#already struggling with getting my degree and the student job???

[foolishlovers]

.

[trash-bin-ary]

Just got an email that my tuition might increase, gonna kill a man. It’s already so fucking much please god no I don’t want to have student debt for the rest of my life

[sunsetkerr]

MRS ARNOLD | m. arnold

summary: headcanons of what is was like to being mrs arnold.

pairing: fem!reader x mackenzie arnold

notes: my very first piece that isn't sam???????? what???? this was a request, and I've decided that on occasion I will accept requests for other players, see my masterlist so you know who to request for!! If they aren't there, I most likely won't write for them, but there is never ever any harm in asking. if you have anymore questions/thoughts about mrs arnold, send them in so we can chat about her!! lots of love!!

you had been around football your entire life

your dad was a trainer for west ham’s womens team

you grew up a die-hard west ham fan

you played as a kid and a teenager

but as you got older you decided to head onto a different path

you studied audiology once you graduated high school 

focused on your studies and graduated as one of the top students in your degree

your family was so proud of you

of course you still watched football once you stopped playing

you never missed a match (and your dad would never let you)

 in 2023, you were at the height of your career, heading into owning your own clinic

you were loving your job

so when your dad asked you to come in and take a look at one of his players, you were surprised

but of course, you weren’t one to ever say no to him

you arrived at chadwell heath and received a great reception

everyone there knew you as your dad’s daughter

they loved having you around

you walked into your dads office not thinking about it

when you were met with mackenzie

you hadn’t officially met her before

but up close, wow, she was even more breathtaking than in goal

as you went to apologise for barging in on her, your dad came in

he introduced mackenzie to you and explained why he had brought you in

she had suspected that she was suffering from hearing loss

you tried your best to tread lightly on the topic as it was a relatively new concept to her

she was familiar with hearing loss

her brother had worn hearing aids since he was young

but she had never considered needing them herself

you said that you could book her in for an audiology test and have a look

you ended up diagnosing her later that week

mackenzie was so grateful for you

for such a hard experience, you sure made it easy

she was in awe of you and how smart you were

she marvelled at your mind

you were just so intelligent

she couldn’t help herself

you stayed close after fitting her for her hearing aids

you would be in the change room at half-time at west ham home games

you were technically working as a ‘personal player consultant’ on the medical team

(thanks dad)

but really, you just wanted to be near mackenzie

she was starting to excel even more in her game (if that was possible)

and she always chalked it up to you

‘well since y/n fitted my hearing aids’

‘y/n did the most really’

‘she’s just so smart, without her i’d be struggling still’

mackenzie gloated about you 24/7 to anyone who would listen

she ended up asking you on a date after four months of officially knowing each other

she found herself at your clinic way too often 

there was only so many times mackenzie could lie about a faulty battery

so when you mentioned how many times she had come in

she was a blushing mess, but managed to murmur out

‘would you want to get dinner tonight?’

you said yes right away

you had only been waiting four months for her to ask

she asked you to be her girlfriend on your fourth time out together

(after getting a very big hint from your dad that you were waiting)

‘already made her wait for that date, macca. wouldn’t want to keep her waiting much longer’

she called you after that conversation and said she was taking you out that night

you couldn’t really ask for more with mackenzie

she was everything you wanted in a person

and now you get to watch west ham matches from the player suites

not just the friends and family section 

[bedsyandco]

“I don’t want you to go,” luke says, his fingers tracing mindless patterns on her legs as his head rests on her stomach.

“I know, I don’t wanna go either, but I have to,” violet replies, both her hands playing with luke’s curls.

“It’s okay, it’s only a few more months and then we won’t have to say goodbye anymore,” luke says softly and Violet’s hands still, the words on the tip of her tongue but not knowing how to tell him.

“what is it?” luke asks, looking up and seeing the expression on her face. he knows, just by looking at her that there’s something she’s not telling him.

“i’ve been thinking that maybe i should hold off on moving for just another year and-“ her words getting halted when luke sits up suddenly

“you don’t wanna move to jersey?” luke asks, his frown deepening

“i don’t wanna move to jersey yet,” she answers, putting emphasis on the last word.

“but we talked about this. you said you wanted to wait until Daxton graduates and moves away. he’s moving to boston this summer,” luke says, not understanding where this was coming from.

“i know but i wanna finish my degree at michigan,” violet responds

“why can’t you finish your degree here? i mean the courses should be the same,” luke says and violet sighs standing up from the bed.

“i don’t wanna move before i finish my degree luke. i wanna graduate there. that’s always been my plan,” she says, making it clear that this wasn’t really up for negotiation.

“but you said that you’d move when daxton leaves,” luke argues

“i said i’d think about it. and i did think about it, and I decided it’s best for me to stay in michigan and finish my degree,” violet says, her tone impatient

“what about what’s best for us?” luke asks raising his voice a little, standing up from the bed and walking closer to her, but there was still a reasonable distance between them, physically and emotionally.

“we’re already doing long distance,” violet argues

“yeah and it fucking sucks!” luke yells

“I know. You think you’re the only one that doesn’t like doing long distance? You’re not even the one flying back and forth every three weeks luke, I am.” Violet replies firmly, her voice loud but not yelling.

“you wouldn’t have to fly back and forth if you would just move here, like you said you were going to. You also said you were going to call me at least once a day and that also isn’t happening, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re not keeping your word on this either,” luke says and Violet feels a little pang in her stomach, wrapping her arms around herself and just looking at Luke for a few seconds.

“I’m a full time student Luke, with a job, and friends and family. I have a schedule I need to follow and I’m sorry that schedule doesn’t always revolve around you. I’m doing the best that I can. A relationship is about compromise and sacrifice you know?” Violet says

“I’m already sacrificing-“ Luke starts and Violet raises her eyebrow at him.

“what exactly are you sacrificing luke? please say it, you obviously wanted to a second ago,” Violet asks

“Nothing. We should go, your flight leaves in a couple of hours,” luke mumbles

“no what are you sacrificing? do you feel like you’re missing out on something? sacrificing all the hookups you could be having on the road instead of waiting for your girlfriend to text you back? because if that’s the case then I wouldn’t want you to have to struggle with those sacrifices any longer,” Violet says, her voice trembling a little.

“Violet-,” luke says reaching for her but she pulls away.

“no. I don’t know what’s gotten into you but you need to do some re-evaluating and decide if those sacrifices are worth it. This is all I can offer you right now Luke, take it or leave it.” Violet says, grabbing her packed suitcase and her phone and opening the bed room door. At the last second she turns around seeing Luke sit on the bed with his head in his hands.

