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snakestardraws · 1 month ago

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Felt like writing a post explaining all my special interests and hyperfixations. I was going to post this during Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, but I forgor 💀 Anyway, here's my massive infodump about all my interests (under the cut):

Current special interests: These are the big ones. The extremely intense, long-lasting interests that make up a core part of my personality. I define a special interest as something I'm constantly thinking about, talking about, and interacting with over a long period of time. To know me is to know these interests.

Pink Floyd - If I had to name a favorite special interest, this and reptiles would tie for the top spot. My interest in Pink Floyd is all-consuming. I can never properly convey how much they mean to me. I first got into them at age 12 when my mom bought me a Dark Side of the Moon shirt. My overly literal brain couldn't stand wearing a shirt without knowing the band, so I looked them up on Scratch (yes, the coding website lol. YouTube was blocked at our school). I clicked on Wish You Were Here, and my life was changed forever. It was a catastrophic extinction-level special interest canon event. I started consuming more and more of their music, getting what I couldn't find on Scratch through an MP3 download website. I read their Wikipedia page and started to genuinely care about the members and history in a way I never had for any other band. I took a specific liking to David Gilmour. I whispered the names of the band members to myself in bed to help me remember them, I walked around on the playground whispering the lyrics to their songs, I got an MP3 player and downloaded every song I could, I did my big 7th grade history project about them, I made atrocious plagiarized fanart of them, I wrote smut fic about David Gilmour with my best friend, I read Deviantart fics on the family computer in the early mornings. For the next 6 Christmases, I asked for only Pink Floyd merch and spent all of my own money on it. My collection grew from that one original shirt to 15 shirts, 16 vinyl records, 8 CDs, 3 pins, 4 posters, a keychain, a fanny pack, a tumbler, and so many more I can't even count. Pink Floyd was at my middle school graduation party and my high school graduation party. It was a bumper sticker on my first car. It inspired the name of my second snake. Their music followed me from insecure tweenhood to semi-confident early adulthood, playing out of crappy MP3 players and old cellphones and cheap turntables and CD players and car speakers the whole way through. I planned 5 different versions of my wedding to David Gilmour. I saw him and Nick Mason in concert and cried real tears both times. I had the best and cringiest interactions with other fans on Deviantart, AO3, Wattpad, YouTube, Amino, Discord, Reddit, Tumblr, and Instagram. Pink Floyd even got name dropped in my official autism diagnosis report 9 months ago. I could go on and on forever, but I should probably stop at some point. Thank you, Pink Floyd, for changing my life.

Reptiles - Where do I even start with my love of reptiles? I suppose the only place to start is when I was 11 years old. I took a Quotev quiz called "What snake should you get?" and got a corn snake as my result. I had never thought about snakes before and only took it for fun, but this made me start seriously considering them as pets. After months of research and begging my mom, I got a beautiful baby anery corn snake for my 12th birthday. I named him Lloyd and promptly set up a bare bones habitat. From this point on, my obsession would only grow. I watched an insane amount of YouTube videos about snakes, eventually branching out into other reptiles. I researched every species I could, upgraded Lloyd's habitat, visited every reptile event I could, talked about snakes constantly, and drew snakes in class all the time. I got a hognose snake named Algernon when I was 14, but he unfortunately died from cancer a year later. I later got a crested gecko named Milton at a reptile expo when I was 16, a hognose snake named Agnes at a reptile store when I was 17, a Kenyan sand boa named Bartholomew and a gold dust day gecko named Archibald at a reptile expo when I was 18, and a giant day gecko named Alexander from Craigslist when I was 18. They are my absolute favorite category of animal and my passion for them is evident to anyone who ever talks to me. I am forever obsessed with them and hope my collection continues to grow. Reptiles are the most gorgeous, adorable, fun, and interesting creatures I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thank you, Lloyd, for starting it all.

Steven Universe - My friend first recommended Steven Universe to me when I was 11. I watched a couple of episodes, but didn't really like it and didn't look into it any more. Years later when I was 17, my favorite YouTuber Athena P talked a lot about how good the show was and I thought I might as well give it another try. After suffering through the messy first half of season 1, the show finally connected with me, and I was obsessed. I shared it with my sister after I finished the show and she loved it too. I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it to everyone I met. I made my own gemsona, read and wrote a huge amount of fanfiction, drew fanart, joined the subreddit, and started consuming all the content I could relating to it. I absolutely love Steven Universe. It's gorgeous, simple, complex, comforting, emotional, hilarious, and overall an incredibly well-made masterpiece. It connected with me in the deepest possible way and helped me learn a couple of new things about myself. Something about the way these silly little rock characters are written has me in a chokehold, and this show will always have a special place in my heart because of it.

A Clockwork Orange - This interest has developed fairly recently, but I can already tell it's going to last a while. I discovered the movie when I was reading the Wikipedia page for the movie rating system and saw that a movie called "A Clockwork Orange" used to be rated X. I was intrigued and frightened by this idea, so I read the page for the movie and found it fascinating. I first watched the movie on April 3rd, got so hooked I had to watch it again immediately afterwards, and have since logged it 60 times on Letterboxd. I have also read the book, looked at numerous fanfictions, watched countless analysis videos, drew some rudimentary fanart, and am currently writing a couple fanfictions myself. I cannot explain why this movie captivates me so. It's dark, spry, unflinching, twisted, unique, iconic, humorous, intelligent, beautiful, hypnotic, perfectly shot, and of course, ultraviolent. But it's not the violence that captures me, which a lot of people I tell about the movie seem to misunderstand. This makes it my most controversial current special interest. I also love the book almost as much as the movie, with the exception of that goofy ahh ending. Ultimately, a wonderful piece of media that I can't look away from, no matter how hard I try.

“Undercurrent” interests: I define these as interests that didn't quite make the cut for special interests, but are still more dear to me than a regular interest. I don't constantly interact with them, but they are always in the background of my mind.

Travel advisories - These are the advisories posted by the U.S. Department of State on which countries are safe to travel to. They are organized by Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, and each country is given reasoning for the safety rating. I got obsessed with reading all the advisories on the site starting at age 16. I even memorized each country and and made a Google Doc color-coding all of the countries by level. I've noticed a common theme with many of my interests, which is that I love anything that can be categorized. That's why learning about these advisories is super fun and addictive to me.

Product recalls - This is somewhat related to my advertising interest. Starting at age 7, I loved watching law firm commercials alerting consumers about product recalls. This interest continued on because I found it so fascinating. Now I look up recall commercials on YouTube and stay on top of new product recalls using Google. They are categorized by level of severity and released to the public in a variety of ways. I don't know why they give me so much dopamine, but they're so fun to watch.

Commercials - This isn't my most intense interest, but it's definitely my most long-lasting one. According to my mom, I loved commercials even as a young toddler, and that love has continued to this day. Whereas most autistic people seem to be less susceptible to ads than normal, I am extremely susceptible to them and love to analyze why a commercial is persuasive. I can't even explain why I like them so much. They're just incredibly fun and pleasurable to me, to the point that watching them feels like I'm on crack. When I was younger, I used to memorize and quote commercials all the time, record infomercials on the DVR, and even film my own commercials with my mom's phone. They will always have a special place in my heart, and they're the reason I want to seek a career in advertising.

