#academic advice

[pandabibble]

This post is not for james somerton but for glitter.faun[nick]:

that's not what university papers demand

what universities demand is that, you use at least 3 or 4 sources. But as a minimum. You can use more sources if you want. You are also, and they won't state this outright because I don't think anyone ever thought it needed saying:

YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ALSO DO ORIGINAL WRITING IN PAPERS.

(though you in fact will have signed documents to the effect that all your work is original and not plagiarised)

BUT ALSO, the original writing should be structured around the use of sources, to back up claims or assertions and to demonstrate your understanding of the syllabus that is being taught and assessed.

And when you use a source in the paper? THEN, You should use 1 (one) citation for every source you use in the course of the paper.

And it should ALWAYS be clear THROUGH OUT the paper when you are making use of a source, and if you don't a university has grounds for kicking you out of the university for plagiarism, or at least giving your papers Fs.

[femmefatalevibe]

Hiya lovely, do you have any wisdom for someone struggling to study? I've been out of school for 3 years due to illness (in my formative learning years) and now I'm gearing up for university with absolutely no study skills, low energy and a whole lot of insecurity around it. I have always been intelligent enough to learn quickly but there's a barrier I'm just not getting through, possibly due to the latent effects of the damage.

I have high expectations for myself and I want to model myself off of your brand! Thank you very kindly in advance <3

Hi love! It sounds like you're in a difficult situation, especially for someone in their teens. My heart goes out to you for overcoming this and going after a university degree. This ambition and dedication takes a considerable amount of mental fortitude and strength, so please remember that. I'm flattered by your kind words <3

Here are some of my study tips to help you maintain your stamina and focus:

When in doubt, make everything into an itemized list (topics, timelines, organizing by subtopic, key facts/people/dates surrounding a significant event, concept, theory, or ideology, cause and effect, problem and solution, etc.)

Use real-life analogies and applications as often as possible to retain information (e.g. to remember acronyms, propositions through the "box" metaphor, etc.)

Reframe long-winded information into an ongoing narrative. Humans are better at retelling stories than retaining/regurgitating a laundry list of facts or statistics

Organize your study sessions to each focus on one main topic, concept, or chapter

Create a timeline for all your assignments. Plan in advance to work on projects in milestones rather than all at once

Utilize time-blocking to pace yourself through the information (e.g. devote 30 minutes to one task or an hour to studying a specific concept; take a fully unplugged break before resuming work or another study session). Use a countdown timer if you think it would be helpful for you – everyone is different

Prioritize rest, even if it sounds counterintuitive at first. You're most productive and focused when your mind is well-rested enough to achieve and maintain peak performance. Efficiency is more important than time spent on a task – the former is what makes all of the difference (and leads to a more well-rounded, fulfilling life, too)

Discover motivating playlists that keep you on task. I love the ones for ADHD from Jason Lewis - Mind Amend on YouTube (I'm listening to one now, lol). Coffee or caffeinated tea can also help your energy to power through a study session, just don't overdo it

Focus on one task, page, or concept at a time. Don't let the entirety of a project or the volume of your overall workload overwhelm you. Just focus & prioritize what's in front of you. Take one step closer to your goals every day. Perfectionism is the most stifling barrier to progress and long-term success. Remember that

You got this! Hope this helps xx

[studyinginthestorm]

17.02.23

I did manage to get some work done, though far from all of it. I felt a bit restless throughout the day but I stuck it out and managed not to get frustrated at myself. Go slow, don't stop.

Be kind to yourselves no matter how busy you are or how "easy the work is", you deserve it <3

~Miyah 🌻

[professorprophetess]

The Dangers of Spellcheck/Grammarly/etc.

Let me preface this with this admission: I do, in fact, use Grammarly and spellchecker myself.

I am able to mostly rely on my own skills because I have the training and experience to do so.

However, there are some things that can slip past even me, so I use Grammarly to help me with those areas where I might slip up—largely to do with comma placement.

Yet, there are also times when Grammarly and the other spellcheckers are dead wrong.

Sometimes Grammarly will suggest something to me that I **know** is incorrect, and I will then disregard it because I know it is incorrect.