“You know I’m making sacrifices for you too. I’m going to be sacrificing a whole lot in my future to be with you, and support you through the career you chose. And I’m willing to do that happily because I love you and I wanna be with you. All I’m asking for is a little bit of time Luke, a few extra months.” Violet says and walks back to where he’s sitting, standing between his legs as he cups the back of them, running them up and down soothingly.

“you have a right to be upset luke, your feelings are valid and I’m sorry, this really does suck. but it’s temporary and I promise we’ll make it work. I’m gonna ask Jack to drive me to the airport. Take some time to think about what I said okay? and we’ll talk about it some more. I love you,” Violet says kissing his forehead and making her way out of his room and finding Jack already standing at the door waiting for her.

[steddieas-shegoes]

you are the best thing that's ever been mine

for the @steddieholidaydrabbles warm up round 1 (prompt: high school or college AU) rated: T wc: 638 cw: n/a tags: established relationship, angst with a happy ending

--------------------------------------------------------------

Being with Eddie had been easy. Two years at college, pretty much sharing a dorm unofficially, studying together whenever they weren't working their shitty jobs, annoying Eddie's roommate Gareth constantly.

But when graduation came, and real life set in, they realized quickly that what they thought was hard was nothing.

They had a small apartment on the outskirts of town, rundown and barely worthy of the rent they had to pay, but it was theirs.

Steve managed to find a job at an elementary school as a guidance counselor right after graduation, but Eddie struggled for a while. It didn't seem like anyone was hiring for a music teacher, and he started to wonder if he'd made a mistake in his degree.

He thought he'd taken a safer route than just going into the music industry, or trying to, but clearly he'd been wrong.

"Baby, we're fine. I make enough to cover what we need, we just have to be on a tight budget," Steve told him after Eddie had explained how useless he felt not contributing to their bills yet.

They were lying on the couch, Eddie tense under Steve.

"But you shouldn't have to, Steve. I'm basically the same as the spider we refuse to kill in the shower," Eddie groaned.

"No you're not. You're trying to find a job and you're going to," Steve insisted.

"And if I don't?" Eddie said, pushing Steve off of him so he could stand up and pace. "If I end up searching for a job for months or years, how long until you get sick of having to support us both? How long until you kick me out because I can't give you what you want? We can't ever have a family on just your income in this shitty apartment."

"Eds, you won't be unemployed forever. We've got time."

But Eddie didn't want to listen.

He walked over to their window that opened onto a fire escape and climbed through it.

Steve saw that it was raining, but knew Eddie wasn't going to come inside until he was ready.

If Eddie had to be in the rain, then Steve was going to be with him.

Steve joined him a moment later, cringing slightly at the cold rain instantly soaking his clothes.

"You remember our senior year, when I was convinced I'd have to drop out because my social work for students professor hated me? I cried every night for three weeks about his class and his attitude. I was awful. But you listened to it all, held me through it all, helped me study for tests and prepare for my final presentation. You remember what you told me the day of the final?" Steve asked, keeping some distance between them while he spoke.

Eddie shook his head.

"You said that one hard class wasn't going to keep me from being what students need. You told me that I was going to be fine because I already cared about kids I don't even know yet, and anyone who couldn't see that was an idiot. And you told me you loved me for the first time."

Eddie looked over at him, brows furrowed, hair dripping wet from the rain.

"You loved me through a tough schedule, and being broke, and complaining about someone who ultimately didn't matter. You loved me when I was an asshole to you and everyone, you loved me when it was hard. Now it's my turn, okay? Let me love you through it all."

Eddie didn't answer for a moment, but then he leaned in and kissed Steve's forehead gently.

"I never thought I'd have someone who loved me like this. You're the best part of my life, you know that?"

"And you're mine," Steve replied, kissing him on the lips as the rain continued to fall.

[wachtelspinat]

Hey ! I’ve been seeing your art going around since your midnight crew stuff and I just recently stubble across your tumblr, thank to your beautiful overwatch art for our beloveds junkers ! I’ve been scrolling through your account and read about your experience of being a former graphic designer who is a doctor now. And damn. I can’t emphasize how much I admire you, especially as someone who is struggling really hard to choose between 2 careers paths ( with one of them being art related ). This is why I was wondering if you would be open to talk about how and why you switched from art to medecine ? Especially because most of the time I feel it happens more the other way around ? ( If it’s too personal just ignore this ask + sorry if you already talked about it before )

hey ! no worries, i don't expect ppl to scroll through my tumblr to find an answer for a question they might have. first of all thanks for your nice words, means a lot <3

i switched from art to medicine because my early 20-something-self was even more anxiety-ridden than my present-self, and being in art school and having to "perform" regularly was a nightmare. i'm talking about a time in which i was so scared of being perceived that i often skipped grocery shopping, just so i could avoid being around people. so like, pitching art related projects to peers and profs was eeh... especially because art is so personal oh my god. i still hate it when someone tries to sneak a peek while i'm drawing, makes me wanna throw my sketchbook and myself off the bridge. anyways so i always felt a 110% inadequate (plus i got a gf during that time who was so good to me and tried to get me out of my funk on multiple occasions (she was and still is an artist and has now a career as a freelancer and i'm rly proud of her) but i couldn't see that because i just compared the two of us all the time and sabotaged any attempt she made for having fun with drawing with her) that i sat down at some point and asked myself if i could do this any longer, and i came to the conclusion that no, it really kills me rn.

what made me go into the health sector? i don't even know anymore, i think it was a mixture of "i loved biology, esp. the human body in school" and "my mum is an icu nurse and talks a lot about hospitals, maybe i should check it out"... it was not a well thought through decision, which is so funny because studying medicine was a hell of a meatgrinder ride (also my anxiety and self hatred? still there, but now i wasn't judged anymore because of my art but instead being called a dumb idiot collectively with all the other students because nobody likes med students) and for some reason i was able to get through that despite it not being my passion at all, but i couldn't stand up for myself in art school. i don't even know if i could work through it nowadays, but the good thing is i don't have to ask myself this question anymore, because being a doctor pays the bills, and ever since i left art school i was able to just draw without consequence. which is nice to a degree, my artistic output is not tied to the means of generating money. on the other hand... idk, in another life with more confidence and less worries, i'd love to be some sort of character designer T_T

so yeah that's basically it. at some times i cherished my career decisions, at other times i regretted them deeply, worst thing is i know it has a lot to do with personality, but the fact that we can't change who we are with a blink of an eye gives me the framework to think that the path i took was ok. as in. things happened for a reason and maybe i'm just not cut out for that kind of work. you have to be aware of the conditions of a job to decide if you are up for it. because being an artist doesn't end with "just draw". i myself had an unrealistic view of the job back then too. and the fact that i could not seperate between personal aspects and "doing a job here" was crucial.

yeah, idk if this is helpful at all. i think the one thing that is super important here is to have a realistic view on the conditions of work you are about to head into, and i know this is mostly very difficult to aquire. because unless you really work in a sector there is often no way to fully grasp the situations you can find yourself in (this applied for me also in the health sector, which made me fall into a depression a year ago, but what do you do after you spent 6 years of studying :') ). doing internships and just trying to get to know a lot of things really helps. and - idk how old you are, but if you're really young: it's ok to switch careers at some point. it's even ok to do so when you are older (trying to end on a positive note here because it feels like i just said a lot of depressing things... like don't get me wrong i like my job, the conditions are just fucked up, and again my personality prevents me from switching again but it's also not that easy in germany, BUT it's a valid thing to do, being versatile is good! just... make sure you don't end up with a job that you absolutely hate because that kills it all)

[he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle]

Get to Know Me Tag

Tagged by the feisty @lurkingshan, thanks Shan!