Passports - I became obsessed with the designs and rankings of world passports at age 17. Unfortunately, the only online communities for passports are about sexist "passport bros." Thankfully, I can enjoy the beauty of passports outside of those communities. I was thrilled to get my first official passport and stared at it for hours. My favorite websites about passports are the ones that line them up by color so you can click on information about them. I wasted so much school time looking at that site...

Rollercoasters - I have been fascinated with the workings of rollercoasters since I was 6 years old. The different types of coasters, lifts, and restraint systems are just so cool! The weird thing is that I'm kind of mixed on riding them, since a lot of them are extremely fun, but some of them are scary. But the topic of how they work and how they're put together is so fascinating. My favorite coasters are The Rattler and the Incredicoaster.

Dæmonism - This is the practice of creating a sentient mental animal companion inspired by the dæmons in the book series His Dark Materials. When I was 13, I read the book series and became obsessed with it, but especially the aspect of dæmons. I found a specific Amino community for dæmons with instructions on how to create/find your own. So at one windy spring track practice, I found my own dæmon. He appeared as a sunbeam snake I named Sisyphus and we started talking. We talked every day and grew incredibly close, and we are still incredibly close to this day. He tried out many forms and now appears as a marbled polecat. I plan to talk more about dæmonism on my sideblog @daemonforest!

James Bond - This one was almost a special interest, but I feel like I can't call it that since I haven't seen all of the movies and don't like some of them. I also haven't read most of the books and don't like the ones I have read. With that said, I absolutely love James Bond, and I have ever since I was 14. The action is actually interesting and gripping most of the time, the villains and their plots are so cartoonish, the music slaps, the jokes are good, the Bond girls are sometimes cool, and of course there's James Bond, the titular bitchular himself. He's cool, charismatic, mysterious, clever, fun to watch, and overall iconic. My favorite movies are Dr. No, You Only Live Twice, Casino Royale, and Skyfall. My favorite Bond actors are Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, and Timothy Dalton.

Star Trek - Another that just barely edged out of the special interest category. Similar to my James Bond interest, I feel I can't truly claim it as a special interest since I haven't seen all of the shows and don't like some of them. All the same, I absolutely love Star Trek, especially The Next Generation. I first watched it when I was 16 and fell in love with it. It's intelligent, beautiful, and engaging, with many thought-provoking concepts explored through complex and lovable characters. My favorite characters are Data, Spock (all iterations), Uhura, Picard, Janeway, Elnor, Seven of Nine, and Tuvok. My favorite shows are The Next Generation, The Original Series, Voyager, Strange New Worlds, and Picard. My favorite episodes are The Offspring, Silicon Avatar, The Inner Light, Patterns of Force, The Trouble With Tribbles, Subspace Rhapsody, Tuvix, Deadlock, and The Void. I'm currently making my own Star Trek fan story/comic using anthropomorphic cats.

Current hyperfixations: I define a hyperfixation as something that grabs my interest with extreme intensity, but for short periods of time. Upon getting into something, I can immediately tell whether it's going to be long-lasting or not.

Ball pythons - This falls under the category of reptiles, but ball pythons specifically are a hyperfixation right now because I'm getting 2 of them on June 7th. Since last week, I have been researching everything I can about them and talking about them to everyone within earshot.

PVC pipe fittings - This became a hyperfixation last month after my dad asked me to rebuild his sprinkler system with him. We had to work with PVC pipes a lot and they instantly fascinated me, specifically the pipe fittings. Googling pictures of them gives me immense joy.

Past special interests: Interests that used to intensely dominate my life, but no longer do. Even after an interest stops being a special interest, I never lose it. It just becomes a regular interest instead (with the exception of problematic interests I try to get rid of).

Lalaloopsy - My mom bought me my first Lalaloopsy at age 5. From that point on, I was obsessed. I collected over a hundred minifigures, constantly lined them up and played with them, made up my own Lalaloopsy OCs, watched the cartoon, played the minigames, and even bought the collector's guide so I could circle all the ones I wanted. My interest started to wane at age 11, but I am still very fond of them.

Harry Potter - Yeah, this one didn't age too well. My mom read me the first book at age 8 and I was hooked. I quickly devoured the entire series, watched all the movies, collected a bunch of merch and side books, watched those mid Fantastic Beasts movies, visited the theme park, played the Scene It game a thousand times, read a ton of fanfiction, and even made up a self-insert character who I wrote fanfiction about and shipped with Harry. My interest started to wane at age 16 because of JK Rowling's transphobia. I actually knew about it at age 15, but didn't care because I was kind of transphobic myself at the time. But as I mentally matured and realized I was being a dickwad, I realized I couldn't continue this interest because it would only support her. So I still reread the books occasionally despite their problematic content, but I have joined many people in officially renouncing the franchise and refusing to talk about it (outside of this post, of course). Fuck JKR.

Cats - Cats were my favorite animal starting when I was a baby. We've had a least one cat my entire childhood (our current one is named Tiberius) and they have always captivated me. We had an informational book about cats that I would go through and circle all my favorite cat breeds. I'm not as obsessed with them anymore, but I still love them dearly.

Ninjago - When I was about 11 years old, I saw the Lego Ninjago movie in theaters. My best friend at the time introduced me to the original Lego Ninjago show and despite the rough first season, I was hooked. I was especially interested in Lloyd and developed a crush on him, eventually naming my first pet snake after him. I watched every episode, collected a bunch of the Lego sets, made a Minecraft skin of Lloyd as an NPC, made fanart, Warrior Cats crossover fanfiction, and even smut fanfiction shipping Lloyd with Kai and Legolas from Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, it really fell off in season 8 and the spinoff show looks terrible, so I only watch it occasionally now. But it was a good form of bonding with my friend and my sister, and I had a lot of fun with it while the interest lasted.

Warrior Cats - I consider this distinct from my cat interest because it's a specific series, but it was just as intense. My mom got me Into the Wild for my 10th birthday because her siblings loved the series, and I instantly fell in love with it. I read all of the books that were out at the time, including many manga and super editions, wrote copious fanfiction, drew even more fanart, made my own OC, and even made a second OC after I outgrew that one. The second OC, Snakestar, was made when I was 12, and she is still my main OC/fursona to this day. I'm not as obsessed with the series anymore and haven't kept up with the last few arcs, but I still enjoy rereading the books and using my current Warriorsona.

Wings of Fire - I got into this series when I saw my friend at the time reading one of the books on a church road trip when we were 12. I asked to borrow it, but I was pretty confused since it was the third book in the series. However, I still really enjoyed it and decided to draw the dragons like my friend did. They were a lot better at art than me, but we still had fun drawing together. I made quite a few fan tribes and character designs before reading the rest of the series, including one main dragonsona I drew excessively. When I was 14, I finally read the rest of the books since my sister was reading them in school and loved them. I now own all of the books, graphic novels, and drawing books. I also made an updated OC, a lot of art, and a lot of fanfiction. I still love the series, just not as intensely as before.

Past (hyper)fixations: Hyperfixations are transient by nature, and these are the numerous subjects I used to hyperfixate on but no longer do. Even after I stop hyperfixating on something, I never lose interest in it – it just becomes a milder regular interest. Because there are so many, I'll just write the age I got into each one.

