offered or finding a great group of friends to struggle through it with, get to know the people around you. Maybe you decide to develop a working relationship with the TA by attending office hours and asking questions about how to contextualize the content in a way that's more engaging for you or more aligned with your interests. To do this, just explain your interests or proposed field of study and ask them for examples of how you can transfer the knowledge you're learning in class toward your interest.

Another option is seeing if you can take the class pass/fail. If this is possible and the class isn't aligned with what you feel your true academic interests are, then don't expend too much effort. Attend lecture, pass the class, and devote your time to your other interests. (This is an option only for people who are serious about not failing the class. Make sure you calculate what scores you'll need to pass exams and other requirements like attendance, and hold yourself accountable to these. Do your absolute best on your papers! Taking a class pass/fail is NOT an excuse to slack off or avoid doing your best work, but it may be a way for you to free up some time if you calculate your grades and find that you don't need to do every single assignment to pass.)

6. If you can find a work-study job or start a side hustle *without* jeopardizing your grades, do so!

Again, the student loans are no joke. I avoid taking them if I can, because I hate debt. Of course, this means I occasionally have had to pay tuition out of my own pocket. I held 3 jobs when I was in undergrad and have always had side hustles even while working 9-5. Many of my favorites have included babysitting, tutoring, pet/house sitting, DJing, and party planning. I know a lot of people in grad school who also worked in restaurants or as delivery drivers, as administrative aids in university offices, law offices, and medical practices. Nowadays, a lot of people work as as influencers, photographers, video editors, and models for their side hustles. I always preferred jobs that were lowkey so I could study. My favorite work-study job was at the library! I always got to see my friends and I could read PDF copies of my assignments while I sat at the circulation desk.

7. Find out about scholarships and fellowships that are offered by different departments in your university.

A lot of fellowships and scholarships are only advertised internally by department and school. Spend time on your department's website and stop by the department office every few weeks to make sure you're up to date on the opportunities that are being offered to students. Become a frequent patron of Financial Aid to see what is available through that office as well.

Additionally, feel free to email the department chair/other professors to ask if they know of any fellowships or scholarship opportunities that may come up in the future so you can be prepared. Ask about qualifications for those as well, so you can plan ahead.

Do your research and make sure you qualify for these opportunities! In writing your essays, attend to each point of criteria laid out in the "call for applications." Treat your essay similarly to how you'd apply for the job. Why are you the right person to receive this money? How do you fulfill the criteria that this scholarship is supporting?

8. If you're struggling with your studies, use the resources on campus that you're *already paying for* in order to get back on track.

This includes TA and professor office hours, peer tutors, the writing center (most universities will have offices that can help you structure and edit your essays, etc.).

Join or create study groups by finding a partner in your class to study with, and ask the university librarians (and your advisor!) what other resources/tutoring/study help is available on campus.

A strong foundation in the content knowledge for your field of choice is a necessity once your graduate. My father always told me, "The key to success is uncommon knowledge." I agree with this somewhat, but I really believe it's actually that the key is an uncommon thirst for mastery. You move forward in your career and your personal development by learning and mastering new levels of skill. The more you know and the better you can communicate, the more respected you'll be in your field - which opens the door to further opportunities. Studying (and studying *well*) is imperative during your time at university!

Good luck this year, scholars! Work smarter & always remember, education is the key! We cannot dismantle the master's house with the master's tools//we are the gold we wanna hold! Go forth & make this school year your bitch!

Xoxo,

Kiki

(c) 2019 by Kiki Feliz

[lighthouseroleplay]

WILLIAM ‘WILL’ HARRIS BURKE

                          ( 22 ,  cis male, he/him )

♪♫ currently listening  ⧸⧸  drunk drivers / killer whales by carseat headrest

the graffiti-covered seat at the back of the class, sunglasses in every shade of the rainbow, band-aid covered knees. juggling baseballs with a careless ease, strawberries eaten by the handful, a laugh that ends in a snort. the teacher’s rolling eyes, joints tucked in a back pocket. phone calls that go late into the night, fresh flowers on a gravestone. always a scent of pine, a scrawled letter, stacks of books threatening to collapse at any moment.

    •  hadfield was the first neighbour you had in tenebrin who wasn’t a thousand year old angry man, and you appreciated that. you were determined to befriend them, and the fact that you were in the same grade made it even better. they were so new, so different from so many people who lived in tenebrin, people you’d grown up with, known since kindergarden. the familiarity was nice, sure, but this interesting new person got on very well with you, even if it was weird that your moms dated for a little bit. screw weirdness, you had a new friend, and you had a great time every day on the walk to/from school.

    •  lind-carter was someone you met for the first time in junior year, this tiny, insistent freshman, intent on going on the honors biology trip as if it would change her life. it made you laugh, originally, but on the trip, you became friends. you didn’t really know anyone in your bio class, and something about her intensity made you curious. it was a good choice, speaking retrospectively, because her whatever — you called it ‘bossiness’, she made rude gestures back at you — balanced out your indecision, your tendency towards laziness perfectly. she pushed you towards actually going to university, when your own mother couldn’t do that, and leaving her behind hurt you more than most things did.

taken by alexandra  ⧸⧸  joe keery .

i thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds.

William Burke was born on a rainy May morning, first baby-howls echoing through the hospital room, loud enough to rival the fat water droplets spattering against the window, and the dawn’s first light hidden between dark clouds. His father cried, as did his sister, though his mother was far too exhausted to join in, and all in all, it was a rather damp day.

