#dissertation planner

[dollishmehrayan]

# “YEAH I’M A BUSY WOMAN I WOULDN’T LET YOU COME INTO MY CALENDAR” ── .✦ ( batboys x uni!reader because why not ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ )

dollish note ౨ৎ: writing this while like two cans of coke zero and I genuinely might pull a crazy all nighter but I sleep at 5 am normally so WHO GIVE A FUCKK, anywayss this goes to my stress ridden babies due to midterms for you guys soon I thinkk (all of us 🥲) tags: (batboys x reader)

© dollishmehrayan — ( all rights reserved to me. These works cannot be reposted, translated, or modified. Thank you for understanding dollies! )

DICK GRAYSON ── .✦

He brings you snacks when you’re studying and by “snacks” we mean full takeout meals because he forgets how to portion ( accidentally gets you like 10 different sauces because he didn’t know which one you’d want. )

Will absolutely FaceTime you during your breaks just to make you laugh and decompress.

“So what are we learning today, professor babe?” , “I’m not even a professor dick.” while spinning in your desk chair.

Offers to help you practice presentations and claps like a proud dad after. (YES HE’S THAT CRINGEY)

Shows up to your classes sometimes just to walk you home hoodie, shades, and all like he’s one of those celebrities who avoid paparazzi.

Brags about you constantly: “They’re in college. That’s hot.”

JASON TODD ── .✦

Brings you coffee strong enough to revive the dead. “You said you had a paper due, I brought the goods.”

Pretends to not care but is 100% the one who stays up with you all night while you write essays.

Sits on the couch reading classic literature while you're buried in textbooks. "Need help understanding The Iliad? I gotchu." ( he’s the besttt explainer )

Might write your prof a strongly worded email if he thinks you got graded unfairly. You have to stop him.

“Study breaks” with him usually turn into making out. And somehow more caffeine. ( i volunteer to contribute i fear )

Secretly keeps one of your academic achievements (like a certificate or paper) in his bookshelf. Doesn’t tell anyone.

TIM DRAKE ── .✦

The ultimate study partner. Organized notes. Color-coded everything. Quizlet decks for days.

“You’re not sleeping enough. Here’s melatonin. And a planner. Also, breathe.”

Will pull all-nighters with you and still somehow get 100% on his own assignments.

If you’re freaking out, he builds a full 7-step action plan with deadlines, breaks, and snacks.

Occasionally goes “I read that journal article actually, it’s flawed,” and you’re like ( insert standing woman emoji fr fr 🧍‍♀️)

Loves helping you with research. You say “I need a source,” and he sends you 12 peer-reviewed papers in 5 mins.

DAMIAN WAYNE ── .✦ ( AGED UP FOR THIS BUT NO NSFW!)

“Tt. University is easy. You're making it harder than it needs to be.”, “EXCUSE ME-“ But deep down, he’s in awe of how hard you work.

Brings you your favorite drink exactly how you like it without asking and knows what flavor of drinks you like too.

He proofreads your essays like he’s a dissertation committee. Will roast you but also fix every single grammar issue.

Draws you little doodles on sticky notes with encouraging messages like, “You are competent. Continue.”

constantly complaining to you to, “You should be getting more sleep.” “You should talk to your professor.” “You should eat breakfast.”

Acts unimpressed until you ace a test, and then he casually slips a gift into your bag like it’s no big deal.

[russellsppttemplates]

You need some down time (Pierre Gasly)

You thought you had been able to adjust your routine to Pierre's calendar, but your body showed otherwise

Note: english is not my first language. This can also work as an alert for you (and for me too tbh) to take care of yourself and listen to your body. You should work on your dreams but also rest whenever you need ✨️ also, I feel like I can finally write about remote work without having flashbacks from my dissertation

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: reader's excessive tiredness (mentions some symptoms and taking pills for headaches)

"Then we are meeting Esteban there, we'll have to present a talk to the group of sponsors and then we have dinner", Pierre explained.

"And you're sure I can get there on time and not bother? I don't want to make a big entrance where everyone looks at me", you chuckled, "no, it's fine. They're waiting for you already, so you won't be a stranger", he smiled, "I'll just send you the ticket so you have it on your phone", your boyfriend added, hearing you fumble with a plastic medicine wrapper, "is everything alright?", he asked looking up from his phone to see you taking what looked like a paracetamol, "just a little headache, probably have been staring too long at the computer", you reasoned back, drinking some water from your bottle, "is that the bottle you filled this morning? If it is, you're not drinking much water either, and that's not good for you, mon ange", Pierre said pulling you gently so you could lay your head on his chest, "you know I've always been terrible at drinking water".

Like Pierre told you, the guy at the front of the event scanned your ticket, immediately seeing on the computer where he should be escorting you, already seeing a few familiar faces as you made your way to the high tables, seeing your boyfriend and his new teammate along with some of the members of the Alpine PR Team, "Hi everyone! So sorry I was late. The meeting went long and then the traffic here from the hotel was not easy either", you noted, standing next to Pierre, "you look lovely, Y/N, I'm glad you could join us at last", Esteban complimented.

"Thanks, Yuki!", you said, and to anyone else, they thought it was automatic, "sorry, Esteban", you apologised, laughing when the French driver laughed too.

The dinner turned out to be a nice and calm setting, contrasting with the excitement and buzz of the previous event, "do you want some dessert to share? I'm fancying something sweet but I don't think I can eat all of it", you mentioned to Pierre, looking around the menu and deciding on what you wanted to order.

Leaving the restaurant, you latched yourself to Pierre's arm, supporting yourself on him as you walked to the car he had driven there, "are you busy tomorrow?", he asked, "yes, the usual. But I think I'm going to clock in later, I think, a meeting has been pushed", you mumbled, yelping when you felt yourself stumble in your heels even though you know how to walk in them just fine, "nearly fell there, are you good?", your boyfriend asked, "it seems, yes. But I'm good".

.

The ring of your phone brought your attention from your laptop to the smaller device, seeing Pierre's mother contact appear for a video call.

"Hi, Pascale, how are you?", you asked, saving the changes you made to the document on your laptop before paying her you full attention, "I'm great, chérie. How have you been doing? I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time!", she nudged, "no, it's fine. Perks of working remotely, I don't need to worry about my boss breathing down my neck since I just need to meet the day's goals", you joked, looking at your planner, "and I'm nearly done for the day", you smiled.

Without your control, your hands trembled a little and you were unable to grasp your phone properly, leaving it to fall on the carpeted floor, "Y/N, is everything okay?", you heard Pascale say, "sorry, Pascale, my phone just slipped from my hands", you explained as you grabbed it, checking for any scratches and seeing none, "butter fingers, hm?", she giggled, bringing a small smile to your face, "more like sweaty fingers, I guess".

When Pierre arrived back from his event, he found you just the moment you shut the lid of your laptop, "Only finishing now, amour?", he asked, kissing the top of your head, "yes. Your mother also called me so I had a good break between my tasks", you noted, getting up and grabbing the remote control for the AC to turn it off since the room had cooled off enough, "now, what do we have for tonight?", you asked, "for a change, I don't have anything. Do you want to go explore the city or just sit here?", he wondered, "can we stay in, please? My head hurts a little, probably from being at the laptop all day", you mumbled, "room service and dim lighting it is then".