Sea cucumbers (12), chameleons (10), microbes (5), Arthur (8), World War 2 (13), Armin Meiwes case (16), Rasputin (13), 9/11 (16), Everywhere at the End of Time (14), dog attacks (14), rare dog breeds (12), liminal spaces (16), Minecraft (8-14, but the hyperfixation hit when I was 9), Everlost (12), The Count of Monte Cristo (11), catalogs (12), furry fandom (15), lucid dreaming (15/16), Glorb (17), oud (17), graffiti (18), PSAs (16), sex toys (18), cocaine (18. NEVER AGAIN, COKE KILLS.), website data breaches (18).

Other: Things I didn't know how to categorize. They're not exactly special interests or hyperfixations since I don't think about them or interact with them a lot, but they are extremely present in my life.

Pompompurin - I became obsessed with this little yellow dog guy on my trip to Japan when I was 16. There was merch of him everywhere, and I quickly bought everything I could that featured him. Now I have numerous stuffed animals, keychains, pins, minifigures, purses, stickers, clothing articles, and even a giant 3 foot tall Build-a-Bear of him.

The color green - This has been my favorite color since I was about 12 years old. I know everyone has a favorite color, but autistic people seem to get a bit more intense about their favorite colors than other people. Basically, if I can get something in the color green, I will, and it has taken over my entire life. My favorite shades are dark green, sage green, and mint green. It's so comforting to me.

Whew, that was a lot of infodumping! If you somehow read this entire thing, thank you so much! I didn't really expect anyone to read it since I wrote it mostly for my benefit. Have some pizza while you're here 🍕

💚 Thanks for reading! 💚

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gaurja24510045 · 2 months ago

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How I wish I was Mike Ross from Suits

Mike Ross from Suits was my ideal, the genius without a legal license who made it to the top most legal firm without ever taking the LSATs (for himself) or being called to the bar. How? He has photographic memory. He could flip through pages and pages of text and perfectly remember and recall the minutest of details, and also understand things at a deep conceptual level automatically. Impressive, right? I wish it could be that easy for me too, but unfortunately, that’s not how memory works for the average person.

You, and I, and any random person needs to put in way more effort for encoding memories. In fact, there’s three principles that govern memory encoding, and how I learnt them through very real experiences: Principle 1. Mere Repeated Exposure is not enough to guarantee memory.

As soon as I got the results for my 7th grade final examinations confirming I had passed, making it to the first of the big boy grades: 8th grade, my mom told me to get my math book, copy all the algebra formulae (you know, (a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b² and the like) onto a huge chart paper, and paste them on my wall. She believed that looking at them above my desk every day would improve my memory of them. And I did exactly that, looked at them day in day out all through my summer vacation. But as soon as the opportunity arised to actually use them in a class test, my brain was all crickets. That’s when I realised, merely being exposed to the formulae did not mean that I would remember them or be able to apply them.

Principle 2. New Information is Easier to Remember if You Relate it to Things You Already Know.

I used to be horrible with names. I would be meeting a new person, learning where they are from, what they do, even registering everything about how they are dressed. But as soon as they were about to tell me their name, my brain would loudly go LALALALALA, making absolutely sure I forgot it before they were finished with their sentence. In the long run, this could cost important connections. So I decided to adopt a strategy of connecting their names to some piece of information that already existed in my mind. A junior introduced herself to me recently, and her name was the same as my preschool teacher who would always have cotton candy for me when I missed my mom. I just imagined this junior with some cotton candy and now her name has permanently made its space in my mind. Thus, making connections to previously existing info makes it way easier to remember new stuff!

Principle 3. Deeper Processing at the Encoding Stage Improves Recognition Later.

In 2nd grade, my general knowledge classes had a quiz at the end of them, where the teacher would ask for world capitals, and each correct answer would get you a whole dairy milk! For the child me, that was the most coveted item ever. I put in hours of work, taking a list and trying to memorise the capitals, but to no avail. They were just random words to me with no meanings attached, and I would literally see them float around my brain with no anchor and routinely jumble them up. That’s when my mom intervened. She told me, if I really wanted to memorise the capitals of all the countries, I would have to get to know them. She sat me down on the family computer, taught me how to google country capitals and go to their wikipedia page. She would ask me to look for things like important monuments or attractions in the city, what people ate there, what language they spoke and more such details. She also bought me a huge world map, which allowed me to geographically place the countries. Having actually engaged with the material and processed it deeply, I am proud to say I was the receiver of the most chocolates in class!

#neuroscience #learning #cognitive science #cognition #memory #memory encoding #mike ross #suits #photographic memory

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ceeberoni · 2 years ago

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HEY I SAW IN UR TAGS ON ONE OF THE POLLS ABOUT CHILDHOOD BOOK SERIES U MENTIONED GUARDIANS OF GAHOOLE AND THAT WAS MY SHIT

I just haven't seen another person talk about it in the wild and just omg the nostalgia

i have an extremely Fake Tumblr Story related to guardians of gahoole that i swear up down and sideways is completely true actually

basically i got into the series cuz of my 7th grade english teacher, who also volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary. idr exactly how it happened but bc of us being fans of the series she ended up having a day where she brought in owls to the class to show off and we reserved the computer lab to make the entire class take a personality quiz on which character they were

i SWEAR this is real

#ceebask

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writing-appreciation · 6 years ago

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Hazel Eyes

SYNOPSIS: You have hazel eyes, but in most lights they appear to be a dirty brown. Instead of giving that complicated explanation, you just say you have brown eyes; but one day a boy says otherwise.

PARING: Stark!Reader X Peter Parker

WARNINGS: Moderate language. Possible Endgame Spoiler? If you look into it, yes, but on the surface, no spoilers.

WORD COUNT: 1,807

A/N: Just a little imagine for my fellow hazel colored eyes people out there. I am over it. This is actually inspired by something that happened to me not too long ago at class. Some elements are fictional, but inspiration is everywhere. So, enjoy!

..................................................................................................

It was annoying having hazel eyes that look brown. It made the question, "What colour are your eyes?" difficult to answer.

And that's the situation I found myself in today in Newspaper class. We weren't doing much as the school year was winding down. Other than planning stories for next year, we had nothing to do. Ultimately we all ended up playing random personality quizzes we found online. It was all fun and games until my least favourite question appeared.

“What is your eye colour?”

Without a beat I responded with a simple, “Brown.”

Ned, who was working the computer, just clicked on my answer.

Although I noticed how Peter seemed caught off by this question.

“Wait, my eyes are brown.” He said. “Look at me.”

I looked up, knowing what his answer would be. The lighting in this room sucked. The green specs in my eyes would be basically invisible here.

Peter looked into my eyes for a bit. Not gonna lie it made me feel awkward.

“No, she definitely has hazel eyes.” He finally spoke up, still eye locked with me.

I was taken back. Peter was the first person to notice my eye colour. Clearly he noticed my confusion as he cleared his throat and clarified.

“I mean, look, there’s clear green specs on the inner ring of her eyes. There’s even a little bit of blue. Ned look at them.”

Peter pulled Ned up by the arm and positioned him to face me.

“Hey Ned.” I said.

“Hi, (Y/n).” He replied awkwardly.

This is starting to feel like a circus show.

“Nah, man I’m just seeing brown eyes, not any green or blue.”

“Well, the lighting in here does suck.” I finally spoke up. I was a little confused because I had never noticed blue in my eyes.

“Yeah, but Peter saw the the colour.” Ned called his friend out.

This did throw me off. How did Peter see the colour in my eyes? It could be his hypersenses, but that still doesn’t make that much sense.

