#and i need to prioritize it bc it looks good on a resume and one of my bosses is going on maternity leave in a few weeks

[tempestuousserenity]

.

[kageyahma]

i'm gonna talk about my personal gripes with academic culture that shapes med students/premeds for a sec.

i am no expert on being one, but any life science student has met or interacted with these people. bc very rarely have i met some 18-21 yr old with full ambition to get into med school and become a physician who DIDNT raise alarm bells for misguided intentions (e.g. actions and accomplishments done purely to buff up their resume and make their application competitive; getting personally offended they did't get an A+ on something and blaming the prof for potentially contributing to them not being accepted into med school). i'm not intimate with the admission process either but knowing vaguely how it works it's easy to recognize that like many other processes it prioritizes saying the right things and surface level communication, hoping for empathy to be taught and internalized later (e.g. admission guides/resources prioritizing how to say the things interviewers want to hear for an ethical dilemma in an interview hoping that that alone is a standard to vouch for a good moral compass).

and this treatment of surface level competency and students needing to dedicate all possible time to knowing what the right answers are to be able to reach their goals (MCAT scores, interview scores, resume bullet points, convincing references to write recommendation letters) leaves little priority to consider the integrity behind the work, which extends to any work or educational deliverable (especially the stuff they deem as low priority; like some highly specific work task deadline or some exam for a "bird course" aka humanities elective they look down on).

i've gotten into research scenes prioritizing ways to increase integrity in academic research -- education on openness and transparency, evaluating and creating standards for practice. i've worked on auditing these practices, for which we published results in an academic journal. i worked alongside a med student and guided him through the audit process. because i was also a student he was very comfortable saying things to the sentiment of "oh there's a lot to be done in a short period of time? easy, we can crunch this out" (read: i'm so used to processing huge amounts of information to give some result/record of accomplishment and this is just another one i'll rush through and get by on). he finished it remarkably quickly afterwards. i did quality control on his work and realized that it was what i suspected, he did it TOO quickly, and it was completely wrong. we were all working remotely, so my supervisor in a one on one meeting told me she realized he did not understand at all what the point of it was or what we intended to get at with our answers. moving forward we just kept him out of the loop and got an additional person to quality control and get a better set of data. the dude still got authorship on the published paper. another thing to buff up the resume right?

is this a full reflection on metrics of "deserving" and on the future conduct of a future doctor? probably not. this could be a separate question of how we determine authorship and division of labour in research as a whole. but this is one part in a whole practice and attitude of valuable vs non valuable work and a question of how much integrity is really needed for success.

[404fmdtaejin]

headcanon meme, still accepting!

edit note: i screenshotted the first one with the hover so forgive this mess

Send ♡ for a social media headcanon. (wc: 274)

taejin is a self-proclaimed narcissist and that’s what anyone would expect him to post about on his social media handles.

his instagram handle is ktj__02. why the two is there, is mainly just because two is his favorite number. instagram is meant for him to share pictures of his dog, his selfies or just pictures that his manager has taken for him. on days where he feels his outfit is on point, or he groomed himself nicely, he’ll take a hundred selfies before stepping away and picking one. think of it as his regina george moment. if he’s feeling like a d-bag, he’ll even take a selfie at the gym and post his body progress for those fans who want to leave comments. as for comments and likes, he doesn’t care about that as much as he cares about the overall aesthetic of his instagram. he cares about that a lot.

he has a weibo, but he still doesn’t know how to navigate that platform too. blame it on his age, or blame it on his elementary level chinese, he just knows it works like twitter and can occasionally use naver dictionary to translate his captions into something that makes sense. shockingly, he has a lot of chinese fans because of the successes he’s found in his dramas. 

twitter is another thing he doesn’t know how to use, thus he doesn’t have an account. instead, any updates related to him are strictly fan accounts or decipher’s main twitter account to post updates. however, if you ask him to throw a tweet in, he’ll just update with a selfie because that is who he is.