.

Finally, you were going home. It had been an intense couple of weeks and you were oozing forwards to spend some time with Pierre and his family without a tight schedule filled with events.

Arriving at the airport, Pierre was quick to get everything ready and you were waiting in line with the time perspective you had expected, greeting the crew and making your way inside the aircraft.

"Here, my love, you can hold my hand", you nudged, knowing that Pierre wasn't the biggest fan of flying, feeing him squeeze your palm.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to inform, but the flight will leave with a delay. The estimate is around forty five minutes", one of the flight attendants apologised, carrying on to inform the rest of the passengers.

"For Goodness sake", you mumbled, groaning slightly ad you felt Pierre squeeze your hand again, "I'll just text my dad that we'll arrive later", he mentioned, grabbing his phone and doing so. "Sorry, I know it's not the end of the world", you mumbled, letting your head rest on his shoulder and closing your eyes for a bit, "it's okay, hopefully soon they'll have some informations", Pierre offered, holding your hand in his and kissing the side of your head.

When you finally landed, you grabbed your bags and walked to the hall where you'd be meeting Jean, "I've never been so happy so see your father, I swear", you mumbled, walking up to the older Gasly man and allowing him to greet you and carry your bags to the car.

Walking up to the bedroom you'd be staying in, you managed to take your pyjamas out along with your toiletries bag, changing out of your clothes, washing your face and brushing your teeth before you met Pierre in bed, "I've been dreaming of this bed for the entire day", you groaned as you finally felt the fresh sheets on your legs, looking forward to cuddle Pierre for the night, "sleep tight, handsome, I love you", you offered, "Good night, mon ange, I love you too", he whispered before kissing your forehead one last time for the night.

Despite his usual routine and his sleep routine working like a clock, Pierre managed to sleep for a little bit longer than usual, opening his eyes to find you curled up on yourself and still facing him, making him brush some hairs away from your eyes and caress your cheek, admiring your features. Your skin was a little more faded than usual, and the circles under your eyes were darker, but hopefully this holiday would help you restore your energies. When you didn't wake up from his touches, he thought it was best to leave you to rest, getting up and tucking you further in, putting on a t-shirt and heading dowstairs to meet his family.

"Bonjour, dear, did you sleep well?", his mother greeted him, kissing his cheek as he poured himself a glass of water, "bonjour, yes, I did, and it seems Y/N is sleeping quite well, too. She's still in deep sleep", he noted, seeing his father arrive in the room.

"Bonjour everyone, I have fresh pastries and bread!", Jean announced, setting the paper bags on the table, "I have Y/N's favourites too, they were nearly running out but I managed to grab a few", he said, looking around for you, "she's still asleep. Although I'm not sure dreamland wins over these croissants", Pierre said, taking one straight from the bag and biting into it.

By now, Pierre started to get worried. Everytime he went upstairs to check on you, you were still sound asleep and not a sign that you'd wake up soon. "Is she coming down? I can warm up some of the croissants", Jean commented when his son came back, "thank you, but no need. She's still sleeping", Pierre murmured, sitting in the sofa next to his mother, "she must've been exhausted", she reasoned, "every time I called either of you, you were either about to fly somewhere or needing to be at some event, I even interrupted her a few times while she was working and you were off somewhere", she reasoned, "it wasn't easy on her, that's for sure".

The words resonated on Pierre's mind. It had been a couple of busy weeks, even he felt it. Travelling around so he could engage with the new team he was part of was as incredible as it was tiring, and having you there was the safe haven he needed whenever he felt a little lost. But had you been taking care of yourself for all of that time too? Was he the person you turned to when you needed to feel safe too?

About an hour and a half later, you woke up, cursing yourself as soon as you looked at the clock and scrambled out of bed so make yourself look presentable. Deciding that, for now, leggings and an oversized shirt would have to do, you made your way downstairs to greet everyone, "Good morning! I'm so sorry I overslept, I swear I didn't do it on purpose!", you apologised, seeing Pierre make his way to you so he could hug you a kiss your cheek, "hey, is everything alright?", he asked, holding your hand in his and pulling you to sit by the table, seeing his parents get started on what you figured was already lunch, "yes, I'm good. Let me help with that, please, Pascale. It's the least-", you attempted before being shushed by her.

"No need for that, chérie. But we do want to talk about how you are", she said softly, "you had us worried for a bit, I kept telling Pierre to check if you had a fever or something like that", she tried, knowing that you had already noticed where she was going.

Sighing, you placed your hands on top of the table fiddling wirh your fingers, "honestly? I feel a little rested, but not fully rested", you admitted, "it's been a lot these past couple of weeks. Work has been non stop, I have been covering some of my colleagues' vacation days, I feel like I'll need a few days to unwind even. The first thing I thought about when I woke up was that I was late for a meeting such is the habit to be in a squeeze of time", you gulped, "it has been a struggle, and I'm just grateful to finally have some down and off time", you finished, squeezing Pascale's hand that found yours on the cold surface.

"I know you don't need me to tell you this, but you need to take care of yourself, Y/N! You can't go around the day and sleep so little, we saw how busy you were!", she scolded still softly, meaning no harm and rather wanting to help you and make sure you took care of yourself and your well-being. "These days you're here, you're catching up on your sleep, eating good food, having some down time and taking care of yourself, I won't allow anything else under my roof!", Jean jokingly threatened, pointing his finger at you before smiling.

Pierre was looking like you expected him to. "Hey, no guilty frown, please!", you tapped your boyfriend's forehead, hoping to soften his expression, "you had your own things to worry about, and besides, it's also my doing because I didn't want to say anything", you admitted. "But still! I saw you were getting up earlier so you could meet me later, saw that you'd have quick lunches and how you felt more tired. I thought it was all jet lag and being busy, but it was more than that", he reasoned, tracing shapes on your hands, "it's all behind us now, okay?", you reassured, nuzzling your face in his neck when he pulled you into his embrace.

"Now, how about you two go enjoy some croissants outside? Despite the cold, it is a lovely sunny day outside. Just make sure you're warm enough, okay? I don't want anyone sick in this house!", Pascale announced, placing the food tray in the oven.