This seemed to hush Peter. A slight blush also climbed up his neck.

“Let me see.” MJ looked up from her book.

I walked over to her. She was sitting in the corner of the room. She observed my eyes.

“You know Peter likes you, right?” She whispered, looking into my eyes.

“Pft. No he doesn’t.” I defended.

“Dude, he just talked about the green specs in your eyes. He was one sentence away from confessing his love with you.” She said quickly, still keeping her voice low.

“Brown. Definitely brown.” MJ called out to the boys, but not breaking our eye contact.

“Okay, that’s it. (Y/n), come on.” I heard Peter call to me.

I looked at him to see him grabbing a camera and a hall pass.

“Peter, what are…”

“I’m proving you have Hazel eyes. Come on.” He began to walk out the room.

“Good luck.” MJ said, smirking.

Without anything to do, I decided to roll with this.

Peter was walking incredibly quickly. He was already halfway down the hallway when I exited the room.

“Peter, you wanna slow it a bit?” I called to him.

“Oh sorry.” He said and stopped so I could catch up.

“Not all of us have spidey powers of high endurance.” I whispered.

He laughed, “Alright I’ll keep that in mind. Come on, what’s a well lit area in this school?”

“Cafetiera? The lights are way too bright in there.” I suggested.

“No, I think we should go outside. Your colour comes out really well when you’re outside.” He absentmindedly remarked.

I looked at him puzzled.

“Well, I mean, like from what I’ve noticed. Not that I’m just staring at your eyes constantly. I just like keeping eye contact with people. Plus they’re good eyes. I mean, not that they’re not pretty. They are beautiful I MEAN, the colours go well together. The green specs and blue accents really bring out the element of kindness. They compliment your pr.. personality.” He stumbled on his words.

I laughed at his rambling, “Peter, breathe. And thank you.”

He finally looked back at me and looked mortified.

Maybe there was some truth to what MJ told me.

“So, I have a macro lens, so I should be able to get a nice photo of your eyes.

“Oh, the eyes that have green specs and blue accents that bring out my element of kindness?” I asked innocently.

He blushed even harder, if possible.

When we got to the school courtyard, Peter went into full photographer mode. He began correcting the white balance and setting the ISO.

“Where do you want me Photographer Parker?”

“Uh, here. Sit on the bench and I’ll try this lighting.”

I did as I was told.

Seeing Peter behind a camera was a sight I don’t think I’ll ever forget. He looked hyper focused. Not to mention the fact that a camera was centimeters away from my eye. Peter himself was directly in front of me. He licked his lips in concentration. I stayed still, not particularly wanting to leave this position.

I heard the shutters of the camera.

Peter pulled the camera away and sat next to me. He began to go through the photos. They looked great. Peter was right, there was definitely some blue in my eyes.

“Wow, if those weren’t my eyes, I’d love them.” I joked.

“You don’t like your eyes?” Peter asked, searching my eyes for an answer.

“Not really. They always look brown. But look at their real colour. It sucks.” I complained.

“Well, I think they’re pretty.” He said, smally. “Besides you don’t have ugly poop coloured eyes for real. That’s something I have to deal with everyday.”

“Peter, your eyes are not ugly. Their nice.”

“Yeah, just nice. Yours are beautiful.”

My breathing hitched. Peter Parker just called my eyes beautiful two times in the past 15 minutes.

Without thinking I grabbed the camera off of Peter’s neck and stood up. Peter followed my lead.

“Oh, no , no Parker.” I pushed him back down, “I’m taking pictures of your eyes now.”

“No, (Y/n), the goal was to get a picture of your eyes, not mine. Besides, they aren’t worth the memory.”

Instead of a response, I positioned the camera in front of his left eye.

He kept moving.

“Peter, stop moving. You’re gonna ruin the picture.”

And he did. So I focused in on capturing Peter’s eye in a photo.

It was my turn to sit down by him and show him the photo.

“See, nice eyes. Dare I say beautiful.” I teased him.

“(Y/n)...” He trailed off.

I looked up to him and saw him looking at me. His eyes flicked to my lips.

“Peter?” I responded.

Before I knew it he had his lips on mine. I felt the camera go limp in my hands. Peter pulled away and swiftly caught the camera. Damn, I couldn't lie. That was attractive as hell.

“Drop this?” He asked, confidence in his voice pronounced.

I just nodded as I stood up.

“We should probably get back. The bell’s gonna ring soon.” I quickly took off.

I heard him jog ahead of me. The little gentleman went to grab the door for me.

“M’lady.” He stepped aside so I could get back in the school.

I muttered a quick thanks and proceeded to walk back to class.

I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wonder. What the heck just happened? Peter B. Parker, the most awkward, adorable dork in MidTow Tech history just kissed me? I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to kiss him more regularly. I mean, come on. He's cute, funny, smart, and is a superhero.

“(Y/n), please stop.” He lightly grabbed my arm before I could get far. This pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Listen, I don’t think it’s a secret that I like you.”

Wait, hold up. Does everybody know about this except for me? Why, more how, was I left out of this memo?

“Say something, because you’re starting to freak me out.” He pleaded.

I paused, trying to find some type of confidence. Luckily, I did.

“You know, my dad loves you, but loves the idea of me being single more.” I finally looked at him.

His face lit up. This could be interesting. Especially given who my dad is.

“Mr. Stark loves me? I don’t see a problem here.” He smirked.

I smirked too. This was definitely going to be interesting.

"Well then, talk to him. See how it goes." I suggested.

He looked mortified.

"May I suggest wearing your suit because you may want to make a hasty exist after you tell him you have a crush on his eldest daughter."

That clearly didn't help him feel any better.

"Okay, cool thanks for the tip." He breathes out as we enter the classroom again.

This time all eyes were on us.

"The pictures?" Ned asked as we sat down.

Peter slid the SD card into the slot and pulled up the photos.

"You're right, definitely hazel." Ned replied, now changing the quiz answer.

"(Y/n), come here!" MJ called.

I walked over to her corner. That's when an epiphany hit me. Her spot was adjacent to a window that overlooked the courtyard.

"So that kiss."

I heard a pin drop. Yep, her corner would've given her a front row seat to everything that just went down.

I feel like for a moment I forgot how to speak english. A series of strange noises left my mouth.

"Yeah, Ned and I saw everything."

I looked back to Ned and Peter, who was now completely red.

"We didn't expect Peter to make the move, but here we are."

I chuckled at this.

"Well, MJ, I guess you were right."

"I'm always right."

I waved goodbye and walked back to the boys.

"Hey, so I just texted your dad telling him we need to talk."

"Already? Somebody's in a rush."

"(N/n), I've literally been waiting since 7th grade."

I laughed, "Really? 7th grade, wow."

"Yes, really. Trust me, I was there. It was almost embarrassing how much he liked you." Ned chirped in.

"Dude." Peter playfully hit his friend.

"No, no Ned. Tell me more about how Peter's embarrassing crush." I pleaded.

And so he did. Ned went on about every detail he could remember.

I smiled as Peter sat with his head in his hands, clearly embarrassed about everything.

"It's fine, he's embarrassing and cute." I said.

Peter slowly raised his head, a familiar shade of pink dusting his cheeks.

This was going to be fun. All that was left was to break the news to dad that his daughter and his mentee both liked each other. That's a story for another time.