He was a baby who had always been wanted, like his sister before him, with parents who had always wanted a pair to call their own. Jonathan Burke grew up in Tenebrin Port, but had little interest in staying there: which, as it turned out, was a rather good thing, as it was while working as a library assistant at UC Berkeley that he met Mary Slater, English literature PhD candidate with a love of King Arthur lore. They fell in love rapidly and deeply, buying an apartment together in San Francisco and planning a life together in that fog-filled, colourful city. Their first child was born there, named for the Guinevere of the stories her mother buried herself in while pregnant. She was delivered just after her mother finished her thesis, and they were, in the end, celebrated with equal enthusiasm and joy. They married soon after, and while many members of the Slater family were present, only a few of the Burkes did.

Mary was offered a position at Whitman College, assistant professor of English Literature, and she moved there, as did Jon and their child, where he embraced fatherhood with enthusiasm. He had no doubts in his mind at the concept of staying home and taking care of Gwen while Mary worked, and when she could support the family thus — why not?

Four years later, she became pregnant again, this time with a boy, and William Burke came angrily screaming into the world, completing their family of four perfectly.

    i slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect trees.

The family moved to Tenebrin when Will was only three, drawn more by responsibility than anything else, an illness in Jon’s family leaving his mother frail, and in need of her son nearby. Mary began research on a new book, surrounding the role of Uther in Arthur mythology. Will and Gwen were raised by their parents, yes, but also by their grandmother, a severe woman, strict about everything but more than a little willing to tell her grandchildren stories about Tenebrin — after all, she could do little else, stuck in bed as she was. More than one night, the pair would sleep with dream wreathed in swirling water, crashing waves upon a shoreline echoing in their mind. She wove a good story, and it was oh so easy for the children to find their way into the web, to the chagrin of parents who would so much rather their children didn’t have the screaming nightmares these stories inspired.

Though Will’s grandmother eventually died, four years later, her stories had an impact on him: while Gwen was made of stronger stuff, he grew terrified of water deeper than a bathtub, resisting the swimming lessons at the community centre to the point where even bribes of toys and post-swimming ice cream trips had little effect. He just wouldn’t do it, and so while his sister spent summers advancing up the rungs of the Red Cross Swimming levels, he was to spend his days at the outdoor camps, hiking and camping in the forest that surrounded the town, learning bear tracks and how to start fires and how to keep them from spreading. That he took to, spectacularly so, finding a love of the woods to match his fear of water. 

He threw himself into this love wholeheartedly, looking forward to summers spent in the Olympic National Forest, always begging his parents to let him climb trees. Will was up one such tree in the backyard of his house, all of nine without even the slightest fear of heights, on one of fall’s rare rainless days, when a police car pulled in, with two officers exiting the car to knock on the front door. Will was scared then, for a brief moment, freezing with the knowledge that this wasn’t normal, that maybe he was in trouble somehow, that something was wrong. He didn’t hear the discussion that took place inside the house, but when his mother emerged with the two officers, the group walking towards him, he knew he was right to worry. Her face streamed with tears, and Will scrambled down the tree, erring in a way he rarely did, and falling to the ground.

In the end: that was that. He broke his arm, and his father was dead, in terrible fluke of a car accident, on such a perfect day, no less. There was no one to blame but the cruelty of fate, and suddenly Will’s mother, an outsider to the strange, small town, was alone without her strongest link to it.

all night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me, the insects, and the birds who do their work in the darkness.

Will Burke was not one for grief. It passed like it came, and though he’d make his way to the Tenebrin graveyard twice a month, a plaid-clad pilgrim carefully balancing flowers in the basket of his bike, and although he would always hold the memories of his father close to his heart, the pain left him. The first year, his grin was a little too wide, his laugh a little too loud, and if he disrupted the class with comedic antics one too many times, well, who could blame him. No child should lose a parent that young.

But it did pass, with time, and Will found himself settling comfortably into the role of class clown that he’d first taken on to hide his grief. It was so easy to make people laugh, and the grins on his classmates’ faces made all the punishments worth it -- especially when he managed to avoid those too! Let it never be said that he wasn’t smart: he just didn’t apply himself, said year after year at parent-teacher conferences. When he did try, though, he succeeded, and like his mother, Will found he excelled at English, though struggling more than a little with the more complex problems in Math. Biology didn’t come easily either, but he knew that to work in the forests he loved in a meaningful way, he’d have to work hard, and he did, pushing himself to seek out teachers after class, doing extra research online… It was perhaps the thing he worked hardest on, even if he didn’t know what path his life would take.

That was the problem, though: it all felt so theoretical, the idea of graduating, university, of getting a job. Being young was so easy, so peaceful, and Will didn’t want to trade away the crystalline memories of juggling strawberries in the cafeteria to generous applause, or late nights spent watching movies with his friends, for hard work and stress that seemed to come so naturally. Perhaps his mother had read him a little too much Peter Pan as a child, perhaps he’d simply observed her too well, but the result was the same. The effort was there, to do well, to succeed in school, but beyond that: it was easy to slip under the radar, especially with Gwen at a nearby university, and his mother increasingly busy, and easy to avoid planning and applications in favour of things that brought him more joy. Lind-Carter talked him out of that, in the end, forcing him to make plans for a future that was rapidly growing nearer, and while he frowned profusely at her at the time, somewhere in the back of his mind he was grateful.

all night i rose and fell, as if in water, grappling with a luminous doom.

He was one month graduated, the coastal chill of spring starting to burn off into summer’s warmth, Independence Day festivities past, looking ahead to university, to something different than the mundane existence he’d always known to be true in Tenebrin.