Therefore, I urge everyone to be cautious. Grammarly and spellcheckers are wonderful programs, but understand, at the end of the day, a program is limited compared to a human.

So, Tl: Dr—Grammarly and spellcheckers are great, but never fully rely on them.

[burningvelvet]

You have mentioned that you read a lot of academic writing, so I was wondering how you annotate your reading? Or any tips on reading academic writing. Thank you!

Tips on Reading Academic Writing, & My Explanations & Experiences (pure tips are highlighted in bold)

Thank you for the ask! I'm not a professional, but I will share what I've found useful as a student/soon-to-be grad. Besides the few times that my professors have required us submit formally annotated bibliographies, I usually do not take them in any neat, organized way. When I read an academic text, I often underline/highlight if possible (if I have an ebook version or paper version to do so) while focusing on key words/key concepts and inserting any associated words/concepts that come to mind. I also copy/paste (or use iPhone's text scanner in the photo app) specific terms or phrases that I want to remember or that stick out to me. I primarily use my Notes app bc it syncs from my laptop to my phone. If I'm doing a close-reading and wish to take my time, I read over each paragraph (or in rare cases when I really wish to do an even closer reading, each sentence) and I attempt to then summarize it to myself in as few words as possible. This last part appeals to my own personal learning style though, which I'll discuss further on below.*

I scan every text for the most important parts, keeping in mind that each paragraph contains its own sub-topic. A paragraph is like a scene in a film or a play, and each one has its own beginning, middle, and ending. By reading the first or last sentence of a paragraph, you can usually glean what the whole paragraph is about. The first and last sentences of a paragraph are the most important. Likewise, the opening and closing paragraphs of an essay exist to summarize the most important parts of the entire essay. The thesis statement (the main idea of an essay, or the "TLDR summary" to put it into Reddit terms) is usually located at the end of the first paragraph of an essay. Also, this all applies to formal academic writing; not so with casual or creative writing. If I am desperately trying to absorb information and don't have the time/energy to fully study something, what I do is allocate the work's thesis statement, and try to summarize in my own terms the "main point(s)" of the work.

Another invaluable piece of advice is to build your vocabulary and keep vocabulary lists for heavy reading (a list of terms and their definitions). Some academic papers or textbooks will include these in their works. For years, I have kept a sacred list called "Words" which is simply a list of terms that I either struggle to remember or that I've had to look up the definition of. But specific topics get their own vocabulary list, especially if it's something niche or a list of terms only used by a specifer writer or in a specific theory or sub-field. A lot of academics/writers/philosophers invent terms to more easily explain or describe their concepts. Heideigger, considered one of the most interesting but difficult philosophers to understand, is especially difficult with this. It feels like learning a new language sometimes to read his work. But academic reading is often a matter of the writer putting forth new ideas and/or explaining complex things, and so it is often slow, heavy reading, which requires patience.

My biggest piece of advice is to look up lists of learning styles and try to experiment with each of them until you find which one(s) work best for you. Maybe review your earliest memories from school or past memories where you felt like you were excited to learn. Try to implement these while reading information to see what method is most beneficial & comfortable. Everyone learns differently and no two people are exactly the same. Don't feel bad if methods working for others aren't working for you; this is an opportunity for further exploration.

*My individual learning style is "learning by teaching," which means that in order to retain information, I recapitulate it to myself, or make up imaginary scenarios where I have to teach or explain the information to others, or occasionally I do so in real life by info-dumping the information to interested people (or here on my blog). By explaining a subject, it deepens my own understanding of the subject, because you have to understand something well in order to be able to regurgitate it in your own words. If I get stuck and find myself unable to explain something, then this allows me to see where I'm lacking knowledge, and what I need to review. I recall implementing this learning style in some of my earliest memories. Around ages 3/4, I would pretend to be a teacher in an imaginary classroom while practicing my letters and numbers.

[studentbyday]

y'know how they say an academic writing sample can be something like an undergrad thesis or journal article? but if a journal article has many authors, how do they know which part you contributed to? or do they just want the part of the article you wrote for the sample? sadly i don't have the option to do an undergrad thesis, so i won't have something that was purely/mostly my own to give...