[sout999]

adhd talk

the third truly unsung project alongside my film and dissertation was the weird amount of targeted effort i had to put into Completing Anything Big As A Neurodivergent Person Whose Brain Is A Crazy Off The Rails Train Staffed and Patronised Entirely By Multiple Exact Copies Of The Squirrel From Ice Age

which is a description like 99/100 people reading this can relate to, but i think a sentiment i see less often and therefore feel kind of stupid and stubborn and lonesome about is "adhd is innate but is also exasperated by hectic lifestyle/modern instant gratification machines so if i fix my habits around those i can cure myself forever". which is silly and wrong but also i feel abit disconnected from adhd social media culture and cant cope just relating to it (which is all it seems to be sometimes) but learning to harness or tame it to do the things that are really important to me

i felt really cringe tbh having to look up youtube videos of HARVARD STUDENT REVEALS PRO STUDY TRICK and then narrowing it down to specifically adhd-focused study videos and keeping a planner and setting aside specific time to study studying and practising anti-academic meltdown journaling techniques and reading fucking atomic habits but i really didn't want to contribute to my abhorrent academic record following me all through undergrad. in fact i wish i had done this sooner but i was not self aware enough to consider the fact

probably the best change i made was severely cutting down or being mindful of social media time, i don't backread my tl anymore and have more moments of awareness when i find myself dumbly scrolling and realize i dont want to be doing this, and then wondering what i actually Do want to be doing. i keep a book nearby to read, and have also swapped a lot of social media time to sketching-off-pinterest time. reading about the psychology behind social media apps is also super interesting, although i always feel like a paranoid wacko conspiracy theorist talking about it. stuff like how negativity and judgemental behaviour is good for engagement (and therefore ad revenue), and how if all posts on your tl were interesting you wouldn't be as addicted to social media as you are, therefore microblogging employs a slot machine/gacha system where you "roll" for posts by logging on and hope to get a good one. it's a little full on but the more i think of it as a revolting and evil machine the more incentive i have to do something else with my time ^q^

a harder thing to do was, in the late stages of the project, the real crunch time month, avoid everything that could become a huge hyperfixation, and then eventually even minor distractions or fixations. because i know if i got super obsessed with something i'd just be up posting about it or drawing fanart. i had to bar myself from persona 3 remake and elden ring dlc and all these other shiny new releases, and the mobile games i was playing... i look forward to catching up on them now. i took up reading books a lot more because unfortunately thats just not as exciting. in the last month of film work i stopped listening to music on my computer so i wouldnt get drawing or animation ideas to distract me from film work. as of writing this i havent listened to music in like 40 days guys 😱 at the same time i am the kind of person who needs background noise to work, so i have:

watched novum's four hour hereditary video essay three times

watched novum's seven hour midsomar video essay three times

watched that one five hour bojack horseman retrospective twice

listened to audiobooks of the Britney Spears biography, Jennette McCurdy biography, three Playboy Bunny biographies (i was on some sort of lady bopgraphy kick i guess), and a few fiction books

rewatched all of bojack horseman

started on House MD and got a few seasons in before i finished the project, amazingly the perfect show to look away from bc of all the medical stuff, how many lumbar punctures do you need to show like seriously

honorable mention to the learned skill of communication and being honest and picking your battles and killing your darlings which is a larger part of managing mental illness than i cared to admit but one of the hardest ones because it involved confronting things and making big painful drastic changes and then having to tell the faculty about them. sometimes i'd be stuck on a piece of animation work for weeks/months, then go back and change the underlying idea to one i'm actually passionate about, and do the animation work in one day using newly found magical hyperfocus passion power. it's crazy! but being able to be confident about taking those steps rather than keeping on with what you're "supposed" to do went a long way.

i very much look forward to listening to a music and playing some video games properly now and being pulverized like a small victorian child from the sheer amount of fun i'm having. i'd say it was all worth it and a fun experiment in channeling the magical humours of passion and boredom and i hope it will help me with future projects too. i Am super burnt out though x__ x thanks for reading and for all your support up until now!

[selkiestudies]

23 July 2024

Study sessions while sick are not it. Unfortunately I feel well enough to write so thesis proposal it is, featuring a half finished weekly planner and dissertation defense cake! Hopefully I feel 100% soon and can work on my chapters and not just write them up.

Currently listening to: Geronimo by Sheppard

[ferbracket]

Candace Competition

Law School. ''And that concludes my dissertation on modern investigative techniques for establishing proof of guilt, with or without physical evidence.''

Wedding Planner. ''No, not okay! We have to have a real wedding. We can have it in the backyard!''

[unohanadaydreams]

If captains were days of the week, which ones do you think they’d be?

This is so up my alley tbh.....hyper specific and weird headcanons, my beloved.

Monday:

Byakuya Kuchiki. He is the master of viewing every day as just another day. While lesser men are oozing into work with their brain cells still marinating in last night's sake bender, he is hours deep into the kind of paperwork that dries out your retinas on contact. Also I think he gets bored without work (and prefers Gotei 13 work to the Noble shenanigans he has to face raw on the weekends). He's just that kind of guy.

Tuesday:

Toshiro Hitsugaya. With a lieutenant like Rangiku to wrangle into the week, he only hits his stride after he's successfully hunted her down and ensured the weekly planner is in her room, in her hands, on her favorite couch, and tucked into her obi. Which naturally eats up a lot of his Monday. His daily nap is extra satisfying on Tuesdays, too.

Wednesday:

Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Not only has he been able to measure out where both the 12th division and R&D are on the various juggling acts constantly at work, but now he gets to see how well they keep those projects flying (and bitch when they don't do so well <3). Also, I'd like to think this is the day they publish the new scientific studies & dissertations in the Seireitei and he gets to spend the rest of the week picking them apart (or admiring his work).

Thursday:

Shunsui Kyoraku. Shunsui loves a good game. I think the suspense of 'can I make it till the end of the week and successfully avoid the majority of my responsibilities yet again' is part of his joy in doing it. Also Nanao hasn't gone full nuclear yet, which she will when Friday hits and she doesn't have the minimum amount of paperwork that absolutely must be notarized over the weekend or the Gotei 13 will let something or other lapse that Shunsui doesn't think is that important, honestly.

Friday:

Tetsuzemon Iba. He has spiritually checked out this entire day because he's using it to fine tune the particulars of the next Men's Association Meeting & plan what details he's going to be leaving out when he gives his weekly visit to Komamura. Obviously he needs to ensure his captaincy is viewed in the best light. And also run his MA game plans by a willing ear.

Saturday:

Kensei Muguruma. The entire week is being sloughed away with every meal he preps in his expensive living world kitchen that he held Urahara at fist point to transfer over free of charge. There's not lieutenant bragging about getting fleeced over a guitar case. There's no editing nightmare that takes two straight days to untangle because two offices can't fucking communicate. It's just him and the food talking.

Sunday:

Isane Kotetsu. Her only day off. She swears she's not going to take over someone's shift on Saturday like the last week or the week before that, but she folds every time. She's starting to think she's developing a complex. Turning in a to a workaholic or something. She and Nanao are starting to relate a bit too much on how many hours they clock each week.

But then Sunday shines down upon her, a beautiful ray of freedom. She even refuses to heal her sister when Kiyone inevitably gets some minor wound or scrape from all her unfocused hyperactivity. But does promise to book her an appointment for the next day.

[jeannereames]

where would i be able to read your monograph? especially about the ‘you are nothing without me’ incident

The Protracted Reality of Writing Academic Shit 😂

First, and assuming the asker means my Hephaistion-Krateros book, the quick answer is: It’s still in process, not even close to being in print. In the meantime, a number of my articles are available on academia-edu.