Do you make your bed?

Kinda. After my divorce, I bought lovely new bedding and happily made my bed every morning for like a year. Then I got lazy. I sorta half-ass it, where I fluff my pillows and pull up sheets and straighten the blankets and bed spread, but it's not photo-worthy or anything.

What’s your favorite number?

3. I like triads and trinities. In fact, I named my first dog Trinity. And I had three children!

What is your job?

I’m an author. I have 4 non-fiction books published under my given name and 15 fiction books published under a pseudonym. Many of my books were best sellers. Despite this fact, it is not enough to pay the bills. So I supplement my income with speaking engagements, teaching classes, and running a handful of websites, one of which is a wholesale distribution platform for artisanal imported foods. Basically, I'm self-employed and keep myself busy doing anything that interests me.

If you could go back to school, would you?

No. While I love learning and don't mind taking the occasional class to be introduced to a cool skill (like making stained glass!), I absolutely refuse to do any more higher education than I already have. I was sorta super nerdy at school because of an eidetic memory, so I collected degrees in Biblical Studies, Philosophy, Greek, Linguistics, and Russian Literature before I finally realized I didn't want to be a perpetual student.

Can you parallel park?

Nope. I learned how to do it to get my Driver's License over 30 years ago and have literally never had to use the skill since.

A job you had that would surprise people?

Hmmm. My job-jobs were all pre-children so people are surprised when they find out I ever had any since my last one was decades ago. But I didn't just have a few, I had a LOT of jobs because I finished school early and had to pay for my entire university education myself because of poor parents, and I think that's the most surprising thing. I was a waitress (14-16), a shop clerk (16-18), an acquisitions librarian's assistant (18-19), a bank teller (20), a digital librarian for a major software development company (20-21), a language tutor (18-21), an adjunct professor (22-24), a houseparent in a boy's home (24), and a cog in the county tax assessor's office (24-26). I also volunteered as a translator for Doctor's Without Borders and as a suicide prevention counselor for LGBTQ youth. At 26, I had my first child and became self-employed.

Do you think aliens are real?

Possibly, but I struggle to believe humans have ever interacted with any.

Can you drive a manual car?

Yes!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cop shows. I agree ACAB, but I love love LOVE the testosterone-fueled fantasy world of shows like Hawaii Five 0.

Tattoos?

None. I didn't want any at first because all the tattoos I'd seen on old people didn't age well thanks to saggy skin, wrinkles, etc. Now I kinda wish I'd had at least one.

Favorite color?

Dark azure.

Favorite type of music?

I LOVE IT ALL. If you live long enough, you discover awesome music in every genre. Like, I thought I hated heavy metal, but then I discovered the album Pale Communion by Opeth a decade ago and loved literally every single song!

Do you like puzzles?

Yes, but I don't make the time to do them.

Any phobias?

Heights. Absolutely terrifying.

Favorite childhood sport?

Cross country! I ran on my varsity team in HS and continued it through college.

Do you talk to yourself?

No. I am so quiet. On the weeks I don't have custody of my kids, I have sometimes had weeks where I work exclusively from home and don't interact with another human person beyond text messages and emails. When I finally speak out loud for the first time in days, the sound of my voice is jarring and unfamiliar.

What movies do you adore?

About Time. The Royal Tenenbaums. Shawshank Redemption.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee! I used to be more of a snob about it, but I recently fell in love with Korean instant coffees and THEY ARE SO GOOD. HOLY SHIZNITS.

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

A teacher in a foreign country.

I haven't been keeping track of who tagged who, so I'd like to tag @absolutebl @juneviews @twig-tea @sorry-bonebag @stefanyd @waitmyturtles @disaster-j @cooloddball @spicyvampire and @norahastuff If you'd like to play and I didn't tag you, please do!! Be sure to tag me so I can read your post.

[qqueenofhades]

So I decided to go back to school this year and am now in grad school, which I am somewhat struggling with more than I would like; damn them ADHD brain gremlins. As a grad school veteran, do you have any tips for not drowning in grad school while being a semi-functioning employed adult? 💚

Aha, well. I haven't actually gone to grad school while also working full time (unless I really lose my mind and do another master's degree while also managing two and/or three academic programs, but let's not talk about that), so I don't have specific suggestions in that regard. However, I can offer my basic tips for surviving grad school, which include:

* Set a routine and make sure you block out time to do your reading and/or writing. If nothing else, prioritize this. A lot of your grade in the class will come from what is directly before the professor's eyeballs, i.e. whether you can prove that you actually have a clue what they're teaching you and whether you can write coherently as a result. You can skim-read (dirty secret: almost all academics do), but you have to know how to skim-read, so you'll still taking in the essential points of the content. Usually this means reading the abstract, the introduction and conclusion, and maybe the beginning and end of each chapter or article section. Take notes. If you think "oh no, I'll definitely remember that!" -- that is the devil talking. Read with a pen in your hand. Future You will thank you.

* Likewise: you will need to take at least a few days to write a decent grad school essay. Plan in advance. Some people are the kind who can frantically scramble to pull an entire undergrad essay out of the hat on the night before and submit it at 11:59pm, but a) this doesn't work in grad school, or at least not as much, and b) if that's how you're going through it, you're not getting value out of it for money, and grad school is FRIKIN EXPENSIVE. The most amount of outstanding student loan debt I have is from my master's degree, not my bachelor's or PhD. If you're skating through it and bullshitting everything, then it's just not worth what you're paying.