Will was just waking up when he got a text from Lind-Carter, brain fuzzy from sleep that had gone on a little too longer than it should, but hey, it was the summer! It was that first text that would always stand in his mind more than anything else, that concern, so immediate, pulling him sharply into the world. He’d biked over quickly, and it was all a whirlwind of memories after that, so fragmented and confused that he was never sure which was the memory and which was the dream. The water, Andy’s face as she leapt into it, the determination, and a haunting song that seemed pulled from his grandmother’s stories.

He made his appearance at the funeral, dressed in black alongside Gwen and his mother, shoulders down, eyes bleak, distant. He barely acknowledged the coffin as it was lowered into the grave, placing the flowers he’d brought next to the stone with vacant eyes. The next day, he fled to the woods.

by morning i had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.

He went north, in the end, fleeing Tenebrin and the loss that crushed him like so many falling rocks. It hurt too much to bear, and Will was grateful in a way he hadn’t ever been before that he’d decided to go to school so far away. It went smoothly, though he was reticent to make friends in a way he never had been before: it seemed easier to go without. He still laughed, partied, had fun, but it was all a little hollow inside. Some days he felt as though Andy’s death had affected him more than his own father’s: a fleeting, guilty idea, but one that was more than a little true. Maybe it was because he’d witnessed it, maybe it was because she was his age, but it had all felt so wrong in a way that stuck with him. Coming back to Tenebrin after graduating university felt like a homecoming, but it also felt like a resolution. He would use the summer to repair this odd, broken feeling inside of him, so he could leave again whole, and begin his new job in the fall with a clean heart. The trees had always felt like home to him, but perhaps the water would cleanse what they didn’t seem to be able to purify.

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

Sexiled (Part 7/23) ~ Steve Rogers x Reader College!AU

A/N: Hi lovelies!  More Sexiled! :) Hope everyone has a great week. 

Summary: Getting to know the important people in Steve’s life. Aka parent’s weekend with your not boyfriend 

Rating: T

Warnings: Nothing really, probably language 

Word count: 1798 

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

“Looks like traffic from Brooklyn to Boston on a Friday afternoon was worse than they thought. They’re still in Connecticut,” Bucky reported at 5:30. “Becca says it’ll probably be two more hours.”

Steve frowned but nodded.

“I’ll call and see if we can move our reservation.”

“Good plan, but I’m starving. I’m going to go to the dining hall. You two coming?”

“I ate after lab. Sweetness?”

“Not that hungry,” you yawned.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I ate a ton after the exam.”

“Alright. Well I’m going to head down there then.”

Steve was already dialing the restaurants number so Bucky waved and left. You hopped down from the bed and he looked at you questioningly. You mouthed “bathroom” at him and slipped out of the room as the host answered the phone.

When you returned Steve was sprawled out on the bean bag chair flipping through his phone.

“Did they move the reservation?” you asked as you kicked your boots off and shrugged out of your sweater.

“Yup. We will now be seated at 8:30.”

“Perfect.”

You settled yourself between his legs, leaning back on his right thigh so you could look at him. He smiled softly as he scrubbed a hand over his face.  

“You look tired, love.”

“I am. The labs were killer today.”

“Yeah, this week was bad,” you agreed.

“Do you want to watch some more supernatural?”

You weighed the options, grimacing slightly.

“I’m taking that as a no,” he chuckled as he rubbed circles into your lower back.

“I’m just not really awake for it. Something less mentally taxing?”

“Scooby Doo?”

“Perfect.”

“Witch’s Ghost?”

You nodded excitedly and shifted on the bean bag so you were leaning fully against him. He reached for the remote and turned on the movie before settling his arms around your waist.

Neither of you had realized how much the three almost all-nighters had gotten to you, and soon you were fast asleep.

You woke to a bright flash.

“Becca,” someone hissed as you rubbed your eyes trying to get your bearings.

“The flash wasn’t supposed to be on,” someone whispered back.

As you blinked away the blurriness your eyes widened and your stomach dropped. You scrambled to your feet waking Steve in the process. Bucky seemed to be unsure whether he was amused or apologetic. You fiddled with your dress and tried to discreetly smooth your hair down.

“Oh hey everybody.” He grinned, unfazed as he hopped to his feet and hugged his mom. “I’m so glad you could come, ma.”

“Me too, sweetheart.”

When he let go of her, he reached out and slipped his hand in yours tugging you closer.

“Everyone, this is y/n. She’s my best girl.” You hadn’t been sure how he was going to introduce you, but the term had a warm feeling settle in your stomach. “Y/n, this is my mom.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Rogers.”

“Sarah,” she corrected. “Please. And I’m so glad I finally get to meet you. You’re even prettier than your picture.”

You bit your lip as you glanced up at Steve. His cheeks were pink and he nudged you towards Mr. Barnes.

“And this is Bucky’s dad.”

“George,” the older gentleman supplied with a kind smile. You could see where Bucky got his looks from.

“You can call me, Winnie, dear,” Bucky’s mother offered as she took your hand and squeezed it in both of hers.

“And I’m Becca. We’ve heard so much about you,” Bucky’s little sister gushed surging forward to hug you, making you drop Steve’s hand to embrace her.  

“Bex, chill,” Bucky laughed.

She pulled back, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry.”

“Oh be quiet, Bucky. I’m really excited to meet you too,” you told her with a genuine smile.

 Your nerves settled fairly quickly once you got to dinner. Sarah and Bucky’s family were so kind – hardly a surprise knowing their sons, but it still put you at ease.

“So you’re studying biology as well?”

“Yes, I am.”

“And are you premed too?” George asked.

“No, I ruled that path out a while ago. I do want to be in the medical field just on the other side of it.”

“Injuring people?” Bucky teased and you rolled your eyes, but smiled good-naturedly.

