#bitch what fucking distraction. like. studying for 14 hours a day is not normal you Know that right. right. say sike rn

[ohmeowmy]

.

[loveraids]

advice for incoming freshmen

hey guys! here’s a list of some tips i made for incoming freshmen. i thought i’d share some advice/knowledge i’ve accumulated over the years too. everything’s under the cut. if you have any questions/concerns, feel free to message me! ☀️ (tw: long post)

1. one of the biggest fears many people have entering high school is not making friends. however, there are MANY opportunities where you can make friends! besides being friendly with who you sit with in class, try joining a sport, club, extra curricular, etc. i’m not saying making friends is the easiest thing in the world- i still struggle with it today. but don’t put yourself down if you’re not immediately friends with everyone in the school in the first week- it’ll take some time to develop. remember that everyone else is just as scared as you are, and they aren’t gonna come out of their shells until you do as well.

2. depending on your school, they may start throwing college shit at u on day one (although unlikely). no matter what, don’t stress right now!! the college process really doesn’t begin until the weeks leading up to the summer of junior year. you have time!! it’s ok to not know what you want to do. college has an “undecided” major for a reason.

3. V O L U N T E E R. i cannot stress this enough. it has soso many benefits and freshman year will most likely be the most time-free year you have. find a position at your local zoo, library, camp, hospital, etc. it’s a great resume booster and can aid you in the college application process (additionally, if you have an honors society that requires volunteer hours, you’ll need them anyways). also, you get to help people !

4. freshman year is going to teach you what real high school work is. you may struggle, and it’s ok! i was one of the “bright” kids that had their grades drop once i entered high school, and yeah, it did a lot to my self esteem. but throughout the years i picked myself up- i embraced help from my peers/teachers, i figured out what method of studying works best (pro tip: studying for math? look over the basic rules and do thousands of practice problems. science that isn’t math based? quizlet and khan academy. history? quizlet.), i learned that it’s OK to get a grade under a 90/A-. it’s going to seem tough at first, but just remember that you’re adjusting to a completely new environment and work ethic. you will get through it!! please shoot me an ask if you ever need help i’ll always answer. (edit: also do ur homework!!! it could be the difference between a B+ and an A-.)

5. imagine the crustiest person in your grade right now. now imagine them trying to hit on a kid that’s four years younger than you. gross, right? that’s exactly what a senior hitting on a freshman is like!! do not do that shit!!! there is NO reason why a senior should be trying to hook up with you when they’re 17-18 and you’re 14-15. that shit is NASTY. do NOT date seniors (even juniors are sketchy).

6. high school is where you will probably encounter alcohol/drugs/sex/etc at some point. do not be pressured!! if you don’t wanna smoke or drink then don’t do it (if you’re with the type of people who pressure, you better run). ive personally never had an experience where i was pressured, and people were usually respectful, but i can’t speak the same for everyone else. wanna get fucked up and party with your friends? be careful! i’m not promoting underage drinking but lets be honest a lot of kids do it. no sense in trying to pretend like that isn’t the real world. if you’re invited to some party by someone you KNOW has a bad rep, then don’t go!! you’ll have more opportunities.

7. if you’re worried about SATs/college admissions exams, you have a year. kids in my school are kinda crazy and were studying freshman year which made NO sense to me. end of sophomore year/beginning of junior year is usually adequate (plus- the main rule with SATs/ACTs is that you should take the test NO MORE than three times- that’s three chances!! i personally did well on my SAT, so if u have any questions feel free to ask me.

8. back to the point of pressure - if you’re going to a gifted and talented program/school, you will most likely feel academic pressure. with so many bright and smart peers, your standards will end up being much higher than the general population. i’m speaking from experience.

9. student government is usually a popularity contest. if you don’t win, don’t beat yourself up. if you do, congrats!

10. take pictures! save holiday cards! make memories!! i sincerely regret not taking photos (with me in them!!) during my freshman and sophomore years. there are a lot of great memories that i didn’t record because i was too embarrassed to get in front of a camera. i’ve learned that i’d rather cringe at a photo i look bad in in the privacy of my own phone, rather than not have a picture at all.

11. start developing good studying habits right away. what motivated me was getting cute/colorful pens, highlighters, erasers, post-its, etc., and making my notes look really pretty. i have my own personal post-it collection now. if you find ways to make studying even remotely fun/interesting, it will be extremely beneficial in the long run. i remember the summer before my junior year, i was excited to go back literally because i wanted to use my new pens.