* COMMUNICATE! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, COMMUNICATE!!!! This should be both to your professors in school and/or your bosses at your regular job. If you anticipate a schedule conflict, need an extension, have something that needs to be done in one front that will have to take priority over the other -- PLEASE COMMUNICATE! (Is this my Traumatized Faculty And/Or Administrator Voice talking? You can't prove it.) Don't drop in with a panicked email five hours before the deadline and beg for more time/a dispensation/extension/whatever. Most people will be willing to work with you, but that relies on giving them time and/or planning space to do so and make other arrangements; after all, they are also counting on you to be a team player and if you can't be, to give them the chance not to be screwed by your absence. It is a basic courtesy to promptly answer (and my god, READ!!!!) your emails and to communicate with other people BEFORE problems arise, rather than when you're right in the middle of them and it is already an emergency. Everyone will thank you for this.

* Likewise: work out which things need to be done as soon as they come up, and which ones are able to wait a little longer. My particular brand of neurodivergence often makes me think that I need to do new things RIGHT NOW GOD RIGHT NOW FIVE ALARM FIRE!! and I stress and get anxious until I do them, even if I'm already working on something else. Project-hopping can sometimes be helpful if you're feeling blocked on something else, but do also have a sense of what needs to be prioritized most.

* If you're not already on medication and/or have some way of managing your ADHD: I would strongly recommend that. Grad school is hard enough, and you don't need to make it artificially harder. There are always the usual bugaboos about obtaining any kind of care, but do what you have to do, medically or otherwise, to make sure you're putting your best foot forward and not artificially sabotaging yourself because the brain chemicals just won't play ball. Believe me, I also know something about that, so yeah.

Good luck!

[natreads]

Ramblings about uni and the future

I'm trying to make a difficult decision. Since I've spent the last five years trying to break into the publishing industry and mostly failing (I'm freelance but can't get a full time job), I've been thinking very seriously about going back to uni to become a librarian instead. It's not really a career I've ever thought of, or wanted, but the same can be said for publishing. I decided I wanted to go that route when I already had a my bachelors degree. It felt like the "right" path, but I wasn't aware of how difficult it would be. The industry is so closed off, and I'm not very good at putting myself out there, so I've been struggling a lot. Not to mention people keep getting fired left and right so even if I do get in who knows how long that will last. I guess part of deciding to study something else, despite already having a masters degree and over six years of uni studies behind me, is that I feel like I need to essentially give up this dream, which would make the past five years feel like a waste even though I don't necessarily think they are. But I will have to give up the identity I have built around the industry. But I also feel like going another route won't mean I can't one day make it there too. But I also don't want to get another degree just to still be focusing on an industry that's this unattainable. I will have to focus on making it as a librarian instead and the idea of having to properly give up publishing makes me so sad, but I also know it will bring me relief once I actually do it. I need to study something where I will actually find work.

Another issue is that I really really REALLY don't want to study for another three years lmao. I talked to some people and there's a possibility that I COULD skip one semester due to previous studies, but I feel like it will be complicated and also not necessarily set in stone to manipulate the degree like that. I also got the tip to go take a masters instead which is two years, but here are the pros and cons to all of this:

Three year undergrad:

The school I did my BA at, so it's familiar

Since it's undergrad I'm not worried I will fail

Close to home (even if I move)

Unfortunately it's three years

It feels "silly" to get another BA when I could get an MA immediately instead

Two year masters program:

It's only two years

It will probably be hard

Could be done online, but I don't know if I have it in me to sit at home for two years again

It's in another city, but only takes an hour by train to get there

Unfortunately the train (pendeln) SUCKS and is super unreliable

And I would have to pay a bunch each time

But I like the idea of experiencing something new, since I both like the city (it's a college town) and don't think one hour is that bad

Another problem is that we'll be doing lots of group work so I might have to be there a lot which will be annoying

If I knew just HOW often I'd have to go I feel like it would be easier

I'm gonna be moving soonish to an apartment in the city here in Stockholm so I don't wanna move to Uppsala and do student housing, but my lease will only be one year so maybe I COULD during second year. I've never expeirenced student life like that before

Do I really wanna write another fucking masters thesis omg

I like the sound of two master degrees tho lmao

One semester will be dedicated to writing my thesis so I will mostly only have to commute for 1.5 years I guess, which makes the student housing in year two maybe unnessecary? But my lease will be up anyway soooo. In an ideal world I would be doing student housing my first year and then move into the other apartment after, but I can't do that and I don't wanna give up on a great opportunity

We'll be visiting libraries and whatnot and if it's in Uppsala (I kinda assume it is) I will have to figure out the public transit looool

Essentially, I think the undergrad one is safe but longer, while the MA is shorter but scarier. If I do the MA online I will be more comfortable, but also probably lowkey go crazy. Maybe if I knew if and how much I would be working at the bookstore after the summer I would pick the online version, since work would get me out of the house, but none of us know how needed I will be.

I know I need to change lanes, since I'm getting older and I need stability. Working in a library is the next best thing I can see myself doing after publishing (I kinda wanted to do marketing but I've realized it unfortunately goes against a lot of my morals and libraries are ethically the one and only place I stand 100% behind).

Idk if anyone has any insight or advice please lmk I'm so torn

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello mbti-notes! I'm 25 & INFJ. I currently feel directionless, lost and stagnant. Due to this I've isolated myself for a long time up until recently when I realized it's making me more anxious. I've been trying not to isolate myself by taking daily walks, practicing mindfulness, interacting a little with people, learning soft skills and learning from your blog.

Many setbacks have occurred in the past few years. I feel after covid I've just had hardship after hardship without break. I've lost my drive and goals. So I started I've started rethinking my goals. I always knew that I wanted to do a career involving history, travel and in service to others so I worked towards that. In my final year of uni my friend suggested going into teaching because I could do history + teach abroad. I thought it was a good idea. I've taught for one year in my own country.

Since I've entered the teaching field I've had a very difficult time and experienced burnout in no time. I don't feel supported or guidance to overcome challenges that I have. I'm lacking strong classroom management in a class of 40 students (public schools). Senior teachers have told me that I should consider switching to kindergarten or that I would be viewed as incompetent and lose my job. I was also told I'm going to struggle in this field because I struggle to socialize with colleagues. I'm very introverted and lack social skills due to being socially isolated during my middle childhood to teenage years. I'm working on this and try to socialize with colleagues.

It feels discouraging to constantly be criticized. I was told twice by two teachers I worked with closely I work diligently and they'd love to work with me again. First teachers usually struggle with classroom management the difference is how slow or fast one gets a grip on it. For some it's months, just a year or many years. I'm not given the time or space to practice my classroom management. During my entire first year I believed myself to be incompetent because of the comments from experienced, high rank teachers. Which caused me stress and unhealthy perfectionism because I internalized those comments due to my low self worth & external validation. I'm working on changing this belief and learning about myself. I know I can do it with experience, guidance and support. I believe that I'm capable of doing any job or career if I have proper guidance or mentoring.