A/N: Trying to cope post Endgame, this helped. I'm still in denial.

#peter parker x reader #peter parker #stark!daughter #stark!reader #tony stark #stark!reader x peter parker #marvel x reader #marvel imagines #peter parker imagine

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prorevenge · 6 years ago

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Nepotism: Marked for deletion.

TLDR At the end.

My school had a tradition, and I'm not sure if it's odd or not. But, each year we had kind of a mini-valedictorian award, starting in middle school. I was in the gifted program, so several of us had 4.0's, so the award was given to whoever had the highest overall GPA on the 100 point scale. I have always been very competitive by nature, so I set my sights on winning this award in the 7th grade. However, there was a bit of competition: let's call him Todd. Todd had really good grades as well, with the top spot usually bouncing back and forth between the two of us. It was so close that every single quiz, exam, and homework assignment had the potential to dethrone one of us while lifting the other. I had an average of 98.something, as did he.

Todd had a bit of an edge, however. See, Todd's mom was known for being a bully. She would yell, scream, berate, and openly mock any teacher who dared to give Todd a lower grade than me. But that isn't all: Todd's mom was also a teacher at our school. She would openly defy and berate her own colleagues, should they not provide whatever grade she wanted for Todd. Now, usually the school would avoid giving a child a class with their mother, but sometimes this was unavoidable. Naturally, we ended up in a class with his mother as the teacher.

This was a world history class, one which required several papers, tests, etc. By the end of the year, Todd and I had been neck and neck in this class. But, I noticed something: I consistently outperformed Todd (by several points) on any objective learning assessments (fill in the blank tests, multiple choice, etc.) However, somehow Todd consistently outperformed me on written/subjective learning assessments (papers, essays, etc.) Being a young and ignorant kid, I just assumed he was better at writing. That is, until our final assignment rolled around.

All our tests had been taken, all our quizzes and homework assignments graded, all our papers submitted and graded, the semester was functionally complete. I held a fraction of a point over Todd in the class, which put me overall ahead in the valedictorian race. But, mommy dearest couldn't have that. So, with three days left of the year, she assigned a list minute 2 page paper. Short, and simple. I submitted mine, and received a 95. Fair enough. I found out that Todd got a 100, just enough to put him ahead of me in the class, and in the valedictorian race. I was frustrated, so I asked Todd to see his paper repeatedly, desperate to find ways to improve to better my chances the next year. He refused, again and again. Then I remembered: when his mom handed the papers back to us, she never gave one to Todd. He hadn't done the paper, it was purely an assignment contrived to put him ahead.

Now comes the revenge: our school had just transferred to a paperless gradebook system the year before, so this was the second year on it. The principal was determined to make this cost efficient, so after the first trial year he didn't even bother restocking the teachers with physical grade books. That way, he could add the amount saved from physical books to the total amount that the new paperless system was saving the school.

Now, during this time I also worked. I had a family member who owned a small local ISP, and I would help out at every opportunity. I loved computers, and still do. Now, working with this family member equipped me with much more networking knowledge than other kids my age, and even most adults. I decided that with this power came great responsibility: I was going to right this grievous injustice.

So, I started digging. I got on a school PC and started going through the network. Turns out, the school had wanted to save as much money as possible while going paperless. So, they didn't hire a professional technician, consultant, or anything. One of the dads just volunteered, in exchanged for a reduced tuition charge (private school.) So, this system was just a nightmare. There was no dedicated network for sharing grades, there was no password protection on any files, there were no administrative restrictions on any files, nothing. What he did was just "share" a single directory on the headmaster's computer. That directory held the entire gradebook for each and every class of each and every grade: kindergarten through 12th grade. I thought this was too good to be true, surely there was a back up somewhere. So, I went to the school's port switcher, which was just in an unlocked closet. I checked around, expecting to see a server, or a set of drives set to automatically back up whatever is shared on the network. Nada.

Now, I was in a rage. I had gone to the principal several times, pointing out that Todd's mom was abusing her position, she was bullying teachers to give her kid an edge. Her son would even brag about how he could get away with not doing homework in other classes, because mommy would make sure nothing came of it. But, the principal had failed to act. He had declared that each teacher was sovereign in their classrooms, so long as nothing illegal happened he would not intervene. He was a very unprincipled principal. So, I made a decision: to delete the nepotism. I couldn't just change my grades in her class, she monitored my average like a hawk. So, I went nuclear. I went into that subdirectory, and deleted every single file in it. But, the principal had shared his whole users/desktop directory. So, I emptied the recycling. I completely wiped every trace of grading software on that computer, because the idiot didn't even put a password on the computer. So, from the desktop subdirectory I was able to access everything. This was in the very last couple of days of school. There were no hard copies (gradebooks), there were no backups, there was nothing remaining to even prove that the school year ever occurred.

On the final day of school, we get called into an assembly. The principal is visibly disheveled, shaken, and upset. Not even angry, just broken. He announced that the entire year of grades were totally lost. The school didn't know what to do, because there were no hard copies. They couldn't recover the data, because they cheaped out and didn't purchase a backup system. All they could do was reinstall the software. But, on grading software if there is no grade to input, then what does it default to when showing the grades of the students? A 100%. Every single student in that school got valedictorian of their class that year: 100% all around. Heck, even a few kids got enough of a boost from that final year that they got to graduate on time instead of being held back.

Next year, we had a new principal. I was held slightly suspect since everyone knew of my tech background, but nobody could prove anything. Even the PC's in the computer lab didn't have usernames or passwords, so there was no way to link me to anything. That following year, security cameras and passwords were put in the computer lab.

TLDR: Teacher displayed nepotism to get her son ahead, sacrificing me. I rebel, delete the entire grade system, get everyone 100's. You're welcome seniors of 2006, I hope you all enjoyed a nice little boost to your transcripts.

(source) (story by farmathekarma)

#prorevenge #by farmathekarma #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #revenge story #last10

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aakristinejoyce · 6 years ago

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Growing up, I honestly didnt know what's special about you ma, what makes you a mother. I remember fragments of how we used to be...

You and papa had a big fight, we ended up running away and went home to amang and inang.

Papa hurt you verbally that night, I remembered it correctly. I was laying in bed, and I promised to you things will be better while crying. After that, you told tita what happened and the both of you mocked me for a long time.

You always say I'm adopted many times, that my mom was really that crazy person roaming around our neighborhood. I remembered jumping in front of you and hugging you so much while crying.

It was my birthday, you said we'll have an overnight swimming. I waited from morning up to night, being dramatic, when you went home I had my tantrums. I didnt recall what happened next.

I was elementary that time, I get used to going at your office after class. I'd like to draw and play rubberbands. I got curious with the red button behind your desk, I pressed it. You got mad, you hit me at the back and bought me sprite after. I didnt know that's the police signal for emergencies.

I got off the hospital after a month, I was wearing my cast and my face is still bruised from the fall. You insist to let me wear that yellow blouse I hate so much. We went to the mall after, you let me choose a book, I picked a quiz book and answered it the whole vacation.

First year high school, you got the news I was 7th at class. You and papa got mad the whole night. I felt bad about myself. The next day, someone was selling high tech mechanical pens, I want it so bad. You bought it for me.

We went home together that night, it was raining so hard. Little did we know, the path going to our house was flooded. We walk through that flood, with frogs jumping around us. Inang gave me boots, I didnt know what's that for. I find it funny, cause it didn't make sense, the water reached my belly.