Now, to explain why the book is “still in process,” let me explain the monograph writing progression. IME, the average person uninvolved in academia is often surprised by the sheer complexity and time involved. (After all, why would you know if you don't need to?)

Below, I talk only about academic monographs, although I’ve also edited academic collections, and of course, have published a number of articles. I started to tackle fiction publishing too, but that quickly devolved into a long-ass post (even for me), so I’m sticking only to the topic the asker requested. It's long enough! Maybe I’ll do fiction later, assuming anybody wants to read that. (If so, put it in an ask.)

To write an academic book in the humanities typically takes years. There are several stages just to produce the initial manuscript, never mind getting it into print. I’ll outline the general process below, using my current project to illustrate the steps. One thing I’ve found consistently among both students and non-academics is utter surprise at just how extensive research/writing is. New grad students often think writing a thesis/dissertation is akin to writing a really long term paper. Oh, no. You will write it, submit it, get critique and feedback, go research some more and revise it, get critique and feedback, go and research yet more and revise it again … rinse and repeat. How long? Until it’s cooked. There’s not a set timeframe. It will always take longer than you expect. Always. I’ve been teaching grad students almost 25 years. I have yet to have any require less time than they first assumed.

Writing a monograph (including the thesis/dissertation, which is a type of monograph) is one of the toughest forms of academic writing. Papers/articles are much easier, and not just because they’re shorter, although that’s some of it. They also generally have a simpler point. They’re proving ONE thing, like a string.

A monograph presents a coherent, complex argument like a rope woven from several strings (the chapters). It’s not an edited collection by multiple authors in a single volume (or two), or even a collection of various essays by a single author. Collections may have a general topic, like, say, Macedonian Legacies (the collection we did for Gene Borza), or the one I’m editing now, Macedon and It’s Influences. Just trying to figure out a decent order for the varied papers can prove a challenge in these. If some of the papers actually do bear on each other … bonus! But the papers aren’t necessarily expected to come together at the end in any cogent way. A monograph’s concluding chapter should, however, bring together the chapters into a solid conclusion, like the arch’s capstone, holding it all together.

Yet the researcher may not know the answer to that until done with much of the research. After reading everything, and considering it, she may wind up in a different place from where she started. Like any good, responsible research, the researcher must be prepared to follow the data and facts, not cram them into a preconceived notion. I’ve changed some of my ideas and goals for my current monograph, as I no longer think I can do the project I originally intended because the nature of the sources get in the way too much. But I have a more interesting project as a result.

The first phase is research: pretty much for any academic field, period. How this progresses, and how quickly, varies with the individual, field, and topic. Furthermore, some of us are planners (that’s me), others are pantsers (e.g., they dive in and figure it out as they go: by the seat of the pants). But we all start with a question or observation, then go out to track down information about it. In history, sometimes we just read the primary sources/archival material and see what we find. Something strikes us, so we go on to read more, which produces either refined questions or entirely new ones.

Right now, I’m finishing up the initial stages of the research. Then I’ll start work on the chapters, which, yes, I’ve outlined as a result of my initial research. But those chapters may (and probably will) morph as I write them. It’s during the writing phase that the other, “attendant” research comes into play: chasing down all the references in other secondary sources for smaller points. Rabbit-hole time.

My initial research tends to be more measured. I read a while, stop to think—sometimes do stuff like write replies to asks on Tumblr while my brain churns. 😉 Then I go back and read some more. But the writing phase is where I can lose all track of time while running down just-one-more-citation-then-I’ll-stop. The last time I looked at a clock it was 3pm and now it’s 9pm, I’m weak with hunger, I really have to pee because I’m drinking too much tea, and the cats are mad because I’ve not fed them in hours. 😆 It’s two really different types of research for me.

Anyway, for the initial (pre-writing) stage, there are really two substages. The first is what I think of as archival work: e.g., getting down and dirty with the original (primary) sources, including digging into the Greek and Latin to see what it actually says, and if there’s something noteworthy in the phrasing. At this point, I may not really know what I’m looking for, except in the broadest sense. For my current project, I collected every single mention of Hephaistion and Krateros in the original sources. For all five ATG bios, I read them front to back, tagging all sorts of things, plus large chunks of important other books (e.g., the first part of book 18 of Diodoros, the extant fragments of Arrian’s After Alexander, plus a couple bios, esp. Plutarch’s Eumenes, etc.) in order to get a FLOW, not just collect things piecemeal. There are some passages that may not name Hephaistion or Krateros specifically, but they would include them. Piecemeal will always be incomplete, like trying to see a clear image in a broken mirror (a mistake I made with my dissertation, in fact, but I was young).

Then I assembled all that collected data on huge sheets, arranged by author for each man, so I can cross-reference and compare. I also did a deep-dive across 4 days, grabbing everything in Brill’s New Jacoby (BNJ), so I can also tag the original (lost) author cited in our surviving sources, where we know who it is. Not actually that many, but it’s useful and can prove significant. I want to see where the same information, or anecdote, crosses sources, and how it changes.

All of that (except adding the BNJ entry #s to my big sheets) is now done. The next step is figuring out what it all means. For that—and where I am right now—involves historiographic reading/rereading of secondary sources on the ancient authors. What is Curtius’s methodology? Arrian’s? Plutarch’s? What are the themes of each? What is the story they’re telling? They’re not just cut-and-pasters from the original (now lost) histories; they have agendas. What are they? How do Hephaistion and Krateros fit into those agendas? How do the sources use them? This is, to me, the really interesting piece.

It's also why this book will not be just a cleaned-up version of my dissertation, but a completely new look at Hephaistion, and now Krateros too. I haven’t even consulted my old dissertation chapters. I started over from scratch. Sure, I remember my main conclusions, and as I write, I’m sure I’ll go back to check things, but the same as I’d check anybody else’s.

I’d hoped to start writing by May, but I’m not quite there yet, in part because, between the Netflix series plus helping to write/edit a grant that I didn’t expect to have to do, I lost virtually all of February. Now, about half of April has been eaten by home repair/yard stuff plus small family crises. That’s just the nature of a sabbatical, especially if you don’t have a spousal unit or SO to take care of everything for you while you just write. 😒

Now I hope to start writing by mid/late May. But as this 9th International ATG Symposium is looming in early September, plus I go back to teaching in the fall, I’ll have to knock off by the end of July, if not sooner. Ergo, not a long writing time. I can do some more during winter break, but I probably won’t have a draft done until next summer. If I’m lucky. It is just not possible, at least for me, to write while teaching! As I do plan to present at least one (startling!) piece of my research as the ATG conference, I have a concrete deadline for a subchapter bit. Ha.

So, what happens after a draft is done? Well, if one is smart, one finds a reader or three. One just to read it for sense, but (if possible) another specialist to start poking holes in the arguments, noting secondary sources one forgot, and to offer general pushback in order to refine it all. This assumes your friends/colleagues actually have time to look at it, as they, also, are teaching and writing their own stuff. (I’ll go after my retired colleagues.) At the same time, one may also begin seeking an academic publisher.