[ciaraloves]

how to "get shit done": uni work addition

hi loveliest people so this is a sort of guide to how i get through uni work without going completely insane (make no mistake there is still some insanity present). I hope you find it helpful, or at least entertaining,

(disclaimer cause this is the internet: these work for me, they may not work for you)

table of contents:

a. date it

b. set reminders

c. how to stay on top of it

d. how to get on top of it if you aren't already

e. learn when your brain needs a break

f. uni is a full time job, treat it as such

A. date it

okay the first thing i do at the beginning of every semester is put uni dates in my calendar.

Term dates: when your term starts, when it ends, and your holidays. this is not just for information purposes but also so you have something to look forward to. additionally, it helps later on when you have to plan out assignment and test dates.

Assignment/ test dates: scour through the course outlines of all your courses and put every single date into your calendar. every assignment, every test, anything you have to submit goes in. that includes things like "weekly quizzes". make it a recurring date and chuck it in there.

B. set reminders

so i usually do this in my calendar but if you have a reminders app, or prefer other ways to set reminders then use that.

these reminders are not to make you feel bad for not doing work, it's to hold you responsible for your work. if you know you spiral at the idea of seeing a reminder when you haven't done work, this strategy may not work for you. don't give up, something will work. keep trying and have patience with yourself

if you know something is approaching it's easier to plan your life and your tasks around it. if you never know how long you have or you're always scrambling to figure out when something is due your mind is so focused on the dates it has no time for the work

Assignment reminders:

2 weeks before // 1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 10 minutes before // on time of event

Test reminders:

1 week before // 3 days before // 1 day before // 1 hour before // on time of event

I know this may be excessive but if you're someone like me who constantly forgets things, it is very helpful to keep yourself on track

okay trust me you got this! i promise it's not as bad as it looks. right onto readings and assignments.

C. how to stay on top of it

do one reading per course per day: this is non-negotiable. trust me it is the easiest way to get through readings for a week.

if you have four courses of five readings each you will end up doing four readings a day from Monday to Friday. it is workable and you can do it. uni is fucking difficult and everyone has a story about why they're there but i promise you if you're there, the selection processes decided you were capable enough to handle it. and you are. if you can, start a week earlier so you're a little ahead otherwise it's totally okay.

2. start research for assignments 2 weeks before it is due. this will give you time and space to sort through what is relevant, useful, or should be discarded.

i have a folder for each assignment where all my research goes. within this folder there are three other folders: a. done and dusted b. too long/ not relevant c. could be helpful if i cared enough

and as i go through each paper/article/etc. i sort it into one of the three folders

while i am doing my research i also have a google doc open (shortcut that saved my life btdubs: "doc.new" directly into the browser search bar) that i write notes on.

a. things i think will help support my arguments b. things i found interesting c. themes that keep cropping up in the literature (advantages, disadvantages, limitations, concepts, theories, future directions) d. things i disagree with and will either argue against or find some way to bitch about (seriously have fun with your assignments) e. statistics

3. study notes should be your understanding of the topic:

it is beneficial to write the heading and then write as much as you can on what you know even if it's random words muddled on a page. then fill in using lecture notes, anything in your readings you found helpful, and obviously your course sources like textbooks.

the most important piece of advice i can give you for study notes is: MAKE THEM FUNNY AND WITHOUT FILTER you do not have to sound professional, you do not have to sound like you're writing a textbook. i am dead serious:

here's an excerpt from my clinical psychology study notes in 3rd year: Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder: set a boundary between what we would consider to be normal and appropriate grieving behaviour and what we could consider to be disordered or inappropriate grieving behaviour. (literally the dumbest thing i've ever heard? Who are we to tell people they’re grieving wrong????)

D. how to get on top of it if you aren't already

If you’re already behind but you’re attending class, leave the work you’re behind on in the past. (yes that was meant to rhyme).

Spend one weekend going through lecture slides and lecture content only. Don’t worry about the readings for the lectures, just leave those. If you don’t understand what’s happening then go and do readings. Skim the abstracts of those readings and if they look like they’re not going to help you don’t do them.