Send ♞ for a non-performance talent headcanon. (wc: 270)

by performance does it mean something that’s away from the spotlight or just singing? if it is apart from singing, taejin is an extremely talented actor that can channel a lot of various roles, as shown by his resume. most of the time, directors like to cast him as the main male lead in love as he plays the boyfriend/lovelorn role very well. acting is a skill that’s grown naturally to him, and he’s found a love for the hobby as well.

another peculiar talent is his active nature. he’s talented in lifting weights and exercising (as d-bag as that sounds). from boxing to jiu jitsu, he’s able to channel his energy into something productive which has transformed his scrawny body into something more built on muscle mass. he’s currently a blue belt in jiujitsu and found it found to entertaining to find a new way to work out.

he also can play the classical piano very well. his mother was persistent that he take lessons as a child to at least learn how to handle the notes. this in turn caused thirteen years of private piano lessons, which now translates over to muscle memory. if he stands by the piano, he can play clair de lune by heart. (this might be related to performance though).

interior decor. that’s a special talent. blame it on his pretty boy ways or having a constant need to have a spic and span room, but he really enjoys decorating the room with minimalistic touches. many of his close friends have asked him to design their homes and he does so with tasteful touches.

Send ☎ for a bad fan experience headcanon. (wc: 313)

being in the industry for over a decade with fans that are die-hard and passionate to the bone only warrants good fan experiences as well as bad ones. he would say that the sasaeng fans, and each experience with them would be considered a bad one.

there was one sasaeng in china, in which the fan would figure out their exact schedules and ride on the same plane. this was okay until the fan would be a few seats away snapping pictures and even following him to the hotel. turns out, the fan was staying at the same hotel, and this in turn caused a weird turn of events where they would try to come in and unlock the door during the early hours of the night. that night, taejin slept with the manager in the same room.

another sasaeng was in korea where they figured out taejin’s address and phone number for the first apartment he lived in. despite the heavily gated security, they jumped the fence and camped out in front fo the entrance until he walked in. they stalked him to his exact apartment where he had to defend himself all while simultaneously calling the police. this turn caused bc to take action, and also scarred taejin from living in that apartment. he moved to a new place (with the help of his parents), to an extremely private villa in seoul forest. lately, he hasn’t had any problem but he feels very skeptical that someone is watching.

the last one was at a fan signing where a fan deliberately told him off. they were angry that taejin seemed to be prioritizing his acting than decipher, and they made it known as he was signing the cd that he should do more as a leader. they called him selfish and arrogant, which lead to the female being escorted out by security.

Send ✈ for an airport fashion headcanon. (wc: 256)

fashion is extremely important to taejin, no matter where he goes. fashion becomes the sole reason he gets up and feels excitement when heading towards the airport. 

he maximizes the ‘boyfriend’ look, by wearing a lot of casual suits that are catered towards the seasons. mainly, his goal is to look put together and classy. the suits are usually pieces from tom ford, made of linens to emphasize the casual nature of them. he pairs the suit with a pair of loafers (if he’s feeling fancy) or common project sneakers to dress it down. 

other times, he’ll put on a pair of slacks, with a pair of sunglasses and a simple white t-shirt. the slacks are usually from bottega venetta or celine, and the sunglasses can range from being gentle monster, celine or even ray-ban. the t-shirt is from the row or acne studios, as he believes the most essential part of a wardrobe is holding sturdy well-made staples. 

some other options include just simple button up shirts, which are usually made of silk. there are a lot of places where he buys, but he does enjoy a good button up from bottega (it’s his current favorite brand). 

lastly, he finishes his outfit with a bag or a clutch. a leather holder for his notebook and his phone, he carries it to store the ipad he uses to watch movies or go over his scripts on the plane. in his mind, the bag is the finishing touch to his outfits.

ref 1, ref 2, ref 3

more info on his headcanon on fashion

[kae-karo]

[1] hi!! so idk if you've seen dan speaking at the mental health panel or not, but there was one part that hit me really hard and id love to know your thoughts on it! basically he was saying that often content creators, and people in general, are struggling with their mental health the most when it seems like they're thriving (uploading constantly, getting good grades, etc) but everyone thinks they're fine. which is literally my life rn but i can't take a break from overworking myself bc i need

[2] to get into college. do you have any advice abt how to provide for my future while still taking care of myself? also, i just want to thank you for running such a healthy and positive blog bc it has helped me thru some difficult times, and you seem like such a thoughtful and caring person!

hi dear! oh no :( I'm so sorry, that's such a hard position to be in - I havent been in school for a few years, and not in high school since 2012 yikes lmao, so I'm sure things have changed a bit but hopefully I can still give some advice that helps?