It’s important to match the project to what the publisher is already publishing. It can also help, but isn’t necessary, to have an in: somebody known to/trusted by the editor of one’s broad field (ancient history, in my case) who can vouch for the scholarship. Submitting means writing up a summary of the work, perhaps including letters from colleagues/readers, etc., etc. I’m not even close to this stage yet, so I’m primarily going by the experiences of friends. At this point, it starts to dovetail a bit with fiction publishing. You’re on the hunt and do some of the same homework.

Once a publishing house requests the manuscript, they’ll farm it out to 2-3 readers to evaluate. This is the “refereed” part, as the readers will be specialists in the field. The publisher, who can’t be a specialist in everything, may ask for a list of names for these potential readers.

As with academic papers/book chapters, the book will come back from these readers with a vote on publishability, plus suggestions for improvement. The basic choices range from, “Go back to the drawing board; this has major issues and here they are” (e.g., not ready yet for publication). To, “It’s got good bones but here are improvements on chpts X and X, oh, and go read ___ works you forgot,” (e.g., revise and resubmit). To, “this is pretty solid as-is but could use a few more things” (e.g., revise but ready for a contract). You will NEVER get a “Publish it right now.” 🤣 It’s hard to say how much time this revising phase will take, as it depends entirely on the level of revisions requested. This is why it’s often wise to find a reader or three in advance, to make this phase less lengthy. Yes, books do sometimes get turned down entirely, with no “revise-and-resubmit,” but more often it’s one of the three above. And yes, sometimes an author may be unwilling to make the requested changes, so finds a different publisher, with different readers, hoping for a more positive outcome. Sometimes, with the revising stage, there’s a non-binding contract involved, but this seems to be useful mostly for younger scholars who need some sort of proof for their RPT (Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure) committees.

Once a publisher gets a manuscript they believe is worthy, the author receives a (real) contract and is provided with in-house editors to fix grammar, sense, etc.: copy- and line-editing. What would (in fiction) be called “developmental editing” is what the refereed part entailed. This is the simple part. Getting TO the contract stage is the tough part.

The publishing house will then schedule the book with a publication date and discuss things like page-proofs, cover art, permissions, formatting, etc., including indexing, which most publishers either don’t do, or charge a high fee for. It’s almost always cheaper to hire an indexer separately. I’ve already got mine lined up for the Hephaistion-Krateros book. But that can’t be done until it’s typeset and through page-proofs as one needs, yeah, the page numbers. Ha. From contract to the book hitting shelves can take a full year, or more.

So, with the exception of those folks who are just writing machines, the average monograph is c. 5+ years, at least in the humanities. This assumes the luck to get a sabbatical, not trying to do it all crammed into summers or breaks.

So yes, I’m still a couple years from this book seeing print. And that assumes there’s not a lengthy revise-and-resubmit process because my readers don’t like my conclusions.

[readingloveswounds]

Any tips on how to deal with perfectionism and imposter syndrome?

These are both things I deal with so often, and I can't say I've beaten them entirely, I've definitely found ways to cope.

As a sort of tl;dr at the start - I think overall it takes time. I have adapted and grown because I've had several years now to learn and get comfortable with what I need to know and be okay with what I won't be an expert in.

Imposter Syndrome:

Take on the persona of a Certified Trickster(tm). I know it sounds silly, but let's be real, most of imposter syndrome is your brain being silly in its own way. If I'm not meant to be here but still am, that means I've conned my way in. The perfect crime! I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me! I know this sounds exaggerated, and it definitely is, but the point of "playing along" with the idea of being a fraud (which is what plagues me a lot) is to expose to yourself how silly/unhelpful it is to get stuck in that rut. You have better things to do with your time! I am assuaging my fears about being extremely un/underqualified for any job or postdoc by going well it's not my problem, it's theirs. I won't weed myself out of the pool unless it's something I'm actually truly unqualified for, such as a set specialization that isn't mine or teaching coordinator positions.

Make a list of things you have accomplished. I have a little heading in my planner of "[Month] Accomplished" and I write down anything I'm proud of or happy with that month, usually as I do it. I think it's really easy to forget that you've been up to good things when worrying about whether or not you're an imposter, and it really helps me be aware that I'm not just messing around.

Befriend the people in your department. This may sound a bit obvious, but I could either beat myself up about not having accomplished anything when xyz person has done so much or I could hang out with that person and find out that they're a real human being, not someone up on a pedestal. Your mileage may vary because there's plenty of egos and plenty of assholes, but I do very much suggest being friends or friendly with people because it can humanize them in such a way as to make your subconscious stop using them as a cudgel against you.

Perfectionism:

Involve other people! Perfectionism traps you in your head and says that no one can see anything you do until it is perfect (which is impossible). Who exactly you involve will have to be up to your discretion for a variety of reasons, but part of why I sent parts of my chapters to my advisor on a regular basis was to make myself stop picking at small things that didn't matter, as well as to make myself allow other eyes on it even when something wasn't perfect. And it does suck sometimes when you feel you could have done better at writing something and have to send it off, but if you've seen some of my posts, I like to reframe that as making it my advisor's problem now. And usually it's not that bad, and if it is in rough shape he'll give me advice on how to make it better. Sharing my writing with people will always make me squirm, but it's a learning squirm, and if you can find people who care about your progress in a good way, it's terrifying but it helps.

The strides forward that "there's no such thing as a perfect dissertation, just a finished one" has taken me are immense. This is about a fairly specific milestone, obviously, but reframing it as not the pinnacle of my career that has to be 100% perfect but rather the start of my career that starts a conversation and that I can adapt and change and move forward with or from has really helped. It doesn't have to be perfect, I just have to say "hey, I'm out here with these thoughts" and make it as good as I can.

I hate to make this an ode to 'go touch grass,' but go out into the world and observe what other people do. THEY don't have to be perfect, and while I know the refrain of that is "but I do," participating in conferences, watching presentations, talking to other people can help you challenge that idea in yourself.

I think at some point I decided I wanted to be comfortable with public speaking, which allowed me to let me go of being perfect at it. So find ways to rephrase goals into metrics that are actually realistic.

There is also something to be said for going "No, we're not thinking about this right now" to yourself. It may not work every time, but it'll work enough of the time.

Hopefully this is helpful!

[princepestilence]

New Year's Resolutions 2024.

We're going for simple but profound life improvements this year.

I don't really feel like resolutions is entirely the right word -- it feels like giving yourself an ultimatum, which isn't how I see this purpose, or the tone, of my practice. They're more an acknowledgement of aspirations, a voicing of intentions to help clarify the path I want to take that year.