Unfortunately, only teachers with good classroom management are employed. Unless a school is interested in taking on new teachers and mentoring them which isn't frequent. So far I haven't been able to find stability in this career either. I've just gotten accepted for contract posts which are only for a few months. I'm currently taking a break from being a school teacher and I've started volunteering work by tutoring children. I'm at crossroads with what to choose. Especially because I'm doubting whether I'm suitable to be a teacher considering my classroom management which is very important. I'm considering exploring other jobs than teaching or continuing in that field but as a tutor, online teaching or private schools (20 in a class and my classroom management is good with 20). My question is how do I know if I'm on the right path? How do I find healthy direction? Thank you for your time.

---------------------

1) Trying to learn on the job can be very challenging because of the greater sense of responsibility and the pressure it generates to succeed quickly.

To my ears, the amount of help you need actually sounds a bit unreasonable. There is one point about your situation that is unclear. Did you get a teaching degree that included a proper internship or practicum? (If you entered into a position without the right qualifications or training, then you shouldn't be surprised about struggling.) It's not the job of the employer or your colleagues to educate you once you've already graduated from school, though they may choose to be supportive as part of their mission or as resources allow. Technically speaking, the training should've already happened in your practicum, so it is assumed you already have enough classroom experience to get a grip on things quickly on your own.

If you haven't had enough practical classroom training, it might benefit you to spend time working as a teaching assistant in order to learn from experienced teachers in a more appropriate way, rather than expecting your colleagues to add teaching you to their already full plates of teaching 40 students.

Factors such as student demographics and school funding also influence the workplace environment for teachers, so it might be a good idea to try out many different schools to ensure that the problem doesn't lie solely with you. It could be that the workplace culture in specific schools isn't a good fit for you. It's not something to cast blame about but to accept; simply move on and look for a better fit.

There are many different forms of teaching, so just because you can't manage a class of 40+ doesn't mean you have to give up teaching entirely. Yes, private schools and sometimes schools in more rural areas generally have smaller classes. Also, there are companies that provide after school tutoring programs, so you could actually work as a tutor if one-on-one teaching appeals to you. Private tutoring can be lucrative if you produce good results and the right parents spread the word about your services.

2) The idea of "the right path" is somewhat misleading because it doesn't exist in any absolute sense. And believing there is only one right path for you isn't the healthiest mindset because it makes you less open to possibility and then less adaptable to change. That said, there are some very general indicators you can use to determine whether life is going well, for example:

- Emotional Well-Being: Do you generally feel good? When life is going well, your mood should be relatively stable, your attitude positive, and your outlook optimistic. Remember, pain is a warning that something is wrong. Similar to problems with physical health, if there are any aspects of your life that produce pain and suffering for you, it's better to address them sooner rather than later.

- Healthy Self-Esteem: Are you proud of who you are? Healthy pride comes from things like: taking responsibility for yourself and what you put out; making wise judgments and decisions; speaking constructively; working productively; nurturing and appreciating individuality; building good moral character. It's important to pay attention to feelings of guilt, shame, inadequacy, or self-loathing because they shine a light on opportunities for personal growth.

- Being of Value: Do you feel that you matter? To "matter" basically means your existence is better than your nonexistence. To feel as though you matter in the world, you need to offer something of value and also have your offerings valued by others. If you feel as though you have little or nothing of value to offer, then you might have an underlying issue of low self-worth to address. If you feel as though others don't value you, then you need to examine what is causing the problematic disconnect in your interpersonal life.

- Sense of Purpose: Do you have good reasons to get up every morning? People with a strong sense of purpose generally: strive to use their time and energy in meaningful ways; undertake work that produces tangible benefits; look for opportunities to make a positive contribution; make a commitment to higher goals and ideals. Feeling unmotivated, stuck, lost or adrift often points to lack of purpose in life. Purpose doesn't magically appear. You have to make purposeful choices in accordance with the value you see in yourself and want to express out into the world.

It's not my place to tell people how to make life decisions. You have to reflect on whether this is the career you want and then explore your options and find the position of best fit. This difficulty you are facing in your career could mean any number of things. It could be the challenge you need to learn the skills that you've neglected up until now. It could be a wake up call for realizing that a change of direction is necessary. To be a healthy INFJ means being able to use Ni to connect with the whole truth of the matter. Who else can tell you what is right for you? You have to reflect on it with as much self-honesty as you can muster.

[mujimilk]

what i did during undergrad + grad

As I've recently just graduated from grad school with my Master's right after undergrad, I want to note what I did so that people can learn from my experience! I graduated from undergrad with degrees in Computer Engineering and Web Design and graduate school with a Master's in Engineering Management.

1st (freshman) year

Although I did some coding in high school, I still needed to learn the fundamentals and struggled through introductory programming. However, I was one of those people that banged their heads against the wall enough to where things started making sense. I also added a second major: Web Design, so I went into sophomore year being a double major in Computer Engineering and Web Design. I did join some clubs, including cultural clubs, but it did not align with my schedule and I eventually had to drop them.

2nd (sophomore) year

I got tickets from my university to Grace Hopper Celebration, which is the largest convention for women in computing. Here, I learned about applying to internships, how to prepare for interviews, and met so many people who were already working software engineers. This is when I started applying for internships. By chance, a friend reached out and asked me if I wanted to work on a website for a club for an event they were holding (and it would be paid) so this was the first time I had some experience that was outside of class projects. I also got lucky when one of my other friends asked me to replace him working for a professor on a different website. This gig lasted me all throughout senior year.

3rd (junior) year

It is typical for people to get internships this year for the summer as they get a full-time offer and then finish out their senior year without worrying about applications before starting to work full time. I didn't get an internship and decided to go for my master's anyway because it would give me some extra time to keep studying and applying. I also branched out and started doing some hackathons which are usually 48 hour coding events people do in groups in order to create something. Although I didn't win any prizes, it gave me the experience of coding in a group.

4th (senior) year

This was the year I aimed to get an internship for the summer after, since I knew it would be the last summer I would have the opportunity to intern before I started looking for a full time job. I was working 3 jobs in school, as a grader (for an introductory engineering class), as a teaching assistant (for a communications class) and being a website designer for the job previously mentioned. I wasn't able to keep the jobs due to a university working hours requirement. I'll go into how I got my internship another time, but I was successful by January of my senior year, and graduated from undergrad stress-free from applications. I also had an undergrad thesis to do, as well as taking the hardest classes for a computer engineering major.