I'd say first and foremost, talk to a trusted adult you know in person about how you're feeling - whether that be a parent, older sibling, favorite teacher, advisor, etc. they may have advice more specific to your situation that might take into account details I dont know. and while this is my first piece of advice, it can also be the hardest? sometimes facing our demons and being honest about them with others who have only seen our "good side" can feel impossible, but it can be a crucial step to help build a support system that you can go to when you feel you're struggling

the next thing I'd say is, on a small scale, start taking time for yourself. I know that's like. the hardest thing to do when you have like 6hr of homework a night, minimum, plus clubs or sports or other activities that take time, but literally even sneaking five minutes between some bits of homework to do something that's calming and centering for you can make a difference - if you can grab five minutes to go sit in a space you feel comfortable, away from your work, to breathe and think about something other than your work, that can be helpful

the next one is sorta like. tangential, but take care of your body as well - you're still a growing and developing human, so this is ESPECIALLY important, but drinking lots of water (and not too many sugary drinks/chemical drinks) and eating veggies and getting enough protein can literally make such a big difference in your brains ability to function at it's best. the other important thing here is sleep - every body is different, so keep in mind what your body does best on and (when you can) aim for that. between hydration, good nutrition, and sufficient sleep, you're laying a foundation that can help your brain be more successful throughout the day

I wish, ultimately, i had a perfect answer for the fucked up school system (esp in America which is what I'm most familiar with), but it honestly sets you up to fail. what (unintentionally) worked well for me was having a blow-off class or two - classes that were easy for me (like sign language, or French 1 after I'd already taken Spanish for several years) and could help boost my GPA without stressing me out as much. if you can find those classes- and definitely look for the ones that are easy for YOU, don't just ask around for the easiest classes - that can be a really nice break in your day and help relieve you of some after-school stress

here's another "honesty is the best policy" situation - if you find yourself struggling to understand a concept, or homework is taking you so much longer than some of your peers (or the teacher says theres only an hour of hw a night and you end up spending far longer on it) talk to the teacher! tell them you're struggling, and ask if you can get some help understanding a topic. be specific about what you dont understand (dont just go "I dont get it") and explain your thought process - this can help teachers understand where you're veering off the path and what you might be missing. and, more importantly, if you're coming in for help, they're more likely to be lenient with you because they know you're trying (yes I'm aware that was more a "school help in general" bit of advice but in case that's something you're struggling with)

now heres....maybe some controversial advice. take calculated risks. example: if a teacher has a policy where they drop your lowest homework grade in a class and you're doing alright in that class, but you have a day where you're saddled with WAY too much work for another class where you're struggling, it's okay to say "okay, today I need to go to sleep by 10pm, I can either finish this difficult homework or complete homework for the class that will drop a grade", sometimes it makes more sense to skip that one homework and get a zero to spend time dedicated to the class you're struggling in and get rest. in a similar vein, there is also a limit to studying - there is a point where you physically cannot absorb more knowledge. it is so much better for your brain - both from a focus and memory standpoint - to get a little extra sleep than to stay up late studying well past the point where you will retain knowledge.