In 2024, I am making choices to bring more joy, more art, more rest and relief, and more connection with people I love into my life.

write to mum every day. For mum's early Christmas present, I gave her a day planner with a beautiful cover (Van Gogh, one of her favourites), but she never got to use it. I've taken to the idea of writing to her every day, since the thought I've been having most frequently this month, about little inconsequential things, is "I wish I could tell mum about this." .

make a memory book. More of a scrapbook than a typical photo album. I want to make a memory book of my mum, all the things I don't want to forget about her, and all the things I want to celebrate and reminsce fondly about. I've kept so many little bits and pieces over the years, like ticket stubs and cards, which I now feel was subconsciously for this exact purpose. .

take care of myself. In many ways, 2023 was a good year for this goal, but 2024 can absolutely be better. I intend to sleep well, eat well, exercise, do things that are enjoyable as often as possible, and say no + use my time for myself. I see it as infinitely more precious at the moment, and I'm not happy any longer to give it away to just anyone who wants for free labour. .

dress for fun. Another continuation of 2023, but also another that can be improved. I can for sure get weirder with it. .

make art. This is one I am so looking forward to. I've really missed it, and in some ways regret that I've prioritised nearly every other thing over this one. But not anymore. I'm excited to draw again, and do craft, and write when the mood strikes. .

read for pleasure. Another one that fell to the wayside again and again in my pursuit of productivity and trying to finish my thesis, and work, and volunteer, and be social, and keep on top of life admin. .

play games. Ditto above! I get too much fun from playing games not to do it more often. .

run (and play in?) tabletop games. In some ways, this folds in under both 'make art' and 'play games' but I feel it combines the two enough as a distinct third option to count for another goal. I particularly want to run Dread again, and try out some other kinds of tabletop / board games too. .

go on outings more often. I have a year pass to the aquarium that I want to start using ASAP, and I want to visit the botanic gardens more often. It's a beautiful place and really nice to walk around, so will be an ideal place to get a little more exercise into my life as well. Likewise, I'm looking forward to going to see theatre further afield, and visit more galleries and museums. .

decorate home / start renovations. We've decided it's about time to start seriously making some changes to our home, which is exciting but also a bit anxiety-inducing. We're fairly confident the first port of call will be installing aircon, followed by kitchen renovations and electrical work throughout the house. That's going to make such a huge difference to the QOL (quality of lighting) and the functionality of the kitchen / living space and desk areas. .

connect more with friends + family. I've sacrificed a lot of time with family and friends to keep afloat with work and my dissertation etc., and while I know that was a sensible decision, it's not a situation I want to keep living in. I would rather achieve less and spend more time with the people that are important to me. .

submit thesis. It feels a bit silly to put this here when it's so close to done at this point already, but it's still worth acknowledging -- and also celebrating. It's hard that my mum won't be here to see me graduate, or read what I've spent all this time working on, but I know she wouldn't want that to detract from the experience for me so I'm trying to walk the fine line of pride / satisfaction and grief as I travel down this final stretch. .

manage workload better. Work is usually fine, but the busy periods really slam me and I have to really struggle to keep afloat in that environment. I've assessed the problems and have started to put things in place so I'm not being overloaded, and I think that + some recent talks I've had with my manager will make a big difference in how that all happens this year coming.

[ims-unison-university]

What You’ll Learn During a BA in Mass Communication Course

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Mass Communication is a comprehensive program designed to equip students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful career in the media and communication industry. This course offers a blend of subjects that cover various aspects of mass media, including journalism, advertising, public relations, digital media, and more.

Understanding the BA in Mass Communication Curriculum

The BA in Mass Communication program typically spans three years and is divided into six semesters. Each semester introduces students to different facets of mass communication, ensuring a well-rounded education.

First Year: Building the Foundation

In the initial year, students are introduced to the basics of communication and media. Courses often include:

Introduction to Mass Communication: Understanding the role and impact of mass media in society.

Basics of Journalism: Learning the fundamentals of news writing and reporting.

Media Laws and Ethics: Studying the legal and ethical considerations in media practices.

Photography and Visual Communication: Exploring the principles of visual storytelling through photography.

These subjects lay the groundwork for more advanced topics in subsequent years.

Second Year: Exploring Media Platforms

The second year delves deeper into specific media platforms and their unique characteristics. Students engage with:

Print Journalism: Focusing on newspaper and magazine writing, editing, and layout design.

Radio and Television Production: Gaining hands-on experience in audio and video content creation.

Advertising and Public Relations: Understanding brand communication and audience engagement strategies.

Digital Media: Exploring online journalism, social media, and emerging digital platforms.

Practical assignments and projects are integral, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Third Year: Specialization and Professional Preparation

In the final year, students often choose electives or specializations based on their interests and career goals. Options may include:

Investigative Journalism: Techniques for in-depth reporting and uncovering hidden information.

Corporate Communication: Strategies for managing internal and external organizational communication.

Film Studies and Criticism: Analyzing cinematic works and understanding film theory.

Event Management: Planning and executing public and corporate events.

The culmination of the program often involves internships and a capstone project or dissertation, providing students with industry exposure and research experience.

Skills Acquired Through the Program

Graduates of the BA in Mass Communication program develop a diverse skill set, including:

Effective Communication: Mastery in conveying messages clearly across various media.

Critical Thinking: Analyzing information and media content with a discerning eye.

Technical Proficiency: Operating tools and software for media production and editing.

Research Abilities: Conducting thorough investigations and presenting findings coherently.

Adaptability: Staying current with evolving media trends and technologies.

These competencies prepare students for dynamic roles in the media industry and beyond.

Career Opportunities Post-Graduation

A BA in Mass Communication opens doors to various career paths, such as:

Journalist: Reporting news for print, broadcast, or digital platforms.

Public Relations Officer: Managing an organization's public image and communications.

Content Creator: Producing engaging material for blogs, social media, or marketing campaigns.

Media Planner: Strategizing advertising placements across different media channels.

Film and Video Editor: Assembling recorded footage into finished products for various media.

The versatility of the degree allows graduates to work in diverse sectors, including media houses, corporate communications, advertising agencies, and non-profit organizations.

Conclusion

Pursuing a BA in Mass Communication equips students with a comprehensive understanding of the media landscape and the skills necessary to thrive in it. For those in Gujarat seeking quality education in this field, Parul Sevashram Hospital's affiliated institutions offer programs that blend academic rigor with practical experience, preparing students for successful careers in mass communication.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Sttc r doing up her thesis/ dissertation (sorta like you!) and alexia gives her kisses after each line she writes “as a reward for my intelligent girl” and r is just so motivated to do more work so Ale will happily give her kisses.

Sttc Alexia insisting on staying up with R when she has schoolwork to do to motivate her. Ofc Alexia falls asleep midway and r just looks down to the prettiest face curled up beside her. Alexia wakes up at some point and panics that she hasn’t been rewarding her girl enough and just start frantically kissing r to make up for it.

R being stressed and needing help studying so Ale offers a listening ear so she can blurt all her information and “practice” practical elements. Alexia has no idea what R is spurting or whatever she’s doing but she just looks at her like 🥰🥰🥰 and constantly tells her that she’s doing great.

Alexia in no way being a good cook but always making sure to have something ready for r for breakfast after a late night study session, plus snacks for r to eat between lectures. She also definitely writes cute notes and slips them in the snack boxes for r to discover.