“Research,” you explained. “Regenerative medicine, to be exact. But even that is still broad so I’m still trying to figure out my future.”

“That’s very impressive, Y/n. Now what exactly is regenerative medicine?”

“The area I’m interested in basically strips something like a skin cell back to its most basic state where it can become any cell type. It hasn’t made what are called cell fate decisions.”

“And how does that help?”

“Well, by itself it doesn’t really. But the goal is to discover what specific factors cause these cell fate decisions and induce them in the pluripotent cells to create whatever type we want. The end goal being to recreate tissue and even organs that won’t be rejected by patients because it’s their own DNA. But that’s a long way down the road.”

They asked a fair amount of questions and you ended up spending the next twenty minutes explaining the research you someday dreamed of doing. You were so engrossed in what you were talking about that you didn’t notice the slightly awed look Steve was giving you. Bucky didn’t take much notice, that was how Steve always looked at you when you weren’t paying attention, but the rest of the family certainly did.

“How do you choose something like this? I’ve never even heard of it,” Sarah wondered.

“I sort of fell into it. I was reading for bio class junior year about cell fate decisions, and I had this thought – what if we could decide which cell type something would become? We could do so much. I thought I was so original, and then I found out there was a whole field dedicated to doing just that.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It was a welcome discovery if I’m honest. I thought I would end up in medicine, but the prospect of working directly with patients was a bit daunting. This way I’ll get to stay in the field and focus on the science. Assuming everything goes to plan."

“So you want to save the world?” Winnie deduced.

“As much of it as I can,” you announced proudly.

“You two really are well matched,” George chuckled as he looked between you and Steve.

“There’s a reason she’s my best girl.”

 “Thanks again for letting me stay with you tonight, y/n.”

“Of course. I’m glad we get to hang out for a bit.”

“Sorry if I was kind of overzealous earlier. It’s just the way Bucky and Steve talk about you, I knew you’d be really cool,” she mumbled as she played with the end of her braid.

“You weren’t at all. I promise. It was actually a relief. I was super nervous about meeting you guys.”

She cocked her head in confusion. “Why were you nervous?”

“I wanted to make a good impression. Though I probably didn’t do a great job of that.”

“Because you two were asleep when we came in?”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“It was honestly really cute. And from what we could tell, totally innocent.”

“Of course,” you rushed to confirm.

“You have nothing to worry about. You completely live up to the hype.”

“So do you.”

“So, since I’m not sure we’ll get any other time alone together, is there anything you want to know about the guys?” Becca offered with a mischievous grin.

“Is there anything juicy I should know?”

“Well…”

The two of you spent a couple of hours gossiping and getting to know each other. Becca was so endearing, you two were fast friends.

 That was how the whole weekend felt. You managed one on one time with all of them, and you grew very close to Sarah. She shared your love of music and the ballet and you fell into easy conversation. On Sunday, after brunch, the seven of you were walking through the park when you noticed one of the public pianos was open.

“Would you like to play a little?” Sarah asked when she noticed your preoccupation.

“I wish I knew how. I can pluck out Mary Had a Little Lamb and that’s about it. Do you play?”

“I used to. I can show you a little if you like?”

“Please.”

The two of you sat on the cold wooden bench and she ran her fingers up and down the scale.

“Surprisingly well tuned for an outdoor piano. So place your hands like this,” she demonstrated and then fixed your hands as you attempted to mimic her. “Good.

You fiddled around playing a few little snatches of things.

“Maybe I’ll stick to singing.”

“That is always an option,” she laughed as she absent-mindedly played a soothing tune. “Y/n, darling. I am so glad that Steve has found you.”

Her words twisted in your gut and you felt like you had been deceiving her.

“Sarah, I have to be completely honest with you.”

“About what?”

“Steve and I aren’t dating.”

The crinkle of worry that had creased her forehead disappeared as she laughed.

“I know that, sweetheart.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

“Then why…”

She continued playing but looked over at you.

“Steve has had Bucky his entire life. Even when he had no one else. When he finally got healthy and grew into his handsome self,” you glanced over at Steve, smiling at how he held himself as he spoke to George and Winnie. “People finally noticed him, but they didn’t care about him. It’s obvious that you do.”

“I really do.”

“Do you feel better now?” She asked, blue eyes twinkling just like Steve’s.

“Much.” You finally recognized the song she was playing and began to hum the opening chords. “I love this song.”

“It was always one of Steve’s favorites when he was little. His father and I would put the record on and dance to it, and he always loved it.”

Your eyes drifted shut, imagining dancing with Steve as you began to sing along.

Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper I love you

Birds singing in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me

You sang quietly, not wanting to draw to much attention to yourself. But it felt good to stretch your vocal chords.  

“Wow.”

Your eyes snapped open at Steve’s hushed exclamation, and you twisted around to look at him.

“I could listen to you sing forever.”

You felt like a deer in headlights, caught by his intense gaze.

“Well, that’s very hard on the vocal chords, so you’ll have to settle for special occasions,” Sarah teased, breaking the moment, allowing you to breathe.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! I’m sorry the A/n are like barely there on this one. I’m half asleep. 