12. this is a future piece of advice, but i would say there’s a 99% chance that you will be friends with mostly different people by senior year. you might have a core few, or a bestie, but myself and many others know that there are people who we were best friends with freshman year that don’t say hi to us in the halls senior year.

13. listen, there are gonna be some snake ass bitches. there’s no avoiding it. just don’t pay attention to them!! they get off on thinking they’re better than you. the best way to no longer deal with someone you don’t like is to just not associate with them. i’m obviously over simplifying these situations, but its usually not that deep. if it’s to the point where it’s causing you a great amount of stress, then it may be something you need to talk to a guidance counselor about.

14. please. do. not. run. and scream. in. the. halls. who do u think u are?? it’s 8 AM i don’t want to hear your screeching voice as you run into 7 people!!!!!

15. the freshmen are usually the joke of the school. you’ll hear you guys referred to as gremlins in some way, shape, or form. just deal with it, you’ll understand when you’re no longer freshmen (unless someone’s being unnecessarily mean!!).

16. make friends with your teachers!!!!!!!!! stay after class to have a little conversation with them. email them after school. bring them gifts on major holidays. IT WILL PAY OFF. letters of recommendation? done! need a teacher to sign off on something? done! minorly messed up in class? they’ll let it go bc they like you! this will also probably result in an increase in your character/participation grades.

17. make a travel pack that you keep in your bag - a few small bills,  pads/tampons (for those who need), pen, pencil, bobby pins, nail file, hair elastic, gum/mints, small perfume, band-aids, charger, etc.

18. thrift books sells books for really cheap!! also, ALWAYS check other places before ordering from normal bookstores (i’m looking at u barnes & noble)- they’re most likely cheaper.

19. i’m not gonna be one of those people who is like “school is the best!! it can be great for anyone if you just try!!” bc that shit aint true. it might suck ass for some of you. just know that high school isn’t your life. some people act like your life ends after high school. we’re 14-18 years old and still have so much to learn and see. if you set up a countdown to the end of high school your first day of freshman year, so be it.

20. your teachers are people too. they’re not there for you to use and abuse. they have families, problems, LIVES. they also have 3289472 students besides yourself, and assuming they should put you above the rest will only end up in disappointment.

21. social media is not all that matters. esp in this day and age, people will definitely be using snapchat and instagram (and hey! tumblr too). but don’t think you need social media to fit in. one of the most popular girls in my school literally made her instagram just the other day. to reiterate: it’s not that deep!!

22. you’re gonna change a lot (which is ok!!). freshman year i only wore hot topic and watched supernatural & doctor who. now, i just watch cooking vids and fawn over shawn mendes. it’s ok to change!! even just though freshman year you’ll change. i know i got like. super gay

23. if you find yourself having free time (or having study hall), do your homework!!! once you get home you’ll probably get distracted/lazy. what i used to do was go to my local library after school and get all my homework done so that i wouldn’t leave my school mindset and not wanna do anything. even if you don’t get everything done, you’ll thank yourself later.

24. there’s a difference between “forming your own opinion” on someone and completely ignoring their reputation/what your friends say. i can’t tell you how many people have gotten burned by the SAME guy in my school because none of them even kept in mind the warnings they had heard about him. it’s ok to give people a chance, but remember that most people’s reputations hold some truth (but not everyone!).

25. this seems pretty obvious but like. be nice. don’t talk mad shit about people you don’t know. rumors fly FAST in high school. what’s even worse is when they’re not true. fact check your shit if you ARE gonna gossip.

26. ok last point (for now). everything is gonna be new. there’s no getting around it. you WILL feel out of place. you’ll most likely be anxious. but everything will end up ok (cheesy, i know). the first week of high school is one the scariest weeks you’ll have in high school. things need time to settle. you’ll make friends, you’ll find things you like, you’ll be happy!! enter high school with a growth mindset. it may not seem like it, but your attitude WILL impact how things turn out.

overall, you guys will be fine. good luck to all of you !! if you have any questions or need advice on a specific thing, please feel free to send me an ask!! i’m always here. love u bbies

[unrequitedmime]