Alexia shifting media and other campaign stuff around during R peak exam season so she can stay home and take care of her amor. Once mapi asks why she can’t make it to media that day and her answer was that she needed to cuddle R as emotional support to which mapi is less than amused.

Alexia trying to learn how to be a better cook and make more nutritious snacks so R has more brain energy so she consults her diet planner/ girls in the team that can cook such as Ingrid. One day Mapi wakes up and to her horror Alexia has stolen Ingrid from her bed to learn how to bake cookies for R.

Alexia being there EVERY PART of R education journey regardless of if they were together at the time. You’d best belief she was sat and clapping loudly, cheering for R even when they were “broken up”.

She applies the same methods when her daughters eventually start school, always putting her family first and supporting her daughters through every achievement in their lives.

Alexia knows that R's degree is a completely different challenge to football and doesn't exactly know how to help so she settles on being supportive

She tries to do the bulk of the chores and rewards R with so many kisses and stays up late in solidarity and lets R practice all of her clinical skills on her

She doesn't know how else to help but she's so perfect during it all and she's everything R needs her to be at the time

[lboogie1906]

Dr. George James Fleming (February 15, 1904 - August 1, 1990) a political scientist was born in Bassein Triangle, Christiansted, St. Croix, Danish West Indies to Alexander Fleming and Ernestine Jackson Fleming. He graduated Valedictorian from the Hampton Institute Academy at Hampton Institute. He received a BA in Journalism at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and earned the Phi Beta Kappa key. In 1935, he was initiated into the Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Howard University. He became the second editor of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal.

He earned an MA in Applied Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked with the American Friends Service Committee while earning his Ph.D. His dissertation was on The Administration of Fair Employment Practice Programs.

He was the supervising editor of the Who’s Who in Colored America, Seventh Edition. e was the editor of the New York Amsterdam News and a contributor to the Journal & Guide Newspaper. He was offered a professorship at Morgan State College in Baltimore. He created and implemented the Morgan’s Institute for Political Education with a grant from the Ford Foundation for $103,000. He married Hazel Hampton (1956) a social worker for the Baltimore School System. He authored An All-Negro Ticket in Baltimore, Eagleton Institute Cases in Practical Politics. He was a joint planner in the founding of the College of the Virgin Islands and became a member of its Board of Trustees and a member of Morgan State’s Board of Regents.

Why Baltimore Failed to Elect a Black Mayor was one of his more recognized works published by the Joint Center for Political Studies. He was honored as a Professor Emeritus of Political Science. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #phibetakappa #kappaalphapsi

[alanjporterwriter]

Books read in 2024 #76 - “The Women Behind The Few” by Sarah Louise Miller.

A well researched look at the various often under appreciated and under-reported roles played by the members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in Britain during World War II.

From code breakers at Bletchley Park, to radar operators, intellingence analysts and planners, to aircraft delivery pilots and more, this book serves to shine an overdue spotlight on the essential behind the scenes work of thousands of women and their contribution to the war effort.

In the acknowledgments the author mentions that this work started out as a academic dissertation, and unfortunately from a narrative perspective that shows through with several points repeated almost to the point of irrelevance, and some definite padding to build the text up to a book length manuscript.

But those points aside this is a worthwhile study that will hopefully open the door for a greater appreciation of the role played by women in uniform during Britain’s darkest hour.

[overcomingprocastination]

HOW STUDENT PROCASTINATE?

Introduction

Procrastination is a common challenge that university students face. Balancing lectures, assignments and a social life can be overwhelming, leading to a cycle of putting off important tasks until the last minute. This can cause stress and negatively impact your academic performance and, more importantly, your personal well-being.

If you’ve found yourself struggling with procrastination, we’re here to help! We’ll help you discover some of the best strategies to stop procrastination in its tracks. Whether you’re struggling to avoid procrastination or looking to improve your productivity, these tips are designed to help you overcome procrastination habits and achieve your long-term goals.

Why is avoiding procrastination important?

Before we dive in, you’ve got to understand why avoiding procrastination is important. For starters, putting off tasks may hinder your academic performance. When you leave your assignments and revision until the last minute, it will likely lead to rushed, lower-quality work – negatively impacting grades on both your exams and assignments.

Aside from that, procrastination can be harmful to your mental health, Neuroscience News reports. Although you’re putting something off, your brain still knows that you’ve got to do it. This can lead to an increase in stress, anxiety and depression. By completing these tasks on time, you can boost your personal satisfaction by fostering a sense of accomplishment.

Now, let’s take a look at how to stop procrastinating.

Tips to stop procrastinating as a student

Set clear goals

According to Solving Procrastination, a lack of clear goals is a common reason why students are prone to procrastination. Without a clear direction and motivation, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and avoid important tasks as they seem pointless.

Start off by looking at the bigger picture. Where do you want to be in one, five, or even ten years' time? Then break down the steps of what you need to do to accomplish this. By specifying why you need to study or complete your assignments to a high standard, you’ll be more motivated to do so!

Create a schedule

Having a structured plan can significantly reduce procrastination. When you allocate specific times for studying, assignments and breaks, you create a routine that fosters productivity. To make this possible, you could create a planner or digital calendar to map out your week. For a better overview of your week, try colour-coding your schedule according to classes, study sessions and social activities. It’s important to build consistency, so aim to stick to this as closely as possible. But there’s no harm in being flexible!

Prioritise important tasks

It’s easy to spend time on less important activities while avoiding the large tasks that matter – it makes us feel better about doing something. Prioritising helps you focus on what’s most critical. One of the ways you can do this is by using the Eisenhower Matrix to categorise your tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Start by focussing on the tasks that are both urgent and important and take it from there.

Eliminate distractions

A major source of your procrastination comes from distractions. Whether it’s social media, noise, chatting with your friends or even a cluttered workspace, it’s important to block these distractions when you’re in study mode. To create a distraction-free environment, turn off your notifications and set the stage for better concentration and productivity.

Break down large tasks

Facing a large task can be intimidating, leading to procrastination. Breaking it down into smaller, more manageable pieces can make it seem less overwhelming. If you have a big project or assignment due, such as your dissertation, divide and conquer is the way forward. You could break this down into researching, outlining, writing and sense-checking. For each smaller task, set yourself a mini deadline to keep yourself on track and watch yourself shine.

Use the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that can help you stay focused and productive. It involves working for a set period, usually 25 minutes, followed by a short break. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a task without interruptions. After the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break and repeat, taking a longer break after every four “Pomodoros”. This technique can help you maintain a high level of focus while preventing burnout.

Reward yourself

Incentives can be a powerful motivator to overcome procrastination. A bit like training a dog, rewarding yourself after completing a task is a type of conditioning that reinforces positive behaviour, making you more likely to want to complete these tasks. Your reward can be anything you enjoy – whether it’s watching an episode of your favourite series, indulging in your favourite snack or even going for a walk.

Stay accountable

Having someone to hold you accountable can significantly reduce procrastination. Sharing your goals with a friend can provide the extra push you need. Partner with a classmate or friend and set up regular check-ins to discuss your progress. This accountability can help you stay committed to your tasks and deadlines. Unless you’re prone to chatting, you could even use each other as a study buddy to help each other revise.