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[freakingoli]

[ ELLIOT FLETCHER, TRANSMALE, HE/HIM ] — If you’re strolling Derry today, you might see [ OLIVER MOORE ] along the way! The [ TWENTY FOUR ] year old can usually be found at [ DERRY HIGH SCHOOL ], when they aren’t busy with [ TAROT CARD READINGS or YOGA ]. I hear they seem to be [ FUNNY and FRIENDLY ], but they are also rumored to be [ HOTHEADED and CYNICAL ].

tw; transphobia (kinda)

name: oliver moore age: twenty-four birthday: december 15 gender: male sexuality: pansexual family: trent moore, adoptive father - retired army captain bio:

On December 15th almost twenty-five years ago, Olivia Duke was born in a hospital in New York City.  The baby’s mother was a child herself, only sixteen years old and completely on her own as she learned to nurse her baby, and change her diaper.  After leaving the hospital, she brought her baby home to the small apartment she shared with four other “delinquent” teens (delinquent to their families, though their only crimes were that they’d in some way offended their conservative families), and did her best to make a life that her child could fit into.  She had already dropped out of school so she could work a minimum-wage job, and quickly she learned that being a young mom meant no longer having real friends or a social life of any kind.  And within a month, she was at the Fire Station, sobbing and handing her baby over to a firefighter who knew better than to ask any questions.  Baby Olivia was handed over to the state.

Olivia was put into a foster home immediately.  The couple she was given to were in their mid-twenties and unable to conceive, and they loved Olivia unconditionally for a long while.  When Olivia was old enough to refuse to wear the dresses and bows they tried to put her in, they adapted.  The couple was more than happy to support the child wearing t-shirts and boy shorts, even letting her decide whether she wanted short or long hair when she was only three years old (she chose short, and she was ecstatic to run around looking like a boy).  They raised her as if she were their own for four years, and then Oli’s foster father got sick.  At first the couple tried to keep Oli, but as his health deteriorated it became too difficult, and since they hadn’t yet adopted the young child, a social worker eventually came to take Oli to a new family. 

As a four year old, Oli learned that anyone that came into her life was temporary.  The social worker tried to explain things to her in a delicate way, but all she heard was ‘you don’t belong to anyone, you will probably never belong to anyone’.  And it made her a little troublesome for a long time.  She struggled to make connections with her next foster family, refusing to let them hug her or help her do anything.  She wanted to be independent, wanted to make all of her own decisions, and constantly yelled at the other foster kids in the house that tried to be kind to her.  Eventually, she was pulled from this home as well, and placed with another.

By the time Oli was ten, she’d been with six more foster families.  The next family they placed her with was a military family; the structure seemed to be good for Oli.  She actually started going to school, getting halfway decent grades.  Things were okay for about a year...then puberty happened.  Oli was almost twelve when she started to develop, and it was a crisis for her.  She’d started going by Oli when she was four years old, she’d always worn “boy” clothes and done “boy” things, and half of her peers were surprised to find out she was a girl when teachers or other adults called her one in public (truth be told, when Oli was ‘mistaken’ for a boy, it just felt right).  Starting to transform into a young woman was torture for Oli, and she made sure everyone around her felt just as tortured.  Oli’s behavior was worse than ever; she ditched school, hit other kids just for being in close proximity to her, and even shoved a teacher who tried to help her on a math test.  Then she started hurting herself behind closed doors, and her foster family was at a loss.  Once again, the social worker came for Oli.

The next foster home was Trent Moore, a widower, an older man who had once been a captain in the army.  He took Oli in with open arms, and gave the child the space she needed.  Trent was able to take Oli into school himself every day, make sure she got to class and to therapy and even got her involved in yoga with him on weekends.  Oli started to do better, though not great, and when Trent found out she was still hurting herself, he sat down with her and waited patiently while she cried, waited patiently until she could put words behind what she was feeling.  When Oli told Trent that she hated her body, that she didn’t feel like a girl, Trent was understanding.  He didn’t tell her she was wrong for what she was feeling, didn’t really tell her anything other than he was so thankful that Oli had opened up to him, and he would do whatever it took to help the child.

Trent was unfamiliar with the territory, so he did his research.  He found the specialists, called at least ten different therapists and doctors, and then compiled all of the information he’d found and sat down with Oli again.  For the first time since Oli was four, he felt listened to and safe with an adult.  Trent immediately started referring to Oli as his foster son, talked about Oli as a he, things belonging to him, his opinion on such-and-such.  Oli was enrolled at a new school for eighth grade as a boy, and Trent spent a lot of money on fancy binders to help his son feel comfortable around his peers.

There was still some bullying, kids finding out about Oli from kids at his previous school.  He was often picked on, beaten up, tossed around.  And after the tenth black eye, Trent got sick of teachers and principals that couldn’t stop everything, and picked up their lives and left for Derry, Maine.  A fresh start was just what Oli needed, Trent figured.  And it truly did help Oli.  When Oli was fifteen, Trent asked if he would be okay with Trent adopting him.  Oli was overjoyed, having previously thought this could still all be temporary.

A few of the teachers at Derry High School knew about Oli’s ‘condition,’ and they took it upon themselves to make sure everything went smoothly for Oli.  He had support in gym, so students never got a chance to see him change in the locker room.  One teacher got permission for Oli to use the faculty bathroom instead of having to hold it all day rather than risk using the boys bathroom.  They frequently (though also inconspicuously) checked on Oli, making sure he was doing okay, getting everything he needed, facing no issues with peers or even other more narrow-minded teachers.  As someone who had previously thought adults were only there to hurt him in the long run, this meant a lot to Oli, and ended up being a huge factor in what he decided to do with his future.

At sixteen, Oli was officially adopted.  In celebration, Trent immediately took Oli to get his name legally changed from Olivia Duke to Oliver Moore.  Everything seemed to be falling into place for Oli...or Oliver, as he really, really enjoyed being called for a long while.  When he was eighteen, Trent scrounged up enough cash to pay for Oliver’s top surgery, something that Oliver will never stop being grateful for.