Reach out to your lecturer or tutor or supervisor and say:

“Good day [name/honorific] I am struggling to understand [this topic] despite working through the lecture notes and readings on it. Please may I have some guidance as to how I can better understand this. (alternative: please can I see you during your office hours for a brief explanation and further resources to help me better understand the topic) Hope to hear back soon! [sign off]”

then apply all this to the above on assignments and study notes.

E. learn when your brain needs a break

sometimes you really just have to shut down. sometimes your brain is saying "if you don't give me a break right now i am going to do it for us and it is going to get ugly". please listen. do whatever you need to.

a. sleep for an entire day, hell an entire weekend.

b. binge watch something

c. read something

d. go out

e. go on a hike

f. stay with a friend

g. visit your parents

F. uni is a full time job, treat it as such

i cannot stress enough that uni literally is a large, possibly the biggest part, of your life. it is very difficult to sideline it without getting overwhelmed.

however, that doesn't mean you don't deserve time off. give yourself insurance, free healthcare, an understanding boss. you are not a robot. you are living, and alive, and you need many things to keep you that way. work alone is not going to help. but play alone is not going to help either. find the balance that works for you by listening to yourself. and then stick to the balance.

goodluck beautiful beans. i believe in you wholeheartedly <3

if you have any questions my ask box is always open. and if you want more detail for anything let me know!

[rhysintherain]

Sorry if this is a too random question but do you have any advice for how to choose a thesis topic when you feel like you don't have any real skill set or theoretical knowledge and none of the suggested topics really sound like anything you could reasonably write more than five pages about? And the mere thought of setting on a single topic to stick to for entire months is almost panic attack inducing

Okay, I'm going to treat this as a master's thesis, or maybe honours thesis, question. This sounds like a bigger thing than a class project, but correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll see what I can come up with for that.

First of all, you didn't get to the point of having to write a thesis without building up some skills and theoretical knowledge. You just aren't in the greatest position (inside your own head) to know what those are. I recommend asking someone who regularly interacts with your work (like a tutor or prof) to help you figure out what those are.

Second, do you have a thesis advisor? Are they assigned to you, or do you get a say in who? If so, focus more on picking an advisor you work well with before you settle into a topic. Ask the one you end up with about their study areas, and what gaps exist that you could build up with your work. You might not be particularly passionate about the topic they recommend, but knowing that your work has an important place in the literature could help you stay invested.

On a practical note, it never hurts to do some preliminary research into your potential topics. You want to make sure no one else has written the thing you want to write, but your life will be easier if there's a decent amount of source material in the field. You can't write a thesis with only 2 or 3 sources, but you also can't contribute to scientific knowledge by saying something that has already been said half a dozen times.

If you're working with some sort of primary source, there can be some wiggle room here. For example, if I wanted to write a meta-study type paper about bifacial blade cores in BC I wouldn't get very far, because only 2 people have written about that. However, if I wanted to write original research from my own hands-on analysis of those blade cores I could make that work, because the artefacts themselves are my primary source, and I know where to find a few in repositories.

If you have the time and access to go to geological formations, historical documents, interviews with Elders, '70s pop lyrics, etc, you can write about some pretty obscure things and make it work, because you're studying the things themselves. If you have limited time and resources, it might be better to stick closer to the well-trodden academic paths. You don't want to put yourself in a position where you need the primary sources but don't have the means to access them.

And as far as making a connection with recommended topics you're not that interested in, I recommend doing some preliminary digging here too. Is there a niche thing related to one of those topics you like better? Something related but a bit different? Really bad takes in the field you think need to be addressed? An epic academic debate you want to weigh in on? This part Is less about collecting useful data and more about finding where you want to be. This is the time to dig through the drama, follow the rabbit holes, and go off topic if you feel like.

And if none of that works? Talk to your advisor again. Tell them why this isn't working and what you're actually interested in, and maybe they can help you redirect your attention to a topic you'll connect with.