Mason opened the door with a head full of tangles and a coffee in his hand. Albany sighed as she pushed past him into his apartment.  "Mason," she sighed, exasperated, "It's nearly 12pm."  He shrugged, nodding a hello to Finn as he brushed through the doorway with an amused grin.  "And your point is?"  She dropped her bag on the kitchen bench and opened the fridge, searching. Finn came to stand behind her, looking himself. Mason sat down on one of his stools, putting his coffee on the bench in front of him.  "Why are you guys looking for food? You just had breakfast."  "That's none of your business," Albany announced, closing the fridge door.  He had no food. He never did. Every time Albany planned to visit his apartment she got food beforehand so that she wouldn't starve. She had made this clear to Mason once in an attempt to guilt him into buying more food, but he had only claimed that it was a nice date to go on before visiting him. She hopped up onto the bench, leaning against the wall on the end of it. Her long legs extended, reaching the other side, and her twin brother looked at her boots in distaste. His autumn eyes flickered up to her, and she couldn't help but feel her usual surge of jealousy. She quickly smothered the flames.  Mason was the attractive twin.  His dirty blonde curls and sunshine eyes full of warmth that seemed to belonged to early Sunday mornings made girls stop walking when he passed them on the street. His smile was sweet. His skin wasn't pale, but it wasn't tan either, it was somewhere perfectly between. His obsession with baseball and his lucky end of the genetics gave him his broad shoulders and his towering height. His voice was deep and smooth, like running water over smooth pebbles in a stream. He was an amazing singer. And, to top it all off, he was studying law. "Why are you here, by the way?" he asked, his early morning voice strained with the croak of a late night party. She narrowed her eyes, "Why?" she retorted, "Is there a girl in your bed that you're trying to hide from me? Are you tired from getting wasted last night?" Finn rested a warning hand on her thigh as Mason suddenly stood up, his eyes shining with annoyance. "Albany," he snapped, "I am not in the mood to deal with your shit so early in the morning-" "It's 11:45!" she exclaimed. "-so if you're gonna be a bitch, then make your way out."   She glared at him. He glared back. Finn stood between them, his awkwardness radiating off him in waves. Silence settled for a few moments before Albany spoke.  "I came," she said slowly, her voice burning with anger, "To check if you're gonna be alright."  "What?"  "It's Friday," she said quietly, "Tomorrow is Saturday."  His eyes widened with realisation, and the blood drained from his face. His face suddenly shone with an overwhelming grief. A grief that had been a dull ache for the past three years, but would soon be an all consuming wave of pain. He sat back down at his stool, staring at the bench. Finn softly migrated into the lounge room, giving them their peace, and a moment later he turned the TV on.  Minutes stretched between them like oceans, and she let them ripple wide. She knew Mason was lost in his thoughts, in his memories. Finally, he spoke. "I lost track of the week," he whispered, "I haven't had time to prepare myself." She rested her boot against his clenched hands on the bench, and his fingers loosened, "You don't have to prepare," her voice was soft, "I prepared for the both of us." "Al-" Her phone began to ring, and the high pitched tone made her startle. Piss off Sybil, she swore to herself as she looked at the caller ID. She declined the call. She needed to be there for her brother. It rang again, and again. She declined it, again and again.   Mason raised an eyebrow at her buzzing phone, "Sybil?" he asked. "How did you know?" He shrugged, "Only Sybil calls that many times when you don't pick up." Mason had known the girls as long as she had. He had known the girls since he was 14, and he was closest with Sybil as they had classes together every year in school. Whenever the girls used to come over to Albany's, Sybil would make a special visit to Mason's room for an hour or two simply to lay on his bed and talk to him while he studied. More than a few times Albany had suspected that they were secretly in love with each other, but both of them had laughed at every one of her accusations.   The calls stopped. Her phone suddenly began buzzing frantically as Sybil sent a million texts, trying to annoy her into answering her phone instead of ignoring the calls. After the 20th buzz, Mason let out a laugh.  "Albany," he groaned, "Just answer it. Make her stop."  