Practice self-compassion

It’s important to be kind to yourself, especially when you slip up. Beating yourself up over it can lead to more negative emotions and even more procrastination. Everyone struggles with it at times, so when you do, reflect on what triggered it and how you can address it in the future. This way you can improve how you handle it the next time you have a handful of stressful tasks to juggle.

Conclusion.

Procrastination can be challenging, but you will be able to overcome it with the right time management strategies. By setting clear goals, creating a schedule, prioritising tasks and eliminating distractions, you can build habits that promote productivity and reduce stress. Remember, overcoming procrastination takes time and effort, but the rewards both personally and academically will be worthwhile. Now you know how to stop procrastinating, put these tips into action and watch as you grow.

[peacelovingdaffodil]

Prompt 2453

It was a week until the wedding, but it seemed like everything was just falling apart.

It started with the clasp of her shoe. Then everything went to shit. OK, well, maybe it didn't start there, and she was being dramatic, but everything was falling apart, and dammit! She was allowed to be hyperbolic one week before her wedding. An overwhelming anxiety was eating her heart inside out. It wasn't that her wedding planner had quit, it wasn't that her wedding dress needed even more alterations and they weren't done, it wasn't that the flowers weren't going to make it on time to her wedding venue, it wasn't even that the golden little clasp on her grandmother's pump heels had popped right off. It was the gnawing in her heart. It was the engagement ring that kept getting in her way. It was the little nugget of doubt in the back of her head that had grown exponentially the closer her wedding got. She lay next to him in bed, feeling his presence, and it felt increasingly wrong. Panic would set in and paralyzed her. When he was awake, when she could look him in his eyes, she felt more at peace, more grounded and sure in her decision. They'd been through so much together. She'd gotten him through his mother's death, the 2 years without a job, after being laid off. He'd gotten her through two changes in careers, going back for her masters, her dissertation, her sister's incarceration, the return of her absent father, she'd told him everything about her childhood, everything. He knew her, and she knew him. They'd gone vacationing, met each other's parents, adopted a dog, been adopted by a cat, but none of that mattered, at 1 am in the morning when she was–most nights now–staring at the ceiling, frozen to the sheets; feeling him breathing next to her, wanting to rip her skin off and run away. She could cry, she did cry. She didn't know if this was self sabotage, rearing its ugly head, a byproduct of her upbringing, or it was…the inkling of a suspicion, weaving its way through her body. A suspicion that smelled like peaches, a suspicion with soft pliant skin, and long fiery curls. "Good luck, babe". She remembered scoffing in her face when she heard that. Those words had been frozen in time, along with her beauty, and their collective youth. Now, today, those same words, everything about that time, had made it's way down her throat, and it was choking her alive, stuck like a ball of metal in her neck–she couldn't breathe. It was a week until the wedding, the engagement ring was heavy on her finger, the clasp on her grandmothers shoe broke, and it seemed like everything was just falling apart.

[a00317975]

mice practices at a hotel

(a00317975)

Title:  

"Elevating Events: The topic of the dissertation is hence “Strategizing MICE Excellence at the Grand Hyatt Singapore”.  

Introduction:  

In the context of hospitality business, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions commonly referred to as MICE trickle the stream of business tourism cum corporate events. Among the facilities, the suitability of the location of the Grand Hyatt Singapore in hosting MICE events is hard to beat due to the availability of excellent and well-equipped spaces for meetings.  

Key Players:  

Planning for MICE events in Singapore entailing the services of this hotel is always a collaborative effort of the following people. Professional planners pay careful attention to plan each event by focusing on the approaches of staging that have a close relation to the client’s expectation. The hotel management team supervises all the organizational activities to ensure quality service delivery is acknowledged and efficiently implemented. The culinary team must plan individual meals which may be desired by a number of people, and the AV techs must make certain that necessary technologies will be incorporated in presentation and interpersonal relations.  

Venue:  

The choice of settings to hold all forms of MICE remains one of the key strengths of the Grand Hyatt Singapore. The Grand Ballroom is the biggest hall equipped with exquisite decorations and sophisticated lighting set ideal for conferences and official banquets. Telephone conferences have their limits and where necessary there should be specific small meeting rooms that are equipped with the latest audio-visual gadgets and hardware most appropriate for board of directors’ meetings, workshops and seminars. The hotel has use of green space around the hotel like specialized gardens for outdoor reception and business networking.  

Meeting Types:  

This publication highlights that activities in meeting and events have been well managed at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Corporate board meetings, business executives’ planning sessions, or simply business lunches are even more enhanced by the availability of exclusively private and technologically resourceful meeting rooms. Corporate training, big seminars, banquets, and trade shows fit the Grand Ballroom perfectly as it can be divided to have different arrangements. The luxury hotel components used in incentive trips are a way of making the attendees feel that they are benefiting from the event and having a memorable time.  

Challenges:  

While planning and handling MICE events in Grand Hyatt Singapore, the managing staff faces their own set of responsibilities such as and handling transportation for a big group of people and dealing with many other expectations from clients. The latter sorts of obstacles are managed by the hotel’s staff through the proper planning, intentioned communication, and constant focus on flexibility. This means that potential problems are effectively met internally; thus, keeping standards high as demanded by clients. 

SWOT Analysis:  

Strengths: The strategic location of Grand Hyatt Singapore, flexibility in terms of its facilities to any MICE events, fantastic service has undoubtedly made it the meeting point for these events. The hotel, stated to be one of the best, is a plus or a factor working in its Favour besides offering most of the amenities that one would expect from a good hotel.  

Weaknesses: The former touches on the ideas of increasing the effectiveness of online social media as well as increasing social components of events to offer attendees even more variety.  

Opportunities: Specific opportunities for hotel growth include new partnership with corporations and utilizing new technologies as a new form of event selling.  

Threats: From external environment analysis, the forces like macro-environmental forces, intensity of competition from other luxury hotels, and variation in the rates of economic growth force continual change and management with appropriate strategic knowledge.  

Relevance to the PowerPoint Presentation: Relevance to the PowerPoint Presentation:  

By using the cafe project to compare with the Grand Hyatt Singapore’s MICE business, the role of control and competitiveness are stressed. They are based on common management techniques that can guarantee success and future improvements within any market.  

Creativity and Imagery:  

In order to attract the attention of the readers, there are descriptions and other features of a blog post. Rooms include the Grand Ballroom, meeting rooms, and outdoor spaces or event spaces and the quality images reflect this. The interactive capabilities of the hotel are also depicted in the form of infographics showing the layout of every venue and MICE events video clips.  

Conclusion:  

In conclusion, this paper is able to demonstrate that MICE is notably practiced by the Grand Hyatt Singapore through provision of outstanding infrastructure and professionalism. As is evident from the case, the hotel stands out in organizing multiple events while also focusing on how to handle difficulties that come with the job, making it a leader in the hospitality industry’s MICE division. Good management practices also promote successful events and also promote the longevity and sound position of the hotel.