I got chills one day, my feet are sore cold, I am crying because of the pain Im feeling. I'm having my UTI, they are attending my needs. I saw you at the back, you are painfully watching me cause you can't come any closer.

We always walk home, we stop by our favorite chicken stall to by chicken skins, sometimes its your favorite mani, or your favorite ihaw ihaw.

You called me one time to go home early, it's because I had to harvest your plants at farmville, and plant watermelon into it after. You are so addicted to supermarket dash and sally salon I can't use the computer for myself.

You supported me one time I need to take a picture of me 1p years after. I wear your uniform, your heels, your glasses and take a picture at your desk. You were smiling at me while ate tin takes a picture. Are you proud of me right now?

Every day, I didn't need an alam clock to wake up ma. It was the tambo knocking our ceiling so loud with your matching voice saying we are gonna be late. 6AM sharp. We have to eat breakfast. I miss eating breakfast.

It was your turbo liempo and chicken I always miss, your shanghai and inalamangan every outing, and your chicken nuggets Josh can eat everyday and I used to hate cause of the breading I miss.

All these are kind of pushed memories I try to reminisce because I didn't want to lose you in my mind ma. You know how forgetful I am. But there are three memories I will never ever forget. The reason I keep living, the reason why even if it's hard to get through, I keep on striving to be better.

We got home from school, you had been called by the principal to settle the problem. I did disappoint you that time. You and papa were talking, little did you know I was listening. He was so mad, and in the verge of loosing it all, I heard you said, "Si Joyce pa ba, babawi yan". You were the very first person who had faith in me ma.

We were walking home, you just finish your chemo session. We were talking about things, this scenario's a little blurry. But the clearest part of it was when you said, after all these cancer, you can't wait to be part of the CFC program. Your devotion to God has always led me closer to Him ever since ma.

Lastly, that day you went home after all your chemotherapy. I knew you were so tired of fighting but you still do. You're resting in my room. I always check on you, but never check on you alone cause I was afraid that you'll say good bye. Someone went downstairs and it's just you and me, you told me to come closer, I did. While crying, you said you're tired of fighting. You told me to take care of Josh, that I am capable of the responsibility, that I can do it. I was crying but you assured me that I can, you believe in me. You can rest because you knew I was there ma.

You faith changes me, that's why I'll never stop having faith in people.

Your devotions keep me going; what I do, what I fight for, what I live for is right.

You putting your hopes in me keeps me assured that I can do it, that I need to do it.

You have taught me enough, and you are still teaching me right now. I love you so much ma, no words are enough for me to express how I miss you. I do miss you so much.

Losing someone you love truly changes you, your life, your world, your everday will never be the same again. You'll always wonder how things will be if that person never left. But, the Lord put an incredible love in me. It'll be okay, I am okay ma. We'll get through.

You make everyone at home with your presence ma. You didn't make bridges for people, you are the bridge. That's your power ma. I see the hero inside of you. You are my hero.

Happy mother's day, my hero.

#llh

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szycee · 2 years ago

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WHEN THE DREAMER SLEPT

On 19th of July 2003, an elegant and clever lady was born named Pia Francesca Yangson Tumamak. She is now 19 years old. She has 3 siblings and Pia is the 2nd daughter of Luanne Yangson Tumamak and Victor Inday Tumamak. Her older sister is named Victoria Tumamak, her younger sister is Maria Theresa Yangson Tumamak and her younger brother named Amado Bryne Yangson Tumamak.

The lady spent most of her time playing outside, playing computer games, and studying with her aunt. At the age of 4, she went to Filomenita Nursery and Kindergarten School. Lived with her Grandparents (Mother Side), Aunts, and Mother. Francesca had a gruesome childhood experience with parents, but a funnier social environment. At the age of 5, she already knew how to use computers and had been listening to Taylor Swift since which influenced her musical taste. Started 1st grade at the age of 6 in Legarda Elementary School. That same year, Pia experienced a heart attack and was diagnosed with a heart condition. Also, firsthand witnessed her Lola’s stroke seizure then lost her permanently. The lady decided to stop studying for a few years due to heart problems. She started reading Wattpad and has been fond of reading/writing since then. After one year, she tried to enter ALS, but it didn't work out. Hence waited another year to resume 5th grade. She finished 5th grade with honors and moved 18 sections up. In 6th grade, her mother worked abroad for their aunt. Thus, she became responsible for all of their bills and household chores. She lived with their grandfather and siblings until her grandfather died right after her graduation on April 12, 2017.

She started 7th grade at Ramon Magsaysay High School and was an active and competitive student. Received a few awards such as YES-O Champion, 3rd place Essay Writing and 3rd place Math Competition, Best in Math, English, etc. But then they had to move to Caloocan due to housing problems. Started 8th grade at Camarin High School, where she met some of her closest friends now and one of them is Kristelle Joyce P. Tambio – her confidante. She had trouble fitting in and started feeling depressed. Tried hard to be active again but failed. She still obtained an award such as Spelling Bee Champion and With Honors. In 9th grade, she felt completely down. Got tired of life and been living unhealthy. But Pia met awesome friends which had a massive impact on her life years after. Then, COVID hit our country, so she started online classes in 10th grade. Experienced the darkest and lowest point of her life that year but she decided to cut toxic people off to make life more peaceful and easier. After the struggles she had to face. Pia had graduated with Honors.

Starting 11th grade at Holy Angel School of Caloocan, she took the STEM strand, and she became as the top 1 of their class and with highest honors. Currently she is studying 12th grade at the same school. She's been trying hard to change her life. Tried new things such as running for SSG. After all the efforts and hard work, she was elected to be the secretary of the Supreme Student Government. She also won as champion in their group quiz bee and essay writing competition.

Her family relationships have a very strong bond with each other. At the age of 8, she took care of her only cousin (mother’s side) growing up, she became her best friend and baby at the same time. She has a great relationship with aunts as they always support their family.

According to Pia, she considers boys or romantic love as useless as the color white in Crayola crayons. However, had some experience with boys. Growing up on streets, some of her playmates confessed that they liked her and pursued the lady creepily. So, she thought boys were disgusting. But then she started having a crush when she was still in Nursery. She had a crush on a boy named Ken who apparently lived nearby. She never talked to him. Her second crush was Frank in 2nd grade. They were best friends. He also liked Pia, but they were still too young. It never developed. Her 1st and 3rd grade crush were Ivan, who was a total jerk that made fun of her growing up. She then lost interest. Pia never again liked someone until 7th grade. A boy named Jomer, who she was often teased with. They were cool not ‘til the guy liked her best friend at the same time. She experienced her first heartbreak then not because of Jomer, but because of the betrayal of her friends. At 8th to 10th grade, she unofficially closed to a boy named Justin. The guy was really great but didn’t work out because they believed that they were too immature. Ever since then, she never had close relations with boys besides being friends.

She was a people pleaser growing up. She collected a wide network of friends. However, there are few groups in which she really relates or belongs to. The “KNS”. They were the one who supported her throughout the lowest point of her life. Hence, she placed great importance on them.