5th (master's) year

My university has a 4+1 program, where I could start my Master's program during my senior year and finish it out the year after. However, I didn't take any graduate classes my senior year because I was so busy, but I still aimed on graduation in a year instead of delaying it another year. This was probably the most stressful time of my life since I was taking twice as many classes as someone else in this program with me as well as balancing being a teaching assistant (this time holding labs for introductory programming students). My time management skills were tested during this time, as I would usually show up to classes at around 7am and not leave campus until after 9pm. Having a full-time offer for a job was extremely helpful and I was able to focus on school and work instead of applications and interviewing.

Final Thoughts

I was able to do all of this due to a really strong work ethic which I'm super proud of myself for. Engineering is known as the hardest school at my university and there were so many other accomplished students, which I had to learn very quickly not to compare myself to. Feel free to ask me any questions or comment on anything about my journey!

x, Muji

[anewnewcrest]

From Chelsea Graham's Diary

I've been so busy with college! I won't lie, things were tough for a while, the classes are SO HARD and I've been studying like I've never studied before in my entire life, but I love every second of it. It feels so good to have my hard work matter for a change, that I'm not running away from something but towards something, that I can finally see my future take form in front of me! My grades might not be straight A's, but they're all mine, I've worked hard for them, and I've already been doing internships, and I think I can land a nice job when I finally graduate, even though it might not be in the area (and let's be honest here, that's kind of a plus).

I honestly never expected my dad to get married again! He'd been alone for so long, that I just thought he'd stay single forever, but even though I think it's weird and kinda tacky that he got married again to someone so much younger and they might have a baby that's younger than Baker's, I'm glad that Sharon now has someone as a role model, someone who'll take care of her. I love my baby sister, and I think she could do worse than doing like me and going to college, but kids are SO ANNOYING and they deserve better than to have those close to them think about them like that. It's nice to have Sharon living closer now, and taking her out for ice cream and a movie or something, but that's not what a mom is for!

Some of my feelings about her might not be about her, but about me having to do all the work. I get that dad had a hard time after mom died, but I basically raised that kid, and I only realized it properly after I went to college! I'm living in the dorms, and even with all my classes and late-night cramming sessions, only taking care of myself and my room and my clothes... it's so much less work than living at home! I was doing housework for five! And even though my dad has apologized for that, and he's paying for me going to college... honestly, I still haven't forgiven him for that. And maybe I never will. And that's OK.

Finding my place here in Foxbury was hard. As a kid, I went to that weird religious private school in Newcrest, and then in high school in Strangerville, I was so busy with taking care of chores and Sharon that I missed out on a lot of normal teenage stuff, so when I came here, I was super awkward, and fitting in with the other students was a struggle. But I've made some friends now - went to bars - even gone on a few dates - even kissed a few guys even though I feel guilty about that, because they pushed the "don't throw pieces of your heart away" crap so hard when I was in Newcrest. Not that it matters, I don't want to get married anyway. And I'm so glad that that will be an option for me, with my job and my degree, unlike all the other girls who go to church with dad and Kathryn. I really don't know why they're still hanging out with all those creeps, and I'm always "busy" when they ask me to come to church with them on Sundays. I'm sure the Watcher will understand.

WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR

[hanmi-xo]

Chapter 1: "Who is Lihua?"

| Between Us | Chapter List |

Previous | Next ------------------

| L I H U A |

The sound of rain bounced through the air.  Each droplet left a patter of soft noise upon impact. The rugged pattern was a sweet melody.

I continued to read in my bed. I laid bundled up in my blanket while I heard chaos occurring outside my bedroom. The girls were getting ready for the high school reunion. It's been a little over 4 years since we graduated, but even so, they had plenty of friends they wanted to catch up with.

I wasn't planning on going, but when Ellis told me about Soonyoung's return to town, she insisted we should all go for her sake. Soonyoung had been a good friend of my brother, and having me there could rise against the odds by being messenger.

Ellis has always liked Soonyoung, but she put her career first before anything.

She's experienced what relationships can do during her time in school, and now that she has her degree and dream job, it was like destiny was on her side. Even if she disliked going out during the rainy weather, she couldn't ignore the opportunity of seeing him.

Fallon, being the oldest of all of us, agreed on the plan. As a psych and biology student, she has always been wary about all of our healths- mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Earlier today she said to me, "Your brother is going. Everyone is going. You can't stay in your room forever and read. It'd be good for all of us to be together again. You can get a fresh start."

She wasn't wrong, but she also knew why I wouldn't want to go.

Fallon has always been a good friend to all of us. You can say she acts like an older sister and maybe even a mother at times. Though her nagging can be tiring, she has always been loving towards us.

As a young adult, I know I need to socialize with people. I have been stuck in my room for too long, and part of it is because of my remote job, but it's also because I love my solitude.

I've met too many people who seem more interested in sex and having a good time than actually getting to know me.

Making friends is difficult. Making connections is difficult.

Even if I do try, I always end up being brushed off.

Being alone has always been easier. I didn't have to worry about anyone's judgment towards me and I don't have to entertain anyone.

Life seems more peaceful this way even if at times it may get lonely.

Reading books was my getaway from reality. The world seemed scary up-close, and having a book felt like I wasn't entirely alone when the girls are busy.

Seeing the struggles a character has made me realize how blessed I was to not have many terrible connections.

To me, I was okay with the people I have. The girls whom I grew up with- they welcomed me with open arms when I first moved into this town, and even if I may not be blood related to my brother, he has been a great support towards me.

I guess a part of me didn't want to leave my cage. Even if I'm over the events of what happened after high school, I've learned to enjoy my solitude more than I do with people.

It sounds selfish, I know, but it makes me feel at peace within myself.

The sound of my alarm rang. My attention went to my phone, interrupting my train of thought.

I had to leave soon.

Upon reaching the end of the chapter, I closed my book with a bookmark to where I left off. I heard a notification from my phone and I checked it once more.

It was my brother.

He responded to my last message with a salute.

-

| M I N G H A O |

I was running late.

I reached the red light before getting to the venue. If it wasn't raining, I would have been there already. Traffic was held back for 30 minutes and I hate being late to places.

I took out my phone to message the guys of my arrival.

After finding a place to park, I entered the building to meet with the guys. They all were dressed well for the occasion. I saw some girls staring at us and I was able to recognize many of their familiar faces.

They were the same girls that liked us back then, and I could hear them giggling amongst each other.

I winced from their annoying voices.

I'm definitely not going to stay long. I already hate the atmosphere of this place. It definitely felt like high school all over again.

"You made it!" Dokyeom exclaimed before waving at me.

His bright aura was easy to spot even a mile away. He was seated at a booth next to the wide window panels. I felt almost everyone stare at me since I was the late comer, not to mention, Dokyeom's loud voice boomed the restaurant space.