Your best resource for this sort of thing is your thesis advisor, which doesn't always work (sometimes an advisor is a bad fit), but if working with someone helpful who you respect is an option, that's the best way to set yourself up with something you can get invested in. If you don't have an advisor in this setting, see if you can reach out to another prof, colleague, or grad student who's willing to help. Doing things like this alone in your head is rarely the best option.

So some closing thoughts: lots of people have done this before and come out the other side. Most of them were also overwhelmed when they started, and you'll get to look back and go "well that wasn't so bad" eventually.

Your topic isn't on rails. You'll shape your goals and findings as you go along, and it will be a different story in the end than it looked like in the beginning. That's how it usually goes, and that's okay.

You don't need to know what you're talking about, just what you want to talk about.

Talk to people in your field. Ask questions. This is not a thing you need to do alone.

*just to be clear, I haven't actually written a master's thesis, although I've done training workshops on writing them, given advice to lots of people who were, and done a couple extended research projects. Lots of people who will probably see this are doing them, or have done them (you know who you are, I'm looking right at you) and hopefully will chime in with advice based on their experiences.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hanukkah and Finals Week

or: Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Tonight is the fifth night of Hanukkah. It also happens to be the first day of finals week at my university.

We celebrate Hanukkah as the festival of lights, that time when oil that should have only lasted for a day managed to burn for eight. We fry things in oil and light candles to commemorate the miracle.

I've been thinking about this a lot.

Because the thing is—he whole reason Hanukkah is even a holiday—that the oil burning for so long was a miracle. It should not have lasted for as long as it is. Resources are not infinite.

This is also the time of year when students (and especially grad students) are expected and encouraged to burn the midnight oil and the candle from both ends.

Resources are not infinite.

Sometimes, during situations like this, I use a candle to remind myself of how much I've been working. The rules are simple: light the candle when you start working, blow it out when you're finished. Now the candle is a physical manifestation of the time you have spent working.

Maybe you see where I'm going with this.

Be kind to yourself this finals season (and be kind to your instructors and TAs). Give yourself credit for the work you put in, not just the results you achieve. And if you're really, really not in the position to get a full night's sleep, at least remember that just closing your eyes for 20 minutes to rest makes a huge difference.

[thecasualauthor]

Hola chica,

I'll give you a lil compliment: You are a brilliant author 😉 and I simply adore the way you put so much effort into your stories. I just know that you're an amazing person inside and out.

Also, I want to ask: Do you have any study habits that help you get through your course load or habits that prevents you from actually studying (procrastination )? Asking for a friend 👀

@nena-96 you're such a gem ily 💖💖. This brightened my day tenfold!

To answer your question!!! My study habits are kind of a mess to be honest, but here are just a few (hopefully) helpful tips:

I usually write down a list of everything that needs to get done for each class each week. Then I number them according to which one has to be done first and work from there

I have a tendency to look to far ahead, aka catastrophizing. So when I feel super anxious and worried about classes or the future, I tell myself "all I have to do right now is _____" as an example: I'll say something like, "all i need to do right now is get out of bed." Or "all I have to do right now is write the first sentence of this essay." It's super helpful in managing stress. Breaking things down makes it so much more easier. 

Another thing I do is called the "power hour" (or half hour.)  Basically I'll set a timer, turn off my notifications and sound, and work for 30 minutes to an hour straight. Then I'll take a break and see where I am.

Don't burn yourself out!! I'm a full supporter of making sure you're productive, but make sure to take breaks so you can actually be productive

Study in a place that's physically comfortable, but not comfortable enough to fall asleep in (aka the bed with a bunch of pillows around you)

I like to listen to instrumental soundtracks from movies when I study, or listen to atmospheric sounds. It helps me to focus. One of my favorites is a two hour writing session with breaks and soothing music, but I use it for studying all the time! Here's a link to that if you wish to use it!! The girl who runs the channel has a lot of videos like this! Here's a link to that YouTube playlist if you wish to use it!! Abbie Emmons- immersive playlist

I hope these are helpful!! Thanks for the ask!

Ask prompts!!

[femmefatalevibe]

i’m very scared to start high school next year. tips?