When she was young, Pia thought that it would be cool to become a few different things at the same time. Such as being an Astronaut but also a doctor. However, as the world made sense, she really wanted to become a Genetic Engineer. However due to some constraints she could only become a Nurse or an Engineer (Biomedical) in the near future. But none of these really matters to her, since what she really wants is to live a peaceful and stable life independently while being able to support my family. In the back of her head, she also wants to become a relevant figure in history to be remembered by people in a great light.

France is my best friend since 2018. We became close like twins. Pia and I love to explore new things, especially about ourselves. Who would have thought that a lady with heart disease helped me to heal and discover myself? It feels surreal to have a best friend, sister, mother figure and comfort in one person. She had a significant impact in my life, our friendship helped us to grow and became the best version of ourselves. She taught me to become an independent, resilient and matured woman. She got my back every time. Words aren’t enough to describe how thankful I am as her best friend. As we grow older, I want to cherish every moment in our life and if “next life" is real, I’d still choose her as my soulmate.

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di-sss-learning-engineering · 6 years ago

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How to Study Smart: 20 Scientific Ways to Learn Faster 168. That’s how many hours there are in a week. If you’re a student, you probably feel like this isn’t enough. I know… You have so many assignments to do, projects to work on, and tests to study for. Plus, you have other activities and commitments. And I’m sure you want to have a social life, too. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could study smarter (not harder), get good grades, and lead a balanced life? Of course it would. That’s why I wrote this article. The main aim of education isn’t to get straight A’s. But learning how to learn is a vital life skill. So I spent hours scouring scientific articles and research journals to find the best ways to learn more effectively. I’m a lifelong straight-A student myself, and I’ve since completed my formal education. Over the course of my academic career, I’ve used almost all the tips outlined in this article, so I can verify that they work. Let’s get started. Here are 20 scientific ways to learn faster. BONUS: Download a free PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF. 1. Learn the same information in a variety of ways. The research (Willis, J. 2008) shows that different media stimulate different parts of the brain. The more areas of the brain that are activated, the more likely it is that you’ll understand and retain the information.[1] So to learn a specific topic, you could do the following: Read the class notes Read the textbook Watch a Khan Academy video Look up other online resources Create a mind map Teach someone what you’ve learned Do practice problems from a variety of sources Of course, you won’t be able to do all of these things in one sitting. But each time you review the topic, use a different resource or method – you’ll learn faster this way. 2. Study multiple subjects each day, rather than focusing on just one or two subjects. It’s more effective to study multiple subjects each day, than to deep-dive into one or two subjects (Rohrer, D. 2012).[2] For example, if you’re preparing for exams in math, history, physics, and chemistry, it’s better to study a bit of each subject every day. This approach will help you to learn faster than by focusing on just math on Monday, history on Tuesday, physics on Wednesday, chemistry on Thursday, and so on. Why? Because you’re likely to confuse similar information if you study a lot of the same subject in one day. So to study smart, spread out your study time for each subject. In so doing, your brain will have more time to consolidate your learning. 3. Review the information periodically, instead of cramming. Periodic review is essential if you want to move information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. This will help you get better exam grades. As the research (Cepeda, N. 2008) shows, periodic review beats cramming hands-down.[3] The optimal review interval varies, depending on how long you want to retain the information. But experience – both my own and through working with students – tells me that the following review intervals work well (I explain the entire periodic review system in this article): 1st review: 1 day after learning the new information 2nd review: 3 days after the 1st review 3rd review: 7 days after the 2nd review 4th review: 21 days after the 3rd review 5th review: 30 days after the 4th review 6th review: 45 days after the 5th review 7th review: 60 days after the 6th review 4. Sit at the front of the class. If you get to choose where you sit during class, grab a seat at the front. Studies show that students who sit at the front tend to get higher exam scores (Rennels & Chaudhari, 1988). The average scores of students, depending on where they sat in class, are as follows (Giles, 1982): Front rows: 80% Middle rows: 71.6% Back rows: 68.1% These findings were obtained under conditions where the seating positions were teacher-assigned.[4] This means it’s not just a case of the more motivated students choosing to sit at the front, and the less motivated students choosing to sit at the back. By sitting at the front, you’ll be able to see the board and hear the teacher more clearly, and your concentration will improve too. Now you know where the best seats in class are! 5. Don’t multitask. The data is conclusive: Multitasking makes you less productive, more distracted, and dumber.[5][6][7] The studies even show that people who claim to be good at multitasking aren’t actually better at it than the average person. Effective students focus on just one thing at a time. So don’t try to study while also intermittently replying to text messages, watching TV, and checking your Twitter feed. Here are some suggestions to improve your concentration: Turn off notifications on your phone Put your phone away, or turn it to airplane mode Log out of all instant messaging programs Turn off the Internet access on your computer Use an app like Freedom Close all of your Internet browser windows that aren’t related to the assignment you’re working on Clear the clutter from your study area 6. Simplify, summarize, and compress the information. Use mnemonic devices like acronyms, as these are proven to increase learning efficiency.[8] Example #1 If you want to memorize the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing frequency, you could use this acronym/sentence: Raging Martians Invaded Venus Using X-ray Guns (In order of increasing frequency, the electromagnetic spectrum is: Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-rays, Gamma rays.) Example #2 Question: Stalactites and stalagmites – which ones grow from the top of the cave and which ones grow from the ground? Answer: Stalactites grow from the top, while stalagmites grow from the ground. Study smart by using mnemonic devices whenever possible. In addition, you could summarize the information into a comparison table, diagram, or mind map.[9] These tools will help you learn the information much faster. 7. Take notes by hand, instead of using your laptop. Scientists recommend this, and not just because you’re more likely to give in to online distractions when using your laptop. Even when laptops are used only for note-taking, learning is less effective (Mueller, P. 2013).[10] Why? Because students who take notes by hand tend to process and reframe the information. In contrast, laptop note-takers tend to write down what the teacher says word-for-word, without first processing the information. As such, students who take notes by hand perform better in tests and exams. 8. Write down your worries. Will I do well on this exam? What if I forget the key concepts and equations? What if the exam is harder than expected? These kinds of thoughts probably run through your head before you take an exam. But if these thoughts run wild, the accompanying anxiety can affect your grades. Here’s the solution … In one experiment,[11] researchers at the University of Chicago discovered that students who wrote about their feelings about an upcoming exam for 10 minutes performed better than students who didn’t. The researchers say that this technique is especially effective for habitual worriers. Psychologist Kitty Klein has also shown that expressive writing, in the form of journaling, improves memory and learning.[12] Klein explains that such writing allows students to express their negative feelings, which helps them to be less distracted by these feelings. To be less anxious, take 10 minutes and write down all the things related to the upcoming exam that you’re worried about. As a result of this simple exercise, you’ll get better grades. 9. Test yourself frequently. Decades of research has shown that self-testing is crucial if you want to improve your academic performance.[13] In one experiment, University of Louisville psychologist Keith Lyle taught the same statistics course to two groups of undergraduates. For the first group, Lyle asked the students to complete a four- to six-question quiz at the end of each lecture. The quiz was based on material he’d just covered. For the second group, Lyle didn’t give the students any quizzes. At the end of the course, Lyle discovered that the first group significantly outperformed the second on all four midterm exams. So don’t just passively read your textbook or your class notes. Study smart by quizzing yourself on the key concepts and equations. And as you prepare for a test, do as many practice questions as you can from different sources. 