now....again, I havent been applying to colleges in ages so my advice might be a bit stale, but colleges tend to look for good grades but also challenging classes, or improvement over time in classes, etc etc. they want to know you're working hard, and that you have diverse interests. college apps are a bit like resumes honestly, except you cant lie about your GPA. but like. you can fluff everything else. literally EVERYTHING becomes fair game with college apps. you can talk about fanfic or a fandom you're in if you phrase it the right way, like there are barely rules lmao. and you can make yourself sound very appealing

so my advice would be basically this: work hard, but learn your personal limits. figure out how much sleep a night makes you feel awake and focused the next day (again, it varies!) and aim for that as much as you can. try to eat nutritiously when you can, and drink lots of water. dedicate time to your homework and studying, but be sure to take regular breaks and ACTUALLY shift your brain away from your work during those breaks. and it's also good to dedicate time to life activities - like I said, colleges want to know you're a diverse person. spend time in clubs you like or playing sports if that's your thing, or do things unconnected to school. and remember, you can fluff that all up on a college app! but also remember - you have to live with you for the rest of your life, and there are so so many paths to a good job or a college education if that's what you decide you want, be sure to prioritize your health as much as you can. the education system tricks you into this never ending cycle of "if I just push through ___________ I'll get to ___________!" and taking that through your life can be really challenging and exhausting. I need to acknowledge that some of this is easy for me to say - I was a good test taker in high school, I went to college, and I bullshitted my way through (that's a whole other story lmao) but like. I need to acknowledge that, by some privilege and luck, I do have a college education. so when i say this next thing, please take it with a grain of salt, but there is more to life than chasing what society tells us to chase - there is family, there are friends, relationships, hobbies and interests and love and dreams and spending hours playing video games and SLEEP and getting sunburned cause you spent too long out under the sun photosynthesizing and collecting pens or shiny rocks and ANIMALS there is so so so much in life and I hate with such a burning passion that, for the first 22 years of our lives, we are told the ONLY thing in life is getting through college, getting a degree. again, I need to acknowledge that I say that with a background of privilege, and that education can help people get out of bad situations, etc, but there are many paths to education and they dont all require you to put life on hold to get there

let me tell u a story real quick, cause my education looks (from the outside) "easy" (turns out I had depression and eating disorders of all kinds yeehaw !!!!). my sister did NOT have an easy time in school - my parents could afford it, so she had a tutor for some of her challenging subjects, but she also dealt with anxiety and depression the entire time. she didnt get into the college she wanted to, but got put in a sort of program where, if she got good enough grades in some community college courses, she could get into the school. so she worked her ass off, dove even deeper into her mental health issues, but eventually did get in. and then she had challenging classes and didnt have a great support system, and she ended up failing out of many of her classes, to the point where she got put on academic probation. so she took a year off, got a job at a daycare, and I have literally never seen her happier or more well-adjusted. shes going back to school now, for early childhood education, and working part time at the daycare while she takes a light course load at school

another story for you - my aunt graduated high school and went straight into the workforce. she came from a dirt-poor family and couldn't afford it. she bounced around a bit, but eventually found company that she worked well with. they paid for her to go to school, and she finally got a degree many years after what we would consider "traditional". she had a few other jobs, but shes been at her current company now going on 20 years, has been through several promotions, and works directly with a c-suite employee. she is also the only woman in her office, a very traditional trucking company where she works with engineers on a daily basis

there are many paths to education, if that's where you want to go, and it's okay if it ends up looking different from the traditional path were told to follow. do what you can to avoid sacrificing your mental health for an education - if its what you want, you will get there. and remember to ask for help along the way!! I hope that helps a little, dear

[aceprosecuties]

rare ship Simollo 71. With adorable Apollo being extra cute if you can.

SO I KNOW THIS IS LIKE A YEAR OLD PROMPT BUT FOR SOME REASON I DECIDED I NEEDED TO DO A SIMOLLO THING SO HERE IT BE I went with a cliched scenario bc I am basic af but I tried to make Apollo cute in his own way aha

71.  “Kiss me, quick!”

—–

“Whatare you doing, Justice-dono?”

Simoncould swear that he saw Apollo jump almost out of his suit when he spoke.  It was funny how Simon almost always seemedto catch the lawyer off guard, despite being six-foot-two to Apollo’sfive-foot-five.  He chuckledas Apollo – who had been crouched low and looking suspiciously around a corner– suddenly scrambled to his feet, the redness in his cheeks matching hisoutfit.