She swore softly as she reluctantly picked up the phone, calling Sybil. She picked up straight away. "Piss of Sybil-" "Hutch has been cheating on Cecily for the past month," she announced, breathless. Albany's voice faltered as her heart stopped, "What?" "He's in love with another girl, Albany," she said quietly, "She caught them this morning." Albany's heart suddenly beat again, and it began to race in anger. She let out a shaky breath. Hutch, cheating on Cecily? But that's impossible. They'd been wildly in love for a year, and as time had carried on, the love in their eyes had only brightened. He was madly in love with her, always had been. Or had the burning love slowly slipped away from Cecily's grasp without her noticing and into the hands of another? She closed her eyes. Shit. "How is she?" Albany whispered. Mason's eyes widened in worry when he heard the sadness in her voice. He stood up from his stool, wondering which of the girls was hurting. "Her heart is aching," Sybil said, "And she thinks there will be starless nights, but she hopes that one day they'll twinkle again." It took Albany a few moments to decipher Sybil's meaning, and she nodded in understanding. Sybil had a delicate way of using words when she was upset, weaving normal sentences into beautiful metaphors. "Angry tears, or sad ones?" "She cried for about an hour when she got home. Peyton and I just layed next to her in silence. I don't think she was sad nor angry, particularly. Just broken. She said had seen that it was falling apart, and she hated herself for ignoring the signs," pause, "She feels betrayed, and lost, and upset. But mostly, I think she's grieving for the love they had shared when they were happy." Albany slowly nodded, letting out a breath. Sybil was a writer, and she knew how to interpret feelings into words to make sure others could understood another's pain or love. Between her and Peyton, the advice guru, Cecily would be safe and warm. Albany still felt lost. "I'll head back now," Albany told Sybil, but Sybil spoke frantically before she could hang up. "No, that's not why i called!" she announced, "I mean, yes come home as soon as possible because Ce will need all of us there for her, but there's something else i need to say." Albany paused, "What is it?" Finn had come to the kitchen at the sound of Albany's sympathetic tone for Cecily, and both him and Mason watched her half of the phone call with interest. "We're going on a holiday," she said, and Albany could hear the smile in her voice, "Just for a few days. We need to distract Cecily, so we're going up to the mountains. All of us." Albany raised her eyebrows in surprise, trying to logically consider whether or not that was a good idea. She felt the excitement spark in her heart, and she knew without a doubt that she'd go. "Who classifies as all of us?" Sybil giggled, "That's what Peyton said. All of us equals everyone. Everyone, everyone." Albany looked to Finn and let a grin spread over her face, "Okay." "Are you at Mason's?" Sybil asked.  "Yeah, why?" "Bring him," she instructed, "I know what tomorrow is for you two, and he should be surrounded by his sister and some friends when he's going through that."   Albany blinked in surprise; she hadn't even realised that she would be leaving Mason alone with his pain. She scorned herself for being so selfish, and wondered at Sybil's consideration for her brother. She glanced at her twin, with his messy curls and his curious eyes.  "He'll be there," she said, ignoring the suspicious narrowing of his eyes, "Who else is coming?"  "Peyton, Cecily, Kieran, Cliff, Miles and I."  "Cliff?" Albany gasped.  Sybil let out a delighted chuckle, "Yep! Cecily said she wants him there, so Cliff will be there."  "And Miles?" Albany said, teasing.  "Oh god, B," Sybil groaned, "Miles met Kieran today. You should have seen the daggers of jealousy in Miles' eyes! Peyton nearly laughed aloud when she saw Miles look Kieran up and down."  Albany let out a laugh, "WHAT? Peyton met Miles before me! I wish I was there!"  Sybil laughed, "Shut up, Albany, this is serious! I'm worried Miles will think that he's competition."  "It can't be a competition," Albany reminded, grabbing her bag off the bench, "Because Kieran is already the winner."  The last thing she heard before Sybil hung up was her exhausted groan. She slipped her phone in her pocket and turned to the boys.  "Cecily found out this morning that Hutch is in love with another girl," she said through gritted teeth, and while Finn's eyes flashed with sympathy, Mason's burned with a sudden anger.  "What a prick," he said quietly, shocked.  "He's a fucking cockhead," Albany said, and she saw Finn hide his smile.  He had always loved her pride in rude cusses. Most men had frowned in distaste when she swore, but Finn had only grinned brightly, his eyes shining with adoration.  God, she loved that boy.  "Anyway," she said, running an exasperated hand through her hair, "We're escaping for a few days up in the scenery of the mountains. It will help distract Cecily, and," she emphasised, glancing to Mason, "It will help distract both you and I from the memories."  He raised a surprised eyebrow, "I'm invited?"  "Sybil knows what tomorrow means for you, and she wants to make sure you're surrounded by happy things."  His eyes warmed at the mention of Sybil's name, and his face glowed as he took in her kindness. Albany glanced to Finn.  "I'm coming," he announced before she could say a word, "Any chance to be alone with you for a few days, Princess," he said with a wink.  Albany felt the butterflies dance through her body, and she couldn't help but smile at him. He always knew what to say to make her shine. He fished his keys out of his pocket and grinned a goodbye to Mason before letting himself out, squeezing Albany's hand on the way. Albany caught the door before it shut and looked back to her brother. "We'll pick you up this time tomorrow, big brother," she said to him as she closed the door, "And have a shower, you stink." The door shut quietly behind her.

unrequited