Oliver graduated from Derry High School, which he knew would have amazed the majority of his previous foster families.  He went on to college to study secondary education and mathematics, getting his degree by the time he was twenty-one.  Then he was immediately hired on at Derry High School as the remedial math teacher, exactly the role he’d wanted.  The remedial classes were the ones he’d been thrown in as a young teen; the classes for the students who struggled with academics, usually because of outside forces beyond their control.  More than anything, he wanted to be like the teachers that had supported him through the toughest time in his life.

Trent was getting older, and more and more tired as time went on.  The cold winters were getting to be too much for him, and Oliver had really been taking care of Trent more than the other way around since he was just about sixteen years old, right about the time he’d been adopted.  When Trent brought up leaving Maine to Oliver, when Oli was twenty-two, Oliver had immediately offered to go with him.  But Trent refused, saying he didn’t want to deal with selling their little house, but really because he knew Oliver was happy where he was at.  Trent moved to a retirement community in Florida, and now he and Oliver see each other mostly for holidays, though they text and talk on the phone frequently.

career: remedial math teacher at derry high school personality:

Oliver is a sweet and funny guy, always wanting to make others smile or laugh, cheering up anyone he thinks is in a bad mood or having a rough day.  

He absolutely loves his job, and thinks of the kids at the school almost as if they were his own children.  Romantically, it’s difficult for him to get involved with people.  He can be very flirtatious, but he still remembers the issues he had back in New York when people knew he was trans.  Telling someone now that he is trans requires plenty of trust on his part, and sometimes that trust is really hard to gain.

Oli hasn’t really dated much, but there are a few individuals that he has hooked up with.  When it comes to casual hookups, he’s more likely to hook up with men.  Generally they’re less likely to ask questions when he goes down on them, or jerks them off in a club bathroom.  He tends not to do any more with them, though on several occasions he has been drunk enough to go further.  He usually wakes up feeling regret and shame, though, so he’s not too big of a fan of those occasions.

He is a fiercely loyal friend, and will blindly support anyone that has earned his trust.  He’s the type of friend that will be at your side with the torch and pitchfork without even knowing what he’s protesting, because an enemy of his friend is also an enemy of his.

more to be added!

[organisaticns]

so im due to start at cambridge university for bio natural sciences in october and i thought i would write a post about what helped me make a successful application. hopefully this is useful to some people!! (also this is an incredibly long post you’ve been warned)

if anyone wants me to do a more in depth post on one specific section, or you guys have any questions at all, feel free to drop me a message!!

choosing a course

this is the most important bit!!! you’re dedicating 3/4/5/6 years of your life to this

oxbridge as rule (esp cambridge) have slightly different courses to other universities so do your research - on their websites and at open days

i know top students are supposed to apply to oxbridge bc “it’s the best” and stuff but if the courses offered don’t interest you or you prefer how other unis teach that course, DON’T APPLY!! it’s not worth it 

generally, look at your a level/ib/etc subjects and which sort of courses they meet the entry requirements for then look at websites and stuff to try and narrow it down

talk to current students! the blog askacambridgestudent on tumblr is great, each area has an oxbridge conference each april if you can go, ask students at open days

they can tell you what it’s actually like

read some books in the subject area you’re considering, watch ted talks, go to masterclasses, do work experience

this will help you choose a course and also be useful later when you write your personal statement

okay so when i was applying people kept telling me i would only be successful if the only thing i thought about 24/7 was biology and it was the love of my life. this is not true. you can have other interests don’t believe the people that tell you that you cant

that being said you need to be passionate about your subject!! refer to bullet point 1!! they want to know that you’re interested in it and this needs to show

oxford vs cambridge

this is really hard for some people but my course is only offered at cambridge so i did not have this problem

so first see if you prefer the course offered at one of them

if not, visit both and hopefully you’ll get a better vibe from one

i have no good advice here

writing your personal statement

okay writing a ps is just not fun okay prepare yourself for that

if anyone wants a biology/natural sciences example message me and i can send you mine

this post has some really good advice

start early, aim to have it completely done and edited by early september (oxbridge deadline is 15th october)

first, think about things you want to write about - i wrote a paragraph on a book i’d read, a paragraph each on two summer schools i did, a paragraph on my epq, and a paragraph on extracurricular

things you can talk about - books, ted talks, lectures, summer schools, masterclasses, epq, independent research into stuff, work experience

when you’re writing about stuff you gotta engage with it, so dedicate a whole paragraph to one book, then take one key theme and talk about how it interested you and how you looked up other things to do with it - link it to a different concept or talk about which theory you like best if theres conflicting theories in the field etc

it’s a hard thing to do but just pick different bits you liked about the book and try to discuss it - a key theory, theme, character etc

you can be asked about your ps in interview so make sure you’re comfortable discussing the books on your ps

you also do not need to talk about multiple books if you don’t want to, i only talked about one and i know people who didn’t mention any

don’t just say things like “im passionate about biology”!! back it up with something!! say you’re passionate about one specific topic in your field and why, discuss how different things you did/read consolidated your interest, show your interest through discussion about the subject

try to link in slightly different subject areas or experiences, and definitely link everything to your course and why you’d be a good student

i managed to link my latin AS level to biology so anything is possible folks

while you want all your paragraphs to be very supercurricular based on things you’ve done and read, try and drop in some of those buzz words they love - you know like about your academic writing skills, enthusiasm, opportunity, dedication, communication, interdisciplinary skills etc.