Across from him was Seungcheol who had a bottle of tequila. He seemed to be drinking earlier than attended. I'm not that surprised. Soonyoung sat next to him and was scarfing down his food like a rodent he is.

The two turned to see me before waving.

"Yo!" Seungcheol greeted me.

Soonyoung tried to greet me as well but his mouth was full. His cheeks were puffed while he chewed.

"MMMM!" was all I could hear from him.

Whatever the hell that noise was, it probably was a hello or something.

Dokyeom motioned me to sit next to him. I stared at the hamster who I would be sitting across before wincing at the sound him chewing.

Seungcheol and Dokyeom laughed upon seeing my expression but I rolled my eyes. I was trying to look at the menu Dokyeom passed to me, but it was hard to focus with Soonyoung's face across from me. The two's laughter caught his attention.

"What's so funny?" He asked after gulping his water cup. He had food stains on his face. "I wanna laugh too!"

He hasn't changed since high school. It was amusing to see this professional racer look like a child.

I shook my head with a smirk.  "Don't worry about it."

Soonyoung then glared at me before going back to his food. I watched him silently mimic me with a move of his lips before taking another bite of his noodles. He was annoyed. I couldn't help but snicker at his behavior.

"Hao," I heard Seungcheol call for me.

I raised a brow. "Yes?"

He nodded his head towards my left. I knew that expression and signal all too well. Dokyeom glanced at Seungcheol before looking at me. I watched him peak his head out to see the girls that were coming our way.

Girls that I didn't want to deal with.

"Hi Dokyeom~" her voice was high like a mouse.

I rolled my eyes and quickly got up. I knew where this was going and I refuse to sit down and listen to these squeakers.

"Aw, Minghao," one of them called for my attention.

She stood in front of me as if she could stop me from leaving. She tried to grab my arm and I quickly pulled away.

"Don't touch me," I snap.

Her cold fingers felt uncomfortable. The way her warmth left a trace on me made me want to vomit.

I watched her eyes grow big before she faked a smile.

"Don't be like that", she tells me before tilting her head.

If she was trying to act cute, she looked really stupid. I grimaced at her.

"You got wrinkles on your face," I say aloud.

I watched as her face twisted into shock along with the gasps of her entourage. I can hear the Soonyoung hold in his snickers from my comment while Seungcheol openly laughed. Dokyeom on the other hand closed his lips tightly and tried to hide his amusement.

I looked back at the girl who didn't move an inch before getting away from her. I didn't bother looking back.

I needed some air. For a large space, it felt stuffy the moment I saw those girls. I saw an open door that lead to the balcony and I quickly made my way there.

The cool air hit my face, and the way the breeze felt against my warmth left a tingling sensation.

I leaned on the railing and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and let out a sighed.

The moon glistened in the night and the rain clouds were swam across the dark blue sky. The scent of dew filled my lungs and left a chill down my spine.

It felt nice to be alone and enjoy the scenery.

I stayed there for a moment and awed at the beauty of the fountain below me along with the trees that danced with the wind. The venue was a bit far from town and I was able to get a glimpse of the faraway buildings in between the gaps of the trees.

I heard a sigh.

I slowly turned around upon hearing the voice.

There stood a girl who seemed to be in awe of the scenery. She leaned against the railing with a palm of her hand holding up her chin.

I didn't even notice she was here.

I shuffled my feet in attempt to leave, but she turned around to look at me.

I stared at her.

She seemed to be dressed different from everyone else in the venue.

She had a simple plaid green dress along with white sneakers. Her brown hair was tied up into a bun with a few bangs framing her face. Although she appeared in a simple yet elegant attire, her expression showed distance.

She seemed to be lost in thought.

I watched her walk towards me and I was ready for her to say something. For all I know, she could be putting on an act.

But she walked passed me.

She didn't even seem to notice me.

It was strange.

I watched her leave the balcony before making her way back into the event hall. She disappeared down the corner without looking back.

My eyes went back to the night sky. I was alone again.

~

It took awhile, but I came back to the event hall. I got hungry staring at the stars and I was hoping that Seungcheol or Dokyeom would order something.

But when I came back, they were gone.

Soonyoung came rushing over to me with a worried expression mixed with annoyance. Something bothered him.

"What the hell happened?" I ask the frustrated man.

He looked at me with narrow brows before shaking his head. "I'll explain things later. Let's get out of here."

His voice was almost a whisper. He was trying to hide his anger, but it was clear he was ready to strangle someone. The once enthusiastic man has lowered his tone.

I narrowed my brows and followed after him.

It's one thing for Seungcheol to be mad, but it's another if Dokyeom is angry. I had a feeling I knew who showed up, but I knew it'd be best to keep my mouth shut.

~

Upon reaching the parking lot, I saw Seungcheol talking to his girlfriend.

Astrid was her name, I think?

They seemed to be needing a moment. I can only assume what happened with the way she rubbed her tears while he tried to comfort her in silence.

Jeonghan must have shown his face.

Who knows what that guy said to cause all of them to leave. I never did like him.

"Dokyeom already left," I heard Soonyoung say. He seemed to have just finished a call.

He put his phone in his pocket and left his hand in there. He stared at the ground before turning to look at me.

"So what now?" He asks me. "Seungcheol probably won't be free later either with the way things are looking."

I put my hands in my pockets with narrow brows. "Wait, why did Dokyeom leave? I thought this was only between Jeonghan and those two."

I tilted my head to the couple that were still having a moment in one of the vehicles.

Hoshi narrowed his brows with a confused expression.

Did I say something wrong?

I mirrored his expression not understanding what he was hinting at.

"Do you not know what happened with Dokyeom and Joshua?" He said, crossing his arms together.

My eyes wandered as I tried to remember the events that happened months after graduation. I shook my head.

"All I recall was Dokyeom punching Joshua," I say. "Nobody really told me what happened since I was heading back to China."

Soonyoung couldn't believe my words. He scoffed and looked at the sky as if I could find the answer to his riddle.

"What a dummy," I heard him mutter noticing my stares.

I scowled at him, but before I can say anything, he spoke up.

"Let's call it a night," he says. "I have to meet up with my agent tomorrow."

"Alright," I say.

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I made my way to my car and I heard a notification go off. I situated myself in the driver seat before responding  to the messages Dokyeom suddenly messaged me.

"Lihua?" I read the name aloud.

His sister was here?

I never saw her though. Weird.