Hi love! Starting something new and unknown is always anxiety-inducing, so know your feelings are completely normal and understandable <3

Here are some of my tips:

Give yourself time to take in the new environment and change of pace – academically, socially, emotionally, logistically, etc.

Be open to finding subjects you love and connect with, forming new friendships, and finding mentors with your new teachers.

Be patient with yourself if things don't fall into place right away.

Throughout the first year or two, you'll find your path in terms of your academic and extracurricular interests/skillsets to set up your goals for after high school, who your friends are, navigating teenage social dynamics/culture, etc.

Try a lot of different things, talk to different types of people, and don't discount the wisdom of adults who earn your trust.

Do things that make you feel good every day – wearing clothes you like, doing your hair/skincare daily, watching a certain show you love before bed, having an after-school snack you look forward to, listening to a great playlist before dinner, etc.

Best of luck! Hope this helps xx

[blorbocedes]

any tips on BSing my way through an oral exam in my non-native language? i am in a higher class level than i should be so everyone’s like… fluent and i’m just there. i trust you with my life, do you have any tips for faking confidence + proficiency? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

you shouldn't trust me at all. that being said I know a thing or two about faking things ^—^ and I used to be a language instructor so here's some tips:

if you have classes left, Speak in class. it's okay if you're wrong. if you're discussing a text in class, raise your hand and bring up a point. (if you're scared of looking dumb, look the text up online, use a scholar's point) as long as your professor Knows Your Face. this is important, esp in oral exams, you want your professor to remember you out of a class of 45. they're more likely to be lenient. in fact, if they have consultation hours, just show up with whatever you have a problem with. do not let shyness or fear of other people being better stop you from accessing all the help and resources you can get!

for the exam itself, get a friend who is fluent and talk to them! have them correct you. doesn't need to be exam material, just so you have the confidence of speaking it causally. if you can practice for the exam, that's even better! but try it make that language something you're engaging with in your free time, like watch a movie or read a book/articles, just so you're in a state of familiarity.

for language proficiency, it matters if you're confident even if you stumble grammatically, over someone who Knows how to say it but stutters/goes "uhh...umm." this is a protip, when you find yourself going "umm" just stay quiet. it's much better to take a pause "what Foucault meant in this text .... is," and gather your thoughts than use filler words like, like. instead of I guess/I think, try for "in my opinion" which is the same thing but it sounds more Assured.

now most importantly, for the exam itself.

WRITE A SCRIPT AND PRACTICE IT. it doesn't have to be the actual exam paper obv lol, but if you know what kind of questions are coming or what topic it might focus on, or even what previous seniors' questions were on, write a script and then practice it. time yourself. do the first couple of runs reading it, and then see if you can explain the concept without needing to look at it. do not memorize it! make it your own, just until you feel comfortable enough.

you don't need to be perfect, or fluent, you need to show you have a level of understanding. and you don't need to understand the entire intricacies of the language! only the syllabus that's focused for your class. what teachers are grading on is how much you've Understood, as opposed to reciting to perfection.

the more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel. finally, it does not matter if other people are less or more fluent than you. there will always be someone better. you are only in competition with yourself, can you be better than the level you are right now?

and this is just what I do, but I dress really slay during exams, so that way even if it goes badly I can't feel As Bad in a bombastic fit. get enough sleep, be hydrated, shower, wear an outfit you like, and know you have done all that you could.

best of luck!

[professorprophetess]

Using too large a quote in Research Papers and other assignments

With summer rapidly coming to a close, and Fall Semesters looming, here is something of which I think college students should be aware: you can use too large a quote in a paper.

If you have a short essay—500 words/one page—you should, at best, use quotes that take up no more than two lines by themselves and not push it beyond a total of four lines being from quotes.

This is because those words aren't yours. Therefore, they don't count for word count totals in many cases (but will be considered when you're dealing with page counts).

This means you're not being cute or clever by writing an essay like this:

"I agree with Smith(20XX), "Bompbabompabomp. ramalamdingdong."(p.i) This is why you should hand jive. Like Jones (20XY) says, " Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!"(p. v) Those are both great points."

Technically, in this example, only TWELVE of the words count. The rest, being quotes are basically blank space as far as word counts are concerned.