oxbridge do not give a shit about your extracurricular but other unis do so you want one paragraph max on it and try to link it to transferable skills - it makes you a good communicator etc

write your first draft - it will be shitty but just write it, leave the intro and conclusion to last

introductions and conclusions are super hard to write but it’s doable. try to take the general idea you’re trying to include (mine was how interdisciplinary study is important to both all the sciences together and sub disciplines in bio) and write a little bit about it

it doesn’t have to be long, your intro should introduce your passion to the subject (please don’t do the whole “i’ve wanted to study bio since i was five and x happened” thing)

conclusion can be super short, just reinforce you’re excited to study your subject in a new environment and have new opportunities

look at the tsr examples for inspiration

try to make it cohesive ish? have a running theme? (like how this one has a running theme? i actually took a lot of inspiration from that ps)

don’t say things like “im a motivated and commited student with good time management skills” without smth to back it up - “while undertaking an independent research project, i developed time management skills, and researching x made me more interested bc y” is better (i mean still not incredible but i wrote that literally just now okay)

the student room has a load of examples from people who’ve already applied

read the ones in your subject, work out which bits you like and don’t like, apply to your own (be careful of plagiarism tho)

disclaimer: not all the ps on there are good

once you have a complete and awful first draft show it to a teacher

most people show it to the relevant subject teacher, but also to your tutor, the higher education adviser, oxbridge adviser

they will hopefully help you make it less awful but don’t let them change it so much it doesn’t sound like you

i showed mine to the oxbridge adviser at my school and well he laughed at it bc it was so bad so you know

but i didn’t listen to everything he said bc some of the things he wrote like no 17 year old would say

keep revising drafts, showing to teachers until you can’t stand reading it anymore then get someone else (maybe parents?) to spell check and be done with the horrible thing

no one likes their personal statement, you will read it in august and wonder how you could possibly write something so bad

the actual ucas application

make sure your predicted grades are at least as high as the entrance requirements

you don’t really have much control over your teacher reference but you can use it to mention things you couldn’t fit in your personal statement if you can convince your teachers to include stuff

make sure all your qualifications and stuff are accurate

the saq (cambridge only)

you have to fill this in straight after october 15th

it’s mostly boring admin stuff, filling in topics and class sizes etc.

you have an option to write an additional (shorter) personal statement

this is really useful if the course you’re applying to at oxbridge is different to the other courses youve applied to - such as if you applied to politics everywhere else but hsps at cambridge - use it to explain why you want to do that specific course at cambridge

but you definitely don’t have to write one, i didnt!

make sure you get this in on time

written work

for some courses you have to send in written work

i didn’t have to so i don’t have loads of advice, but make sure you send in stuff that you’re comfortable discussing at interview

they’ll be guidelines on the cambridge website and on your specific college’s website

admissions tests

not the most fun things

find the specification on the website and go through, highlighting and revising the points you don’t know

try to find some past papers and do them

this really depends on the subject you’re doing so i can’t give much more advice but if anyone needs advice specific to the NSAA shoot me a message

also, these are just part of your application and even if you came out of yours thinking it’s the worst test you’ve ever had it probably didn’t go that badly 

the NSAA is the hardest test i’ve ever sat and i thought i had done completely shit and i still got an offer so there’s still hope

interviews

okay so first, don’t believe the rumours

you know the ones where people say they got given a banana and asked to use it to explain how quantum mechanics relates to of mice and men

interviews are definitely scary, but they are nowhere near as bad as people make them out to be, and they don’t ask you weird unrelated questions

make sure you know your personal statement inside out and you feel comfortable talking about the topics/books/etc you mentioned on there in depth

keep up to date with any recent news or high profile research in your field (you don’t need to know details, just have a vague idea of what’s going on)

this is especially important if you’re applying for politics or economics or something like that

if your school offers a mock interview, definitely have one, though don’t panic if you can’t have one there’s other ways to prepare

the whole point of interview is them wanting to see how you think and how you respond to unfamiliar problems

so i looked up a list of “past oxbridge interview questions” and practised writing down a quick answer to them and thinking about how i would go about solving the problem

oxford has some examples on the “sample questions” bit here

i also used this site but remember a lot of these probably aren’t actual interview questions 

if you have an opportunity, just talk to your relevant subject teacher about the topics beyond your specification

you honestly don’t need to do too much interview prep, just do enough so you feel a bit calmer about the whole thing

hope some of that helps :)

[acuppellarp]

Welcome to A Cup-pella, Aly! We’re excited to have you and Ariana Abrams in the game! Please go through the checklist to make sure you’re ready to go and send in your account within the next 24 hours. 

OOC INFO

Name + pronouns: Aly + She/Her. Age: 27. Timezone: GMT. Ships: Ariana/Chemistry. Anti-Ships: Ariana/Forced.

IC INFO

Full Name: Ariana Jeanne Abrams. Face Claim: Haley Lu Richardson. Age/Birthday: Age 20/August 11th. Occupation: College student, aspiring director, creator and writer, currently working on her own web-series starring a handful of her friends. Personality: Creative, Driven, Eager, Go-Getter, Motivated, Self-Critical, Worrier. Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas. Bio:

CAR ACCIDENT TW.

The only child of Nancy and Drew (yes, really) Abrams, it would be unfair to say Ariana was spoiled, but it would also be a lie to say she wasn’t. Her parents earned a decent amount of money between them – decent but modest – and while the two enjoyed their fulfilling, individual careers, they craved the laughter of a child echoing from the walls of their Fort Worth home, though it didn’t seem to be on the cards for them. Try as they might (and they really did try, without complaint on either part…) it just wasn’t working. Until one day it was, and their bundle of joy came as a blessing to them, one they’d almost begun to accept wasn’t going to happen.