------------- SM POST: Lee Lihua has posted

• • •

Previous | Next

[bensbooks]

ARC Review: Glasgow Boys

Neither Finlay or Banjo can remember the last time they had a hug. Against all odds, 18-year-old Finlay has begun his nursing degree at Glasgow University. But coming straight from the care system means he has no support network. How can he write essays, focus on his nursing placement and stop himself from falling in love when he's struggling to feed himself? Meanwhile, 17-year-old Banjo is trying to settle into his new foster family and finish high school, desperate to hold down his job and the people it contains. But his anger and fear keep boiling over, threatening his already uncertain future. Underpinning everything is what happened three years ago in their group care home, when Finlay and Banjo were as close as brothers until they stopped speaking. If these boys want to keep hold of the people they love, they have to be able to forgive one another. More than this, they must find a way to forgive themselves.

My review:

Glasgow Boys is an emotional book about trauma, love and healing. We follow two boys, both of whom have had deeply troubled lives and have been through the foster care system. They had once been roommates in a group home, formed a deep connection with each other, then something happened and they haven't seen each other in years.

Banjo is an angry teenager, looking for fights everywhere he goes. His emotions spill over frequently, and he has a hard time connecting to the world because of it. Still in foster care, Banjo secures a job at a cafe where he starts to form relationships with the workers, especially Alena, a cute girl who deals with Crohn's Disease.

Meanwhile, Finlay has aged out of care and is trying to make it on his own as a nursing student. Rather than project his trauma outwardly, Finlay thinks himself unlovable by the world so he ghosts and retreats as much as he can. He reconnects with an old childhood friend, but struggles with the idea that someone could want to be around him.

This book had me sobbing multiple times; I believe it's a story about love more than anything else. Interwoven between the different POV's, we get snippets of what happened three years ago in the group home. Every single word of this novel had me gripped and I felt emotionally attached to not only the two main boys, but also to the multiple side characters.

If I could rate this higher than a 5/5, I easily would.

[romirola]

romiiii, i need to ask about your thoughts about a potential alternate universe where darlin' leads a normal life and becomes a lawyerrrr

@zozo-01! YES, lawyer!Darling is a wonderful thought.

For context, zo is alluding to Chapter 7 of my fic, Packed with Love, where Darling has to intervene on Angel's and Babe's behalf to appease their mates over a particularly dangerous action they took. Darling presents themselves as a lawyer of sorts, deftly defending their pals and persuading Asher and David to think critically about the situation.

More thoughts on actual lawyer!Darling under the cut...

I definitely think Darling would make an incredible lawyer. They have the drive. The passion. The brash tenacity it takes to see yourself as someone capable of ensuring that laws be upheld to protect citizens' rights and, by and large, help society grow and evolve without compromising its governing, social, or civil values. To tell you the truth, I don't think Darling needs to live a normal life to pursue a law degree and, eventually, to begin practicing law. After all, they've got to do something post-Quinn! Many paths lead to the same destination!

Darling starts out taking night courses at D.A.M.N.. They work at the security company in the day and study at night, perhaps part time. It's rough work. Very rough work. To study law is to study language, logic, and history. It's writing, researching, and synthesizing. And somehow, you have to do all that, under massive pressure from profs, classmates, and more, while still remembering that your future clients are people who need help. (No matter what type of law specialty they decide to pursue!) That people will be depending on Darling to see they are justly served, whatever that might look like.

Darling struggles. They struggle hard. And that's not an indication of Darling's abilities (they are a logical whiz, capable of analysis and practical application unlike any other.) Darling has so much on their plate (security company jobs to make money, trying to keep up social ties to be integrated into the pack, spending time with Sam as they explore what it means to be mated...) Some days, they just barely squeak by with their exams. They ask for (needed and deserved) extensions, as much as they hate asking. It is a difficult thing, to put yourself at the mercy of others, in the way that being a student inherently asks you to do. It rubs someone like Darling the wrong way. They never really get used to it. Despite the way it makes Darling skin crawl and makes them want to just give up and call it quits, they persevere. They continue with the program, even though they didn't quite imagine their experience would look or feel like this.

But amidst all that struggle, who better than Darling knows just how important it for those responsible for applying the laws to do so accurately and equitably? Who better than Darling understands the hurt that principates from people slipping through the cracks when justice remains an elusive option?

So, they keep working. They keep studying. They keep trying. Some days, they aren't sure what is harder: reading through the dense legal documents, crafting articulate responses and analyses of those documents, or admitting that to fulfill this goal, they've periodically got to reevaluate themselves and readjust their ambitious expectations they have for themselves in order to reach their goal of finishing.

And, eventually, they finish. Sure, Darling is already worried about internships, the bar exam, and all the other "next steps" that never stop coming. But when they quiet their mind long enough to reflect on their accomplishment, they nearly burst into tears and feel a weight lift off of their shoulders. They're proud of what they've done, and ready for whatever's to come.

When they graduate, both the Shaw Pack and Solaire Clan attends their commencement ceremony.

[angeltreasure]

Could you please pray for me? I am trying to get through college right now and I've already failed multiple classes and am struggling to not fail them again because of mental disorder issues. I am terrified of being a failure to my parents and I just want to get the certification to get a job in the field I'm looking at (aviation maintenance). I feel very stupid and alone and I just want to prove I can accomplish things and be independent, and be someone my parents can be proud of. Thank you so much if so. Also, I am not Catholic so I'm not familiar with many saints, but if you know of any saints I could look to for inspiration and motivation it would be really appreciated if you're okay with that. Thank youx7 and God bless you

Even if you fail your classes Anon, you can always take them again later. I struggled with a lot of anxiety during college trying to finish a degree but in the end, I decided the degree wasn’t worth it and I needed to prioritize my mental health. I felt bad spending the hard earned money, but I learned a valuable set of lessons from my mistakes and learned I am not a failure. My parents wanted only my happiness and I am sure most would say the same. Some parents place high expectations on us, but remember you will always have more chances pass. It might be a good idea to take a break from classes (even if it’s just one semester or two) or reduce the number of classes. Too much stress can wreck our health. I will keep you in my prayers!

Here are some saints you may find good to ask for help in praying for you. They have more than one patronage but I have listed ones related to your situation:

- St. Jude, patron saint of hope and impossible causes.

- Our Lady of Loreto, patron saint of patron saint of pilots, airmen and flight attendants.

- St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron saint of aviation, astronauts, mental handicaps, test taking, and students.

- St. Padre Pio, patron saint of stress relief.

- St. Joseph, patron saint of families, travelers, engineers and working people.

- St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of universities and scholars.

- St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patron saint of the sick.

- St. Raphael, patron saint of travelers.

- St. Dymphna, patron saint of those who suffer with mental and nervous disorders.

- St. Benedict Joseph Labre, patron saint of those suffering from mental illness.

- St. Juliana Falconieri, those suffering from bodily ills

- St. Christina the Astonishing, patron saint of the mentally ill.

- Our Lady of Lourdes, patron saint of healing.