10. Connect what you’re learning with something you already know. In their book, Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, scientists Henry Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel explain that the more strongly you relate new concepts to concepts you already understand, the faster you’ll learn the new information.[14] For example, if you’re learning about electricity, you could relate it to the flow of water. Voltage is akin to water pressure, current is akin to the flow rate of water, a battery is akin to a pump, and so on. Another example: You can think of white blood cells as “soldiers” that defend our body against diseases, which are the “enemies.” It takes time and effort to think about how to connect new information to what you already know, but the investment is worth it. 11. Read key information out loud. Studies have been conducted, which demonstrate that reading information out loud helps students to learn faster than by reading silently (MacLeod CM, 2010 & Ozubko JD, 2010).[15][16] What’s the reason for this? When you read information out loud, you both see and hear it. On the other hand, when you read information silently, you only see it. It isn’t practical to read every single word of every single set of notes out loud. That would take way too much time. So here’s the process I recommend: Step 1: As you read your notes, underline the key concepts/equations. Don’t stop to memorize these key concepts/equations; underline them and move on. Step 2: After you’ve completed Step 1 for the entire set of notes, go back to the underlined parts and read each key concept/equation out loud as many times as you deem necessary. Read each concept/equation slowly. Step 3: After you’ve done this for each of the underlined key concepts/equations, take a three-minute break. Step 4: When your three-minute break is over, go to each underlined concept/equation one at a time, and cover it (either with your hand or a piece of paper). Test yourself to see if you’ve actually memorized it. Step 5: For the concepts/equations that you haven’t successfully memorized, repeat Steps 2, 3, and 4. 12. Take regular study breaks. Taking regular study breaks enhances overall productivity and improves focus (Ariga & Lleras, 2011).[17] That’s why it isn’t a good idea to hole yourself up in your room for six hours straight to study for an exam. You might feel like you get a lot done this way, but the research proves otherwise. So take a 5- to 10-minute break for every 40 minutes of work. I recommend that you use a timer or stopwatch to remind you when to take a break and when to get back to studying. During your break, refrain from using your phone or computer, because these devices prevent your mind from fully relaxing. 13. Reward yourself at the end of each study session. Before starting a study session, set a specific reward for completing the session. By doing this, you’ll promote memory formation and learning (Adcock RA, 2006).[18] The reward could be something as simple as: Going for a short walk Eating a healthy snack Listening to your favorite music Stretching Doing a couple of sets of exercise Playing a musical instrument Taking a shower Reward yourself at the end of every session – you’ll study smarter and learn faster. 14. Focus on the process, not the outcome. Successful students concentrate on learning the information, not on trying to get a certain grade. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck’s research shows that these students … [19] Focus on effort, not the end result Focus on the process, not on achievement Believe they can improve – even in their weak subjects – as long as they put in the time and hard work Embrace challenges Define success as pushing themselves to learn something new, not as getting straight A’s Not-so-successful students tend to set performance goals, while successful students tend to set learning goals.[20] What’s the difference between these two types of goals? Performance goals (e.g. getting 90% on the next math test, getting into a top-ranked school) are about looking intelligent and proving yourself to others. In contrast, learning goals (e.g. doing three algebra problems every other day, learning five new French words a day) are about mastery and growth. Most schools emphasize the importance of getting a certain exam score or passing a certain number of subjects. Ironically, if you want to meet – and surpass – these standards, you’d be better off ignoring the desired outcome and concentrating on the learning process instead. 15. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. You probably think you drink enough water, but studies show that up to 75% of people are in a chronic state of dehydration.[21] Dehydration is bad for your brain – and your exam grades too. University of East London researchers have found that your brain’s overall mental processing power decreases when you’re dehydrated (Edmonds, C. 2013).[22] Further research has shown that dehydration even causes the grey matter in your brain to shrink.[23] The simple solution? Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Bring a water bottle wherever you go, and drink water before you start to feel thirsty. And if you’re taking an exam, bring a water bottle with you. Every 40 minutes or so, drink some water. This will help you stay hydrated and improve your exam performance. Plus, this also acts as a short break to refresh your mind. 16. Exercise at least three times a week. Exercise is good for your body. It’s also very good for your brain. Various studies have shown that exercise … Improves your memory[24] Improves your brain function[25][26] Reduces the occurrence of depression Helps to prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis Enhances your sleep quality Reduces stress Improves your mood[27] Exercise is quite the miracle drug! So to study smarter, exercise at least three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes each time. You’ll be healthier and more energetic, and you’ll remember information better too. 17. Sleep at least eight hours a night, and don’t pull all-nighters. I’ve spoken to and worked with 20,000 students so far. Not a single one has told me that he or she consistently gets eight hours of sleep a night. “There’s just so much to do,” I hear students say, again and again. As a student, sleep often seems more like a luxury than a necessity. But what does the research have to say about sleep? The research shows that if you get enough sleep, you’ll be more focused, you’ll learn faster,[28] and your memory will improve.[29] You’ll also deal with stress more effectively.[30] This is a recipe for excellent grades. So sleep at least eight hours a night. This way, your study sessions will be more productive and you won’t need to spend as much time hitting the books. In addition, sleep expert Dan Taylor says that learning the most difficult material immediately before going to bed makes it easier to recall the next day.[31] So whenever possible, arrange your schedule such that you study the hardest topic right before you sleep. Lastly, don’t pull all-nighters. As psychologist Pamela Thacher’s research shows, students who pull all-nighters get lower grades and make more careless mistakes.[32] 18. Eat blueberries. Blueberries are rich in flavanoids, which strengthen connections in the brain and stimulate the regeneration of brain cells. Researchers at the University of Reading have found that eating blueberries improves both short-term and long-term memory (Whyte, A. & Williams, C. 2014).[33][34] Blueberries may also help to prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. 19. Eat chicken and eggs. A team of researchers from Boston University conducted a long-term study on 1,400 adults over 10 years. They found that participants who had diets high in choline performed better on memory tests.[35] Choline is the precursor to acetylcholine, which is essential for the formation of new memories. What foods are high in choline? Chicken and eggs (the egg yolk contains 90% of the total choline in the egg[36]). Just in case you’re worried about the high cholesterol content of egg yolks, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Recent studies show that eggs – including the yolk – are a healthy food for just about everyone.[37] And if you’re a vegetarian, there are alternatives to getting choline in your diet: Lentils Sunflower seeds Pumpkin seeds Almonds Cabbage Cauliflower Broccoli 20. Eat omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain function.[38] One experiment (Yehuda, S. 2005) also found that taking a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids reduced test anxiety in students and improved their mental concentration.[39] Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to the prevention of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, Alzheimer’s, asthma, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer.[40] That’s an incredible list! Here are foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon Sardines Mackerel Trout Flaxseed Pumpkin seeds Walnuts The bottom line This is a long article that contains a lot of information. But don’t feel overwhelmed, because there’s no need to implement everything at one shot. As the saying goes … How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. In the same way, to implement all 20 tips in this article, do it one tip at a time. Focus on just one tip a week, or even one tip a month. Once you’ve turned that tip into a habit, move on to the next one. Throughout the process, don’t let the goal of getting straight A’s become an unhealthy obsession. After all, education is about much more than getting good grades. It’s about the pursuit of excellence. It’s about cultivating your strengths. And it’s about learning and growing, so you can contribute more effectively. There’s hard work involved, but I know you’re up to the challenge. BONUS: Don’t forget to download a free PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

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