“P-ProsecutorBlackquill!  I didn’t see you there.”

Simoncouldn’t help but smirk down at Apollo; it was fun to tease him.  Apollo was still sometimes so jumpy andnervous around him, despite knowing his history.  How could Simon not amuse himself at the other’s expense when he made it so damn easy?

“Ofcourse you didn’t.  You were tooengrossed in skulking about and looking like a criminal yourself.”

Thereit was – that pout that told Simon that Apollo was simultaneously embarrassedand insulted.  He wasn’t sure if Apollowas trying to glare at him, butreally…he did not have the face for it even if that was his original intention.  Sometimes in court, Apollo would have a moremature and serious expression but…in the courtroom, Apollo had proven himselfto be a tough opponent with a sharp blade. A rival worthy of admiration and respect.

Outsidethe courtroom, however…that aura seemed to fall as easily from Apollo’sshoulders as any article of clothing he would wear.  Which was…strange, since his mannerisms didnot change all that much.  

But toSimon, the shift in scenery was all the change in the world.

“Whatare you doing here?”  Apollo turned hisgaze away, face still red and lips still posed as that frowning pout.  It was a good look on him, Simonthought.  It was why he always made apoint to cause it whenever they crossed paths.

“I wassimply passing through, Justice-dono.  Iam a free man now, aren’t I?  Am I not allowed to be in public?”  

Hisincarceration was a touchy subject for many people.  They would dance around the issue, and wouldcarefully choose their language to try and not ‘offend’ him.  The constant tiptoeing around insulted Simon,and so he of course decided to use their sensitivities against them.  

“I-what?  No, that’s not-  I mean,” Justice stammered, snapping his gazeback to Simon.  His voice actuallyincreased in volume, as Simon had come to recognize meant that Apollo wasnervous.  

“Calmyourself, Justice-dono.”  Simon wassmiling, amusement dancing in his eyes like a fire flickering in a calmwind.  “You throw yourself onto my bladesfar too easily you know.”  He laughed asApollo resumed his previous pout.  

“Whyare you like this?”  Apollo’s voice was ahushed whisper, as if Simon perhaps wouldn’t hear him.  Unfortunately, Simon had great ears, and thequestion just – inexplicably – made him smile more.  Teasing Apollo really was too much fun…forsome reason.

“What are you doing, Justice-dono?”  Simon couldn’t help his curiosity, choosingto refrain from responding to Apollo’s rhetorical question.  “If you’re trying to be inconspicuous, you’renot doing a very decent job.”

Apollosighed, knowing deep down that Blackquill was correct.  “I was just trying to…tail someone.”  Even as he said it, the guilt could be readon his face.  So, naturally, Simon letout an overly-shocked gasp.

“Justice-dono…andhere I thought you were an upstandingtype of citizen.”

Apollorolled his eyes.  “Listen, Mr. Wrightdecided to take on this client but I…I just don’t know about him.  He was lying about something, I just knowit.”

“So…insteadof talking this over with Wright-dono, you decided to sneak around on yourown?”

“Idon’t need judgment from you of all people, Blackquill.”

Simonsmiled – Apollo dropping the ‘prosecutor’ from his name meant that he reallyhad gotten under his skin.  He was aboutto retort with another sarcastic quip, but his eyes looked up and saw a manlooking in their direction.  Staring atthem, actually.

“Isthis client of yours a brown-haired man wearing a hideously colored purpleshirt?”  He looked down and saw Apollonod.  “Because I think he has caught onto you.”

Apollostiffened, eyes darting side-to-side as he tried to think of a way to cover hisass and not get him into trouble withhis client and therefore with his boss. The man started walking towards them.

“Tick-tock,Justice-dono, since he is coming this way.”

Apollowas smart; he did not turn around so unless the man could hear them from thatfar away (unlikely), it looked only like two people conversing with eachother.  The question, of course, would be‘what are you doing here?’  HopefullyJustice-dono had an answer for tha-

“Kissme, quick!”