Academically, this is bad because I—as an educator—am getting no sense of any sort of thought beyond, "Heh. Look at me cut corners." This shows no knowledge of the subject matter, just regurgitation of quotes. They can be relevant quotes, but in the end, a paper is supposed to be where a student demonstrates their knowledge and not just vomits quotes to try to eat up word count requirements.

So, don't do this.

[desultory-suggestions]

Heyy, idk how to say this but im gonna try putting it in words, i took two gap years for giving an exam and now i won't make it, i can't find the right option to choose what to study and everytime i think about studying for a certain course, i get bombed with what if i hate the job that comes with and im scared. Do you have any advice for me? Ive been clueless thinking about everything and its just idk what to do

Hello, darling. This is a very common fear. It’s always been so frustrating to me that we’re expected to not only choose one thing to turn into a career, but do so at such a young age. So many people choose something and burn out because of this. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. I think taking those gaps was a great idea, you deserve all the time you need to explore and rest from academics. Here are a few centering questions and points I think may help.

Do you want to go to college? Do you feel like you should/have to or do you want to but feel worried?

Many people feel college is the only way. While there are fair concerns about starting a career with no degree, many forms of work don’t need one. A good example is trade work, which is often hands on learning. These are worthy pursuits! Additionally, if you want to pursue something such as art but feel no need for a classical education, maybe finding a job that lets you do that is better.

What are your top five passions?

They don’t need to make sense for university or a career. Say they’re bread, crayons, Russian literature, snails, and gaming. Those are all tangible things! Make a list and then think about what makes you so happy about them. What’s the common ground? How can you make these your study?

Have you considered not choosing one thing yet? Or at all?

Many universities and colleges offer unique opportunities in two ways. One is to be undeclared as a major. At my university and others they place you in University Division, where instead of starting right away on one topic, you explore any and all that interest you. Nursing? Sure! Painting? Yes! Finance? You bet! This was you can test what you like and don’t like. Secondly, many places now offer a whole degree that’s tailored by you for you. For example, my university has an office that will help you create a major. I know a student who’s studying music and neuroscience as one cohesive major.

Are you doing this for you?

So many people attend a university for their family or social standing. Please remember that this won’t be good for anyone, it will only burn you out.

What’s so bad about changing?

A consistent fear of students across the globe is “what if I change my mind?” It’s a valid fear, but not so scary as it sounds. A perfect example of this is in fact my brother. He got halfway through a BA in political science and well. He hated it. It wasn’t engaging the way he thought it would be, he didn’t enjoy his classes, and he was afraid of his future work. So what did he do? He went to his advisor, they talked and by gosh he changed his major. It delayed him a little while, but now he will graduate spring of 2023 with a degree in outdoor education and parks. Hold space for the fact that change is possible and ok. It will not be the end of the world. A woman I know for her PHD in economics and then became a minister. You won’t be the wildest story.

Quick Tips: Interview people with jobs you’ve considered. Literally just email and ask them! Most people will love to talk to you. Ask your professors as well, and chat consistently with them. Never underutilize your advisory office. They seriously know what to do. Take one class every semester that’s completely out of what you normally study, challenge your mind.

In the end no matter what happens it truly is okay. If you change your mind you do. But I know somewhere in your heart is a bright passion for something. You’ll find it, by typical methods or not. I’m here if you have any more questions! I love talking about academics and education. Also I have a good track record of helping people choose majors. Best of love and luck!

-Evan

[julesofalltrades]

If anyone here is in or have gone to high school, how many classes do/did you have? How did it advantage or disadvantage you? I have 11 and its terribly stressful for me. My mental health is hurting because of this and parents just expect me to suck it up. And when my mental health hurts my self esteem hurts, I don’t eat or sleep properly and get upset more often. I’ve already told them about this several times, My mom said she would try to send me to a new school, but I live in a traditional household where the father makes most of the choices. My father doesn't give a shit and probably wont change schools. I also get told that MAYBE 2 subjects will get taken down for the next academic year.  I would just like to know your experiences and answers so I know that I’m not blowing this out of proportion.