Ariana truly was her parents pride and joy. She was friendly, helpful, and much like her parents, she was eager. Eager to learn, eager to live, eager to soak up everything life had to offer her. Ariana was an active child, enrolled in dance classes, a key player for the local gymnastics team, and an (albeit not very good, but she tried) member of an out of school soccer league. Every day, she was changing her mind about what she wanted to be when she grew older. She wanted to dance professionally, then she wanted to sing, then she wanted to be a firefighter, then she wanted to swim for the US Olympic team. Ariana’s dreams were endless, and her parents humored and nurtured every one of them.

For some children, losing all hope at reaching their dreams in the blink of an eye at the age of only eight may have come as a shock, and while Ariana didn’t exactly take it lightly, she did handle it better than was to be expected. She and her mom were in the car one evening, driving home from a gymnastics meet. Nancy was doing everything right: eyes on the road, music not too loud, hands at ten and two… It was the oncoming vehicle and its one-drink-too-many driver that caused the fateful collision, and while Nancy’s injuries were for the most part minor, her daughter hadn’t been so lucky. Ariana woke up from a minor coma two days later, the vehicle having slammed directly into the passenger side. Saving all of the medical jargon, the result was a little girl in a wheelchair, and the prospect that she may never use her legs again.

Determined as ever, while Ariana did hope to defy the odds and walk again someday, she also vowed not to let her new way of life define her. No, maybe she couldn’t use her legs, and therefore no, maybe she couldn’t partake in all of her sports and activities anymore, but that didn’t mean she had to stop living. Her recovery period saw Ariana watching movie after movie, television show after television show, and as inquisitive as ever, she had questions for her parents. She wanted to know all about the movies she watched; who came up with the ideas, who made them a reality? By the age of ten, she’d begun her own research, and by twelve, she’d written her very first script.

A career in the behind the scenes of show business had never even crossed her mind, but suddenly she was excited by the prospect of writing her own sketches, bringing joy and entertainment to everyday people like herself. Ariana joined the AV Club in high school, which maybe didn’t make her the most popular of students, but she got to dabble in a little bit of firsthand technical work, and that was something she always enjoyed. While she couldn’t act very well, nor did she have any interest in doing so, she loved being able to direct others, to manage stages and give her two cents for areas of improvement, so she found herself stage manager for all of the school’s plays to take place between her sophomore and senior years of high school.

While Ariana may never have let her disability define her, nor let it get in her way, the same could not be said for her parents. Unfortunately, Drew had made himself absent somewhere in her early teens, and Ariana had comforted her mother through the divorce. This meant, however, that her once work-oriented mother had found herself the single parent to a child with additional needs; couple that with her own guilt despite the accident not being her fault, and she’d become one very involved, helicopter parent. Her life had basically begun to revolve around her daughter, and while Ariana was appreciative of the help, she always kind of hated knowing that she was suddenly all Nancy had.

Leaving her mother behind was a decision that Ariana truly did lose many nights of sleep over. She knew what she wanted to do with her life, she wanted to go to New York, to film school, and to become a big director. What she didn’t want to do was leave Nancy in the lurch, so in the end, she and her mother made the decision to move to the big city together, though despite always being so sure of herself, Ariana found that she was somewhat embarrassed to admit it at first. She refused to have friends over, because she didn’t want them to feel she was a college student reliant on her mother. If it was up to her, she could take care of herself just fine, but with Nancy hovering, how would others know that?

Eventually, good things begun to happen for the two Abrams women. Somewhere before the end of Ariana’s freshman year, with her mother at her new job, she managed to open herself up to dating again, and she met the sweetest, most caring man Ariana could’ve imagined for her mother. As their relationship blossomed and progressed, Ariana was able to focus on herself, and on creating the works she’d always envisioned. Finally, she was able to pluck up the courage to tell Nancy she wanted to move out, to live in an apartment with friends from her sophomore year onwards, and although her mother was wary, she allowed it, and Ariana felt more independent than ever.

New York really has been kind to the two women. Not only is Ariana thriving in college and in a more independent living environment, but her mother also has her job and partner to focus on. Ariana also gets to call herself a director, creator and writer, with her currently working on the Untitled Ariana Abrams Project. She also has an ongoing web-series to add to her credits, starring friends she’s made since her move. It’s her first real taste of the career path she craves, and Ariana has her sights set on much bigger ventures once she has the correct degree under her belt. Until then, however, in spite of any negative hand life may have handed her in the past, Ariana is doing just fine. In fact, no, she’s doing great.

Pets: Ariana has a service dog named Buddy. He’s a golden retriever, and trained to raise the alarm if Ariana has any trouble with, for example, accidents with her wheelchair while home or out alone, and to bring her medication if she needs it and is unable to get to it. Buddy is a great service dog, but he’s also very lazy when he wants to be, too. He loves being pet, and has the puppy eyes thing down to a T. He also gets along well with other dogs, but can be very territorial where Ariana is concerned. Relationships: -

EXTRA INFO

[ This is for the masterlist, but also a fun little way to get to know your character! ]

Ariana Abrams 🎥/@arianabrams/description: @arianaspielberg was taken

Five latest tweets:

@arianabrams: i didn’t like the haunting of hill house until i learned about all of the hidden ghosties. call me a new fan, yo! @arianabrams: shocked and appalled to find out kate siegel is married. here’s my @ if it doesn’t work out, @k8siegel 😘😎 @arianabrams: someone just compared me to howard from #tbbt… depending on the season, i’m offended. @arianabrams: would it be weird to bathe in peppermint mocha? asking for a friend. @arianabrams: buddy learned a new trick. it’s called “laying in front of ariana’s wheelchair when she’s trying to get by" 🙃