Now itwas Simon’s turn to be caught off guard, his eyes widening slightly as he triedto process the command Apollo just issued to him.  “What-”

He hadno time to react as Apollo grabbed his tie and pulled him down harshly so thatwhen he brought himself up onto his toes, their mouths slammed together.  It was ungraceful at best, looking likedesperation and longing had been prioritized over technique, which was probablywhat Apollo had been aiming for.  Simonwas too shocked to do much of anything, allowing Apollo to keep himuncomfortably crouched low, even feeling the man’s hand snake around his waistalmost possessively.  

Howlong they remained like that, Simon was not sure.  His eyes flickered up to scan the area; theclient had turned around and walked away, probably not wishing to intrude onsuch an intimate moment for one of his lawyers. Only then did he pull back, his face hot and flushed.  Apollo released his tie and helped straightenit again, purposely not meeting his eye as he spoke.

“I’msorry…it was the only thing I could think of.”

“It isalmost cliché, Justice-dono.”  DespiteSimon’s attempt to return to his sarcastic normalcy, the heat in his face toldhim that he wasn’t as successful as he had hoped.  “Kissing someone to prevent suspicion?”

To hissurprise, Apollo chuckled, perhaps even more amused than he currently was.  “I guess it’s a cliché for a reason,Prosecutor Blackquill.”

“Onlydrawback is now if you’re alone and he sees you again, he will know that thiswas a ruse.”

“Wellthen it would be only polite of you to join me,” Apollo said after a smallmoment of hesitation.  He glanced up,clearly less confident than the tone in his voice was letting on.  

“What aromantic way to ask me on a date, Apollo.”

Thereit was.  That pout.

Cute.  

[emilyjunk]

as someone who has just started college/university this year, and is six weeks into semester one, yet has never had the chance of being hired for their first job yet, do you have any advice? on managing class and work? how to get a job and stand out to potential hirers? hope you don't mind me asking, junk; i just know you've graduated and thought you'd know more than i. thanks - baby 19 year old to be

thats funny i literally took a break from updating my resume to check tumblr and saw this message lmao...

um it depends what you’re asking! are you trying to find like a temporary job while you’re in school? i have advice for that. i worked a job all through both my degrees and did several extra curriculars to boot so my biggest advice is make sure you prioritize whatever you think is your main thing. for me that was not necessarily school at all times, but sometimes it was. sometimes my extra curriculars took priority and i justified this because they look good on resumes. look at your syllabi and make sure you plan around big tests/papers/projects etc and that you dont work when you need to be doing school stuff. my advice is that... as far as GPA goes, if you at least GRADUATE, that’s all employers care about for the most part. they dont really look at your gpa, UNLESS you are shooting for honors or need to keep a certain GPA to keep a scholarship/do additional activities. if your job is an internship, sometimes you may want to prioritize that bc it’s getting you school experience AND work experience. honestly wish i wouldve gotten an internship when i was in college so maybe that would be my biggest advice. get yourself an internship while you’re in school and can.

as far as getting a job outside college... im sad to say i have minimal advice on that as i havent been successful in terms of getting a job that constitutes a “real career”... guess it depends on your degree and on your school. i have a liberal arts degree and i went to a huge pac12 school so they werent as helpful toward individuals in terms of helping find work, although i did try to utilize the career center, but their help was pretty minimal and self-serving. if you have a specialized degree OR you’re in a smaller university, they often can help you find jobs or at least help with your resume/job hunt/getting an internship. definitely check into that. most small schools get students to choose to attend there for the very reason that they help students find jobs and have a huge graduation to employment rate. my biggest thing seriously is probably try to get an internship. it looks awesome on your resume because it’s basically work experience, and for the most part, they’re not too hard to get bc ://// usually they dont pay you and are there for the simple reason to help people get experience without taking a risk on an employee they need to pay. sucks but it true. 

idk im sorry im not too much help! if there was one form of advice about college that im not super equipped to give it’s this! if you have more specific questions, i’d be happy to do my best!!